Rebekah Elmaloglou rose to fame as ‘Sophie Simpson’ on Home and Away in 1990. Since then, she’s starred in a number of films and TV shows, now recognised for her role as Terese Willis on the long-running soap opera Neighbours.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the Sydney girl said she’s happy after making the move to a Federation property just north of Melbourne.
“I feel so lucky to still be here and have regular work. When we got tired of renting and being at the mercy of a landlord we thought, ‘let’s see if we can buy’.
Rebekah Elmaloglou became a household name during her early acting days.
“We only got into the market about four years ago and we couldn’t be happier,” says Rebekah. “We’re really homebodies and we take pride in our house. Also, being part Greek I love to entertain.”
With an English mother who was raised in Kenya and Greek father who spent his childhood in France, dinner parties at Rebekah’s house are an exotic affair.
“I’m really lucky to have such a great cultural mix. In my parent’s old house in Sydney they had a vine tree and we would pick the leaves and make dolmades.
“That vine came from a relative generations back — my parents have sold that house, but I have taken a few cuttings and I am hoping they will take root. I need to keep that tradition going.”
Elmaloglou left school at the age of 15 and trained at the Keane Kids studios in Sydney, where she studied acting, singing and dancing. Two of her brothers, Dominic and Sebastian Elmaloglou, have also appeared on Home and Away.
The Battle of Alamana was a battle during the Greek War of Independence which took place on the 23rd of April 1821 in Thermopylae, which is famous for many battles, including the Persians, Ottomans and the Bulgarians. Although the battle was unsuccessful it taught the Greeks traits of heroism, patriotism and nationalism.
This battle was initiated after Livadeia fell to Greek fighters on the 1st of April. The fight was under the command of Athanasios Diakos and Vasilis Bousgos. This would lead to a retaliation of by Hursid Pasha in order to reclaim the area of Roumeli (central Greece at the time) and proceed to the Peloponnese to Tripoli.
The Ottoman advanced was halted due to the Greek fighters taking defensive positions into three sections. The force had about 1,500 men. There was defensive posts at the bridge in Gorgopotamos, the heights of Halkomata and at the bridge at Alamana.
Their Ottomans set up camp in Lianokladi. The Ottomans would hit back and attack the 3 posts in which the Greeks set up, with a real emphasis on the bridge at Alamana. This was due to many of the Greek rebels already fleeing. Diakos was at the bridge and continued the fight with 48 men, despite being told to retreat, until after many hours, Diakos was wounded in battle and captured. Diakos was confronted by Kiose Mehmet and Omer.
Athanasios Diakos is known as a true hero to Greek patriotism. Upon being asked to join the Ottoman army. And denouncing his faith, Diakos responded with “I was born a Greek, and I will die a Greek”. A true testament to the attitude of the fighter. Diakos was ordered to be impaled, and onlookers said they heard him sing, in reference to the Greek uprising against the Ottoman Empire. His death showed the brutal nature of the Ottomans.
This battle was a catalyst for Greeks to continue fighting for independence, and to continue to keep their Christian faith and nationalism.
The Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, addressed Greek Australians on Thursday night during a special online conference hosted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Greek Consul General in Sydney, Christos Karras.
The conference, which was part of the Greek Australian Dialogue Series, began with the Consul General introducing Mr Bakoyannis and his career background to the over 100 people who attended digitally.
The Mayor of Athens then began his own address by describing his recent meeting with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia in Constantinople and stressed the continuous and strong connection between Greek Australians and Greece.
The Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, addressed Greek Australians on Thursday night during a special online conference.
“It is my true pleasure and honour to be with you today. It is the highlight of my week. We hope you are as proud of us as we are of you,” Mr Bakoyannis began.
From there, Mr Bakoyannis went on to talk about his plans to maintain Athens as a modern, vibrant metropolis in three main ways: (1) by reclaiming or liberating quality public space, (2) by adopting a new model of sustainable mobility, and (3) by maintaining the soul of the city.
“We want to achieve these goals without losing our soul. We want to keep the spirit and DNA of Athens alive,” he said.
“No idea is too small. We are building a sustainable city and reducing emissions. We are also doing our best to reclaim hills, like Mount Lycabettus, and put them back on the map with new projects.”
Some of the specific project mentioned by Mr Bakoyannis included ‘pocket parks,’ tech innovation hubs and pedestrianisation – all of which he says are being recognised around the world.
The Mayor also said that post COVID-19, his municipality hopes to build a campaign to push for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece as now is not the right time.
“Athens doesn’t just receive good ideas anymore, but provides good ideas as well… [and] we look forward to welcoming you to Athens very soon and hope you will see a city improving little by little,” he said at the conclusion of his address.
