A community garden within the Collingwood Children’s Farm in Melbourne was a lifeline for many Greek migrants in the decades leading to it’s sudden closure this month.
Anna Krouskos is one of more than 100 locals who have been shut out of their communal garden following safety concerns raised in an external consultant’s report over risks posed by snakes and star pickets.
Anna Krouskos is now left with just the memory of the work she put into the garden with her late husband Dimitri who died of COVID-19 last year.
“He was a Greek farmer, and he just grew everything beautifully and I just couldn’t step into those big work boots,” she tells the Sydney Morning Herald.
The garden will be bulldozed and rebuilt beside the Yarra River but Mrs Krouskos has continued to keep his work going as a link to the past and a way of growing the future.
Anna Poulentzas’ grandchild Jordan Oakley at the Collingwood Children’s Farm. (Credit: Anna Poulentzas)
The Collingwood Children’s Farm management has left Greek migrants like Anna Poulentzas in the blue by canceling appointments and narrowing their pool of consultants to help envision the rebuild.
Mrs. Poulentzas is Mrs. Krouskos sister-in-law and has helped see the garden grow for decades.
Her now 92-year-old father gardened there from the mid-1980s.
The gardens have a rich history within the Greek and other migrant communities (Credit: JUSTIN MCMANUS)
Chief executive of the farm, Conor Hickey, maintains that the farm will remain a “[non-for-profit and social enterprise]”, but says falling revenue and visitor traffic brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the farm to “explore a number of new ways to raise revenue.”
“Our funds will always go to directly supporting those in the community experiencing adversity,” he says.
Greek and Turkish migrants have used the garden as a staple since its inception in 1979, with European farming on the site dating back to the 19th century.
Collingwood Children’s Farm is the oldest continually farmed land in Victoria and has been used by migrants and those without a garden of their own for decades.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced new restrictions for four local government areas (LGAs) in Sydney and extended the existing COVID-19 restrictions in NSW by a week.
NSW Health has recorded 22 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 since the NSW government gave its most recent update yesterday.
11 of the 22 new cases were recorded today, with the Bondi cluster growing to 65 cases.
Stay-at-home orders will be in place for the Woollahra, Waverley, City of Sydney, and Randwick local government areas (LGAs) from tonight until 12:01am on Saturday, July 3.
Anybody who lives, or has worked in these four LGAs in the past two weeks, may only leave their home for essential reasons.
These reasons include:
Medical care or compassionate needs.
Exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer.
Essential work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home.
If you need to buy essential goods or services.
Visitors to households will be limited to five guests – including children.
Ikaria in Bondi Beach has been added to NSW Health’s list of close contact exposure sites. NSW Health is urging all of those who attended to self-isolate for 14 days.
Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis jetted off to Brussels for the EU summit on Thursday with a reinforced stance on relations with Turkey and their immigration programme.
The Prime Minister promoted the “bi-zonal, bi-communal” federation with political equality as the only way to solve the ongoing Cyprus dispute.
“Any discussion of a solution regarding the creation of two separate states is rejected in principle because it contradicts all the decisions of the UN Security Council but also the European acquis,” he says.
The Prime Minister suggested that Turkey must show consistency in de-escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and agreed to finance Turkey’s refugee programme on certain conditions.
The financial support comes with the condition that Turkey avoids “any instrumentalization of refugees and immigrants” and “accepts the return to Turkey of people who are currently on the Greek islands and the asylum applications have been finally rejected,” he says.
He shifted his focus from the rapidly rising Delta outbreaks in neighbouring countries to say he anticipates the “immediate activation” of the EU digital COVID certificate (EUDCC) in the coming days.
“I want to repeat a very simple message conveyed yesterday by the leading American epidemiologist Mr. Fauci. ‘You’re vaccinated, you’re safe. You’re unvaccinated, you’re at risk. Simple as that’,” he says.
PM Mitsotakis also rallied among 17 other EU leaders in pressing for tolerance and acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights amidst Hungary’s ‘anti-LGBTQ’ bill.
A Greek Orthodox priest behind an acid attack which injured 11 people in Athens has been charged and admitted to the state psychiatric hospital.
