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Greek Studies Program at Victoria’s La Trobe University is here to stay

The Greek Herald
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Greek Studies Program at Victoria’s La Trobe University is here to stay

At an event organised on Wednesday, it was announced that the Greek Studies Program at La Trobe University in Victoria is here to stay. 

Vice Chancellor at La Trobe, John Dewar, stated that the three year period for determining the future status of the Greek Studies Program had been brought forward to a positive turnaround for the studies.  Mr Dewar said that the 20 percent increase in students made the program viable. 

Mr Dewar also said that this announcement coincides with the 40 year celebrations that are to be held next month in regards to the teaching of the Greek Language at La Trobe University.

Nick Bisley, the Dean of Humanities, was particularly delighted with the announcement. He was thankful for the community engagement which had helped increase the student enrolment numbers and broadened the reach of the program. Mr Bisley made particular mention of the community group that worked with the University in the last two years to help consolidate the program.

Nick Bisley invited Bill Papastergiadis, the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), and Bishop Evmenios, to also address the event.

Mr Papastergiadis said: “Language has been the cornerstone for many post-war families of Greek background in Australia. Education was considered a critical part of their children’s’ upbringing.”

La Trobe University.

“More so, education has been an integral part of the thought process going back to ancient Greece with Plato remarking that, education is a means to achieving both individual justice and social justice while, Aristotle, said that, education was integral to developing a student’s potential for reasoning and to perform ethical character,” the GCM President added.

“The role of education in the Greek Community of Melbourne was one of the main pillars for this organisation, noting that the first Greek schools were set up in the 1920s.”

Mr Papastergiadis congratulated La Trobe University on this announcement and in particular thanked Mr Bisley for his leadership over the last two years with the sub-committee which was formed. The subcommittee was instructive and informative on the steps needed to make the language studies viable. 

Mr Papastergiadis also thanked Father Apostellis, as well as Anita and Greg Stamboulidis, for their input in that sub-committee and he pledged the ongoing support of the GCM for the La Trobe Greek Studies Program.

Bishop Evmenios made the announcement at the event that he too would be enrolling in the language program in 2023 and noted that the support by the Archdiocese for the program was one of the first steps of Archbishop Makarios on his arrival to Australia.

Bishop Evmenios referred to the long history and tradition of the church supporting language in all forms.

READ MORE: SYRIZA sends message of thanks to Greek diaspora for protecting La Trobe Greek Studies program.

NSW Minister for Multiculturalism sends message to mark OXI Day

The Greek Herald
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NSW Minister for Multiculturalism sends message to mark OXI Day

The NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, Mark Coure MP, has issued a message to the local Greek community marking the anniversary of Greece’s National Day (OXI Day) on October 28.

In his message, Mr Coure said NSW “is a richer place because of the Greek Australian community” and said the values that OXI Day represent are values that the people of NSW also share.

Full Message:

NSW Government encourages everyone to celebrate their grandparents

The Greek Herald
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NSW Government encourages everyone to celebrate their grandparents

Grandparents Day is right around the corner and the NSW Government is encouraging everyone to take the opportunity to show their grandparents how much they mean to families and communities.

NSW Minister for Seniors, Mark Coure, said grandparents play a significant role in supporting the family unit, especially for children.

“Grandparents are the backbone of NSW families, supporting parents, teaching values, and connecting to family history,” Mr Coure said.

“I know many of us can recall having special moments with our grandmother or grandfather, like going on outings together or visiting their house for the holidays.

“These are all incredibly cherished times for both ourselves and our grandparents.

“While we can celebrate grandparents every day of the year, Grandparents Day is a particularly special time to acknowledge and say thank you for all that they do for us.”

Grandparents Day, which is this Sunday (30 October), is a chance to reflect on the special intergenerational bond between seniors and their grandchildren, and the special recipe for love that only they can offer.

“Everyone that takes on the role of a grandparent plays a vital role in family life, building special relationships across all age groups and cultures,” Mr Coure said.

