A major restructure of NSW Police has be undertaken by NSW Police Commissioner, Karen Webb, with the appointment of two new deputy commissioners and two new assistant commissioners.
Assistant Commissioner Paul Pisanos APM has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Services, whilst Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell APM has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, Regional NSW Field Operations.
Rashelle Conroy and Bret McFadden were promoted to assistant commissioners positions.
NSW Police Commissioner, Karen Webb, has restructured NSW Police. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts.
In a press release, Commissioner Webb congratulated the four officers on their appointments and said “strong, authentic leadership is key to our future and my vision over the next five years.”
“These four very experienced and well-respected officers bring with them over 130 years of combined service, knowledge and expertise – which will be invaluable to the organisation and community of New South Wales,” the Commissioner added.
Paul Pisanos has been appointed as the NSW Police Commissioner’s deputy, along with Peter Thurtell. Picture: Craig Wilson.
Pisanos is definitely the right person for the deputy role. In 2018, he received the Australian Police Medal as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his key leadership in community-based policing.
He has launched a number of youth programs credited with reducing youth crime and placing disadvantaged young people with private businesses, providing work experience for possible future full-time employment.
He has also dedicated his career to reducing violence, fear and crime ever since he entered the force as a constable in 1988.
Greece is still prepared to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine’s embattled city of Mariupol when conditions allow it, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexandros Papaioannou said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for a cease-fire to bring supplies to the besieged city with the help of Greece and Turkey.
But Macron’s office said late on Tuesday that the operation was not possible “at this stage” after Putin told Macron in a phone call that “he was going to think about it.”
In response, Papaioannou said on Wednesday that Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, still intends to lead this humanitarian aid mission, noting that nobody is in position to know when the mission will take place.
This comes as Greece continued to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
During her official visit to Portugal, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou condemned the “unprovoked Russian invasion” and expressed her “full support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”
Με τον @presidencia Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa επιβεβαιώσαμε τις άριστες σχέσεις μεταξύ 🇬🇷 και 🇵🇹. Συζητήσαμε για τις εξελίξεις της εισβολής της 🇷🇺 στην 🇺🇦 και την ομόψυχη ευρωπαϊκή αντίδραση εναντίον του αναθεωρητισμού. Ο σεβασμός του διεθνούς δικαίου είναι για την 🇬🇷 πάγια αρχή. pic.twitter.com/A8wLG9sf3Q
The Greek president said that the Russian incursion is “an inexcusable attack against a sovereign and independent state, which targets not only military units but also the civilian population and urban infrastructure of the country.”
Sakellaropoulou added that respect for territorial integrity, national sovereignty and international law are “non-negotiable principles for Greece.”
All of those interested in commemorating the role of Lemnos in the Gallipoli campaign will be overjoyed to hear that the Australian Government in its 2022 Budget has committed $4.9 million over 2 years from 2022-23 to construct the Lemnos Remembrance Trail, “in recognition of the Australian doctors, nurses and other service personnel who served there during the First World War.”
This commitment will help realize the Australian Government proposal – overseen by the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs – developed through the Lemnos Scoping Project. This detailed study was conducted over more than a year, encompassing the engagement of specialist consultants, the completion of an MOU between Australia and Greece, local community consultations and a site visit to Lemnos and its Anzac-Gallipoli related sites.
Jim Claven (at left) leading a Lemnos Anzac tour with descendents of Matron Grace Wilson who served on Lemnos in 1915-16. Photograph Jim Claven 2015.
In recommending the development of the trail on Lemnos, the Project took into account detailed evidence for the role of Lemnos in the Gallipoli campaign, the Anzac presence on the Island and their connection to the various locations on Lemnos, around the shores of Mudros Bay and beyond. Historical consultant to the project was Jim Claven, historian and author, who has conducted many field research visits to Lemnos which along with his academic research informed his book, Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed, published in 2019.
