A preliminary meeting was held on Saturday, June 3 in Adelaide with members from the newly elected Executive Council of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA), Archbishop Makarios of Australia and Bishop Silouan of Sinope.
The meeting followed a forum held on Sunday, May 28 at Olympic Hall, where members of GOCSA were invited to attend and express their views and concerns on a number of issues important to the Community.
“It was an honour for our Executive Council to meet with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios and re-engage in dialogue. It was important to hear His Eminence’s views on how we could potentially heal the ecclesiastical issue that has divided South Australia’s Greek community for decades,” GOCSA President, Peter Gardiakos, said.
“The Administrative Council remains committed to serving and consulting with our members and safeguarding the future of GOCSA for generations to come. Whilst no decisions were made at this meeting with the Archbishop, it was heartening to see that we shared common goals such as open dialogue, mutual respect and transparency.”
Archbishop Makarios expressed his love for the members of South Australia’s Greek community and agreed that unity is the common goal between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and the GOCSA.
The Community will continue to identify ways to future-proof the GOCSA whilst ensuring the organisation’s values, proud history and heritage are preserved.
UK football club, Sunderland, are close to signing 20-year-old Greek Australian defender and Central Coast Mariners player, Nectarios Triantis.
According to beinsports, Sunderland are understood to have beat an array of rivals to land the highly-rated defender for a transfer fee of around $500,000.
The 20-year-old was a stand out at this weekend’s A-League Grand Final where the Mariners thrashed Melbourne City 6-1.
In the wake of the victory, Triantis was asked about his future and said: “You never know (what is going to happen).”
“I’ve got two years left on my contract. I love this club, and I’ll always give everything for this club,” he said.
Later, in a post on Instagram, Triantis expressed his gratitude to his family for their support.
“I am nothing without my family and close circle around me. I’m so grateful for everything my family done for me over the years sacrificing their time for my career,” he wrote.
He particularly thanked his mother and said: “nothing is possible without you, you have sacrificed your life for our family and we are all so grateful for you.”
It’s understood that Sunderland have been tracking Triantis for some time and they moved quick to secure his signature, beating other teams which were interested after his breakout debut season for the Mariners.
Triantis’ signature will add depth to the Sunderland side, who are planning to fight for another Premier League promotion next season.
Stelios Okoumousis-Imvrios added “Imvrios” to his surname after leaving the Greek island of his heritage in 1966.
“I wanted the connection with Imvros,” he told The Greek Herald while pointing to a photograph of children from the village of Ai Theodorou on the north-Aegean island of Imvros dancing under the gaze of ANZAC soldiers.
The photo is one of 137 on display at The Imbros and Gallipoli Revealed exhibition at Parkdale’s Greek Orthodox Church in Victoria, organised by the Imvrians’ Society of Melbourne in collaboration with renowned historian Jim Claven. Printed on 21 boards, each board follows a theme to show life on the island when ANZACs were based there, near Gallipoli.
Stelios Okomousis points to a photo of children playing and remembers his grandfather’s story of ANZACs throwing coins and lollies followed by a mad scramble. All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.The photo he was pointing at showed Australian soldiers playing a game with Greek children in the courtyard of a stone house on Imbros. January 1916. Courtesy AWM.
Uncovering an unknown story:
Kingston City Councillor Steve Staikos said: “These pictures tell a story we need to know more about. Through them, we uncover more things we may not have known. For example, the first Australian field bakery sent 14,500 (to 20,000) rations of bread every day on a trawler to troops based at Imvros. A lot of people don’t know the story. They have heard about Simpson and his donkey, but they haven’t heard about the bread that fed the soldiers and where it was baked.”
British Petty Officer Bill Pollard’s donkey ride” Kephalos, 1915-16. Courtesy William Pollard/Cross & Cockade Archive.
The bread was just one of the gifts of Imvros to the diggers, who wrote and spoke favourably of the island’s abundance of produce, including fresh eggs, meat, vegetables, figs, mulberries, citrus fruit, and fresh yoghurt described by soldiers as “life-giving stuff,” not to mention the spirits.
Some of the delicacies of the island were brought for guests to sample during the exhibition: traditional kourkouta (an Imvrian staple for the August 15 feast day of the Virgin Mary), amygdalota, special pumpkin boureki (strifto), baklava, dolmadakia, prasopita (leak pie) and manti.
Guests sampled kourkouta, a traditional island recipe traditionally made in the village with bulgur wheat and lamb during the feast day of the Virgin Mary.More Imvrian delicacies.
