The Chair of the “Greek Fire Appeal 2018” Organising Committee, Bill Gonis, has issued a letter to members providing a update on the current status of funds raised during the period of the terrible Mati bushfires in Greece.
The Committee was established in 2018 under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA and includes a wide membership of people who represent various Community Associations, as well as leaders from business and other areas.
According to the letter, all the funds raised at the time were “donated to the Mati Greek Fire Appeal” and “banked and invested with the Commonwealth, Delphi, and Sydney Banks.”
“In October 2018, the Greek Fire Appeal Committee allocated a substantial amount of money from the funds raised, to purchase specialised skin grafting medical equipment in South Australia, which was shipped and donated to the General Hospital in Magoula Athens, to assist with the treatment of the fire victims at the Burns Unit of this hospital,” Mr Gonis wrote in the update.
Mati bushfire.
Since then, Mr Gonis said, the Committee has made several contacts with various authorities in Greece with a view of funding a project with the balance of the money held in our bank accounts.
“In March 2019 it was drawn to our attention that 20 Officials, including the Mayors of Attica, Rafina, Marathon and others, were charged for the responsibility of the fires,” Mr Gonis said.
“In September 2019, a Member of the SA Parliament travelled to Greece and met with various authorities in Attica and Mati to explore the possibility of establishing an appropriate project for the benefit of the families of the fire victims, in line with the Committee’s objectives.
“On his return from Greece, in January 2020 the Member of Parliament presented a written report to the Committee, which has been carefully considered.”
Devastating impact of the Mati bushfire.
Mr Gonis said after this report was reviewed, the COVID-19 pandemic was announced and this made communications with various authorities in Greece difficult.
That is until February 2021 when, according to the letter, the Committee sought the assistance of the Consul General of Greece in South Australia in furthering their objectives.
“[The Committee] is continuing to pursue its goal in allocating the funds raised during the appeal to a worthy project, this fulfilling the due diligence obligation for the acquittal of the money donated by the public.”
Mr Gonis concluded the update with his signature and a note that “everyone will be kept informed on any further developments.”
Footage and photos have emerged from Friday’s anti-lockdown protests held across Melbourne with members of the Greek community expressing concerns about the tactics used by the state’s law enforcement officers to quell protesters.
In one of the photos sent to our publication from the Greek populated suburb of Northcote, an elderly woman seems to be standing against a wall surrounded by police officers in riot gear.
“This image is confronting and disturbing to say the least, it breaks our hearts,” said the Greek Australian who preferred to stay anonymous.
Police made several arrests at Northcote Plaza. Photo: ABC News/ Kyle Harley.
“Northcote Plaza is a family orientated place and these scenes should not occur,” he said explaining that one of his close family members also fell victim of police brutality during Friday’s protest.
Upon request for further context, a Victoria Police spokesperson said; “when responding to dynamic situations, police will ask members of the public for their cooperation to ensure their safety is not compromised.”
On Friday, Victoria Police arrested 31 people at Northcote Plaza in Melbourne’s inner north, with hundreds more arrested across the city as protesters attempted to continue last week’s protests.
In total, 215 people will be fined for breaching public health orders across Melbourne, with a number of other people to be charged with criminal offences including deception, theft and drug offences.
At Friday’s COVID press conference, Health Minister Martin Foley said it was clear “protesting against COVID-19 does not work”.
“Vaccinations work against COVID-19,” he said.
“To pretend that something doesn’t exist, and then for that very thing to put you in hospital is a message loud and clear that protesting against COVID-19 is futile.”
With a post on social media on Friday, State Labor MP for Northcote Kat Theophanous referred to the small-scale protest in Northcote as ‘senseless disruption’.
UPDATE at 3.50pm:
The Greek Herald got in contact with 82-year-old Despoina, pictured in the photo, who said she “just got out of the house to see what is going on and was never in fear.”
Despoina, who has been living in the area for over 40 years, said her two sons were nearby and she was not approached by any police officer.
The NSW Premier has confirmed October 11 as the date lockdown restrictions will start easing in New South Wales.
At the 80 per cent rate, travel will resume through regional New South Wales and fully vaccinated people will be allowed to have 10 visitors at home. Community sport will also resume.
Restrictions will also be removed for fully vaccinated people attending weddings, funerals and hairdressers.
Unvaccinated people will only be allowed to attend places of worship.
The NSW Premier has confirmed October 11 as the date lockdown restrictions will start easing.
Masks will no longer be required indoors, and nightclubs will re-open.
“I know people are counting down the minutes until we reach 70 per cent double dose and the freedoms that will provide, and today we are providing further certainty by announcing the 80 per cent roadmap and future settings,” NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said.
