Four Greek Australian students have been named in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) first in course results, including two for Modern Greek Beginners, Continuers and Extension.
Maria Kontou, from the Saturday School of Community Languages Kogarah HS Centre, topped the class in New South Wales for both Modern Greek Continuers and Modern Greek Extension.
Jacqueline Koutsoubos, from the NSW School of Languages (Petersham), topped the state in Modern Greek Beginners.
This was backed up by Olivia Arvanitis, from Meriden School in Strathfield, who came first in Biology.
“Well done on your hard work throughout this momentous year!” the school wrote on Facebook.
Lastly, Yianna Nikos, from Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney in Croydon, also receives first in course honours for Textiles and Design.
This year, the girls have completely smashed the boys in the Higher School Certificate first in course results, in one of the most challenging years on record.
Katina Paxinou was known for her incredible acting career. To celebrate her life we are taking a look back at all her achievements.
Early Life:
From an early age, Paxinou began studying music and singing at the Conservatoire de Musique de Geneve, and later continued her studies in Berlin and Vienna.
Paxinou’s love of the stage and her pursuit of it as a career, led to her parents disowning her until she pursued a different career.
At the age of 17, after she completed her studies, Paxinou married her first husband, Ioannis Paxinos.
By 1920, at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, Paxinou made her stage debut in an opera version of Maurice Maeterlinck’s “Sister Beatrice,” with Dimitri Mitropoulos as the score.
After gaining gradual success, Paxinou made her play debut in 1928. She was a member of Marika Kotopouli’s troupe in Henry Bataille’s Athens production of “The Naked Woman.”
Acting Career:
In 1931, Paxinou’s life was about to change after she joined Aimilios Veakis’ troupe. While on tour, she met Alexis Minotis. They would go on to get married and work with each other between 1932 until 1940, when Paxinou becoming a permanent member of the Greek National Theatre.
While she was a member, she performed all across Europe in cities such as London, Frankfurt and Berlin.
Paxinou in “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (1943). Source: Britannica.com.
However, during WWII, Paxinou immigrated to the United States. While in the US, Paxinou performed at the Broadway Theatre.
While Paxinou was relatively famous in Greece for her acting, she became internationally recognised in 1943, after starring in the film “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Paxinou played the Spanish revolutionary, Pilar, in the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel.
Her portrayal was excellent and was critically acclaimed. Her role led to Paxinou receiving a prestigious honour, being the first Greek to win the Academy Award and receiving an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1944.
Paxinou returned to Greece to work with husband Alexis Minotis. While at the National Theatre, the two toured to the United States and Europe and Paxinou also performed at festivals.
Paxinou with her Oscar. Source: ellines.com.
Later life and Death:
During the Greek dictatorship of 1967-1974, Paxinou and Minotis created their own theatrical group.
While touring under their new theatrical group, they starred in many theatrical performances, most notably “Blood Wedding” by Lorca, “Juno and the Paycock” and “The wrestlers” by Stratis Karras.
Paxinou’s final theatrical performance was in the play “Mother courage,” and her last performance in film was in 1969, starring in “The island of Aphrodite”.
After her career, she settled down in Athens with her husband and her daughter from her first marriage with Ioannis Paxinos.
However, on February 22, 1973, Paxinou died from cancer at the age of 72.
She will be remembered as one of Greece’s greatest and most famous actresses, as well as becoming the first Greek to win an Oscar.
Greek unemployment in July 2013 stood at 28 percent. The country was then still halfway through an eight-year recession that would claim a quarter of its economic growth. It still ranks as the worst contraction of any post-war developed economy.
Due to this dire situation, many Greek youth left Greece, looking for work opportunities abroad. One of them was Krystallia Sarantopoulou.
According to Al Jazeera, Sarantopoulou graduated from Thessaloniki’s Aristotelian University seven years ago with a degree in electrical and computer engineering.
“During the financial crisis it was impossible (to start a job as a new graduate),” she told the media outlet.
Forced to seek her fortunes abroad, Sarantopoulou accepted an entry-level job in The Netherlands. The pay was basic but she felt at home. Walking into the Dutch company cafeteria, she recognised many fellow graduates from the Aristotelian University mess hall.