Oscar winning actor Russell Crowe has revealed his role in Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder as the Olympian god Zeus in the film, speaking in an interview.
The man who played the biblical figure Noah, Roman gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius and hooded arrow-man Robin Hood will now be entering the world of Greek and Norse mythology.
“Now, I’m gonna get on my bicycle, I’m gonna ride up to Disney-Fox studios… and ‘round about 9:15, I shall be Zeus in Thor 4,” Crowe told his radio hosts as he prepared to exit his interview. “It’s my last day of Zeus-ing about.”
Official movie poster for Thor: Love and Thunder
After announcing that he would be playing a literal ‘king of the gods’, many would think that he would be playing a major role in the film. However, an earlier report of Crowe’s casting stated that his role was intended to be a “fun cameo” kept secret by Marvel Studios until the film’s release in theaters.
It’s unknown how large or small Crowe’s role will be in Love and Thunder, however as his first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor says he’s excited for the opportunity.
Thor: Love and Thunder is being directed by Taika Waititi, who also directed Ragnarok. The cast will include Chris Hemsworth, of course, Natalie Portman, who is returning to play the Jane Foster last seen in Thor: The Dark World, Chris Pratt, Tessa Thompson, and Christian Bale as the villain, Gorr the God Butcher.
Former Chairman of The Dow Chemical Company, Andrew Liveris AO and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young clashed during ABC’s Thursday night program ‘Q&A’, on the topic of Australia’s fossil fuels use.
Speaking on the panel, Andrew Liveris discussed Australia’s need to have a “fossilfeed stock”, which the Greek Australian described as “all of your modern life”.
“If you want a chemistry lesson,” he said, referring to the other panellists, “I’ll help you out the back.”
“Women should be able to appear on @QandA & speak without being spoken down to, interrupted, mocked, patronised, have a finger pointed at them & spoken over the top of,” the party tweeted.
“That was appalling behaviour from Andrew Liveris & disappointing to see it not called out by the host #qanda.”
Tensions continued on the panel between Mr Liveris and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who called out the Greek Australian businessman for allegedly lying about how many Australian jobs there were in industries using gas as feed stock.
Andrew Liveris during a National Press Club address. Photo: AAP/Lukas Coch
Mr Liveris said there were 850,000 jobs.
“I don’t think that’s true. I think you’re way out off the chart,” Mr Turnbull told him.
“Malcolm, I use the same people you use for research. When you were Prime Minister. Go talk to the people in Canberra,” Mr Liveris said.
“I don’t mind you mansplaining me,” Mr Turnbull said, appearing to reference the earlier spat with Ms Hanson-Young.
Stefanos Tsitsipas was left saluting the courageous effort of Alex de Minaur after ending Australian singles hopes at the Barcelona Open by knocking out the country’s No.1-ranked player in straight sets.
While Tsitsipas’s 7-5 6-3 victory on Thursday showcased a player currently at the top of his game following his Monte Carlo Masters triumph, it did not give a fair reflection of de Minaur’s bold effort in trying to derail the Greek superstar’s current brilliant run.
After his seventh straight match victory had earned him a quarter-final place, Tsitsipas accepted that he’d really been given a test and paid a warm tribute to the fighting spirit of the 22-year-old Sydneysider.
“Alex was competing for every ball, running left, right, getting every single ball back, playing close to the line, so it was definitely difficult,” said the 22-year-old, who has won his last 13 sets in competitive action.
“Alex is a good competitor, always puts out his best game. Running and getting an extra ball back is actually his biggest strength and it always makes him very difficult to play against.
“But I found ways to go through and qualify for the next round, which was important to me.”
De Minaur’s struggles on clay are well-known and his victory over Alexander Bublik in the previous round had been, remarkably, only the third clay court victory of the world No.25’s entire ATP tour career.
But he took the fight to Tsitsipas, going on the attack whenever possible and sprinkling his game with variety and plenty of drop shots to make the opening set a very even affair until the Greek pounced in the 12th game.
Tsitsipas’s ferocious forehand which brought him a dozen winners during the one hour 24 minute encounter proved crucial as he overpowered de Minaur to break to 30 and seal the opening stanza.
But the Australian fought back to earn an immediate break in the second set, only prompting the No.2 seed to find his best game, break twice and take victory to set up a last-eight meeting with Felix Auger-Aliassime.
An independent United States’ commission on International Religious Freedom has found Turkey’s religious freedom conditions to be at a “troubling trajectory”, showing concerns at the government’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque and their failure to prevent the destruction of Greek churches in Turkey.
