By Madison McGuinness
Federal Minister for the Arts Tony Burke has announced a $4.5 million funding commitment to the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW) to support the creation of a Hellenic Cultural and History Centre in Sydney.
This major pre-election pledge was made during the an official event ‘Leonard Cohen’s life and music on Hydra’ hosted as part of the Greek Festival of Sydney on Thursday, April 10, at the Marrickville Library Pavilion.
The evening began with opening remarks from Deputy Mayor of the Inner West, Councillor Matt Howard, who welcomed attendees to what the council has officially designated as “Little Greece.”
“We know that here in the Inner West — the birthplace of Australian multiculturalism — the Greek community has made perhaps the biggest contribution to building a strong, diverse, and harmonious community,” he said, before introducing Minister Burke.
Taking the podium, Minister Burke announced two major funding measures from the GOCNSW:
- $4.5 million to support the development of a new Greek cultural and history centre
- $143,000 for security upgrades at the Greek Orthodox Community’s facilities
In a speech, the Minister said his vision for the Greek cultural and history centre was inspired by Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum and stressed the importance of preserving and celebrating the stories of Greek Australians.
“I want there to be a home where you have gallery space, museum-style space, as well as performance and meeting areas. That’s what this investment is all about,” he said.
Minister Burke clarified that while plans submitted by GOCNSW to the South Sydney Planning Panel propose a redevelopment at its Lakemba site to build a multimillion-dollar five-storey centre, the funding is not dependent on that location.
“There are designs and everything that have been put to us with respect to it being at Lakemba, yeah, but it’s not conditional on that, no,” the Minister told The Greek Herald.
Harry Danalis, President of the GOCNSW, thanked Minister Burke for the announcement during his address at the event.
“It’s good to see that the government’s commitment to multiculturalism bears fruit not just in words, but in action,” Mr Danalis said.
“This goes a long way to establishing a multicultural space for the Greek community.”
Speaking to The Greek Herald after the event, Mr Danalis said the federal funding would be a major boost to the community’s long-term vision.
“We are now able to extend our existing premises to look, finally, like a true cultural centre,” he said. “We need an auditorium, we need areas to display artefacts and historical records dating back to 1898, and we need a space for our members to gather and hold functions.”
Mr Danalis added that the entire project is estimated to cost more than double the government’s contribution, meaning additional support will still be required.
As previously reported by The Greek Herald, the GOCNSW has submitted a $22 million redevelopment proposal for its Lakemba site, which would include gallery spaces, function rooms, meeting areas, and offices across five storeys.
Also in attendance at the event were NSW Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis MP, and the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, who arrived later for the festival event.
The GOCNSW is now one step closer to realising its long-held vision for a cultural and historical centre that will preserve and celebrate Hellenism for generations to come.