Still, she wanted to return to Greece and diligently kept an eye peeled for opportunities. This year, during the coronavirus pandemic, one finally surfaced.
“Last Easter, a colleague of mine called and said Pfizer is going to invest in a software hub in Thessaloniki. I said, ‘Really? It’s too good to be true’,” Sarantopoulou says.
She is among the first wave of new hires at Pfizer’s Greek hub in Thessaloniki.
The US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has already received over 3,500 applications for the 200 spots that are open at its digital hub in Thessaloniki. A substantial portion of the applicants, representing twenty percent, are from Greeks living abroad.
“We have people coming from the US, the Netherlands, Germany – all Greeks who went away and are coming back,” Nico Gariboldi, the site manager in Thessaloniki, told Al Jazeera.
Gariboldi says Pfizer chose Greece for a number of reasons: Political stability under the conservative New Democracy government, the biggest concentration of universities in southeast Europe and the city’s incubators and startups.
Those pull factors are no accident but part of a range of initiatives the Greek government has announced to competitively place Greece for the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” merging the digital, biological and physical worlds.
Microsoft President, Brad Smith, left, speaks with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, during a ceremony held in the Acropolis Museum. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
These other initiatives include a deal between Microsoft and Greece in October, agreeing to build three data centres in the greater Athens area – enormous server parks that form the backbone of the internet and cloud computing services.
Volkswagen Group and Greece also signed a memorandum of understanding in November to establish a groundbreaking mobility system on the Mediterranean island of Astypalea. The six-year plan includes a massive replacement of carbon-run vehicles on the island with electric and hybrid cars and trucks.
All these new groundbreaking announcements are set to see even more Greek youth repatriate to their homeland.
Disgraced former Labor MP and convicted paedophile, Milton Orkopoulos, has been slapped with more child sex charges, the list of fresh charges amounting to 23, according to The Daily Telegraph.
In Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday, an additional six new charges were laid against the 63-year-old relating to two alleged victims in the late 1990s, in Swansea and Belmont.
Court documents revealed Orkopoulos was charged with trying to pervert the course of justice by getting an alleged victim to sign a statutory declaration retracting an allegation of sexual abuse.
Other charges included three counts of sexual intercourse with a person between 10 and 16 and two counts of supplying cannabis.
Disgraced former Labor MP and convicted paedophile, Milton Orkopoulos, has been slapped with more child sex charges.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) also told the court one additional charge relating to a separate victim was also expected to be added.
Six existing charges against the ex-Lake Macquarie councillor were also withdrawn which included cause child under 14 to participate in prostitution and sexual intercourse with a person between 10 and 16.
On June 15, Orkopoulos was arrested at Silverwater Jail over 15 fresh historical offences, where police allege the former Swansea MP sexually assaulted two young boys who were known to him on separate occasions in the 1990s, in Lake Macquarie and the Mid North Coast.
Some two months later, he was again charged with eight more offences against two young boys in Lake Macquarie between 1999 and 2003, before recent charges on Wednesday.
Released from Long Bay prison in December last year after spending 11 years behind bars for 30 child sex abuse and drugs offences, Orkopoulos was sent back to jail after breaking his parole conditions on two occasions.
A week ago, Orkopoulos was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order (CCO) after he pleaded guilty to one count of breaching his parole conditions, with a further four charges of breaching parole taken into account.
Orkopoulos used a mobile phone to download Instagram and follow soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, and used a fellow resident’s mobile to speak with an 11-year-old relative and call his sister.
Turkey’s President Erdogan said on Wednesday that US sanctions imposed on Turkey over its purchase of Russian defense systems were an attack on Ankara’s sovereign rights aimed at deterring its defense industry, a move which he said was bound to fail.
On Monday, Washington imposed the sanctions targeting NATO member Turkey’s Defense Industry Directorate (SSB), its chief Ismail Demir and three other employees over its acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defence systems.
Erdogan says US sanctions a ‘hostile attack’ on Turkish rights. Photo: Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool.
In his first public comments on the move, Erdogan said that problems stemming from the sanctions would be overcome and vowed to ramp up efforts towards an independent defence industry, while criticising Washington for sanctioning a NATO ally.