The hieromon, aged 37, was charged with multiple counts of causing grievous bodily harm and is awaiting psychiatric evaluation after he assaulted seven senior bishops and three others, including two lawyers and a police officer.
“My first thought was that it was holy water,” one of the bishops said, before realising it was caustic liquid, Greek media reports.
He was led to court to face his charges but was in no position to testify before a prosecutor while he awaits his psychiatric evaluation from the Dromokaitio psychiatric hospital, authorities concluded.
Seven of the 11 victims remain hospitalised, including three bishops who are in ‘serious condition’.
One of the three bishops is reportedly undergoing plastic surgery for burns on his face and hands.
The priest acted in a fit of rage after his appeal against his expulsion in 2019 was turned down by a religious court at Petraki Monastery.
The priest was expelled for allegedly carrying cocaine under his garb.
The priest has a criminal history of violent behaviour, harassment, and possessing 1.8 grams of cocaine, Greek media reports.
The incident has put the Greek Orthodox Church on the defensive over how such an incident could occur in the Holy Synod and has prompted responses from the Greek government.
“In future there should be a policeman, someone who guards the entrance to the Holy Synod,” said the bishop of Glyfada, Antonios, who was among the injured.
“The attack with vitriol … is a disgusting act. I wish them a speedy recovery and a good return to their duties,” Niki Kerameus, Greece’s minister of education and religious affairs, tweeted in Greek.
Hundreds of Adelaide high school students, girls and boys as young as 14 years old, among them Greek Australians, marched from Victoria Square to SA Parliament earlier today to protest against sexism and sexual violence, demanding immediate change towards a better sexual consent education.
“We are here to protest for better consent education due to the unacceptably high cases of sexual assault within Australian schools,” Adelaide High School Student and Call4Action school group co-founder, Sophia, told The Greek Herald.
Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
Speaking at the march was former federal Labor MP and author of the book ‘Sex, Lies and Question Time’, Kate Ellis.
“It is so appalling to me, and unacceptable that you feel you are not safe in your schools,” Ms Ellis said.
Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
Co-Founder of the Adelaide High School Call4Action group, Martha, told The Greek Herald that sexual violence impacts everyone and can be also prevalent for people of colour and students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities.
Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
“Culture is a big factor on whether someone is educated about sexual violence and assault. You may not be getting this education at home so it’s important we all get it at school,” Martha, said.
“I want to make sure people can talk about it and stand up against it.”
Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
A Change.org student petition calling for an end to sexism and sexual assault at Adelaide High School has attracted more than 7000 signatures while consent campaigner Chanel Contos is working with the Adelaide High students to stage a much larger national march in August.
Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro VourdoumpaPicture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
On Wednesday, South Australia’s Education Department ordered an immediate curriculum overhaul after experts warned online pornography is warping kids’ concepts of sex and consent and criticised the state’s curriculum as “archaic”.
Words by Peter Condoleon, Interview by Andriana Simos.
Vasiliki Megaloconomos, better known as Bessie Conomos, has lived through the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Great Depression, two World Wars and more recently, being isolated in an aged care facility during the coronavirus pandemic.
But none are as special or as memorable as celebrating her 100th birthday on April 20 surrounding by 44 out of her 47 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
“You couldn’t hold her back on the day and you know, the cards came from the Queen and the Governor General and she saw the photo of the Queen, which is a very, very young photo of her, and she goes, ‘Who are they trying to fool. She’s only five years younger than me!'” Diamanta Condoleon, Bessie’s daughter, tells The Greek Herald with a laugh.
It’s this sense of humour which Bessie has utilised throughout her entire life.
From Kythera to Australia:
Bessie was born in the village of Kato Livadi, Kythira on April 20, 1921. She was the eldest child and only daughter to Nicholas and Diamanta Gianniotis. She lived in a small house in the village with her parents, three aunties and her brother George.
She immigrated to Australia shortly before her seventh birthday, along with her mother and brother George. Her father had migrated to Sydney earlier. One of Bessie’s earliest memories is of an incomplete Sydney Harbour Bridge.
As a child, Bessie would assist her parents on their poultry and later, vegetable farms. Every day after school she helped collect eggs and feed the chickens. During the Great Depression, Bessie and her family survived on food that grew on the family farm.