Mr Claven is no stranger to traditional Imvrian hospitality and cuisine from the island’s seven Greek villages. Having travelled to Imvros to tour the grounds where ANZACs walked during a visit in 2015, he began his preliminary research for his latest book, From Imbros over the sea: Imbros and Gallipoli revealed.
The island was the safest base close to the Peninsula, and the photographs show soldiers relaxing before dealing with the atrocities to come.
The Australian Field Bakery on Imbros. 1915. Courtesy AWM.
“They also reveal our island and its life,” George Xinos, a member of the Imvrians’ Society of Melbourne, said. “They show its people and the villages. We see children in the villages and towns, locals riding these new visitors on their donkeys. We see some of the religious life of the people, and we see some of the physical remains of Imvros’ long history in the great castle of Kastro.”
Many of the photographs show soldiers happily interacting with the locals or enjoying their hobbies, including a copy of a painting of Imvros as viewed from Gallipoli by Ann Holland’s grandfather. Ms Holland told The Greek Herald of how her grandfather, Alec Holland, never talked about the war but kept a diary while there.
Ann Holland and her husband sample prasopita (leak pie) which may well have been a delicacy her grandfather would have tried while visiting Imvros on the way to Gallipoli.
“It was small enough to fit under his hat, and he wrote in it every day he was away. My father had it after he died, and then it came to me, and I decided to transcribe it before my aunt, his daughter, passed away at the age of 92,” Ms Holland said.
Her grandfather, an engineer in an elite unit handpicked to work with metals to build bridges for the Australian troops to cross, “wrote ordinary stuff in his diary”.
“Things like ‘today is windy’ or ‘today is the coldest day’,” Ms Holland said.
Ann Holland shows a transcription of her grandfather Alec Holland’s diaries to Oakleigh RSL President Dough Pendergast and his wife Anne-Maree Pendergast.
They passed through Imvros on their way to Souvla. But his unit was troublesome, and they mutinied when they weren’t paid. They were later disbanded.
Mr Claven contacted Ms Holland after she took to Facebook seeking soldiers who served in the same unit as her grandfather.
After the diggers left:
The photos and research tell the story of the role of Imvros during the war – a moment in time before the fate of the Greek community on the island was sealed, seven years later, with the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
People taking in the display.Sophie Arvanitou from Tenedos (near Imvros), Catherine Alexopoulos and Kris Stamboulidis of Asia Minor descent.
Legislating under the island’s Greek autonomy under Turkish rule, the Treaty left these Greeks with Turkish passports in limbo. Despite this, until the 1960s they managed to thrive however, due to a turn in the political climate, the population of almost 10,000 Greeks dwindled to 200 in the 1990s as many Imvrians abandoned their homes.
Mr Xinos said he prefers to look to the future.
“I think it is important to note that the Hellenic Community on Imvros is the only Hellenic community of Turkey that is growing. We were 200 people in the ‘90s, but now there are around 600,” he said.
“The Greek schools were closed half a century ago, but now they have opened again. We are thinking about the future and our continued presence there.”
Kingston City Councillor and former mayor Steve Staikos and George Xinos, a member of the Imvrians’ Society of Melbourne who was pivotal in bringing this exhibition to life.
Plans are underway to build a commemorative trail on the island.
“A commemorative trail is being created in Lemnos, and it would be great to have that in Imvros, drawing some of the tens of thousands visiting Anzac Cove. This would boost tourism and increase general awareness for everyone on the island,” Mr Xinos said, adding that there are already plans for the display to travel around Melbourne and other places in Australia.
An exhibition on the island of Imvros is also being considered with the boards to be translated into other languages.
President of the Imvrians’ Society of Melbourne Arthur Pinirou and Jim Claven.George Xinos, Dr Robert Webster, president of Victoria’s RSL, Kingston City Councillor Tracey Davies, renowned historian Jim Claven, Greek Consul General to Melbourne Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Fr Panagiotis Zoumboulis, Lee Tarlamis MP representing Victoria’s Government, Kingston City Cr Steve Staikos, Bill Papastergiadis, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne.
Bill Papastergiadis, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), said the exhibition is important in casting the spotlight on a lesser-known part of the ANZAC story not taught in schools. He added that it is also an important part of Australia’s multicultural story.
“Largely our connection was one of migration, but that’s not the story as we know it,” he said.
“The story is complicated because it goes backwards and forwards. It’s not just us, people of Greek background making the story here, but also Australians making the journey to Greece and being part of our history.”
Bill Papastergiadis.
Mr Okoumousis-Imvrios said his grandfather, aged eight, fighting with the other village children to gather Australian coins and lollies could never have imagined that his family would thrive in the land of these diggers. He points to the next generation, his two granddaughters visiting the display, and proudly states that they are university students with dreams of someday working for NASA. They continue the story of 15,000 Imvrians scattered around the globe.
