The Greek government has offered a €300,000 reward to try to track down the culprits behind the murder of a British-born student in her suburban Athens home.
The reward was publicised hours after Caroline Crouch, 20, was strangled in front of her baby daughter by armed burglars who had bound her husband, Babis Anagnostopoulos, to a chair after breaking in. The intruders also killed the family’s dog, leaving it hanging from a banister in the house.
Greece’s citizens’ protection minister said the county was reeling from the crime. “We are all shaken up and personally I am shaken up,” Michalis Chrisochoidis told the annual Delphi Economic Forum on Tuesday. “We rarely encounter such brutality in Greece, both in Greek society and in crime.”
Crouch is believed to have been tortured for up to an hour as the thieves tried to coerce her into revealing the location of thousands of pounds of cash and jewellery, which they then made off with. They are believed to have taken €15,000 hidden in a board game.
Caroline Crouch and her husband, Babis Anagnostopoulos, with their child. Source: The Guardian
Greek media reported that Anagnostopoulos, a helicopter pilot, 32, had been forced to listen as his wife cried for help, before he managed to set himself free and alert authorities.
The raid took place at about 4.30am when three masked men broke into the house while another stood outside guarding the building.
“We had bought a plot of land and had money in the house for initial works. I heard my wife, who was tied up in the bed, constantly shouting for help. We begged them not to do us any harm,” the news portal, Newsit, quoted Anagnostopoulos as telling police.
Crouch, the daughter of a British couple who had moved to the Greek island of Alonissos when she was an infant, was sleeping with her 11-month-old baby in an attic area when the thieves broke in. One police officer said there were signs Crouch “had put up resistance”.
Greek authorities said distraught relatives, including her parents, were being given psychosocial support. Her mother is believed to work in the tourism industry on Alonissos.
Two specialist police units have been seconded to investigate the crime and were concentrating on CCTV footage in the belief that the culprits had followed the couple for several days.
The bounty is highly unusual in Greece – according to the broadcaster ERT there have only ever been four previously, in cases of terrorism or to catch hardened criminals.
The reward was outlined in a ministerial decision co-signed by Chrisochoidis and the deputy finance minister, Theodoros Skylakakis; an announcement said €300,000 would be given “to anyone who hands over data and information to the relevant authorities that will lead … to the arrest of the culprits”.
Every year the Federal Budget comprises thousands of pages of facts and figures covering spending on everything from tax cuts, health, education, welfare and more.
We’ve broken the most important information down into the things that really affect everyday Australians.
Find out what the 2021-22 Federal Budget means for you.
Economy
Economic growth will be 1.25 per cent in 2020-21 and reach a strong 4.25 per cent in 2021-22 before falling to 2.5 per cent the following year.
Unemployment has defied doomsday predictions of 8 per cent or more and is predicted to be 5.5 per cent this year. Next year it will fall to 5 per cent and then 4.75 per cent in 2022-23.
International borders will begin to re-open in 2022 but inbound and outbound travellers will remain at very low levels until the middle of 2022 at the earliest.
The 2020-21 deficit has been revised down by $52.7 billion from $213.7 billion to $161 billion
An additional $1.1 billion will be spent on women’s safety measures, including $261.4 million over two years in a new deal with the states to boost frontline family, domestic and sexual violence services.
There’s $351.6 million in funding for new health measures including more cash for drugs to fight breast cancer, lung cancer and osteoporosis and for women’s health initiatives that cover maternal, sexual and reproductive health. There’s also money for endometriosis research and genetic testing for pregnant women.
$1.7 billion over five years in extra money to cut the cost of childcare for families with two or more kids. Measures will boost the childcare rebate and remove the annual subsidy cap of $10,560 for high-income earners
The Morrison Government is committed to ensuring all Australians have opportunities to fulfil their potential. The 2021-22 #Budget invests $3.4 billion to improve outcomes in women’s safety, economic security & leadership, health & wellbeing.
There is $17.7 billion over five years responding to the Aged Care Royal Commission report on abuse and neglect in the system, including:
$6.5 billion for an extra 80,000 home care packages over two years, to help more people live in their homes for longer.
$3.2 billion to cover a $10 per person, per day increase in payment to aged care providers.
$3.9 billion to increase the number of “care minutes” each aged care resident receives per day to 200 minutes.
The Government will establish an independent pricing authority to support implementation & administration of the new funding residential #agedcare funding model #Budget2021
— Australian Ageing Agenda (@AustAgeAgenda) May 11, 2021
Income Tax
The so-called “Low and Middle Income Tax Offset” will remain in place for another year.