“Vaccination remains our ticket to freedom so we need to work even harder to get jabs in arms, to help stop the spread, minimise outbreaks and ensure people are protected when we open up.”
This comes as the state recorded 787 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. There were 12 deaths.
Labor Councillor, Paula Masselos, has been re-elected as Mayor of Waverley at a Council meeting.
Cr Masselos was elected Mayor of Waverley in September 2019 for a two-year term. She became the first woman of Greek heritage to be elected Mayor of the Local Government Area (LGA).
Cr Masselos will now continue to serve in the position until the NSW Local Government Elections on December 4.
Labor Councillor, Paula Masselos, has been re-elected as Mayor of Waverley.
“So honoured and humbled to be re-elected Mayor of Waverley until the local government elections 4th December,” Cr Masselos said on Twitter on Sunday night.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America met with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, in New York City on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Mitsotakis and Archbishop Elpidophoros were originally scheduled to meet on Friday at the site of the under-construction Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas at Ground Zero, but plans were cancelled amid controversy over the Archbishop’s presence at an official event organised by Turkey and attended by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
Mitsotakis met with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
“The issue is closed. What matters is the unity of Hellenism, the inseparable relationship of Greece with the Archdiocese of America and the close relations of the archdiocese with its flock,” a senior Greek government source told state-run news agency ANA-MPA.
Anastasiades met with the Archbishop at the house of Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Andreas Hadjichrysanthou. The meeting lasted for 20 minutes.
Anastasiades also met with the Archbishop.
“What is important is the unity of Hellenism,” Anastasiades told media following the meeting.
For his part, Archbishop Elpidophoros said he was pleased to meet with both leaders.
“I was pleased to meet with the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic @kmitsotakis and the President of the Republic of Cyprus @anastasiadescy to reaffirm our deep commitments to the unity of the Church and Hellenism, in Greece, Cyprus and our communities around the world,” Elpidophoros tweeted on Saturday.
Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, attended events on Sunday commemorating the bicentennial of the Siege of Tripolitsa by Greeks struggling for independence from the Ottoman Turks.
Sakellaropoulou attended a church service and laid wreaths at monuments in Platia Areos, before giving a small speech on how the siege, that took place a few months after the start of the revolution, was a pivotal event in the Greek War of Independence.
“The decision of Theodoros Kolokotronis to conquer the administrative and military center of the Ottomans proved to be of top strategic importance, as it consolidated the Revolution in the Peloponnese, reviving the morale of the Greeks,” she said.
Τιμάμε την επέτειο της Άλωσης της Τριπολιτσάς. Ένα καθοριστικό γεγονός λίγους μήνες μετά την έναρξη του εθνικοαπελευθερωτικού αγώνα, που χάρη στη στρατηγική σκέψη του Θεόδωρου Κολοκοτρώνη εδραίωσε την Επανάσταση στην Πελοπόννησο, αναπτερώνοντας το ηθικό των εξεγερμένων Ελλήνων. pic.twitter.com/lQ79VEuU7N
“Two hundred years later, our homeland is a modern state of law in the heart of the European Union that guarantees stability and peaceful coexistence in the region, without giving up its sovereign rights.”
The president also attended a parade and was given a tour of the Collection of Georgios Gaitanaris and Io Dolka on “Depictions & Reconstructions of the Greek-speaking World from the 18th to the 21st Centuries” at the Apostolopoulio Cultural Center.
The siege of Tripolitsa (today’s city of Tripolis) remains a point of contention between Greeks and Turks, as reflected in the way it is portrayed by their respective historians. It took place on September 23 1821.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was in New York City recently for the 76th UN General Assembly and he focused on various issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the climate crisis and Greek diaspora.
As expected, the PM devoted much of his address at the UN General Assembly to Greek-Turkish relations, noting that Athens will defends its rights.
“We will continue to protect our national sovereignty, by land, sea and air,” he said, while stressing that Greece and Turkey have to find a working bilateral relationship.
Mitsotakis said he was less optimistic about a solution for the Cyprus problem due to Turkey’s stance.
Mitsotakis gave a speech at the UN General Assembly.
“What I am pessimistic about is the Cyprus issue. Turkey continues to violate the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus,” he said.
“We will continue, together with the Secretary-General of the UN, the fight for a mutual solution of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. Any discussion about two states is unacceptable.”
On Monday, Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, and Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, will attend a tripartite meeting at a luncheon hosted by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the Cypriot issue.
Mitsotakis invites investors and diaspora business to Greece:
During his visit to NYC, Mitsotakis also met with a number of important contacts, inviting institutional investors and Greek diaspora business owners to invest in the country.