A proposal for the development of a trail on Lemnos focusing on the Island’s connection to Anzac and Gallipoli was first put forward by Melbourne’s Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee in 2018 during the Anzac commemorations on the Island. This was made as a joint commitment by the Committee and the Northern Aegean Regional Government.
The new Sapper Basil Demetri Passa Memorial to be erected soon in his birthplace of Kontopouli on Lemnos. Photograph Jim Claven 2020.
This was then conceived as the Lemnos Gallipoli Heritage Trail and was announced at the unveiling of the Australian Pier Memorial, a joint initiative of the Committee, the Regional Government and the Victorian Government. The announcement stated that the creation of such a trail was considered a vital new step in not only commemorating Lemnos’ link to the Gallipoli campaign, but also in facilitating awareness of the link to a new generation.
Since that time the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee has produced two additional commemorative plaques to be erected on Lemnos on sites with important connections to the Hellenic link to Anzac. The first will be erected in the Lemnian village of Kontopouli, the birthplace of Lemnos’ sole Anzac Sapper Basil Demetris Passa. The other will be erected on the Turks Head Peninsula (also known as Punda) in commemoration of the Royal Australian Navy and its connection to Lemnos. It is hoped that these will be installed in coming months. Both memorials not only honour specific Anzac connections to Lemnos but their installation will extend the existing Anzac trail on the Island.
The Australian Pier Memorial on the shores of Lemnos’ Mudros Bay, erected in 2018. Photograph Jim Claven 2018.
Committee President Mr Lee Tarlamis OAM MP welcomed the announcement, acknowledging the significance of the commitment.
“This is a very important development for all interested in the Lemnos link to Anzac. As someone of both Lemnian and Anzac heritage, I am proud to have played a small part over the years in building awareness of this role and its significance”, he said.
“The commitment to realise this new Lemnos Remembrance Trail – which will hopefully connect all the key Anzac-Gallipoli related sites on the Island – will bring to fruition a vision that many of us – in Greece and in Australia – have held for many years.”
“The proposed Lemnos Remembrance Trail will both greatly enhance commemorative services on Lemnos and provide invaluable assistance to future commemorative visitors as they tour the Island”, he added.
Mr Tarlamis said that the Committee would support the development of the Lemnos Remembrance Trail in any way they could, as we have already helped create a number of new commemorative memorials on Lemnos to date and will continue to do so in the future. He hoped that this important stage of the project would go forward in the spirit of political bi-partisanship that the project has enjoyed to date.
Jim Claven’s Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed, published by the Committee in 2019. Photograph Jim Claven 2019.
Along with other Australian-based organizations, the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee was originally part of the community consultation for the Lemnos Scoping Project.
This is a most welcome development. The creation of the Lemnos Remembrance Trail will ensure that the Island’s position in the Hellenic link to Australia’s Anzac tradition is reinforced and that the service and sacrifice of those who came to Lemnos in the Gallipoli campaign – including an estimated 50,000 Australians – is not forgotten.
Readers wishing to learn more about Lemnos and its Anzac-Gallipoli links can purchase a copy of Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed by contacting Committee President Lee Tarlamis OAM MP via email – lee.tarlamis@hotmail.com.
Effy Alexakis has officially launched her photographic exhibition, Forty Photographs: A Year at a Time, at the N. Smith Gallery in Paddington.
The exhibition, which is part of the Greek Festival of Sydney and will run until April 3, showcases Alexakis’ extensive repertoire of photographs capturing the lives of Greek Australians since 1982.
These photographs were the stars of the launch night on Tuesday as they set the perfect backdrop for a number of speeches by Alexakis herself, as well as the Festival Chair, Nia Karteris.
In her speech, Ms Karteris said she knew Alexakis needed to be a part of the Festival’s 40 year celebrations this year as she has been contributing to the event from the very beginning.