Her father, brother and herself used to get four suitcases, two big ones for her father to carry and two little suitcases for her brother George and herself to carry, fill them up with vegetables and go door to door selling them.
In 1942, Bessie married Theo Conomos and moved to Carinda, NSW. Bessie often said Theo was a very big influence in her life because he taught her to be honest, truthful and hard working. It was in Carinda where they raised their family, Regina, Diamanta, Emmanuel and Nicholas.
Whilst living in Carinda, Bessie was a dedicated member of the Women’s Country Association for nearly 30 years and supporter of the Bush Nursing Association receiving recognition for her drive in both these worthy causes.
Bessie and her husband Theo. Photo supplied.
“They were the only Greeks in the town… so it was very, very hard for her because her mum was in Sydney. But I can remember she had beautiful gardens and she was fun loving. We all got it from her,” Diamanta says.
The family moved to Dubbo in 1962 and it was there that Regina married Robert Hadgis in 1964, Diamanta married Arthur Condoleon in 1965 and Emmanuel married Dianne McGovern in 1971. Nicholas was to later marry Marylyn Dahingo in 2010.
In 1985, Theo and Bessie moved to Brisbane to be closer with their family. Theo passed away in 1987. Bessie then committed herself to volunteer work, firstly at the St Nicholas Nursing Home, caring, entertaining and being friendly to the elderly.
Later and together with Betty Comino, running a stall after Sunday church selling all sorts of sweets and goodies raising money for the Greek School and the Southside Parish. She also assisted with ‘Meals on Wheels’ delivering food to the elderly.
Bessie was passionate about volunteering. Photo supplied.
“She did a lot of walking. After we moved here to Brisbane, the church is a couple of kilometres and she’d walk there and walk back. I’m talking in her 80s. She was always very, very active,” Diamanta explains.
It’s because of this constant activity and volunteer work that on Australia Day in 2009, Bessie was honoured with an Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the Greek community, particularly through organisations, providing assistance to the elderly and to the community of Carinda, NSW.
Today, Bessie resides at the Carinity Wishart Gardens Residential Aged Care Facility in Brisbane. Diamanta says Bessie chose to move to a nursing home because “she didn’t want to be a bother to her family” – something which is incredibly important to her.
In fact, according to her grandson Peter, if Bessie were to look over her life right now, she’d say: “you don’t need things to make you happy. Family and friends is the true way of being happy. Happiness is love of family, friends, health and understanding give and take.”
Only one of eight Australian karatekas – one for each division – get the chance to qualify for next month’s Tokyo Olympic Games, but that wasn’t going to stop karate heavyweight Maria Alexiadis OAM from taking her chance.
“This is the first and likely the last time we will get to show off our sport on an Olympic stage,” she tells the Greek Herald off the back of her Olympic qualifier event in Paris.
“I feel extremely grateful and privileged to be in the position I am in and to be representing my country on the biggest stage for our sport,” she says.
Maria Alexiadis OAM is a Karate Victoria (KV) administrator, coach, and athlete, who says her work in the field of the ancient martial art is inspired by her journey in a male-dominated sport.
“[The Olympic qualifier is] a tall ask for Australian athletes in an amateur sport that is not funded in Australia, but we love what we do and dare to dream,” she says.
“…I feel like I can genuinely make a positive difference to the sport and lives of others.”
Maria Alexiadis (far right) wins gold at the World Karate Federation’s (WKF) World Senior Championships in 2019 (Source: Supplied)
Maria Alexiadis was recently recognised on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her 33-year strong run in competitive karate.
“I honestly kept checking to see if the letter sent by the Governor General’s office was sent to the wrong person,” she recalls.
“To think that people took the time to nominate me for such an award is an altruistic act and an honour,” she says.
Alexiadis flew to Paris for the Olympic qualifiers just days before receiving an OAM (Instagram @mariaalexi)
Alexiadis is a highly accomplished athlete, awarded for her services to karate on a state, national, and international level, but says it is her Greek heritage which has helped shape her to be the person she is today.
“I hope that the Greek Australian community are as proud and inspired by my recognition as I am of my Greek heritage,” she says.
“Greek Australians have done and continue to do a lot of good for this amazing country of ours.”