The tax rebate, which workers receive after completing their tax returns, is worth different amounts to different income groups. It was supposed to finish on June 30 but it will be extended by another 12 months.
This is how much you can expect to land back in your bank account if you’re in any of these wage brackets:
Photo Source: ABC
Mental Health
In his speech, the Treasurer shone a spotlight on the more than 65,000 Australians who attempt to take their own lives each year. Suicide is the leading cause of death among those aged 18 to 44, and so the government has committed $2.3 billion to mental health care and suicide prevention.
Our Government has nearly doubled spending on mental health since we came to office.
It is a clear national priority. #Budget2021 extends our support even further with a $2.3 billion commitment to mental health care and suicide prevention. pic.twitter.com/vkTzW4UxX6
More Headspace centres to support more young Australians
Expanding the model to those aged over 25, with a new Head to Health national network of 40 centres
Extra funding for treatment of eating disorders
Greater access to psychiatrists, psychologists and GPs through Medicare
Universal access to care for people discharged from hospital after attempting to take their own life
Establishing a new National Suicide Prevention Office
Setting up a Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide.
Business Owners
As well as the support announced for particular industries like small brewers, video gaming and medical and biotech start-ups, the budget also has a few perks for other businesses.
Last year’s business write-off perks are being extended by another 12 months.
That means businesses with a turnover of up to $5 billion will be able to write off the full value of any eligible asset like a work vehicle or equipment they bought between last budget and June 30, 2023.
The extension also mean any losses incurred up to June 2023 can be offset against prior profits made going back to the 2018-19 financial year.
Superannuation
Older Australians will be able to contribute earnings or savings directly into their tax-friendly superannuation funds with the repeal of the “work test”.
Among other changes to super rules, the minimum age for those eligible for the scheme encouraging older people to downsize family homes will be reduced from 65 to 60, first home buyers will be able to access $50,000 of contributions from their super funds, up from $30,000, and people earning less than $450 a month will receive super payments thanks to the removal of the minimum income threshold.
*With information from: ABC, The Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald, Guardian
Greek Australian, Jake Peters, is well known in Melbourne’s Greek community for shining a spotlight on safe underage clubbing through his Greek-inspired business, Kosmos Events.
Now, he can also add another achievement to his list. Jake is currently working with the Lefkadian Brotherhood of Victoria to rebuild its youth group after it has laid dormant since the 1990’s.
The Brotherhood itself was initially established in 1942 by a group of like-minded Lefkadians who wanted to assist poor or sick members of the Brotherhood, as well as preserve the Lefkadian heritage and the continuation of Greek culture.
However, after about 30 years of inactivity, the Brotherhood is again actively seeking to engage all Lefkadians, and in particular the youth, to gather, meet and get to know each other.
“I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to work alongside the Committee and begin to build our youth group. My heart is in Lefkada, I love where my family is from. This brotherhood is so important to me,” Jake tells The Greek Herald about his new role.
“My family always tells me of the fun they had back in the day when they were attending all the youth events. It’s now my time to bring it back and build it back up to how it used to be! I can not wait to get this journey underway, and make not only my family proud, but make Lefkada proud!”
As Jake explains, many Lefkadians, now in their 40s, 50s and 60s, are now parents and grandparents who have very fond memories of the bonds and experiences made at the Brotherhood during their youth.
It’s this which the new committee seeks to revive and President of the Board of the Brotherhood, Alexandra Daglas, tells The Greek Herald she has no doubts Jake is up to the task.
“The Board is very excited that Jake has agreed to work with us and spearhead the Lefkadian youth revival,” Ms Daglas says.
“We have complete confidence that he will succeed in encouraging young Lefkadians back to our Lefkaditiko Spiti and to be proud of their Lefkadian roots. We can’t wait to see the hall full with the future generation.”
In a special interview series by Greece Is, distinguished members of the Kastellorizian diaspora in Australia have spoken out about the ways in which their roots have defined them.
This is what they had to say:
Maria Skyllas-Kazacos, AM
Emeritus Professor from the University of New South Wales’ School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering.
In her interview, Mrs Skyllas-Kazacos describes how although she was born in Kalymnos and migrated to Australia at a young age, she became a Kastellorizian by marriage.
“My husband Michael Kazacos… who made me a “Kazzie-by-marriage,” is part of a large Kastellorizian-Australian extended family who, like so many other Kastellorizians, came to Australia to work hard and build a better life for their familiesm” Mrs Skyllas-Kazacos tells Greece Is.