“What kind of alliance is this? What kind of partnership is this? This decision is an open hostile attack against our country’s sovereign rights,” Erdogan said in a televised address.
“The real goal is to block the advances our country started in the defence industry recently and to once again render us absolutely dependent on them,” he added. “Surely there will be problems, but each problem will push open a door for us for a solution.”
Washington says the S-400s pose a threat to its F-35 fighter jets and to NATO’s broader defence systems. Turkey rejects this and says S-400s will not be integrated into NATO. On Wednesday, Erdogan repeated that the US concerns had no technical basis.
He added that Ankara still produced close to 1,000 parts for the F-35 jets, despite being removed from the program over the S-400 purchase. Turkey had also been due to buy more than 100 F-35 jets.
Ending his remarks, Erdogan unveiled footage of Turkey’s new domestic missile defence system, HISAR-A+, which he said had been delayed due to an embargo on a part Turkey was importing. He did not say which country Turkey was importing from.
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, said on Wednesday that Washington’s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey was “necessary.” Photo: InTime News.
“Thank God Turkey has long left behind the period of being stuck by such sanctions,” he said.
In response to these comments, Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, said on Wednesday at the second Southeast Europe & East Med conference, that Washington’s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey was “necessary” as a means of underscoring that Ankara has “crossed the line,” not only with its acquisition of the S-400, but also with its behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dendias added his belief that the sanctions imposed by the United States, coupled with warnings issued at last week’s European Council meeting, may lead to what he described as a “period of calm” that would allow exploratory talks to recommence.
The Melbourne Kazzie Club, operated by the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria, is a staple institution for Greeks of Melbourne. Yet, if not for the actions of current KAV President Nik Spartels, this historic institution may have ceased to exist.
Prior to Nik’s election as President, the previous committee had proposed to sell the Kazzie Club building, due to it requiring “millions of dollars” to be renovated for maintenance.
“That didn’t go down too well with a lot of people and I was sort of selected to be the chosen one to stop that from happening,” Nik said to The Greek Herald.
“I’m a builder myself, a developer, and I got my boys to come in and we did it for a minute amount.”
Nik expressed his happiness over the current condition of the historic building, who said it’s now looking “amazing”. The President also revealed the inclusion of a new tenant, Body Fit, which is supplying a stable income “for the next ten years.”
Repairs on the KAV building were done in 2017. Photo: Kastellorizian Association of Victoria
Repairs on the KAV building were done in 2017. Photo: Kastellorizian Association of Victoria.
“So the place is back to where it should be, it’s flying,” Nik said.
“It’s probably the best it has ever been, but that’s because I’ve had good people behind me.
“My committee has been amazing and a lot of the members have stuck by me.”
With a new committee made up of majority younger members, Nik said the success of the club is largely due to the great cooperation between committee members.
“Just the diversity of the people, they bring different professions into the committee and it’s just worked, which is why I couldn’t imagine having such a good bunch of people on my committee.”
Nik Spartels is the third generation of Presidents in his family and has been coming to the club since he was a “little boy”. His grandfather, Nicholas-Michael Spartels, was President in 1945 and 1949, while his father, Michael Spartels, held the role of President through majority of the 90s, for approximately ten years.
Nik Spartels with former ‘Kastellorizian of the Year’ winners. Photo: Supplied
The long line of history with the club has allowed him to develop a deep fondness with not only the committee and the building, but the entire Kastellorizian community in Melbourne.
“I’m looking at the doors that lead to the street and I’m thinking how many good people have come through these doors the last 50 years,” Nik said proudly.
“The Kazzies are beautiful people and I love how my grandparents came out here in the early 1900’s.”
Losing notable Kastellorizian elders in the past few years, Nik says the front doors and building represent the Kastellorizians entry into Australian history, and honour the incredible lives and sacrifices of those people.
“This club was put together by all our forefathers that left their families who were struggling during the war, they came here and formed a club so they can help themselves because they were outcasts back then.”
Nik Spartels and his wife, Dina. Photo: Supplied
“This club, to me, has grown from those people that formed the club, who helped each other survive in a different country and were friendly to each other.”
Nik added that he owed it to his grandparents to keep the club alive for years to come, saying it was up to him to “not let that tradition go.”