For her part, Alexakis explained how once she was invited to have her own exhibition, she accessed her vast archive of photographs and selected one contemporary image to represent each year since 1982 and reveal the changing face of Greek Australians.
Among those on display in the Gallery are a photograph of actor and director, Lex Marinos, with his father in 1988; a then-and-now photograph of a patisserie in Alexandria, Egypt which was owned by the family of Phillip George’s grandfather; as well as a photograph of Effy, Leonard Janiszewski and their daughter Connie in 1998 (the year Connie was born).
Alexakis tells The Greek Herald she’s incredibly proud of the selected photographs as they’re all really personal.
“I’ve chosen people that I admire, I have chosen people that are quite remarkable in the Greek Australian community, people that have done a lot of amazing things, so for me it feels like a very personal exhibition and I’ve got a connection with a lot of the images,” Alexakis explains.
“I’m extremely proud of this. I worked really hard to put the images together.
“It was also a good way for me to reflect back on the work I’ve done because often you do the work, put it away and you move onto the next thing. You don’t often get time to really assess. So it feels like a time warp. I can’t believe I’ve spent 40 years doing this.”
With that said, we think this exhibition is the perfect way to showcase the extensive work of Alexakis. If you would like to see the exhibition for yourself, it will be running until April 3 at the N. Smith Gallery on 6 Napier Street, Paddington, NSW.
Unley High School (UHS) hosted a souvlaki sizzle on Thursday, March 24 to celebrate Greek Independence Day this year.
The event was organised with the help of the School’s Greek Parents Committee and was held during lunch time at a newly renovated outdoor space on school grounds.
The day began with a speech explaining the significance of March 25, 1821 to the audience.
Later, Greek Dance Captains, Stella Dracopoulos and Theo Leonardos, led students to perform in two groups. The first group danced a Tik, whilst the second danced a Pentozali. All audience members were then encouraged to join in and dance the Zorba.
After the event, the School Principal at UHS, Greg Rolton, told The Greek Herald the annual souvlaki sizzle was a ‘wonderful celebration with food and dance supported by the wider school community.’
“It was also fantastic to see the inclusive interaction of our student dancers inviting friends and teachers to join in the dance, making it a truly multicultural event,” Mr Rolton added.
Chairperson of the Greek Parents Committee, Ourania Ntafillis, agreed with Mr Rolton and said the event was “a heart-warming experience.”
“The UHS Greek Parents’ Committee has been in existence for over 30 years and we strive to support and promote Greek language and culture,” Ms Ntafillis says.
“Our annual “Souvlaki Sizzle” to commemorate Greek Independence Day was a heart-warming experience. The school came alive as volunteers prepared the BBQ while the staff and students came together and put on a wonderful display of decorations and performances.”
For Mr Leonardos, he said he was proud to be Greek Dance Captain on the day.
“…being given the opportunity to represent a group of high school students to show the school the importance and beauty of our [Greek] heritage, is something I will admire my whole life,” Mr Leonardos said.
“I exceptionally loved the Zorba where we would bring friends and teachers in the audience onto the dance floor to dance with us.”
Modern Greek Teacher at UHS, Lazaros Gialamas, added that the annual ‘souvlaki sizzle’ is a ‘perfect example’ of promoting Greek language and culture.
“The School has been long been a stalwart for promoting and preserving Greek language and culture amongst the youth of South Australia. The Independence Day dance performance is a perfect example, being a student led initiative that invites students of all backgrounds and welcomes them as honorary Philhellenes,” Mr Gialamas said.
“This is a wonderful tribute to the importance of Languages Education in fostering our multicultural community.”
The School is now looking forward to holding its annual Greek dinner which was cancelled the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank have been recognised at the fourth annual DBM Australian Financial Awards.
They have received awards across a number of categories including:
Most Recommended Business Bank (Business Banking Awards category)
Best Business Bank Customer Service (Business Banking Awards category)
Most Recommended Investor Home Loan (Financial Products Awards category)
These awards have great significance as they are truly customer focused and showcase the best of the financial services industry – as voted by over 80,000 Australian retail and business customers.
