1821, Civic Hotel and Kinselas are only a few of Sydney based hospitality group Universal Hotel’s popular entertainment venues, with owner Harris Kospetas providing another venue to spice up the Eastern Suburbs.
Opening doors last week, Harris, Steven and Jim Kospetas teamed up with TWT Property Group to transform Sydney’s former Mill Hill Hotel into The Mill – an upmarket yet family orientated local venue.
Speaking to The Greek Herald, Harris says this new venue will provide a more premium option for the area, while still maintaining a relaxed social setting.
“It was offering a more premium option in the area, because most of the pubs in the area are quite old, so we were basically looking to step it up and bring it more into a gastropub,” Harris says to The Greek Herald.
Photo: Supplied
“A lot of the area has become redeveloped with new apartments and young families and young professionals, and we thought there’s a big market for that here.”
Enlisting the talents of former Marvan Hotel Group chef Vaughan Chapman, the Kospetas family have crafted a sustainable and locally sourced modern Australian menu with both Asian and Italian influences.
Standout dishes include the ‘KFC’ a Korean fried cauliflower with yuzu pepper glaze and togarashi; a Huon seared salmon Fish Bowl with furikake, pickled red onion, edamame and tare; and a signature iron cast, slow braised duck ragu pie with thyme and porcini, creamy mash potato and jus.
While the Sydney hospitality industry has experienced major downturns in income, Harris says that local pubs and takeaways have continued to thrive. The Universal Hotels owner is looking to capitalise on the rise of local food establishments.
“People get to go out and be a bit more casual and have more of a social setting. And that’s kind of what we’re offering.”
“It’s order at the bar, so it’s not a luxury restaurant experience, but the food quality is still restaurant.”
The Kospetas family have kept in line with the history of the original venue which dates back to the early 1900s, with the team behind The Mill embarking on the challenge of, “salvaging and restoring the rich heritage of the original Mill Hill Hotel whilst implementing their refreshed and innovative vision for the future of the Bondi Junction community.”
According the a press release by Universal Hotel, the team have worked with a “carefully selected team of architects and interior designers.”
“Each cornice and every handle have been personally selected by the team to create the ultimate upmarket local venue.”
The new Bondi Junction venue has already been open for over a week, with Harris adding that they have had a good response and is proud of the new venue.
Bread is deeply embedded in almost every Greek meal, often used to soak up the oils and rich flavours of a Greek dish. Whether it’s tsoureki, koulouria or lagana, there is a type of bread for almost every occasion in Greece.
Bread has been an essential component of Greek culture and lifestyle from ancient times.
Ancient Greek grammarist Athenaeus names a long list of different types of breads in The Deiphnosophistae, known as the oldest surviving cookbook, that underlines the importance of bread in ancient Greek life. By 400 B.C, ancient Greeks had come up with 72 different types of bread created for special occasions.
Photo: Shuuterstock
Ancient Greek author, Lynceus of Samos once said in a letter that “The Athenians talk a great deal about their bread, which can be got in the market, but the Rhodians put loaves on the table which are not inferior to all of them”.
Thousands of years later and bread is still ingrained in Greek psyche. The famine that lasted from 1941 to 1944 in Greece due to the Nazi Occupation also marked a turning point for the popularity of bread in Greece. At this time, bread was the only accessible food source and thus became a means of staying alive. The impact of this had a long lasting effect on Greek culture and birthed some of famous Greek bread sayings, in particular the anti-Junta slogan of 1971, “psomi, pedia, eleftheria” (bread, education, freedom).
Today, bread in Greece serves as a link to the past and symbolises generosity and gestures. This World Bread Day, make your favourite loaf of Greek bread and share amongst your loved ones.
The speaker of Cyprus’ parliament resigned on Thursday in the wake of a cash-for-passports scandal which has embarrassed authorities in the EU member state.
Demetris Syllouris is the second highest-ranking state official of Cyprus, and was deputizing as acting president in the absence of President Nicos Anastasiades.
Syllouris, 67, was secretly filmed by the Al Jazeera network talking to an undercover reporter posing as a representative of a Chinese businessman with a criminal record. Syllouris is shown promising to facilitate the businessman’s passport application.