“As I came to know that extended family, I began to understand their deep-rooted love for and loyalty to their island.”
From there, Mrs Skyllas-Kazacos described her first trip to the island with her husband in 1985 and expressed her wishes that one day she is able to introduce the island to her grandchildren as well.
“As we got closer to the island and started to turn into the harbor, I was overcome with emotion as the small buildings and boats came into view – it felt as if we’d been transported to a different world, a different time,” she describes.
“Suddenly I knew why this tiny jewel in the Aegean Sea meant so much to its people and even to their descendants who had never known it.”
Nick Paspaley:
Head of the Paspaley Group in Darwin.
Nick Paspaley is connected to Paspaley Pearls, a company which is renowned for its beautiful pearl jewelry. Nick tells Greece Is that he thinks of Kastellorizo as “my patriarch.”
Nick Paspaley.
“My father passed away in 1984. He was very close and dear to me, and I am conscious that I exist because of him. My father existed because of Kastellorizo, so in a real sense I view Kastellorizo and my father as being the same thing. In this way, when I think of my father, I also think of Kastellorizo as my patriarch,” Nick says in the interview with Nicholas Pappas.
“I have very close friends in Australia who, coincidentally, also have roots in Kastellorizo. It’s interesting how successful those friends have become, just as my father was successful in his life.
“If asked how I identify myself: I simply consider myself as a Kastellorizian who is an Australian citizen.”
Dr John Yiannakis, OAM:
Well-known historian and academic in Perth.
Dr John Yiannakis begins his interview describing hos growing up in Western Australia, he was aware of its Greek world but “not appreciative of it or the Kastellorizian presence within it.” He stresses that this awareness came in his mid-teen years.
Dr John Yiannakis.
“Certainly, growing up in pre-multicultural Australia had its challenges. Yet, I knew there was something special and worthwhile about my Greek background, although at times as a teenager I tried to downplay it,” Dr Yiannakis told Greece Is.
“I came to realise that Greeks in this state, and Kastellorizians in particular, have made an extraordinary contribution at every level and in every sphere. From laborers to lawyers; academics to artists; entrepreneurs to sportspersons.
“In fact, the only non Anglo-Celt Governor of Western Australia has been a Kastellorizian. Despite their parochialism, there is a dynamism about Kastellorizians and a willingness to work for a greater good.”
Kerry Harmanis:
Mining magnate in Darwin.
Kerry Harmanis’ Kastellorizian roots are ingrained in him. He describes how his great-grandfather, Manolis Margaritis, lived with his family on Kastellorizo from at least 1860, his grandfather and father were born there, as well as his mother’s father.
“Being of Kastellorizian roots I have business, commerce and the sea in my blood, along with a strong and dynamic personality; I’m sometimes excitable, I love life, I laugh a lot and I work hard,” Harmanis says in the interview.
Kerry Harmanis. Picture: Iain Gillespie, The West Australian.
“The Kazzie community in Australia has done very well in commerce, academia, business, leadership – anywhere politics and argument exist, or else we aren’t Greeks!”
The business magnate then goes on to stress how the Kastellorizo community in Australia always comes together to support and promote their Greek heritage.
“A lot of money flows from Australia and the other Kastellorizian diasporas to the island. They have built houses and restored the island to the extent that it’s a very comfortable place now,” Harmanis says.
“Although we’re all busy in our own worlds, we still get together and are still close friends, no matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other.”
John Mangos:
TV presenter in Sydney.
John Mangos is a well-known TV presenter in Australia and he tells Greece Is how he has been a frequent visitor to the island of Kastellorizo for over 40 years, even becoming a part-resident after having built a home there.
John Mangos.
“My family and friends all know it’s where I wish to be laid to rest. Why do I feel this way? I grew up in an environment where my family only socialised with the extended family and other Kastellorizians, holding picnics and name day celebrations,” Mangos tells Nicholas Pappas.
“It was indeed insular, and it was somewhat competitive with those from other parts of Greece, too. A strong sense of patriotism and resilience developed. I was personally unaware that our culture, cuisine, music and dialect was different to other Greeks; I thought our way was the norm.
“With this camaraderie came a strong sense of identity and pride… Kastellorizo is not just in my blood. It is in my heart, my soul and my state of mind. I am known to say that my body lives in Australia but my true self lives in Kastellorizo.”