At an event organised by The Hellenic Initiative, and emceed by Greek Australian, Andrew Liveris, Mitsotakis thanked Greek diaspora for their love of Greece.
Σε εκδήλωση με μέλη της ομογένειας που διοργάνωσε το @THI_OneGreece είδα πόσο υπερήφανη αισθάνεται η ελληνική διασπορά για την Ελλάδα. Τους ευχαριστούμε που πιστεύουν στο μέλλον της Ελλάδας και έχουν σταθεί στο πλευρό της χώρας σε δύσκολες στιγμές. https://t.co/r9DwRaVEDipic.twitter.com/SYSGhEOhIn
“I saw how proud the Greek diaspora feels about Greece. We thank them for believing in the future of Greece and for standing by the country in difficult times,” Mitsotakis said.
The PM also held meetings with leading businessmen like Microsoft President, Brad Smith, and Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla, and members of the Greek community of New York.
Among the issues he referred to in both his speech at the General Assembly and with investors were initiatives to curb the steep rise in electricity bills, which also required a pan-European response.
Mitsotakis with Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla.
He also discussed incentives to keep “a very well-educated younger generation” in Greece and reverse the brain drain of the past decade, and measures to deal with climate change, a global issue to be addressed at the upcoming UN summit in Glasgow.
Later that same day, Mitsotakis met with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and discussed the reopening of St Nicholas at Ground Zero, issues of the Greek diaspora but also ways of further cooperation.
Archbishop Elpidophoros also met with Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, in NYC on Saturday.
After a successful inaugural Business Luncheon in August the Castellorizian Association of SA’s second networking monthly lunch event was held on Thursday, September 23 in Torrensville, Adelaide.
More than 50 male-only attendees had the opportunity to celebrate their common roots, discuss with old acquaintances and listen to speeches from the philhellene Mayor of The City of West Torrens, Michael Coxon as well as Federal Member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas.
Attending were also Greek Orthodox Community of SA President, Bill Gonis and Bank of Sydney Relationship Manager, Andrew Ladas as well as Arthur Mangos and George Dimitriou, two of the longest serving former councillors of the city of West Torrens with more than 50 years of combined service to the community.
“The Castellorizians were one of the first Greek groups to arrive in South Australia and a lot of the fruit that we are enjoying today as Greek Australians in South Australia is because of the foresight that some of the Castellorizians had back then with a vision to continue the Greekness in a land so far away from their own,” said Member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas in his speech.
The funds raised from the Luncheon go towards the upgrading of the Association’s building which started in 2019 but paused due to the pandemic a year later.
A Women’s Networking Event from the Association’s Ladies Auxiliary is due to be held later this year.
Cello teacher and vintage clothes curator, Bronte Ellis, wowed The Greek Herald readers on Saturday, September 18 when she performed live on our Facebook page. Clutching her ukulele, she sang in multiple languages including Greek, Spanish and French, and showcased her unique ability to connect with people from different multicultural communities.
In saying this, we sat down to speak to the 29-year-old about how she became involved in the music industry and what advice she has for other aspiring artists.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My father is Greek and my mum is Australian who lives in The Netherlands. My Yiayia and Pappou met each other in Alexandria, Egypt when they were just 12 years old. They fell in love soon after and came to Australia just before my father was born. I grew up in Balmain in Sydney and went to International Grammar School from Preschool to Year 12.
2. When did you first start playing the ukulele and cello / singing?
Bronte Ellis. Photo supplied.
I’ve always sung so I can’t remember exactly when I started but there is a very sweet photo of me singing into a microphone as young as two years old. I started playing the violin when I was four years old and then I told my parents I didn’t want to stand up in orchestra anymore, so they gave me a cello. It stuck and I love that it’s my instrument. I first played a ukulele in high school. My friend taught me ‘Sea of Love’ which I sang in my live set and I fell in love with the smooth, relaxed sound of the instrument.
3. Do you have any musical highlights or performances which made an impact on you?
Growing up I went to lots of Greek weddings and christenings. I fell in love with the vibrant atmosphere. Everybody dancing in perfect unison with so much joy. That’s how I came to love Greek music and my Greek culture. Playing in a traditional Greek band had been a dream of mine for many years so I count myself lucky that I get to play the cello and sing for The D Strings with George Doukas.
4.What do you love the most about performing?
Bronte is also a cello teacher. Photo supplied.
I love the nervousness at the start of every gig. It’s a rush of excited energy that builds up especially in the final hours before going up on stage. I’ve been performing since I was a child, so I feel very at home there. To add, I simply love to create music and I’m thankful for every single opportunity I get to share my music.
5. What would you say to someone else who wants to start playing an instrument or singing?
I would say, it’s never too late to start! My oldest cello student is 78 years old! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, don’t put any pressure on yourself to be perfect straight away, and embrace the journey.