A lawmaker for 28 years and speaker since 2011, Syllouris has denied any wrongdoing, saying any comments were taken out of context.
“I firmly believe that in no way have I broken the law,” Syllouris said in a statement. In the documentary, he is filmed discussing with a fixer – the undercover reporter – ways and workarounds for the supposed Chinese investor to acquire a passport. The imaginary investor had a criminal record, which in itself should have disqualified an applicant.
The documentary was aired on October 12, triggering public outrage and forcing authorities to suspend a lucrative citizenship for investment program.
The votes of Greek-Americans are valuable to any US presidential candidate, and Joe Biden has apparently made that clear with his vision to help Greek expatriates and aid their struggles in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The US presidential candidate expressed his commitment to “call out Turkish behavior that is in violation of international law or that contravenes its commitments as a NATO ally,” in a statement released by his campaign office yesterday.
“I have long opposed the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and supported a comprehensive settlement to reunify the island.”
“Unlike President Trump, Joe will call out Turkish behavior that is in violation of international law or that contravenes its commitments as a NATO ally, such as Turkish violations of Greek airspace.”
Joe Biden in the Presidential debate. Photo: AP
Biden’s officials added that former Vice President Barack Obama has also opposed the Turkish occupation of part of Cyprus and has supported a solution to bring a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
If elected, he will also “continue to be a strong voice for religious freedom globally, including the rights of the Greek Orthodox Church.”
“Joe has long been a strong supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and given unwavering support for the ability of the Patriarchate to function in its role as the center of the Greek Orthodox Church. He treasures his visit in 2011 to the Patriarchate and each of his meetings with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.”
“He has called on Turkey to permit the reopening of the Halki Seminary and criticized the recent decision of the Turkish government to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque,” the announcement said.”
“Throughout his many years in public life, Joe Biden has a long record of engagement on issues important to Greek Americans and a record of support for strengthening the US-Greece relationship. He has worked personally with Greek leaders over many decades to strengthen the alliance,” it said.
With increasing cases of animal abuse being observed, there has been a tightening of legal framework surrounding the treatment of animals, making animal torture into a felony.
The Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Makis Voridis, decided to tighten the legal framework regarding the torture of animals after the increasing cases of reported animal abuse.
According to a statement from the Ministry, “the specific initiative of the Minister follows his announcements for further tightening of the existing legal framework in order to make the prosecution and punishment of tortured animals more effective.”
Photo: Kefalonia Pulse
The minister adds that, “incidents of violence against animals have no place in a favoured state and constitute a serious insult to both the state and Greek society, while pointing out that there is an urgent need to toughen penalties in order to eliminate this kind of unacceptable phenomena”.
Based on data from the Report Animal Abuse Greece website, 809 complaints were registered in 2014, while in 2018 the number jumped to 3,734. The number of people arrested nonetheless remains disproportionate to the number of complaints. For example, in the first half of 2019, there were 1,799 complaints, of which only 117 were arrested.
For thirty years, there have been many academic studies showing that animal abuse is also linked to violence against humans, such as domestic violence, child abuse, and even murder.
Turkey on Thursday denied accusations by Greece that Ankara refused an overflight permit to a plane carrying Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, forcing the aircraft to remain in the air for 20 minutes.
Greek state broadcaster ERT reported that the plane carrying Dendias back from a visit to Baghdad the previous day was kept circling over Mosul for 20 minutes because Turkish authorities weren’t granting it permission to fly through Turkish airspace back to Greece.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry denied any deliberate move to hold up the plane before entering the Turkish airspace, insisting the plane hadn’t provided the required flight plan.
Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas, right, and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias attend a meeting with Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
The incident comes amid renewed tensions between Greece and Turkey over sea boundaries and energy drilling rights, after Ankara redeployed its search vessel, Oruc Reis, this week for a new energy exploration mission in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.
Both countries have this week accused each other of engaging in “provocations” that threaten to torpedo the planned resumption of talks between Athens and Ankara aimed at resolving disputes. Those talks were last held in 2016.