Dr Maria Kailis:
A well-known medical practitioner and the daughter of the late Michael Kailis of the seafood and pearl industries fame in Perth.
Dr Kailis reminisces her first ever trip to Kastellorizo in 1975, and describes how she saw her dad, Michael George Kailis, cry for the first time as he saw that the island needed revitalising.
Dr Maria Kailis.
“My father could see the island needed revitalising. With my mother, Patricia, and with the help of the architect George Murray, they poured love and effort into one of the first house restorations on the island. They also commissioned Dr Norman Ashton to research ancient Megisti. And no one will ever forget my sister Amanda’s tours of the patitiria (wine presses)!” Dr Kailis tells Greece Is.
The medical practitioner then goes on to describe which parts of her personality she believes come from Kastellorizo.
“…I am sure my little stocky legs that love climbing up and down mountains come from there. In my office, I have pictures and paintings of the place to gaze at every afternoon, and I think about walking up the mountain to see the sun set or diving into the amazing blue waters,” she says.
Laskarina Bouboulina was a Greek naval officer, the first female admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy and a protagonist of the Greek War of Independence in 1821.
Her contribution to the Greek Revolution was enormous for that time. She gave away all her property and belongings to maintain and equip the Greek fleet, as she was also the captain of one of her ships, named Agamemnon.
Laskarina will always be remembered as a symbol for the nation, both the Struggle and the Freedom. In a purely male-dominated world, the “Great Lady of Spetses” was a source of inspiration for the Greek nation, especially for women.
Until today, she still remains an inspiration for many Greeks, due to her heroic nature, she was a widow, a lonely mother and a philanthropist.
Laskarina Bouboulina was a Greek naval officer.
Early Life:
Laskarina was born in the prisons of Constantinople during her mother’s visit to her imprisoned father on May 11, 1771.
She was originally from Hydra, and her real last name was Pinotsi. After her mother’s second wedding to Dimitris Lazarou-Orloff, Laskarina had eight half-siblings, and they moved together to the island of Spetses.
She married twice, first to Dimitrios Yiannouzas and then to the wealthy shipowner and captain Dimitrios Bouboulis, and she adopted the surname. Both of her marriages were tragic.
Laskarina married her first husband, Dimitrios Yiannouzas, at the age of 17, and from this marriage, she had three children. But at the age of only 26, she became a widow after her husband was killed in a clash with Algerian pirates.
Her second husband, Bouboulis, suffered the same fate as her first. In 1811, Bouboulis was killed in a fight with Algerian pirates.
Laskarina Bouboulina, who was 40 at the time, took over his fortune and trade company. She herself had four more ships constructed at her own expense, including the massive warship Agamemnon.
Laskarina Bouboulina surrounded by her crew.
Support of the Greek independence movement:
Laskarina is said to have joined the Filiki Etaireia, an underground organisation planning and preparing Greece for a revolution against Ottoman rule.
She purchased weapons and ammunition at her own expense and secretly transported them to Spetses in her ships. Laskarina was one of the only females in the organisation but had a major impact on the movement.
Taking part in sieges, blockages and providing supplies for soldiers of the revolution are just some of the amazing things Laskarina did to support Greece’s independence.
A ‘Bouboulina Museum’ has been founded in honour of Laskarina Bouboulina.
Laskarina Bouboulina was assassinated in Spetses in 1825 as result of a family dispute. The dispute was between the Koutsis family and Laskarina.
It began because the daughter of Christodoulou Koutsis and Bouboulina’s son, Georgios Yiannouzas, had run away together in secret to get married. Christodoulos Koutsis went to Laskarina’s house with armed members of his family in search of her.
When Laskarina heard of this, she was enraged and approached them from the balcony. Someone fired at her as she was arguing with Christodoulos Koutsis. The shot was to the head and killed her instantly; the attacker was never found.
After her death, Tsar Alexander I of Russia awarded the honorary rank of Admiral of the Russian Navy to Laskarina, making her the first woman in world naval history to hold this position.
Present-day Greeks are genetically similar to 2,000 BCE Aegeans from Northern Greece, an anthropological DNA research project published in the scientific journal, Cell, has found.
The research was led by Dr. Christina Papageorgopoulou of the Department of History and Ethnology of the Democritus University of Thrace and Dr. Anna-Sappho Malaspina of the Department of Computational Biology of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
The study involved the sequencing of entire genomes from four Early Bronze Age skeletons and two Middle Bronze Age skeletons found around Greece.
At first, researchers were able to discover that Early Bronze Age populations were quite genetically homogenous.
