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.
The Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas, has sent a letter of congratulations to The Greek Herald to mark its 95th anniversary this year.
In his letter, Ambassador Papacostas shares how he has become an “avid reader” of The Greek Herald since he first arrived in Australia last year.
Here is the full message in English:
I am honoured to be able to communicate in writing with the historic newspaper “Ellinikos Kyrikas,” on the occasion of the 95th anniversary since its first issue in Australia.
Since I was appointed Head of Mission of the Embassy of Greece in Canberra last year, I also came to be an avid reader of the newspaper. Through its articles and the comments of its editors, I am being informed about political, financial, social and cultural events in Australia, Greece and various other countries around the globe.
I am also updated on the numerous initiatives and proceedings of the Greek Diaspora of Australia who keeps a warm interest for the motherland, its development, progress and prosperity and transmits its customs and culture to the younger generations.
Please accept my sincere congratulations for your publishing and reporting efforts and my warmest wishes for the newspaper’s longevity and further development.
For 95 years, The Greek Herald has been providing comprehensive coverage of local, overseas and community news and information to Greek Australians nationwide.
This coverage has become a part of the everyday lives of Greek migrants as many grab the newspaper every morning from their local newsagent to connect back to their homeland and read stories of other Greek Australians like them.
With our digital transformation as well, we continue to play a significant role in shaping the future of Hellenism in Australia by promoting Greek values, language and culture online.
In saying this, The Greek Herald spoke to some Greek people who have been reading the print newspaper for over fifty decades and others who came to Australia at a young age and enjoy reading our stories online. This is what they had to say about what The Greek Herald means to them:
Nick Andriopoulos:
Nick Andriopoulos, 74, has been reading The Greek Herald since 1965.
Nick Andriopoulos, 74, has been reading The Greek Herald ever since he first arrived in Australia from Greece in 1965.
“I was 18 years old and came by myself. I used to read The Greek Herald on Park Street [in Sydney] at the takeaway shop where I worked for five years,” Nick says.
“I’ve been reading the paper for 56 years exactly, every Wednesday. I didn’t know how to read in English so I would read the Greek newspaper which gave me news on sports that I followed, and it gave me news from my homeland and Australia as well.”
Nick says his favourite thing about The Greek Herald has always been the sport section and the fact that it helps him stay connected to Greece, even now during the pandemic.
“I’ve been getting home delivery of the paper now. My daughter organised it every Wednesday and Friday. It’s great.”
Sozos and Shirley Koutsogiannis:
Sozos and Shirley Koutsogiannis. Photo by Kaily Koutsogiannis.
Sydney Greek couple, Sozos and Shirley Koutsogiannis, enjoy reading The Greek Herald both in print and online. Sozos has always read the paper, while Shirley started reading it online via Facebook in the last few years.
“I like to read the paper to keep up to date on current affairs in Australia and Greece in Greek, in addition to the daily news I watch on Australian TV. I also love sport, so I usually look at the back of the paper first,” Sozos says.
“Shirley, who came to Australia when she was nine, likes to read Greek community news in English via Facebook.”
Shirley adds that some of her favourite stories from The Greek Herald are on other Greek migrants as they remind her of her own migration history.
Shirley Koutsogiannis reads the news on her iPad. Photo by Kaily Koutsogiannis.
“The story on the National Monument to Migration at the Australian National Maritime Museum [was a favourite of mine]. I loved reading Bessie’s story because it reminded me of my migration story as I also grew up in a milk bar,” Shirley says.
“Sozos regularly reads out articles of interest to me as well.”
It’s this pastime which the couple say has also kept them connected and entertained during the current lockdown.
“The Greek Herald has been very important during lockdown as it kept Sozos, in particular, connected and is one of the very few things he reads these days,” Shirley says.
“It is a great way to keep up to date with Australian Greek community news via my iPhone and iPad and I love to see Sozos engaged with something as he has been quite down during lockdown.”
George and Dimitria Volikas:
George and Dimitria Volikas.
George and Dimitria Volikas migrated to Australia in the 1960s from the islands of Andros and Lemnos respectively and they say they’ve been reading The Greek Herald for years.
“It was a little bit difficult when we first came. We didn’t even know the language, but we still had a good life,” Dimitria says.
“Of course, we used to read the paper to get the news about Greece. George used to buy it every day.”