According to the Turkish ministry, the plane that took Dendias to Iraq broke down there, and the Greek government then allocated a second plane, which took off without the required flight plan.
“When the aforementioned aircraft arrived at our airspace, the plan was urgently requested from the Iraqi authorities, and after the plan was received, the flight was carried out safely,” the ministry said.
Asked about the incident during a regular briefing, the Greek government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, said that in response that “the necessary actions have been taken by the foreign ministry, with a relevant complaint.”
“It is one more provocation, in the continued provocations by the Turkish side,” Petsas said. “But I would like to remain on the fact that various explanations were given, also from the Turkish side, and we hope that this phenomenon and this incident is never repeated in the future.”
The recently handed down federal budget has been criticised as one that ‘failed women’ and many have expressed their concerns on its lack of support to women’s economic recovery.
The budget does include $240 million over five years towards enhancing women’s financial security and contribution to paid work but, at a best estimate, this accounts for 0.04% of the entire federal budget.
How can a budget shaped by male leaders deliver for women, who have been hit hard from the economic recession and where are the female political leaders to reflect the different experiences men and women have in this country?
Definitely not in the Cabinet.
Recently, a report by the South Australian Electoral Commission found that SA’s Parliament has the worst female representation in Australia. The state also has the second lowest proportion of female Cabinet ministers, behind New South Wales.
Why is this happening and what needs to be done to address the issue?
In an effort to find answers, we caught up with SA Labor politician Irene Pnevmatikos MLC (Member of the Legislative Council) and SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros.
‘The Electoral Commission findings are sad’:
MP Irene Pnevmatikos: “The findings are sad but a true reflection of women’s representation in SA Parliament. The Labor party’s record is much better in terms of women’s representation with a 50-50 shadow cabinet and our policy on affirmative action to have a gender balanced party.
“However, what is more important is the absence of discussion and consideration of the impact of a woman’s perspective in relation to policy and legislation on jobs, the economy, the environment and so on. All members of parliament have a duty and obligation to 50% of the population who are women to ensure that issues and concerns of women are reflected in any deliberations.”
MP Connie Bonaros: “Every Member of the SA Parliament should hang their head in shame with this dubious title. I certainly do. Both major parties make loud noises about attempting to address this critical issue, but nothing rarely eventuates.
“The latest Electoral Commission of South Australia report shines an appalling light on our Parliament – and maybe, just maybe will motivate the major parties to give this issue the attention it deserves. The fact that we have so few women representing us in Parliament today goes against everything our foremothers fought so hard for; it goes against every fibre of our otherwise rich and advanced history.”
Issues with female representation ‘deep-rooted and systemic’:
MP Irene Pnevmatikos: “There are deep-rooted and systemic issues both within parliamentary processes, party processes and social norms outside of politics that inhibit women from participating.
“Meeting times, access to participation in decision making and balancing roles are just some of the considerations that need to change. Change is gradual and breaking down stereotypes takes time.”
MP Connie Bonaros: “There are many reasons for the SA Parliament having the worst female representation in the country some of which I have outlined in detail in previous speeches in Parliament – harassment, intimidation and bullying being part of the problem. Community expectations are that all workplaces should be free of harassment and bullying behaviour, and sadly, the SA Parliament is not.
“At the moment, it is seen very much as a boy’s club. By the very way the Parliament deals with reports of intimidation and harassment, it could be accused of condoning such behaviour. More also needs to be done to ensure there is a clear and attractive professional pathway for women who aspire to enter politics.”
“A woman’s place is in the House – and in the Legislative Council!”:
Asking them to give their advice to candidates who want to enter politics, Pnevmatikos and Bonaros agree that female candidates should not “succumb to fit in the ‘female politician’ mould”.
“We need women in parliament who speak on all issues on their own terms and who also reflect their communities,” said Pnevmatikos.
“Be prepared to work; be open, honest, and transparent; have a strong sense of social justice, and be sympathetic and understanding to your constituency. Fight for the things you believe in. Use your position to create good,” Bonaros said.