“Please remember to pick up the phone or go and visit your older loved ones this Grandparents Day.”

NSW residents can nominate a Local Grandparent of the Year, to recognise the grandparents that help make their community a diverse, active and inspiring place to live. Contact your local State Member of Parliament for more information.

South Australia’s Premier welcomes Greece’s Deputy Defence Minister

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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South Australia’s Premier welcomes Greece’s Deputy Defence Minister

South Australia’s Premier Peter Malinauskas met with Greece’s Deputy Defence Minister Nikos Hardalias, at the State Administration Centre in Adelaide this morning.

The meeting was also attended by SA Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Tom Koutsantonis, and the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, George Psiachas.

During the meeting, Premier Malinauskas welcomed Mr Hardalias to the state and reiterated the strong ties between Australia and Greece.

“It was a pleasure to meet the Deputy Minister for National Defence of Greece, Mr Nikolaos Chardalias and his delegation,” the SA Premier told The Greek Herald. 

“The Greek contribution to this state is one of special significance and I was proud to convey the importance of the community to the Minister.”

This meeting comes after the Greek Deputy Defence Minister visited Melbourne and Canberra over the last few days and held a series of meetings with officials and community leaders. 

During his visit to Adelaide, which concludes on October 29, Mr Hardalias will attend various events to commemorate the anniversary of OXI Day. This includes the unveiling of a memorial at St George Greek Orthodox Church in Thebarton on Friday, and a wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial along with members of the Hellenic Presidential Guard on Saturday.

“We are very excited to have the Hellenic Presidential Guard here in Adelaide for the commemoration of Oxi Day,” Premier Malinauskas said.

These events are being hosted by the Foundation for Hellenic Studies, with the support of the SA Government.

READ MORE: Program released for the Evzones’ first-ever visit to Perth for OXI Day commemorations.

Largest Greek flag unveiled in the Peloponnese ahead of OXI Day

The Greek Herald
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Largest Greek flag unveiled in the Peloponnese ahead of OXI Day

The largest Greek flag has been unveiled in the Peloponnese ahead of Greece’s National Day (OXI Day) on October 28.

OXI Day marks the anniversary of the moment Greece said ‘NO’ to an Italian Fascist invasion and gave the Axis Powers their first defeat in 1940.

Young students from a local school in Kastori, Laconia wanted to commemorate this historic day by placing the large Greek flag on the Taygetus Mountain Range.

Young students from a local school in Kastori, Laconia wanted to commemorate OXI Day with the Greek flag. Photo: Pentapostagma.

The students have been praised by locals for their initiative.

Taygetus is the highest mountain range of the Peloponnese, impressing visitors with its unique views, lush nature and picturesque villages.

READ MORE: Launching of Kalamata Place paves the way for possibility of Darebin Square in the Peloponnese.

‘SYRIZA can win the next election’: Party leader Alexis Tsipras

The Greek Herald
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‘SYRIZA can win the next election’: Party leader Alexis Tsipras

SYRIZA party leader, Alexis Tsipras, has expressed confidence that Greece’s main opposition will win in next year’s general election.

“Opinion polls speak of a sizeable chunk of undecided voters and increasing public discontent with the government over the economy,” Tsipras said in an interview with Skai TV on Tuesday.

“This pool of undecided voters is not going to swing toward the ruling party… I believe SYRIZA can win the next election.”

Greece’s upcoming elections, which are scheduled for June 2023, will be fought under proportional representation, which means that no party will win an overall majority.

A second ballot will follow, under a new law passed by ruling New Democracy, which will give the top voting-getting party a large number of bonus members of Parliament.

According to Ekathimerini, public surveys show the conservatives of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis polling more than eight points ahead of SYRIZA.

READ MORE: SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras pressures Mitsotakis to call an early election.

Source: Ekathimerini.