Now, as Dimitria says, things are different. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple get the newspaper delivered to their Sydney home twice a week and say they are very ‘grateful’ for this service.
“George is very thankful. He can’t go anywhere and doesn’t drive so he passes the time with the paper and sees something he hasn’t seen before.”
Sotiris Kapernaros:
Sotiris Kapernaros at his deli in Eastlakes.
The expatriate Laconian, Sotiris Kapernaros, is not only the owner of the well-known delicatessen Lakes Gourmet Deli in the Eastlakes suburb of Sydney, which he maintains with his daughter and son-in-law, but also a loyal reader of The Greek Herald for 58 years.
“I’m from the same area in Greece where Theodoros Skalkos hails from,” says Kapernaros, who recalls with pride that he first bought the newspaper as a new immigrant to Australia in the early 1960s.
“I bought the first newspaper – it was then ‘Hellenic Herald ‘ – from an agency on Castlereagh Street opposite the ATHENS restaurant, in the heart of Sydney. There was also a cafe nearby, the Parthenon, where all the Greeks gathered,” the 77-year-old recalls.
“The first thing I did every morning was go to the agency to get the newspaper. Then we went to work. At that time, the Panhellenic was 6 pennies and once my koumbaro… even told me that with the money I spent on the newspaper, I could buy a house,” he says with a laugh.
Mr Kapernaros was 19 years old when he came to Australia and explains that newspapers were the only timely and valid way for young immigrants to be informed about the news of the homeland.
“The news from Greece was slow to arrive at that time and we were informed by the Herald. Then came the Nea Patrida. We had two newspapers. We learned about politics or football, we grew up with the Herald. It is my companion. I don’t miss a single edition,” says the businessman.
Concluding and wanting to send his message to the new generation through the pages of his favourite newspaper, Mr. Sotiris Kapernaros urges parents to instill in their children a love for reading.
“The Greek Herald’s language is layered and newspapers are the only way for children to learn the Greek language. The Greek Herald belongs to every Greek,” he says.
Greek Australians behind digital tech companies have signed onto a four-year project to improve humanitarian and development programs in Somalia.
G Squared and Station Five won a bid to the Switzerland government to develop software that monitors the programs in the African country.
“We’re honored to have been chosen for this project, which aims to make a tangible difference to the lives of Somalis for many years to come,” G Squared director George Pappas tells CRN.
The two companies will develop a visual dashboard platform that displays real-time analytics – such as identification of risks – for the Swiss government’s Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and other donors.
The SDC is Switzerland’s humanitarian and development arm.
G Squared will design the user interface for the platform, while Station Five will manage the engineering and data science.
Station Five chief executive Lambros Photios is similarly elated at the opportunity.
“Winning this tender against significant international competition, including global consultancies, is a testament to the technical expertise and strong design thinking capabilities that exist in Australia,” he says.
“Despite being far from both Switzerland and Somalia, we’re already working with SDC’s teams on the ground to ensure we build a data platform that provides its users with real-time analytics that will help them to make fully informed and timely decisions.”
Station Five is a Sydney-based digital consultancy start-up founded by Photios during his studies at the University of New South Wales in 2015.
Almost three years prior he had started out as a software engineer at G Squared, which George Pappas and George Photios formed in 2012.
The peak body of football in the nation has thrown its full support towards all those fleeing from the Taliban by working with the federal government in order to develop working places for them within the football community.
Thanks to this great initiative by Football Australia, the Afghan people can become better integrated within their new environment while at the same time finding a highly necessary source of income.
“Football is the first love of Afghanistan, and as Australia’s largest club-based participation team sport, and as the most diverse, multicultural and inclusive sport, the game of football is uniquely placed to help our newest Australians re-establish a sense of community and to support families to rebuild their lives here at the appropriate time,” said the CEO of Football Australia Mr James Johnson.
“As a football nation at the forefront of the women’s game globally, we pay tribute to the Afghan women who broke new ground in building the women’s game and we stand ready to support the government and them as they build their new lives in Australia”, he added.
Within the 3,000 refugees is also the Afghani national women’s team, who is already in Australia and placed under quarantine in a local hotel. All expenses, including registration costs and other necessary arrangements for their participation within grassroots football, will be covered by Football Australia.
Should this plan be met with a substantial level of success, it could be expanded upon in order to support a greater number of refugees who arrive to Australian shores, not just from Afghanistan but from all parts of the world.