Bonaros to introduce gender equality Bill across SA public sector:
To address the issue of gender equality on a broader scale, SA MP Connie Bonaros is planning on introducing a Private Member’s Bill which aims to improve workplace gender equality across the entire SA public sector – the state’s largest employer with more than 100,000 employees.
“All South Australian public sector departments and organisations – including SA Health, SAPOL and the Education Department, universities and local councils – will be required to prove they are “actively pursuing” gender equality targets under new laws being proposed by SA-BEST.
“I hope the proposed new laws will also lead to better results for the broader South Australian community through improved policies, programs and services,” Bonaros said.
If successful, South Australia will become only the fifth jurisdiction in the world with similar laws, joining the United Kingdom, France, Iceland and Victoria, which only introduced laws this year.
“For far too long, the workplace has been a man’s domain, which 40-50 years ago might have been ok when the wife/mother traditionally stayed home to raise the family. That time period has long sailed off, and women have generally worked in the shadows of their male counterparts ever since.
“If we are genuine in our attempts to encourage and motivate women across all sections of the workforce, gender equality is paramount.”
With local government elections in Victoria officially underway from this week, The Greek Herald presents a complete list of all the Greek Australian candidates.
Among the 2,187 candidates for 622 seats are 67 Greek Australians running in 24 local councils and shires.
BAYSIDE: BATZIALAS Nicholas (Castlefield Ward), KALIMNAKIS Paul (Beckett Ward), KIOUSIS Thalia (Bleazby Ward), PSONIS Stavroula (Bleazby Ward), TACHOS Helen (Bleazby Ward), VARSAMIS Peter (Beckett Ward).
BORROONDARA: PATTAS Chris (Maranoa Ward), STAVROU Nick (Studley Ward), TSOUTSOUVAS Helen Grace (Maranoa Ward).
Some candidates in Victoria’s local elections. L-R: Helen Grace Tsoutsouvas, Paul Kalimnakis and Fiona Mitsinikos.
BRIMBANK: ANDRIANOPOULOS Hannah Robertson (Horseshoe Bend Ward), DAVID Sam (Harvester Ward), HAVELAS Despina (Taylors Ward), KARTALIS Bill (Grasslands Ward), LAPPOS Andrew (Taylors Ward), MAKARY George (Horseshoe Ward), PAPAFOTIOU Georgina (Taylors Ward), TACHOS Virginia (Horseshoe Bend Ward).
DAREBIN: DIMITRIADIS Emily (South East Ward), GALBALLY Zac (South Ward), GONIS Peter (Central Ward), KOTANIDIS Sofia (North West Ward), PASHOS Agapi (South Central Ward), TRIANTAFILIDIS Melanie (North Central Ward), TSALKOS Vasilios (West Ward), ZISIADIS Kathy (South Central Ward).
GLEN EIRA: ATHANASOPOULOS Tony (Rosstown Ward), ZOIS Con (Rosstown Ward).
HUME: HAWEIL Joseph (Aitken Ward), KARAGIANNIDIS John (Jacksons Creek Ward).
KINGSTON: PROFYRIS Michael (Karkarook Ward), STAIKOS Steve (Bunjil Ward).
MANNINGHAM: CHARITAKIS Christina (Bolin Ward), GRIVOKOSTOKOPOULOS Jim (Ruffey Ward), ZAFIROPOULOS Mike (Westerfolds Ward).
MELBOURNE: PATTICHI Artemis (ARTEMIS PATTICHI – INDEPENDENT LOCAL VOICE), POULAKIS Mary (YOUR MELBOURNE TEAM GET IT DONE).
MELTON: RAMSAY Sophie (Coburn Ward).
MILDURA RURAL: FIKARIS Angy.
MONASH: DAYANDAS Bill (Mount Waverly Ward), KLISARIS Paul (Mulgrave Ward), ZOGRAPHOS Theo (Oakleigh Ward).
MOONEY VALEY: NIKOLAOU Alexandros (Buckley Ward), PAPORAKIS Alexander (Rose Hill Ward).