As part of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank family, Delphi Bank embraces this success and sees receiving these awards as a great accomplishment, further signifying the strong relationships and trust it holds amongst its customer base and communities in which it operates.
One of the many stand out events in the 2022 Greek Festival of Sydney cultural program is the 100 Years of Bithikotsis 1922-2022. This event was scheduled to take place at the Factory Theatre on March 27 and has now been re-scheduled to May 1 at the Bankstown Sports Club.
The date was changed to accommodate the re-scheduled Greek Fest Darling Harbour, however the weather once again proved to be unaccommodating.
In what is sure to be a sell-out event with a few surprises in store, the 13-piece band (including three bouzoukia) will be under the direction of Thanasis Pylarinos and will include a stellar line-up of Bithikotsis’ hits.
Considered one of the most important figures in Greek popular music and composing over 80 songs, Bithikotsis’ contribution largely shaped the Greek music of today.
“This year marks the 100-year anniversary to the birth of this great icon and it is only fitting that we pay tribute to the man whose songs had a major influence on the Greek music of today,” Harry Danalis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW), said.
“Songs that are still widely played and will always hold a special place in the heart of Greeks of generations past, present and future. We know Thanasis and his team will not disappoint.”
All current ticket holders will have their tickets re-issued by Bankstown Sports Club. Please visit www.bankstownsports.com/greekfestival for bookings.
Greek Festival of Sydney event cancellations:
This new date and venue announcement comes as the Greek Festival of Sydney also confirmed the cancellation of two upcoming events in the festival program.
These are:
‘Leonard Cohen on Hydra’ presented by Professor Vrasidas Karalis. It was scheduled for Wednesday, March 30 at the Fusebox Theatre.
‘The Tastes of Alexander at Perama’ by David Tsirekas. It was scheduled to take place on April 12.
These events will not be re-scheduled in this year’s program.
“It seems that COVID and other factors beyond the festival’s control continue to impact events in the program however, we continue to work through and overcome these challenges,” Festival Chair, Nia Karteris, said.
“We do have plenty of other great events coming up and encourage everyone to check the program for details.”
Part of the Victorian Government’s redevelopment plans for Preston Market in Melbourne’s northern suburbs was a proposal to build 2,200 apartments in blocks up to 20-storeys high.
But last week, Victorian Planning Minister, Richard Wynne, significantly slashed the number of apartments allowed in draft planning rules to a maximum of 1,200.
On the other hand, stallholder Jim Katsaros, owner of Athina’s Deli, questioned the legitimacy of the owner’s concerns.
Jim Katsaros with his wife Athina Katsaros. Photo Jennifer Pittorino.
“How many billions do you want to make?” Mr Katsaros told the SMH.
“Fourteen-storey apartment blocks are not enough for them? Well, it becomes, at the end of the day, a selfish proposition overall.”
Mr Wynne has referred the draft masterplan to an advisory committee from the Victorian Planning Authority for review and public hearings. The committee will report back in July.
The Federal Government has allocated $4.9 million to create a Remembrance Trail on the Greek island of Lemnos in this year’s Budget.
The trail is being created in recognition of the Australian doctors, nurses and other service personnel who served there during the First World War.
“The women and men who serve this nation in uniform make incredible sacrifices for our country and we are ensuring that we repay our debt to them by providing the support they, and their families, need,” the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel, Andrew Gee, said.
The creation of the Remembrance Trial was first announced back in April 2018 by Melbourne’s Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee and the Prefecture of the Northern Aegean.
Morrison, Hawke: Ethnic communities the engine for economic recovery
In a multicultural media conference held this morning about the Federal Budget, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke thanked multicultural communities for their leadership during challenging times, for supporting the economy and culturally enriching the country.