Australia’s Greek Orthodox Archbishop requests comments be turned off on The Greek Herald FB page

The Greek Herald
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Australia’s Greek Orthodox Archbishop requests comments be turned off on The Greek Herald FB page

The effect of the High Court of Australia’s landmark decision in Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Voller [2021] HCA 27 continues to impact media publications, notwithstanding the recent changes in Defamation law. By a majority of 5 to 2, the Court held the media liable as publishers of third-party comments. Recent amendments sought to address that decision.

However, on October 12, The Greek Herald received a letter of complaint by a Sydney legal firm acting for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and Archbishop Makarios reprimanding the publication for alleged defamatory third-party comments made on its public Facebook page.

The letter states that “while The Greek Herald itself may not have uploaded anything which is defamatory of Archbishop Makarios,” the majority of comments on the publication’s Facebook page “represent defamatory attacks against Archbishop Makarios.”

Most of the comments were made under posts referring to the suspension from the Archdiocese of Melbourne priest Father Eleftherios Tatsis, the official visit of the Archbishop to Kastellorizo, and the recent defamation proceedings initiated by the Archbishop towards Melbourne blogger Alkis Morelas.

Referencing the recent High Court decision in Voller, the letter stated that “…as a matter of defamation law you are liable as a publisher of the defamatory comments posted by other people on The Greek Herald Facebook page, because by running the Facebook page, you are facilitating the publication of those defamatory comments.”

The letter also suggested that alleged defamatory comments should immediately be removed and requested that The Greek Herald “closes the comments on future articles to ensure that the same does not happen again.”

“If this action is taken, the Archbishop will consider the matter at an end,” it read.

The Greek Herald does not condone any defamatory comments on its Facebook page whoever they may identify, and has subsequently removed the comments the publication deemed to be allegedly defamatory.  

Since receipt of the aforementioned letter, The Greek Herald has also stopped receiving communications in the form of press releases from the Archdiocese’s media team, which occurred almost daily.

This letter has come after the Archdiocese has initiated legal pursuits with various other publications in Australia and overseas. Most recently, the website “Exapsalmos” issued a public apology over the publication of a series of articles, while earlier this year the Archbishop launched defamation proceedings in Sydney’s Federal Court over four articles by blogger Alkis Morelas. Last year, the ABC also issued a correction on an article about the conduct of the Greek Orthodox church in Australia in connection with its aged care facilities.

Professor Vrasidas Karalis gives lecture on the Macedonian issue for the Dimitria Festival

The Greek Herald
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Professor Vrasidas Karalis gives lecture on the Macedonian issue for the Dimitria Festival

Professor Vrasidas Karalis held a lecture on ‘The Macedonian issue after the Prespes Agreement’ on Sunday, October 23 at AHEPA Hall in Rockdale in southern Sydney.

The lecture is part of a series of talks organised by the Pan-Macedonian Association of New South Wales together with the Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis Society for the 2022 Dimitria Festival. This year’s festival celebrates Macedonian culture.

Professor Vrasidas’ lecture drew a large crowd on the day including a number of VIP guests such as the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis; President of the Pan-Macedonian Association of NSW, Anastasia Karakominakis; Vice President of the Pan-Macedonian Association of NSW, Peter Papoulidis, and President of AHEPA NSW Inc, Bill Skandalakis; among many others.

On the day, Professor Vrasidas spoke about the history of the Macedonian issue and raised questions about when it started and how it evolved.

From there, he briefly spoke about the three key players which currently have a role in the Balkans region – that is, Russia, Turkey and China.

After discussing the actions of Russia, Turkey and China in the Balkans at the moment, the Professor turned to the Prespes Agreement and stressed that it puts Greece in a “brighter spot” than it was in the past.

“In my opinion, the agreement was the best agreement that we could have achieved under the circumstances… it [the agreement] does have inaccuracies and issues that need to be resolved at some stage,” Professor Vrasidas said.

At the end of the lecture, there was a Q&A session where Professor Vrasidas answered questions from attendees, before people stood up to enjoy some finger food and mingling.