6.Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Thank you to The Greek Herald for giving live music and local talent a platform while we are all in lockdown here in Sydney.
Greek community leaders from Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and New South Wales have sent letters of congratulations to The Greek Herald on its 95th anniversary this year.
Greek Community of Melbourne:
Ninety-five years ago the nascent Greek community of Australia was living far more removed from its homeland than we could ever imagine. In this far away Antipodes, a comforting connection with not only Greece but with their fellow Greek Australians and the Greek Australian story that was being written was The Greek Herald.
President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Bill Papastergiadis.
Its relevance is far more significant than simply a purveyor of news. It was a portal to travel through, a herald to listen to and a significant influence in shaping society. The Greek Herald story is in many ways akin to the Greek Australian story.
Congratulations on being 95 years young.
Bill Papastergiadis OAM, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne
Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia:
On behalf of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc., please accept our warmest and heartfelt congratulations to The Greek Herald on its special 95th anniversary.
Throughout these years, you proved to be one of the leading Greek-language media outlets in Australia with high-quality and reliable news, including about the activities of all the Greeks of the Australian Diaspora as well as high quality news from around the country and the world.
We have been enjoying a healthy and constructive relationship with your newspaper and we were pleased to see that you embraced the digital world a few years ago, making it even easier to access and share your news articles and the plethora of interesting stories.
We thank The Greek Herald team for our long-lasting friendship and cooperation, and wish it a lot of success and prosperity for many years ahead!
Yours faithfully,
Bill Gonis OAM, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc.
Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra:
My parents ran a Milkbar in Brighton Le Sands, NSW for 25yrs and I always remember the first thing my late father would do was walk to the newsagency and pick up a stack of Greek Herald papers, for himself and our customers early in the morning.
In the 80’s and 90’s, Brighton was a predominant Greek speaking community. I knew the times and the names of all our customers who would pop into the shop, buy their ‘proino cafe’ and grab The Greek Herald, keeping up to date with all the important news of the day, news from Greece and death notices to see if it was someone they knew.
It was a morning ritual for my sisters and I, as we got ready for school. I loved the conversations with our customers, it gave me so many opportunities to speak Greek and to ‘show off’ all that we had learnt at Greek school. Equally as important, my grandmother would ask us to read certain parts of TGH, as a way of practising our Greek reading skills. I now look back and appreciate all those hidden lessons and the importance TGH played for all ages of our Greek community at the time.
Fast forward 25yrs and I now find myself in the blessed position of President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra, being able to represent our amazing community both locally and nationally.
I was most proud of what we did during the 200yr anniversary of Hellenic Independence and the support TGH gave us for these events. It made me proud that family and friends, both around Australia and in Greece, got to see photos and read articles about the Greek flags flying around the Nations Capital and seeing ACT landmarks turn blue and white, recognising the significance of 1821, for Canberra Greeks, our broader non Greek community, but also for Hellenes around the World.
President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis.
TGH has transformed over the years to having such a great social media presence, all my family and friends keep up to date with events out of Canberra, especially the progress and growth of our Greek Languages program, which now boasts over 200 students, all our cultural events and of course significant spiritual days celebrated from our beloved St Nicholas church.
Personally, I want to congratulate and thank The Greek Herald for not only their 95th anniversary, but for modernising their journey and impacting readers of all ages. The memories of practising my Greek by reading TGH and for everything they have done in taking all the great news from Canberra and sharing it nationally and globally through their social media outlet has been incredible. When my sister, who lives in Lesvos, calls me after reading a Canberra related article online and shares her gratitude for keeping the ‘floga’ of our language, culture and faith in a land so far away, makes me incredibly proud of our diaspora and what we have done as a community here in Australia.
All the very best to Elaine, Dimitra and the entire TGH team, and on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, we thank you for everything you have done and will continue to do for us, wishing you all continued strength, success and many more years to come.
John Loukadellis, President, Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra
CypriotCommunity of NSW:
The President of the Cypriot Community of NSW, Spiro Constantinou, also sent a letter to The Greek Herald to congratulate us on our 95th anniversary.
In his letter, Mr Constantinou said that “during the difficult years when very few immigrants knew the English language,” The Greek Herald “was the way that the whole of Hellenism not only learned the news from the homeland, but also communicated with each other.”
The President also thanked the paper for standing by Cypriot people during their struggles.
“When Cyprus was going through difficult times, such as in the fifties and later in 1974, The Greek Herald, and the people who worked for it, stood by the struggles of the Cypriot people, as they stood by the Cypriot immigrants of Australia. For this we thank them from the bottom of our hearts,” Mr Constantinou wrote.