Dr. Christina Papageorgopoulou of the Department of History and Ethnology of the Democritus University of Thrace, is one of the authors of the study.
However, by the Middle Bronze Age, which began around 4,000 years ago, migration from the East caused DNA to differ significantly in comparison to Early Bronze Age Greeks.
The study found that Greeks of the Aegean from the Middle Bronze Age shared around half of their DNA with people from the Ponto-Caspian Steppe. This is an area which forms part of modern-day Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.
These findings show that “today’s Greeks – who also carry Stepperelated ancestry – share 90% of their ancestry with their Middle Bronze Age counterparts, suggesting continuity between the two time periods.”
They also support other theories surrounding waves of migration from the East and the impact they had on Greek society.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have released their international league table for global foreign aid spending, and Australia and Greece are in the bottom ten.
Out of 29 OECD member nations that provide foreign aid, Australia was placed 22nd after OECD figures showed the country gave 19 cents in foreign aid for every $100 of national income in 2020. That compares with around 33 cents in aid for every $100 of national income in 2011.
Only eight other countries now give a smaller share of national income than Australia – and that group includes Greece (ranked last) and Portugal, which were both badly hit by the European debt crisis, and relatively new donor nations such as South Korea.
Out of 29 OECD member nations that provide foreign aid, Australia was placed 22nd.
In 2014, there were 17 OECD aid donors that contributed a smaller share of national income than Australia.
Sweden and Norway were the two most generous donors as a share of national income from among OECD nations last year, while the two biggest donors in dollar terms were the United States and Germany.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, analysis by Australian National University’s, Professor Stephen Howes, shows that between 2011 and 2020, Australian aid fell by 31 percent, after adjusting for inflation, while foreign aid overall increased by 26 percent in that period.
“The world has over the last decade been increasing aid, while Australia has been cutting it. We definitely stand out,” Professor Howes said in his analysis.
Professor Howes then went on and said Australia had for the first time joined the OECD’s “0.2 per cent club” – the group of donors who give less than 0.2 per cent of national income.
“It is not a club we should be part of,” he said.
This analysis comes on the eve of the federal budget, which will update Australia’s foreign aid spending.
In a statement to the Herald and The Age, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Australia was a generous donor and provided $4 billion in assistance to developing nations this financial year.
“This is affordable, targeted and effective,” the spokesperson told the media outlet.
“In recognition of the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, the government has increased its support to our region, announcing temporary, targeted and supplementary initiatives to the ongoing $4 billion overseas development assistance (ODA) budget.”
Authorities in the region of Karditsa, central Greece, raised what they claim to be the largest Greek flag in history, at the valley beneath the Agrafa mountain range near Lake Plastira, over the weekend.
The flag, measuring 1,500 square meters, was raised by a balloon to commemorate 200 years since the revolutionary flag of the Greek War of Independence was first raised in the mountains of Agrafa on May 10, 1821.
The event was held under the auspices of the Greece 2021 Committee and was supported by the Region of Thessaly and the Council of Karditsa.
Agrafa is a mountainous region in Evrytania and Karditsa regional units in mainland Greece, consisting mainly of small villages.
The region is famous for its complete autonomy throughout the entire years of Ottoman occupation of central Greece.
The word ágrafa literally translates to unwritten, which means unregistered or uncharted, because the Ottomans were unable to conquer this region. The area and its population were not recorded in the Sultan’s tax register.
Hamas militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Monday, including a barrage that set off air raid sirens as far away as Jerusalem, after hundreds of Palestinians were hurt in clashes with Israeli police at a flashpoint religious site in the contested holy city.
The rocket fire drew heavy Israeli retaliation in the Gaza Strip. Health officials said at least 20 people, including nine children, were killed in fighting, making it one of the bloodiest days of battle between the bitter enemies in several years.
Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Hamas of crossing a “red line” with the rocket attack on Jerusalem, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Gaza, and promised a tough response.
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, Monday, May. 10, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra.
“Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price,” he said, warning that the fighting could ”continue for some time.”
Earlier, Israeli police firing tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets clashed with stone-throwing Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque, which is Islam’s third-holiest site and considered Judaism’s holiest.
More than 270 Palestinians were injured, including 205 who went to hospitals and clinics for treatment, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Five of the injured were in serious condition.
Palestinians clash with Israeli security forces at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City Monday, May 10, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean.
In an apparent attempt to avoid further confrontation, Israeli authorities changed the planned route of a march by ultra-nationalist Jews through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City to mark Jerusalem Day, which celebrates Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem.