The US report made key findings about religious freedoms in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malesia, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan and Turkey. The report showed great concern over the choice made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to convert the Chora Museum and Hagia Sophia into mosques.
“In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a decree converting back into a mosque the famous Hagia Sophia, a former church that had been serving as a museum, in a move that many denounced as divisive and hostile to Turkey’s religious minorities,” the reports states.
“While the government took similar steps to reopen as a mosque another former church, the Chora Museum, it reportedly paused those efforts.”
The Turkish high court ruled that Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia was to be converted back into a mosque on July 10, 2020, following the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Hagia Sophia was built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral during the Byzantine Empire, and was since turned into a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visited by millions of tourists each year.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The report goes on to say the Turkish government made “little to no effort to address many longstanding religious freedom issues”, referring to the governments decision to deny requests for elections to be held by religious minority communities.
“Similarly, the government disregarded calls for the reopening of the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary and continued to deny legal personality to all religious communities,” the report says.
“Members of the ruling party and its coalition partner rejected efforts to recognize Alevi gathering houses (cemevleri) as places of worship, and the government declined to resolve other religious freedom concerns for Alevis and other communities, such as their objection to compulsory religious courses and other educational policies.
Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary.
“Although officials made a point to meet with some religious minority community leaders, the government appeared to take no subsequent action following that meeting to address those communities’ concerns.”
Following the demolition of a Greek Orthodox church by vandals, as well as the destruction of a Yazidi cemetery in Mardina, the report criticised the government for failing to “prevent or punish” the ones behind the attacks.
The report concluded with US Government recommending and supporting the reopening of the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary, “and for full compliance with European Court of Human Rights rulings on freedom of religion or belief.”
Pat Barker gives a new voice to the forgotten women of Homer’s Iliad (c. 762 B.C.) in this feminist retelling of the story of Briseis, or Ἱπποδάμεια. Briseis was a princess enslaved and sold to Achilles in the lead-up to the fall of Troy in the Trojan War. Silence of the Girls paints the stark reality that 11th-century carnage brought most women. Pat Barker is the English Booker Prize-winning author behind such works as The Ghost Road (1995). Silence of the Girls was shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Courtesy of Penguin Random House.
Ariadne (2021) by Jennifer Saint:
Jennifer Saint’s decorative Ariadne retells the story of the Princess of Crete, Ariadne, and sister Phaedra, daughters of King Minos, in the story of the Minotaur. Ariadne is 304 pages of sisterhood, secret, and tragedy – in ancient Greek style – in Saint’s fresh debut to our bookshops. Saint gives a renewed perspective on the sacrifice Ariadne made to help Theseus, Prince of Athens, slay the Minotaur; and whether it was all worth it. Similar to Pat Barker’s Silence of the Girls (2018)and Madeline Miller’s Circe (2018), Saint’s Ariadne is another great addition to the historical fiction genre.
Courtesy of goodreads.com
Troy: The Siege of Troy Retold (2020) by Stephen Fry:
Stephen Fry’s Troy (2020) revisits the story of Troy, including the kidnapping of Helen of Troy, in the third instalment to his ancient Greek collection. Following the success of Mythos (2017)and Heroes (2017), Britain’s favourite game-show host brings the battle of Troy to life in this story of hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair.
Courtesy of penguin.com.au
Lucky’s (2020) by Andrew Pippos:
Andrew Pippos finds his own Greek father in Vasilis ‘Lucky’ Mallios, the restaurant chain owner explored in his debut novel Lucky’s (2020). Pippos grew up in Sydney as the son of café owners himself and now works as a lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney. Lucky’s follows a familiar Greek-Australian experience with family, migration, and tribulation at its core. Lucky’s launched to critical acclaim, including being shortlisted for the MUD Literary Prize 2021 and being shortlisted for the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year 2021. We’re keeping an eye out for Pippos’ new non-fiction project.
Courtesy of Pan Macmillan AU
Wild Colonial Greeks (2020) by Peter Prineas:
Peter Prineas’ Wild Colonial Greeks (2020) explores the history of Greek Australians in colonial-era Australia in the early-1900s. It shows how Greeks were viewed by the mainstream press and chronicles their journey in a foreign land. Wild Colonial Greeks includes the stories of Spiridion Candiottis, a goldfields doctor, and Andreas Lagogiannis,a hotelier. This book takes a magnifying glass to the early beginnings of the Greek-Australian diaspora.
Courtesy of the Australian Scholary Publishing (ASP) website.
The Art of Sacrifice. Just the name of George Petrou’s new book is enough to capture the attention of readers. That is until you delve deeper into all 425 pages of the renowned Melbourne artist’s book and you see how his collection of portraits perfectly capture a spirit like no other – the Anzac spirit.