“May this award continue to inspire and encourage people to work hard, persevere, aspire, and dream.”
The best of both worlds
Alexiadis says when she’s not kicking butt on the dojo, she’s researching a rare ovarian cancer at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne’s south-east.
Maria Alexiadis (far right) is a medical research scientist with a particular research interest in granulose cell tumours (GCT) of the ovaries (Source: Hudson Institute of Medical Research)
Granulosa cell tumours (GCT) of the ovaries are malignant, endocrine tumours – meaning they make and respond to hormones – which slowly develop over time.
Hormones Australia says around 60 women in Australia will be diagnosed with GCT this year.
Alexiadis’ work aims to identify the genetic factors which lead to this potentially fatal cancer and says sport and science “both help build stronger, healthier and happier communities”.
“It isn’t easy balancing it all but I enjoy the different challenges each area brings, the problem solving and helping make a positive impact and difference to people’s lives,” she says.
She says she hopes she will be remembered for being “kind, brave, compassionate, driven, and ambitious” in 10 years.
“I hope I’m best remembered as… the person who really believed that impossible is nothing, who ‘walked the talk’, ignored the naysayers, and made a positive impact on the lives of others,” she says.
An inspiring Greek Australian family is fighting to save their three-year-old son, Manoli, after he was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare form of aggressive cancer that only affects one in 1000 Australian children.
Manoli, who is better known as Oli, was a lifeline for his parents, Joel and Leni Plueckhahn (neeKarageorgiou), after the death of Leni’s dad from another rare form of cancer known as multiple myeloma.
“[My dad] spent the last two and a half weeks of his life basically holding Oli in his palliative care room,” Leni tells The Project.
But that’s why when Joel and Leni noticed in December 2020 that Oli was limping, and later not able to walk at all, they were heartbroken. He was first diagnosed with osteomyelitis, which is a bone infection, but eventually doctors said Oli had agressive and high-risk neuroblastoma.
“I was in hospital with Oli at the time and they said it was cancer and that just hit me like a tonne of bricks. Just hearing those words is something you never wish on anyone,” Joel says.
Three-year-old Manoli has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma.
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that affects immature or developing cells and spreads quickly. There’s no known reason for the disease and it’s not genetic. Only around 40 children in Australia are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year.
“You blame yourself and you wonder what you could’ve done differently… but there’s no prevention. It’s just purely bad luck,” Leni tells The Project.
Getting access to a clinical trial:
Since Oli’s diagnosis, he has had a 12 hour operation to remove the primary tumour in his stomach, six cycles of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. But that’s just the beginning.
“He’s already lost his hearing. He’s not eating now. He hasn’t had anything to eat since really Christmas. Obviously, he’s got the hair loss, he’s got to be fed by the nasal feeds,” Joel explains.
Oli also has to undergo radiotherapy and immunotherapy. There’s also a 50% chance he will relapse.
“We have been told basically that if your child relapses, it’s basically impossible to cure after that,” Leni explains to the Australian TV show.
Manoli’s family are fighting to get him vital treatment in the US.
In Australia, there’s limited options to prevent relapse and that’s why Oli’s best chance of survival is a DFMO clinical drug trial which is currently underway in the United States. Whilst the government does cover some costs for medical treatment overseas, as a general rule it doesn’t for clinical trials.
Leni’s sister, Alithea Karageorgiou, has been helping with fundraising by setting up a Go Fund Me page for Oli. So far they’ve raised over $400,000.
“If you’re told there’s something you can do to save your child’s life, you’re going to do it. We have to do it. We already had a huge loss, we lost dad, we can’t lose our little boy,” Alithea tells The Project.
Leni agrees and says she’s willing to do anything to get her son the treatment he deserves.
“There’s about a dozen parents that have been over there and they have seen good results so far and if there’s a 1 percent chance that this is going to prevent relapse then we will do it,” she says.
There’s a long battle ahead for a determined little boy and his loving family.
The bright lights of Sydney briefly attracted young lawyer, Archie Tsirimokos, until he decided to make Canberra his home and is now one of the region’s leading commercial lawyers.
After graduating from the Australian National University, Archie quickly climbed the legal ladder, starting out as a clerk with Vandenberg Reid, before making his way up to partner and eventually driving the merger with Meyer Clapham in 2005.