The opening of the exhibition took place on Friday, 2 June, and was officially opened by Lee Tarlamis MP for the Southen Metropolitan region, on behalf of Victoria’s Government and the Victorian Veterans’ Council, in the presence of Greek Consul General Emmanuel Kakavelakis. Visits to see the display can be arranged upon request and the book can also be ordered by emailing Georgexinos@gmail.com.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
Heidelberg United FC is more than just a football club. It’s a community – a symbol of multicultural Australia formed by Greek immigrants predominantly from Florina, Macedonia in the north of Greece back in 1958.
This is a journey so many other clubs of ethnic background have followed in Australia after the Second World War. It’s what I love about football in our country.
Clubs like Heidelberg gave those newly arrived Australians from Greece a chance to engage with so many who followed a similar journey, but also the chance to assimilate in their own language, develop lifetime friendships which often led to marriages, find work and also make one feel that they belong. Ties that bind.
Imagine what it was like arriving in Australia not knowing anyone, not knowing the English language and not having a job? Football was a catalyst for so many – a pathway for a better future.
On Saturday, June 3, Heidelberg United (also known as Alexandros or Alexander The Great) celebrated its 65th anniversary with 470 people in attendance at the stunning La Belle Venues in Somerton, Victoria. I was honoured to be the emcee.
Andy Paschalidis (left) with Jeff Olver.
Amongst the guests were: Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Consul General of Greece in Melbourne; Lee Tarlamis OAM MP, Member for South Eastern Metropolitan region of Melbourne; Alida McKern, Deputy Mayor of Banyule City Council; Antonella Care, Football Victoria President; Kimon Taliadoros, Football Victoria CEO; Jeff Olver, ex-Subway Socceroos goalie, most capped Bergers player (379apps) and long time Bergers goalie coach; George Katsakis, Heidelberg coach since 2007; Rita Mankowska, Heidelberg player and Head of Player Development at Professional Footballers Australia; Steve Tsalikidis, Heidelberg United President; Arthur Evriniadis, Heidelberg United Chairperson; and Bill Papastergiadis, Commissioner at the Victoria Multicultural Commission and President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria.
People at the event.Speeches and prizes were given.
On the night, Football Australia Chairman, Chris Nikou, also sent a very emotive video message in Greek and English.
I have enjoyed such a great relationship with this club and it shouldn’t surprise given my years at SBS Sport covering the old National Soccer League (NSL), as well as my Pontian background.
I was blessed to commentate many Heidelberg matches in the NSL including the 2-1 NSL Cup triumph against Parramatta Melita Eagles in 1993. This was one of two Cup triumphs. Heidelberg was the first Victorian Club to become National Premier League Champions in 2017 under the guidance of coach George Katsakis.
Perhaps the golden period for the club came in the 1980s when seven players featured in the Socceroos lineup between 1982-1985 including Gary Cole, a two-time top scorer in the NSL in 1980 and 1981.
Katsakis has been coaching the team since 2007 and has enjoyed great success with three Victorian Minor Premierships (2017, 2018 and 2019) and one Championship in 2018. George was the 1985 NSL Under 21 Player of the Year while playing for his beloved club before injury forced him to retire and take up coaching.
“This is the people’s club,” Katsakis said. “It’s like a family to me and it goes beyond football.”
“A broken leg ended my playing career and when I started coaching former Socceroos coaching legend Rale Rasic, he gave me great advice and he still does to this day. He has become a great mentor.”
Posing in front of the media wall.The night was enjoyed by all.
There has been a roll call of great players who have worn the famous colours of Heidelberg including Theo Selemidis (354 apps and second to Jeff Olver), Charlie Yankos, Gary Cole (247 apps), John Anastasiadis, Alan Hunter, Phil Stubbins, Jim Kourtis, Kevin Muscat, Peter Tsolakis, Kimon Taliadoros, Jim Kriaris, Pat Bannon, Andy Vlahos, Jamie Paton, Les Doumbalis, Yakka Banovic, Ivan Franjic, Alan Scott (236 apps), Ulysses Kokkinos, Gary McDowell, George Goutzioulis, George Slifkas, Jim Tansey, Archie Thompson, Bobby Despotivski, John Yzendoorn. The list is endless. Many went on to play for the Socceroos.
“Alexander the Great of Melbourne has been honouring the sport of football, as well as the Hellenic sports ideals in the distant Antipodes for decades,” the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne said on the night.
“It’s a club which has engaged with thousands of fans whether of Greek origin or not.