Meet the Evzones visiting Adelaide and Perth

The Greek Herald
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Meet the Evzones visiting Adelaide and Perth

Members of Greece’s Presidential Guard have arrived in Adelaide, South Australia to attend this year’s OXI Day events.

During their eight day visit, the Evzones will visit St Basil’s Aged Care in St Peters, unveil a Memorial in honour of the Greek Revolution bicentenary, and will also stand guard at the War Memorial for a Service of Remembrance in honour of OXI Day, among many other things.

From there, on Tuesday, November 1, the Evzones will also visit Perth, Western Australia for the first time for eight days to commemorate Greece’s National Day.

But who are the Evzones visiting both states?

They are: Captain Panagiotis Karkatzoulis – Kalamata, Captain Theodoros Mpouromitros – Fthiotida.

Ezvones: Ioannis Argianidis – Ksanthi, Dimitrios Lekkas – Nauplio, Panagiotis Aias Papagiannopoulos – Kalamata, Emmanouil Tasoulis – Athens, Emmanouil Verykokidis – Heraklion Crete, Dimitrios Irinaios Tsirakis – Mykines, Georgios Markos – Athens, Georgios Aristides Goustav Sklavenitis – Lefkada, Konstantinos Polymeros – Atalanti, Gerasimos Zervas – Corfu.

In a post on Facebook, Captain Panagiotis Karkatzoulis said he was overjoyed to be visiting Australia to represent Greece and participate in OXI Day commemoration events together with the Greek diaspora in Adelaide and Perth.

READ MORE: Program released for the Evzones’ first-ever visit to Perth for OXI Day commemorations

Australian National Maritime Museum celebrates 876 new names on Monument to Migration

The Greek Herald
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Australian National Maritime Museum celebrates 876 new names on Monument to Migration

Another 876 names have been added to the National Monument to Migration at the Australian National Maritime Museum, at the latest unveiling ceremony in Pyrmont on Tuesday.

The National Monument to Migration honours the thousands of migrants who have travelled across
the world to call Australia home.

Each year, more names are inscribed on the bronze-panelled wall which faces Darling Harbour and Pyrmont Bay – historically the site where many migrants first arrived.

Photos by Marinco Kojdanovski #seamuseum.

The Monument currently features over 31,000 names from over 200 countries.

The museum has worked closely with the Greek community over the past year in a special fundraiser to
commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence and to honour the contribution of Greek Australians in building our nation.

On Tuesday, 244 new inscriptions were added, honouring people from both Greece and Cyprus – amongst these, the first ten Greek migrants to Australia.

Photos by Marinco Kojdanovski #seamuseum.

Museum Director, Daryl Karp, said, “The story of migration to Australian shores is a foundational one in our maritime history.”

“The National Monument to Migration honours the many people whose stories and contributions have shaped our nation. It is both a recognition and celebration of this wonderfully diverse nation,” he continued.

“The experiences of the people whose names are inscribed on the Monument celebrate our commonality: love of family, community and striving for a better life. Some of their stories tell of loss and sadness, some of triumph, but ultimately, all are about hope.

Photos by Marinco Kojdanovski #seamuseum

“We are grateful to our many donors to the Migration Heritage Fund, which underpins the museum’s
ongoing commitment to telling the nation’s migration stories.”

Three speakers, whose names were among those newly-added to the Monument, shared their migration
stories at the event, including Eugenia Mirakas from Greece, Nick Lewocki of Polish heritage, Richard J.
Arculus of Indian heritage and Stephen Nguyen, whose parents travelled in extreme circumstances from Vietnam.

Photo by Marinco Kojdanovski #seamuseum.

Donors are invited to contribute a brief story about the person being honoured and a brief biographical
note is published on the museum website. The museum is amassing a selection of stories from these
names; stories that, in turn, tell the story of modern Australia.

The museum is now accepting names for the next panel on the monument before the next closing date of 22 December, 2022. For further information, visit: www.sea.museum/support/national-monument.

READ MORE: ‘I did it straight away’: Why Bessie Dounis wanted her parents’ name on the National Monument to Migration

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