Now, he’s currently the Chair of Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers, where he specialises in commercial law, property development and building and construction law and has been involved in the delivery of many complex commercial projects throughout Canberra.
His work has seen Meyer Vandenberg gain a place on Doyles’ list of leading Canberra Property & Real Estate Law Firms for 2021.
Archie Tsirimokos has cemented himself as one of Canberra’s leading commercial lawyers.
Doyles has also ranked Archie as a leading Property & Real Estate Lawyer in the ACT for the past six years, a gong he says comes down to working with a great team.
“I’m very proud to get the recognition, but you don’t get the accolades without having a good team around you,” Archie told Riot Act.
“I work with some great people and this is a reflection of that.”
Passion for mental health and the arts:
When Archie isn’t kicking goals in the legal profession, he is also a Director of Lifeline Canberra. He says he is proud to support this organisation by contributing his legal skills and using his extensive business networks to increase awareness.
Archie Tsirimokos is the chair of Kulture Break, a creative arts and support group for young people. Photo: Kulture Break.
“It’s great to be able to help those people in our community, like most communities, who are going through a difficult time,” Archie told Riot Act.
He is also the Chair of Kulture Break, a not-for-profit creative arts and support group that provides early intervention programs to enhance youth empowerment, belonging, inclusion, identity, confidence and self-expression.
“Kulture Break helps get kids back on track. It gives them purpose, somewhere to go and something to do. It’s much more than just a dance group,” he says.
Archie adds he is “very passionate” about both charity groups and the tireless work carried out by their respective volunteers.
“I look at the people involved with these organisations and I’m just amazed by what they do. They are making a difference to people’s lives,” he concludes.
Konstantinos Tsiklitiras was a well-known Greek athlete who rose to prominence after winning a gold medal in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, in the event standing long jump.
Konstantinos was born in Pylos on the 30th October 1888 and moved to Athens early in his adult life to study.
Standing at 1.89m tall, Konstantinos was exceptionally tall and athletic. He participated in many sports, including playing football for Panathinaikos, water polo and standing long jump and standing high jump. He was most known as a track and field athlete who belonged to the Panhellenic Gymnastic Society. He won the Greek championship 19 times.
During his Olympic career, Konstantinos earned one gold medal, two silver medals, and one bronze medal. In the 1908 London Olympics he competed in the standing long jump and standing high jump, winning silver medals in both events.
(Left: Olympedia.org) (Right: iEllada.gr)
Konstantinos wins gold at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics
On July 8, 1912, Konstantinos made history when he won the gold medal in the long jump at the Stockholm Olympics, he jumped 3.37 meters to secure first place and win gold for Greece. In the same Olympic games, Konstantinos won the bronze medal in the high jump by clearing 1.55 meters.
The Stockholm Olympics was Konstantinos greatest sporting achievement and was made more special as he was the official flag bearer for the Greek nation. It was also the last Olympics where the standing long jump was performed, making Konstantinos the last ever gold medal winner of this particular event.
When he returned to Athens, he was greeted by hundreds of people, and the Panhellenic Gymnastics Association awarded him with a gold watch bearing the date of his win.
Following his triumphs in Stockholm, he decided to volunteer to participate in the Balkan Wars. He was offered a position in the Athens Guard, but he declined, wanting to be on the front lines of the war so he wouldn’t be accused of favouritism. Even a family friend, Benakis, had urged that he work in his Egyptian company to keep him out of the conflict.
Despite being able to avoid conscription during the war, he persisted in fighting for his country. When he decided to fight in the First Balkan War in 1913, his athletic career ended. During the war, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Greek Army, serving as a sergeant on the front lines of Epirus.
Death:
Konstantinos Tsiklitiras rests in Patras A Cemetery (Source: Tony Esopi via Wikipedia)
Konstantinos suffered meningitis during First Balkan War and tragically died at the age of 24 on February 10, 1913.
In honour of Tsiklitiras’ life and Olympic achievements, the Panhellenic Gymnastics Association launched the annual track and field competitions at the Panathenaic Stadium. The event was named the Athens Grand Prix Tsiklitiria, in memory of Konstantinos and was first organized in 1963, 50 years after his death.