Mr Morrison at the multicultural media briefing.
The Prime Minister said the government will keep supporting multicultural communities and stressed that “we are the standard that other countries seek to achieve.”
Minister Hawker agreed with Mr Morrison and said this budget has “more good news for multicultural communities” in order to resume community life.
“We’ve seen churches and temples empty and festivals cancelled and I am announcing some grants through the budget to support community activity,” Mr Hawke said.
“We want communities to get back to their normal life and we know they need support. Let’s get them up and thriving.”
Federal Budget 2022:What else was announced?
During the meeting, Mr Morrison and Mr Hawke also discussed various other announcements from last night’s Federal Budget, including the big-ticket cost of living funding and record investments in health, defence and small business.
Families and Taxpayers:
To help with the increasing cost of living, low- and middle-income earners will receive an extra $420 back on their tax returns. The government’s low and middle tax offset is also back for another year, meaning that some people may get up to $1,500 back at tax time.
Pensioners and Welfare Recipients:
Pensioners, carers, veterans, job seekers and other eligible concession cardholders, plus some self-funded retirees, will receive a one-off payment of $250.
Women:
Another $1.3 billion will be spent tackling violence against women and children in this budget. The new spending is on front-line services, emergency accommodation, access to legal advice and more.
There’s also been a big shake-up for the government’s Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme. Instead of offering two separate payments — two weeks of “Dad and Partner Pay” and 18 weeks of “Parental Leave Pay” — the two will now be combined, meaning parents can choose to split the leave between them in whatever way they’d like.
According to the Prime Minister, the federal budget even encourages more women from ethnic backgrounds to enter the workforce and creates more economic opportunities from them.
”It gives them choice, it gives their families choice and enables them to plan for their future with confidence,” Mr Morrison said during the conference.
Small businesses:
Small business owners will receive a $120 tax deduction for every $100 they spend on training their staff. The same deduction will also apply to investments in cloud computing, eInvoicing, cybersecurity and web design – up to a maximum of $100,000 per year.
Mr Morrison said that the support for small businesses in this budget is significant.
“Australia is one of the most successful multicultural nations on earth and one of the reasons for that I think is because of the high level of entrepreneurism that exists in the many migrant communities….we are helping small businesses be successful in the post COVID economy,” he told multicultural media this morning.
“Australia is in a strong position to capitalise in the opportunities that are ahead and the many ethic communities across Australia will be in the engine of that.”
Motorists
The fuel tax excise will be cut in half to 22.1 cents per litre for six months. The change comes into effect from midnight on Tuesday night and the competition watchdog will police it.
First-home buyers:
The number of people able to access the Home Guarantee Scheme will double to 50,000 places per year. That scheme, designed to help more people buy their first home, lets people put down a deposit of just five per cent, or two per cent for single parents.
Thirty scholarships have been offered to children of Ukrainian immigrants to study in the schools of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
“Beyond our prayers and moral support for our Ukrainian brethren, we are also endeavouring to be practically by their side,” the Archdiocese said in a statement about the scholarships.
This decision was made at the 13th Meeting of the Bishops of the Archdiocese, which took place in Sydney on March 28-29 under the chairmanship of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
During the first day of deliberations, the meeting focused wholly on the recent Ukraine – Russia crisis and the Bishops called on His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to mediate between both countries.
The 13th Meeting of the Bishops of the Archdiocese.
“Until recently, His Holiness hastened to send messages of sympathy to leaders and peoples on the occasion of natural disasters, catastrophes, military conflicts and other matters of social misery, but now he remains provocatively silent in the face of this tragedy that has shaken our entire planet,” the statement reads.
“The lives of leaders are judged by history and we will certainly not be judged only for what we did but also for what we could have done and did not do.”
The Bishops concluded their meeting by asking for “those in position of authority to stop the weapons of war and for Ukraine to celebrate a resurrection before the glorious Resurrection of our Lord.”