“Today we honour the Macedonian pioneers who, by establishing the club in 1958, wanted to demonstrate their love for the sport and the motherland which many were forced to leave under difficult circumstances.”
Andrew Paschalidis (right) with Kimon Taliadoros (left) his daughter Cleo (centre).
It was so good to also see Akrites Australia (Ακρίτες Του Πόντου) perform on the night along with the Florina Aristotelis Dance Group.
Akrites Australia performing on the night.
Congratulations to the organising Committee led by Angela Pilipasidis. I had an awesome night – one which also reminded me of my journey in football which started as a player in 1971 and in the media in 1983 when I first walked through the doors of Foreign Language Publications as a cadet journalist with the historic publication Australian Soccer Weekly. Long live Alexandros.
NSW Fair Trading has cancelled the contractor licence and permanently disqualified GN Residential Construction Pty Ltd, as well as imposed a 10-year disqualification on the company’s director Nicholas Kodomichalos, after the death of Christopher Cassaniti when scaffolding collapsed in April 2019.
In November 2020, GN Residential Construction pleaded guilty in the District Court of New South Wales to an offence under section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
Mr Cassaniti suffered fatal injuries after an overloaded perimeter facade scaffolding collapsed on top of him. Fellow worker Kahled Wehbe was also trapped and suffered serious injuries. It was determined at the time of collapse the scaffolding was overloaded with a live load of more than 18 tonnes.
Greek Australian construction company and director lose licence after worker death in NSW.
It was also found ties connecting the scaffolding to a corresponding building had been removed. At the time of the incident, the scaffold was still in use despite most, if not all, of the ties having been removed. The court found the absence of ties would have been obvious if a visual inspection of the site had been conducted prior to collapse. However, the last inspection occurred a month before the incident.
GN Residential Construction Pty Ltd was convicted and fined $900,000 for breach of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 in relation to this incident.
Following the conclusion of SafeWork NSW’s prosecution, the matter was handed over to NSW Fair Trading’s Disciplinary Action Unit (DAU), which determined GN Residential Construction, and its director Mr Kodomichalos, were not fit to hold a licence.
In February 2023, GN Residential Construction’s licence was cancelled, and the company was permanently disqualified from holding any authority under the Home Building Act 1989. In March 2023, Mr Kodomichalos was disqualified from holding any authority under the Home Building Act 1989 for 10 years.
Sophie Cotsis. Photo AAP Image
Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said: “I extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those affected by this tragic incident.”
“The conviction and disqualification should serve as a warning to all contractors to maintain a strong focus on safety on their worksites,” Ms Cotsis added.
“An independent review is underway into SafeWork NSW including its effectiveness of compliance, enforcement and education.”
Nathan Vikatos, 45, has been charged with murder over the stabbing death of his three-year-old son in Sydney’s south-west,The Guardian has reported.
NSW Police found the child’s body about 4pm on Wednesday, May 31 after responding to a “concern for welfare” call from a female relative of the family.
Police believe the mother of the boy died a few years ago.
Vikatos was seriously injured with what police suspect were self-inflicted knife wounds in the Riverwood unit on Washington Avenue.
Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald, Steven Siewert
The 45-year-old was taken to St George Hospital to undergo life-saving surgery. He was in a stable condition on Thursday before being arrested and formally charged by police in hospital on Friday.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Vikatos was due to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Saturday on a murder charge, but the case was adjourned for two months after a brief mention.
The matter was adjourned to Burwood Local Court on August 9.
On Friday, June 2 at 6.30 pm, the Greek Community Club at Lakemba, Sydney, was transformed into a vibrant celebration as people experienced a night of entertainment, gastronomy, and captivating dance performances at the ‘Little Greek Dancers’ taverna night.
The event, held in support of the Education Department of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW), left attendees with lasting memories.
Young dancers on the night and prize winners.Photos supplied.
The stage was graced by talented students from GOCNSW who showcased their traditional dance skills, captivating the audience under the guidance of the renowned Paroula Thurban. Accompanying their performances was the delightful music of Nathan Pylarinos, adding an enchanting atmosphere to the evening.
Dancing under Paroula Thurban.Photos supplied.
Aris Chatzigeorgiou, the GOCNSW chef, treated attendees to a mouth-watering array of culinary delights, ensuring that their taste buds were as delighted as their eyes and ears.
The night reached its pinnacle when the winners of the evening’s prizes were announced:
1st prize: Orestis Papoutsis – One term of free tuition valued up to $1000 from First Education.
2nd prize: Nikki Pollas – JBL PartyBox Encore valued at $600 from Napf Electronics.