The Kastellorizian Association of Victoria held multiple events prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to get younger people more involved with the club. During lockdown, the association managed to hold “Kazzie Connect” events to keep the community engaged and active.
Nik emphasised the importance of “keeping the tradition alive” as the next generations of Kazzies grow older, saying the most important mission of all Greek communities in Australia is to “not lose their identity.”
“I’m just hoping that once the younger generations go over there (Kastellorizo) and fall in love with the island, they’ll get more involved in this club. And that’s why we want to keep this place going,” Nik concluded.
Cancer does not stop with the pandemic and neither do the Greek Australian Women’s (OEEGA NSW) fundraising efforts to support Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) in finding a cure and safer treatment for childhood cancer.
Although the organisation had to cancel their annual events due to the State Government’s restrictions, the President Ms Irene Anesti and the Committee acted quickly and within six weeks they organised a Radio Marathon through which they raised $44000.
“Since 2007, OEEGA NSW have raised $414000 for CCI. We received great support from Clubs, Associations, Community organizations, Councils, political and religious representatives and many businesses (Greek Australian and Non-Greek Australian alike).
“It was truly astounding to see how many pensioners and people who struggled financially facing high unemployment and uncertainty, were willing to travel across 2-3 suburbs to come to the Radio station or go to their nearest Delphi Bank branch to deposit even a small amount of money in support of the initiative,” OEEGA Committee Member, Theo Skhinas tells The Greek Herald.
Fundraising cheque presented at CCI
A fundraising cheque was presented from the OEEGA Committee to CCI representatives, Professor Kavallaris and Anne Johnston, on Monday, December 14 at the Children’s Cancer Institute.
In attendance were the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Christos Karras and General Manager of 2MM Radio Station Yiannis Meravoglou.
“Both Professor Kavallaris and Anne Johnston thanked the Committee for their efforts this year. The Institute acknowledged that most of the population in Australia were suffering due to the economic impacts of the pandemic. With such high unemployment, CCI did not expect much in 2020 and were genuinely surprised when they found out how much had been raised for the children.
“The $44,000 were not easy to pull together, however OEEGA were certain that the funds would be put into good use and help save at least 4 children this year,” Mrs Skhinas says.
A letter of appreciation to OEEGA NSW President
In a gesture of appreciation to the organisation’s President, Irene Anesti, the Committee members have written a heartfelt letter, commending her on her tireless efforts and great leadership.
“We feel obliged to express our immense gratitude and our unlimited admiration for your efforts this year to raise money in support of the CCI.
“At a time when we all had stopped our efforts to raise money, due to coronavirus, you – the soul of our Organization – did not give up. You had the idea, you took the initiative to organize the radio fundraiser and you worked hard and tirelessly, to carry it out with great success….A thousand congratulations and a thousand thanks from us all,” reads the letter.
The OEEGA NSW Committee, represented by President Irene Anesti, Treasurer Ms Chissanthy Petridis and committee members Dimitra Skalkos, Soula Gerasimou, Poppy Skalkou, Litsa Diakovasili, Despina Kekatos and Theo Skhinas will be meeting soon to discuss the next fundraising events.
Fronditha Care has appointed new Directors to its Board leadership team heralding significant changes to governance leadership of the organisation.
Announced in a press release on Wednesday, the new team includes Jill Taylor (Nikitakis), re-elected at the recent AGM for another three-year term, who is the new President and Board Chair.
Kostas Kyrifidis has retained the role of Treasurer, with newly elected directors Dr. Stella Laletas taking on the role of Vice President and Kostas Livadaras becoming Company Secretary. The Board has also co-opted John Kallitsas as a Director, who has a long- standing relationship with Fronditha Care and is a benefactor.
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis), humbled and honoured by her appointment to lead the Board, said: “I am energised by the talent of the new Directors who with their diverse professional backgrounds bring significant understanding of the not-for-profit sector and specifically deep knowledge of the aged care sector, substantial business acumen with exceptional human resource management skills and extensive governance expertise to the Board.”
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis).
Importantly, noted Taylor (Nikitakis), Directors all have deep connections with the Fronditha Care membership base, the Greek and broader community and established relationships with partners and stakeholders.