Of course, it takes time to photograph the essence of what it means to be an Anzac as vividly as Petrou. But the proud Greek Australian tells The Greek Herald how his bowel cancer diagnosis in 2010 gave him the push he needed to shine a creative spotlight on Australians from all walks of life who have served our great nation with gallantry and sacrifice.
“I’ve been running a design studio for 42 years now… but when I was diagnosed with cancer, I decided that if I survived, I would back off work a bit and take up a bit more of a passion,” Petrou tells The Greek Herald.
George Petrou with his painting of Banjo Paterson. Photo supplied.
“I was painting a lot of abstract portraits at the time which I was enjoying, but I sort of felt I needed something with a bit more substance. So I turned to my interest in Australian history and combined it with my passion for painting. Painting became my chemotherapy and that’s why I started painting the portraits.”
From that moment, Petrou went on to have three major photography exhibitions – The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt,Australian Victoria Cross Recipients and Twelve Great Australian Stories. Portraits from these collections, as well as separate portraits Petrou has been commissioned to paint of other great Australian figures, all feature in The Art of Sacrifice.
George Petrou’s new book, ‘The Art of Sacrifice.’
But there is one twist. Petrou wanted his book to be educational, as well as artistic, and this led to him and his daughter, Grace, travelling around Australia to photograph the relatives of the war veterans in his portraits and along the way, document the courageous stories of survival.
In some places across Sydney and Brisbane which the father-daughter duo couldn’t reach because of the coronavirus lockdowns, Petrou’s nephew and Sharon Mathewson, the granddaughter of a war veteran included in the book, took photographs instead.
George Petrou with one of his painting subjects. Photo supplied.
“The book is basically my art. It’s storytelling. We have a total of 63 different authors in the book, me being one of them. Some of the authors are relatives of the subjects of my portraits. They are sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great nephews and great nieces, who talk about their relation to the subject of my portrait,” Petrou explains.
“They’ve also been photographed in black and white, and the background becomes a part of the story. For example, one of the men I painted was born in Williamstown, Melbourne, so we actually photographed his granddaughter in that environment.
“They’ve come across pretty well and [the book] really tells wonderful stories of great Australians who have sacrificed so much so we can enjoy the liberties and freedoms that we cherish today.”
(L) Petrou’s portrait of George Gilbert. (R) Petrou’s portrait of Martin O’Meara. Photos supplied.
In fact, the book has connected the past and the present in such a unique, powerful and evocative way, that Petrou believes it could also become the ultimate symbol of commemoration at wreath laying ceremonies.
“What I’m suggesting is I want these people who continually lay floral wreaths at services… which are very expensive and don’t last very long, to buy a book, lay it down with a bit of rosemary on top for remembrance and then after the service, they can donate it to their local school or library,” Petrou says passionately.
Petrou’s portrait of Greek Australian, Hector Vasyli also features in the book. Photos supplied.
“Not only is it cheaper, it’s educational and it has a lasting effect. Our younger generation can understand the sacrifices these great people have made for us and the profits go back into veterans anyway.”
With such a worthy cause behind The Art of Sacrifice, we can’t wait for it to hit our bookshelves on August 2. For now though, the book is available for purchase direct from Petrou, with all sale profits being donated to veteran charities. You can contact Petrou on his mobile: 0427 777 185 or email: george@gpdesign.net.au if you’d like to purchase a copy.
Charisa Bossinakis will have the corners of your lips creasing at her invitation alone. Her invitation to join her at the Sydney Comedy Festival extends to all millennial and Gen-Z’ers no stranger to the modern-world struggle.
We’ve moved passed Orange Juice, Bossinakis’ sold-out 2020 show. Γιαγιάδες, less-than-perfect families, break-ups, and politics are now the contents of Charisa’s new show, Pineapple Juice.
This isn’t Charisa’s first time at the rodeo. Charisa broke off from a career in journalism to become a well-established comedienne on a roll, breaking out onto the scene with her sell-out show Boss in 2017 and now heading to the Sydney Comedy Festival four years later at Sydney’s Factory Theatre in Marrickville.
Charisa Bossinakis’ new show to feature at Sydney Comedy Festival.
Charisa is the family member that’s placed at the lower end of the table at family dinner occasions. As the “black sheep of her family,” her upbringing as a third-generation Greek Australian in a white Anglican school in Melbourne is touched upon in her act.
Pineapple Juice is reflective of an elevated sense of humour, one devoid of “sexism and homophobia” and “mean-spirits,” Charisa told The New Daily.
So what makes millennials laugh? Find out at Pineapple Juice in Marrickville’s Factory Theatre on May 1-2 as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival.