3rd prize: Zoe Bekos – Galaxy Tab 8, 64GB valued at $500 from the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW.
Prize winners.
The winners of the lucky door prizes were also announced:
Leah Margiamkos – $100 voucher from Thai on the Beach.
Christopher Kioulafas – 2 tickets to the Opening of the 28th Greek Film Festival of Sydney from the Greek Festival of Sydney.
Dimitra Yiakoumelos – $20 Westfield Voucher from Greek Festival of Sydney.
Nicole Rontziokos – $20 Westfield Voucher from Greek Festival of Sydney.
Anastasia Vertsetis – $20 Westfield Voucher from Greek Festival of Sydney.
More prize winners.All the children in attendance.Photos supplied.
Also, all students attending received a $20 voucher donated by the Entertainment Park.
These prizes added an extra element of excitement and reward to the event, leaving the winners elated and the audience filled with anticipation for future endeavours.
The Department of Education of the GOCNSW extended its deepest gratitude to all attendees, performers, sponsors, and supporters who made the event a resounding success. For more information about the Department and future events, please visit the website: https://gocnswschools.weebly.com/
After spending two decades in prison for the murder of her four children, Kathleen Folbigg has been granted a pardon and released from jail.
Folbigg, 55, has served 20 years of a minimum 25-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2003 of the murder of three of her children, Patrick, Sarah, and Laura, and the manslaughter of her first child, Caleb, at the family’s homes in the NSW Hunter region.
NSW Attorney General Michael Daley made the recommendation of a pardon this morning to the NSW Governor.
According to ABC, Mr Daley said he made the decision after receiving the preliminary findings of a recent inquiry headed by retired chief justice Tom Bathurst.
In a memorandum outlining his findings, Mr Bathurst stated he had reached “a firm view that there was reasonable doubt as to the guilt of Ms Folbigg for each of the offences for which she was originally tried.”
Key points from Mr Bathurst’s memorandum to the Attorney General include:
There is a reasonable possibility that three of the children died of natural causes.
In the case of Sarah and Laura Folbigg, there is a reasonable possibility a genetic mutation known as CALM2-G114R occasioned their deaths.
Mr Bathurst was “unable to accept… the proposition that Ms Folbigg was anything but a caring mother for her children.”
In relation to the death of a fourth child, Mr Bathurst found that “the coincidence and tendency evidence which was central to the (2003) Crown case falls away.”
In relation to Ms Folbigg’s diary entries, evidence suggests they were the writings of a grieving and possibly depressed mother, blaming herself for the death of each child, as distinct from admissions that she murdered or otherwise harmed them.
NSW attorney general Michael Daley. Photo: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Mr Daley said: “The result today is confirmation that our judicial system is capable of delivering justice, and demonstrates that the rule of law is an important underpinning of our democratic system.”
“Given all that has happened over the last 20 years, it is impossible not feel sympathy for Kathleen and Craig Folbigg,” Mr Daley added.
“I am glad that our legal system in NSW contains provisions that allow for the continual pursuit of truth and justice.”
Bathurst’s decision marks the Folbigg case as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Australian legal history.
Ange Postecoglou led Celtic FC to a domestic treble on Saturday after his team beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-1 in the Scottish Cup final.
According to Fox Sports, goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada and Jota led Celtic to the eighth treble in its history, after earlier winning earlier the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup.
“I’m very proud of the whole group. It’s a bit surreal when you think about what we have achieved,” Postecoglou said after the win.
“To do something that few have done is brilliant. All the success I have had in my career, it’s all special in its own way. But this one I am extremely proud of.”
Postecoglou’s success as Celtic manager – with five trophies in two seasons – has seen him being linked with Premier League clubs such as Tottenham.
91 migrants have been rescued by Greek authorities from a river islet at Evros, before being transferred to a processing centre near the border with Turkey, police said on Sunday.
According to amna, the police reported that the group consisted of 32 men, 25 women and 34 children, while many migrants mentioned they were from Syria. The Red Cross was present at the operation.
The migrants were present on the islet on Evros river since Friday and their presence was made known to Greek authorities by emails from non-governmental organisations.
Part of the islet is on Greek territory and part is Turkish. According to a statement from the caretaker Prime Minister’s office, the migrants had moved to the Greek side early on Sunday and their rescue was possible.
Ioannis Sarmas. Photo: in.gr
Caretake PM Ioannis Sarmas said that the Greek authorities are taking the necessary actions in order to prevent any illegal entrance of foreign nationals to Greece.
“The Greek government has contacted the Turkish government for the coordination of the border authorities and the prevention of illegal crossings,” Sarmas said in the statement.