After 43 years of operation Fronditha Care, with five residential facilities and extensive home care services has built a strong reputation in the aged care sector.
This past year has been an exceptionally challenging year for Fronditha Care with the significant impacts of COVID 19 and major Government reform of the sector demanding so much of the organisation in ensuring it maintained its commitment and focus on the safety and wellbeing of those in its care and their families.
Taylor (Nikitakis) said: “An equally important responsibility of the Board and CEO was its obligation to maintain strong fiduciary oversight. At the recent AGM our members, including past Presidents, benefactors, auxiliary chairs and commercial partners expressed their significant concerns about the financial management of the organisation in the past year.”
Fronditha Care residents.
“These members also expressed ongoing concern about the capacity of the leadership of the organisation to seriously address the financial issues, which led to a significant deficit, highlighting the lack of clarity in a plan and related timing to turnaround the business.”
“The new Board is absolutely focused on fostering greater transparency in its financial operations, renewing the confidence of the Fronditha Care membership and broader community in its capacity to responsibly govern the organisation.”
Taylor also reassured members and the community that the Board changes represent an “opportunity for a significant refresh and a new chapter for the organisation.”
“I want to thank all previous Directors, including the previous President and Board Chair, Prof. Eugenia Pedagogos, Aspasia Georgiou, Tim Dionyssopoulos, Pam Kalodimos, Soula Cargakis, Dr. Arthur Kokkinias for their service to Fronditha Care and their contributions across their respective tenures. In particular, I pay tribute to their collective commitment to the organisation.”
The new Board is currently working on a financial strategy for shaping the future of Fronditha Care and early in the new year will provide a detailed communique to members and the public.
“We are focused on re-envisaging operations to ensure financial security and organisational viability,” Taylor added.
“There is a long journey ahead of us and lots of work to do but I’m delighted to lead this truly talented team at this challenging moment in Fronditha Care’s history, continuing the legacy of those who have gone before for more than four decades.”
Aged care residents in NSW will be able to host as many Christmas visitors as they want as regulations imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19 into the facilities are eased.
The two-visitor rule will be lifted from Tuesday, NSW Health says. There will no limit on the number of people allowed to visit each resident.
Performers like choirs and musicians will also be able to visit for the first time since March for festive traditions of carols and Christmas concerts.
The news comes as NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday recorded 10 consecutive days without a locally acquired COVID-19 case.
“The risk of transmission in the community is now low enough to facilitate the easing of restrictions for aged care, just as the NSW government has eased restrictions across many other areas,” NSW Health’s director of aged care Stefanie Williams said in a statement on Monday.
“Social connections are important to all of us, but particularly to residents in aged care. We are very pleased to enable residents to spend time with more of their loved ones this festive season.”
The changes were announced as NSW public health orders forcing employers to consider work-from-home arrangements for staff are wound back.
Employers are now able to recall staff to NSW offices if they see fit, which Treasurer Dominic Perrottet hopes will spur productivity improvements.
“What I think we’ll see over this time is a combination of people working from home, returning to the city, doing both,” Mr Perrottet told reporters.
“If that increases productivity then that’s a great thing.
“We want to have as much culture and as much life, particularly over the weekends as well, to bring people back to town.”
Sport diversity activist Mary Konstantopoulos has been selected as one of 16 outstanding Australian journalists to take part in the Our Watch Fellowship program.
Administered by the Walkley Foundation, the program aims to build and refine fellows’ knowledge of best practice reporting on violence against women and deepen their understanding of the complexities of the issue.
The journalists, from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, will attend a series of three retreats in February, April and June 2021.
Mary Konstantopoulos. Photo: Supplied
Mary Konstantopoulos is the founder of ‘Ladies who League’ and ‘Ladies who Legspin’; media companies focused on supporting women in sport and encouraging women to get involved in conversations about sport.
Speaking to The Greek Herald a few weeks prior to her appointment in the program, Mary said she is proud to be part of the growing voice in women’s sport in Australia.
“Whenever I get emails from young women or young people wanting me to share their stories or saying thank you for the work that I do, it reminds me of the impact,” Mary said.
“We’re moving away from simply, ‘oh gee it’s so good women play sport’, to actually covering it in a similar way we do the men’s game, which I think is really important.”