Local cafes have become social hubs for communities separated by COVID-19 lockdowns.
HAM founders Harry and Mario Kapoulas say they recognise the cafe’s role as a breakaway for customers.
“We make it a point to be positive and make it fun to come back, instead of getting caught up in how many cases there are,” Mr. Kapoulas says.
“We want them to come and enjoy themselves, to try and forget about the tough stuff that’s going on, and give them a reason to laugh and something to look forward to in their day.”
Mario, Kitty and Harry Kapoulas are key to the success of HAM (Photo: carlagrossetti.com.au)
The brothers say it’s really the coffee people come back for.
“I think our customers keep coming back because they know what they’re going to get,” Mr. Kapoulas tells the Daily Telegraph.
“It’s good quality, consistent coffee and food every time they come in – and we actually do it because we love it, not just to serve people coffee.”
Stephanie Tsiotas says her community of Kingsgrove is keeping her cafe alive during lockdown.
“We’re a suburban cafe, the neighbourhood is majority residential housing and because everyone else has been in lockdown as well we’ve been able to get through this period without hitting the panic button,” she says.
Stephenie Tsiotas runs Meeting Morgan (Left: AAP) (Right: Daily Telegraph)
“It’s like a sanctuary – our customers come through and they enjoy the food and beverages, but they also feel like they are at home and it’s a comfortable environment for them.”
Cafes will reopen for indoor dining in a COVID-safe way the Monday after NSW hits its 70 percent double vaccination target.
Across NSW, 84.1 percent of adults have had the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 56.6 percent have had both doses.
South Melbourne FC has slammed Western United’s plans to use their Lakeside stadium.
The club dismisses United’s claims that access was granted for them to use the stadium in a statement released on Thursday.
“South Melbourne can confirm that it will be exercising all rights to prevent Western United FC from playing A-League matches at Lakeside Stadium,” the statement reads.
The club writes that the tenants of the stadium insist there is no signed agreement with United nor the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) for use of the stadium.
Media Release: South Melbourne FC rejects the plans of Western United FC to use Lakeside Stadium
United is without a stadium of their own for the upcoming season A-League season but will commence work on the Wyndham City Stadium late next month.
“Their acceptance to the A-League was based largely on the commitment to having a purpose-built football stadium constructed in Melbourne’s west,” South Melbourne writes.
“It is approaching three years since the A-League expansion clubs were announced and construction works have still not commenced.”
South Melbourne lost out to United and Macarthur FC join the A-League in 2018.
The A-League 2021/22 season is expected to commence on November 19.
Public Power Corp (PPC), Greece’s biggest power utility, on Thursday formally named Australian infrastructure giant, Macquarie, as the preferred bidder for a minority stake in its fully-owned power grid operator, Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO).
PPC shareholders will take a final decision on the bid at a meeting scheduled for October 19, PPC said.
PPC earlier this month said the offer by Spear WTE Investments Sarl, a member of the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Group, valued the 49% stake at 2.1 billion euros, including debt of 804 million euros, making it the highest among four groups which issued binding bids.
PPC sources said it was the biggest privatisation in Greek history and noted that PPC will be able to significantly reduce its borrowing while it will also fund its investment program in renewable energy sources.
At the same time, HEDNO, with the support and know-how over an international partner and under PPC’s management, will develop an expanded modernisation and digitalisation program of its network, offering better and more quality services.
HEDNO operates a 242,000-km long grid, which brings electricity to about 7 million households and businesses across Greece.
NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has sent a message of congratulations to The Greek Herald on its 95th anniversary this year.
In her message, Ms Berejiklian hailed The Greek Herald as “a great migrant success story, providing its readers with a comprehensive range of local and overseas news since 1926.”
Here is the full message in English:
I am delighted to congratulate everyone involved with The Greek Herald as this fine newspaper celebrates its 95th year with a special edition.
The Greek Herald is a great migrant success story, providing its readers with a comprehensive range of local and overseas news since 1926. It was in the 1960s when the Herald really began to flourish, following news ownership and the introduction of modern technology.
Gladys Berejiklian.
The publication has won numerous awards including the prestigious Presidential Press Award from the Hellenic Republic on two occasions.
While its reporting on current affairs has always been impressive, the community has retained a special place in the Herald’s pages, keeping people in contact through its coverage of local news and social and fund-raising events.
Congratulations to the Greek Herald on 95 years and your outstanding contribution to the community.