MORELAND: KARANTZALIS Georgios (North-West ward), PAVLIDIS-MIHALAKOS Helen (North-East ward), PANOPOULOS Angelica (North-West Ward), TAPINOS Lambros (South Ward), THIVEOS Ismene (North-East Ward), GEORGIOU George (South Ward).
L-R: Lambros Tapinos, Michael Glynatsis, Angie Paspaliaris.
MOYNE SHIRE: DOUKAS Jim.
PORT PHILIP: CONAGHAN Geoffrey (Lake Ward), PAPAGEORGIOU Cleo (Gateway Ward).
STONNINGTON: ATHANASOPOULOS Lucas (South Ward), KLISARIS Jami (East Ward), STEFANOPOULOS Steve (South Ward), TSAMIS Martha (North Ward), VELOS John (North Ward).
Australian actress, Cate Blanchett, is set to serve as an executive producer in Christos Nikou’s upcoming film, Apples.
The Greek filmmaker’s project was recently screened at the Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti section and later toured the Telluride and Toronto International Film Festivals. It’s a strong contender for Greece’s official selection for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars 2021.
“Apples is an unforgettable, prescient cinematic experience,” Blanchett and her co-executive producers Andrew Upton and Coco Francini, told Deadline.
Greek film ‘Apples.’ Credit: Alpha Violet.
“Christos Nikou’s film is a unique and beautiful fable about memory and loss which resonates deeply with the unrecognisable terrain in which we currently find ourselves.
“We are invigorated to be in creative dialogue with Christos and to help share his warmth, humour and his fascinating world view.”
The Greek language film takes place amidst an unpredictable, sweeping pandemic that causes people to develop sudden amnesia. A man finds himself enrolled in a recovery program designed to help him build a new life. His treatment: performing daily tasks prescribed by his doctors on cassette tape, and capturing these new memories with a Polaroid camera.
“I don’t know how selective our memory is, but this is a moment that will remain unforgettable! I am so thrilled to welcome in to our Apples‘ team the amazingly talented producers and tastemakers Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, and Coco Francini,” Nikou said after the announcement.
They join Nikos Smpiliris as executive producers. Actor Aris Servetalis plays the lead role in the movie, produced by Iraklis Mavroidis, Angelo Venetis, Aris Dagios, Mariusz Wlodarski, and Nikou.
The future of Greek Australian media will be in the spotlight next week during a special panel discussion with some of the industry’s leading publishers and editors.
The event, organised by next-generation analytics platform Incites, will be held via Zoom on October 21st from 12.30pm – 1.30pm, and will address the current issues faced by the Greek language media in Australia.
Hosted by Leon Bombotas, the founder of Incites, the panel discussion will feature co-publisher of The Greek Herald, Elaine Kintis, Publisher and MD of Neos Kosmos, Christopher Gogos, Editor of Greek City Times, Bill Giannakouras, Head of Greek Services at SBS, Ethymios Kallos, and founder of Almeida Insights, Alice Almeida.
“Greek Australian media is an essential part of the historical and cultural identity of the Greek diaspora in Australia. The Greek Herald is the largest national daily publication and has been a part of our tapestry for 94 years,” co-publisher of The Greek Herald, Elaine Kintis, says.
“With our recent digital transformation, we have a significant role to play in shaping the future of Hellenism in Australia by promoting Greek values, language and culture for years to come.”
Some current challenges faced by Greek Australian media which will be discussed during the panel include:
The Greek-Australian population is large but the numbers of Greek speakers are in decline. Roughly 420,000 people identified as Greek in the 2016 Census. Of these, 237,000 speak Greek at home, making Greek the 6th most spoken language (other than English). While this is a large group, it has been in decline since the last Census.
Print is in decline and while digital media is still growing, it is difficult to monetise. While the internet and digital media has helped brands reach new audiences and grow a following very quickly, Google and Facebook are making it difficult for anyone to generate revenue from advertising.
COVID-19 has been a massive game-changer in terms of how people use live video online.
There is an appetite for stories written by Greek-Australians that provide a unique lens on local and global events. But is there enough of an appetite to pay for this content through advertising, subscription or other means?
If you would like to attend, there are only 100 places and registration is necessary via this link.