Greece expresses its ‘deep concern’ at violence:
In a statement this morning, the Greek Foreign Ministry has expressed its ‘deep concern’ over the violence in Jerusalem in recent days.
“Greece expresses its deep concern over the violent incidents that have taken place in Jerusalem in recent days and have resulted in the injury of hundreds of people, some of whom are in critical condition,” the statement reads.
Ανακοίνωση ΥΠΕΞ αναφορικά με πρόσφατα επεισόδια στα Ιεροσόλυμα
“In this context, Greece calls on all parties to refrain from the use of force, which could lead to escalation.”
This follows a statement by the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem calling for an end of violence against Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
“We the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem, are profoundly disheartened and concerned about the recent violent events in East Jerusalem,” the statement reads.
Palestinians evacuate a wounded protester during clashes with Israeli security forces at the Lions Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, Monday, May 10, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Oded Balilty.
“These concerning developments, whether at the Al Aqsa Mosque or in Sheikh Jarrah, violate the sanctity of the people of Jerusalem and of Jerusalem as the City of Peace.
“We call upon the International Community and all people of goodwill to intervene in order to put an end to these provocative actions…”
The number of Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land is estimated to be approximately 500,000 individuals – the majority of them are Palestinian.
“I think the real barrier for people entering areas like law is less on the basis of sexuality and gender and probably more on social class, although all forms of structural disadvantage of course are interconnected and play a role,” Lisa Koralia Sarmas says as we sit down for our exclusive chat.
“I come from a very proud working class Greek family, but a lot of people working in law come from very privileged backgrounds. That, I think, is what needs to change.”
It’s clear from the very beginning that the Associate Professor of Law at Melbourne Law School feels a great responsibility to call for social justice and inclusivity in Australian society.
Whilst many would say this commitment comes from Lisa’s proud identification with the LGBTIQ+ community, that’s not entirely the case. In fact, Lisa was attracted to the idea of fighting for equality from a very young age, when she used to watch old crime dramas on television and imagined herself as a lawyer.
Lisa knew she wanted to be a lawyer from a very young age. Photos supplied.
“Probably like a lot of young kids watching movies with court scenes, I had quite a romantic view of what the law was like. But it was watching those movies and a real commitment to justice that got me interested in law,” Lisa tells The Greek Herald.
From there, Lisa went on to study a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University in 1983, before changing to a combined Arts/Law degree two years later and completing her practical legal training. All of this, Lisa stresses, couldn’t have been done without the incredible support of her parents.
“My parents have always been the most supportive people I’ve ever known of everything that I’ve wanted to do and without their support, I probably wouldn’t be able to do any of this. As far as law was concerned, they provided the perfect learning environment for me at home and supported me every step of the way,” Lisa says.
Lisa as a graduate and law student. Photos supplied.
‘Social justice is at the forefront of what I do’:
It’s with this support and love which ultimately saw Lisa ‘stumble into academics’ at Melbourne Law School in 1991.
“A friend of mine, who was working at the same law firm as me, got a job at Monash University as an academic and I thought, ‘that sounds really interesting.’ It allowed that opportunity for deep thought in the law and I found that attractive. So I approached Melbourne Law School… and I was employed there,” Lisa says.
Since then, Lisa has never looked back and she says the school always accepted her as a female academic and LGBTIQ+ member, who has been in a relationship with her partner, Adele, since 1996.
Lisa is a proud member of the LGBITQ+ community. Photo supplied.
“The Law School itself has been an incredibly inclusive and welcoming place and I found it quite a comfortable place to be an academic there,” Lisa says.
Of course, I had to ask – Can the same be said for the Greek Australian community?
“I think there’s homophobia in all communities and I don’t think there’s any more so in the Greek community. Certainly, the Greek community that I know has welcomed me with open arms and an open heart,” Lisa says passionately.
Lisa says the Greek Australian community has always been supportive of her. Photos supplied.
It’s this clear acceptance which has driven Lisa to fight harder for equality and the inclusivity of those people who don’t have the same privileges as her. Although Lisa knows there’s no easy way to achieve this, she says she’s more determined than ever to make substantial change.
“I feel I have a great responsibility… when I write things and when I deal with students to [make sure] that social justice is at the forefront of both those words and those actions that I take. That is the key really – that we’ve got to be aiming for inclusion on the basis of gender, sexuality and class as well,” Lisa explains.
Powerful words from a trailblazing female law academic who is determined to make waves in the field of social justice and equality.
