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Vasili’s Taxidi: Some Shops are Hidden Gems Like Botany Timber and Hardware

The Greek Herald
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Vasili’s Taxidi: Some Shops are Hidden Gems Like Botany Timber and Hardware

By Vasilis Vasilas

Local shopping strips provided people with a very different style of shopping; along suburb’s main roads would be located all the shops and businesses people wanted to purchase whatever they wanted. Bakeries, delicatessens, butchers, barbers and hairdressers, boutiques and tailors… they were all found along a shopping strip. Yet, the construction of shopping centres brought convenience and a greater variety of shops in the one location, and this greatly impacted some of the smaller shopping strips.

Compounding this pressure on local small shops was also the rise of specific megastores whether they were pharmaceutical or hardware or travel or gardening, as bulk buying and supposed cheaper prices further narrowed their profit margins.

Yet, there are some local shops and businesses which have withstood all the enormous pressures and continued to operate and provide locals with their products and services. One of the most admirable surviving small shops and businesses is undoubtedly Botany Timber and Hardware which is run by Michalis Konitsas; with an enormous shopping centre and a hardware megastore only a few kilometres away, he is still there bucking any trend- with his expertise, skills and knowledge.

Having grown up in a family of carpenters and migrating to Australia in 1956, Michalis found work in a metal workshop but would do carpentry work on weekends. A turning point was when he was visiting Sydney city and he noticed the famous Yiannopoulos’ audio-visual shop being demolished and he curiously went in and asked for work. From 1959, he worked as a shop-fitter and he has lost count how many Greek-run shops he fitted, ‘It was great timing as more and more Greeks were buying shops in Sydney, and many of them wanted to renovate and upgrade their shops with the latest designs and appliances. For shopfitters, it was a boom time.’

In 1983, an opportunity arose to buy ‘Downs Hardware’ on Botany Road, Botany, and Konitsas family expanded the building to stock more products. At the time, Botany was full of factories and workshops, so Michael and his late-wife, Poppy, were busy balancing local and drop-in customers, and these factories/workshops. Over the years, however, Botany’s residential area has grown at the expense of industry and so many factories/ workshops have subsequently relocated.

For Botany Timber and Hardware’s success over the years, Michalis pays great tribute to his late-wife, Poppy, ‘ Once the children their school age, Poppy would work with me to our shops. I had been in Australia sixteen years before she migrated here (in 1972), but she learnt to speak, read and write English a lot quicker than me. I still struggle with it (laughs)! Poppy was very bright and picked up on things very quickly. She managed so many things in the shop; once she passed away, I had to learn. Some things I did not continue; for example, Poppy mixed all the paints and I no longer provide this service. She was always part of the shop; her absence is felt every day.’

With a massive shopping centre and a hardware megastore only a few kilometers away, Michalis does not seem phased by it all, ‘With over sixty years’ experience with tools and hardware goods, I try to help my customers as much I can. Do you think staff at the hardware megastores know the difference between the metric and imperial systems? We have been around for such a long time that the shop has been recommended to listeners of radio programs. I have gotten so many customers who come into the shop and say, ‘I had on the radio that if I could not find something in the hardware megastores, I should go to Botany Hardware.’

One of Botany Timber and Hardware’s appeals is the retro look- it is an old-style hardware shop with aisles packed with stock; to everyone’s surprise, Michalis seems to know where everything is.

Asked how long he will continue operating the business, Michalis is realistic, ‘I have worked this shop for over thirty-five years and seen all the changes. When all the factories in the area shut down, our shop lost so much business. I accepted these changes and just kept going. How long will I continue working? As long as I can; if I can stand and move around, then I can come to the shop and work. Admittedly, I operate the shop with flexible hours; as I live so close to the shop, if I am running a little late in the morning, so be it. I have so many very elderly customers; they may be ninety years old but they still drive and are very independent. I will eventually shut the shop when I am unable to do what I do; when that times does come, I will just accept it.’

397 new cases announced in Victoria as St Basil’s in Melbourne evacuated

The Greek Herald
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397 new cases announced in Victoria as St Basil’s in Melbourne evacuated

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced today that there has been 397 new cases and three deaths.

A man aged in his 80s, a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 90s died, bringing the state’s death toll to 116.

Mr Andrews said the coronavirus situation in Victoria’s aged care remains “a very serious challenge in many ways”.

There are 1008 active cases linked to the sector.

Read More: Victoria’s Greek community in tears – 16 deaths at St Basil’s, 22 Greek lives mourned

“This is very difficult for residents and families as well,” he said.

“All governments, all agencies are working together as closely as we possibly can to have one focus and that is on residents, their well-being, their health and by extension the well-being of families who are obviously concerned and very keen to get as much information as quickly as they possibly can.

“I can confirm to you that there has now been 570 shifts worked by hospital nurses across a number of private aged care settings, that is something that we should be very proud of, very, very proud and very grateful to those teams of nurses and other health workers who support them.

St Basil’s Fawkner Evacuated

As of yesterday, the St Basil’s home in Fawkner has been linked to 124 cases, including 78 residents, 35 staff and 11 other contacts.

The Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, a joint state and federal task force, said the decision to fully evacuate the home was made after six staff brought in to help manage the outbreak were infected in recent days.

“The decision was made to transfer residents to hospitals due to a reduction in staff numbers at St Basil’s,” the centre said in a statement.

“Six staff at St Basil’s have tested positive for COVID-19, and as a precautionary measure all staff have been instructed to be tested and self-isolate for a mandatory period.”

Australia’s Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan said the decision had not been made lightly and acknowledged there were risks with moving residents, particularly those with dementia.

“But it was felt that it was time that we do this for the safety of the residents,” she said.

“It highlights the challenges we face in managing this outbreak. So it was staff that came to help in that difficult time 10 days ago and have now unfortunately tested positive.”

199 years since the first Greek newspaper publication in liberated Greece

The Greek Herald
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199 years since the first Greek newspaper publication in liberated Greece

In Kalamata on August 1, 1821, the first issue of the newspaper “Salpinx Elliniki” (“Greek Bugle”) was published, becoming the first newspaper printed and distributed in liberated Greece.

After the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence, Greek scholar Theoklitos Farmakidishe approached Dimitrios Ypsilantis. Together, using printing equipment that Demetrios had brought to Greece from Trieste, they launched the ‘Greek Bugle’.

While being a historic milestone at the time, the Elliniki Salpinx did not run for long. Farmakidis departed after the publishing of the third issue, since he could not stand the interventions and preventive censorship.

According to Greek Reporter, the newspaper’s first issue included, inter alia, Alexander Ypsilantis’ note from February 24, 1821, regarding the revolution in Moldovlachia.

The second issue included Demetrios Ypsilantis’ announcement to the residents of Livadia, asking for them to leave the unarmed Turks unharmed. Finally, Greece’s call to other European countries, where it was made known that the Greek Revolution was underway, was published in the third issue.

Theoklitos later went on to take part at the National Assemblies of Epidaurus and Astros and later he taught in the Ionian Academy.

Ancient ‘Acropolis of the sea’ opens to divers

The Greek Herald
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Ancient ‘Acropolis of the sea’ opens to divers

Hidden and protected for millennia, an ancient shipwreck in Greece opens to the public for the first time on Aug. 3, fusing archaeological wonders in the depths of the sea with the marvels of modern-day artificial intelligence.

Access to underwater sites is typically restricted in Greece to preserve their integrity. But authorities have been able to allow recreational diving at the shipwreck at Peristera, thanks to computer surveillance technology.

Underwater cameras monitor the site, and use image recognition software to alert administrators instantly if the wreck is in danger of being disturbed.

The site is located off a tiny outcrop off the Aegean island of Alonnisos, where a wooden vessel sank in the late 5th century B.C., taking with it thousands of amphorae, pointy-bottomed clay jugs used for commerce across the ancient Mediterranean.

“We were lucky to start with one of the most beautiful ancient wrecks in the world. They call it the Acropolis of sea wrecks,” said George Papalambrou, an assistant professor of power propulsion at the National Technical University of Athens.

Papalambrou, who works at the University’s School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, says the custom-made monitoring system — with solar power, recognition software and luminosity-triggered lens wipers to unclog debris — could be a template deployed to other underwater sites.

George Papalambrou, an assistant professor of power propulsion at the National Technical University of Athens. Reuters/ Costa Baltas

“The idea is to try to resemble how the human optical system, our eyes, are able to determine an object which passes in front of us,” he said.Slideshow (5 Images)

Dimitris Kourkoumelis, an underwater archaeologist at Greece’s Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, says the pilot project could make more sites accessible.

“It is the first time, and not only not just in Greece but on a pan-European level, that such a site, such a shipwreck so large with so many objects, is opening to the public and divers,” Kourkoumelis said.

A live streaming underwater video camera is seen near the the ancient shipwreck of Peristera islet, off the shores of the island of Alonnisos, Greece, March 13, 2020. Picture taken March 13, 2020. Vassilis Mentogiannis/Undersea Vision Surveillance System (NOUS) /Handout via REUTERS

Archaeologists say the wreck gives insight into commerce in the period known as the Golden Age of Athens. The 3,000-3,500 amphorae on board may have been transporting wine.

“I have dived at many sites. It was the first time I felt so emotional,” Kourkoumelis said. “Truly, its difficult to explain … it is something really impressive.”

Sourced By: Reuters

‘The George Alex 12’ reportedly blindsided as police seized assets worth millions

The Greek Herald
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‘The George Alex 12’ reportedly blindsided as police seized assets worth millions

Alleged members of construction identity George Alex’s alleged $17 million tax fraud scheme were apparently ‘blindsided’ by the raids undertaken by police on July 21.

According to documents released by the Queensland Supreme Court, 12 people accused of being involved in the alleged syndicate were given almost no notice that the Australian Federal Police were applying to the court to freeze 99 individual assets that the police allege were funded by the proceeds of crime.

By the end of the proceedings on July 17, The George Alex 12 were ordered by the court to surrender control of millions of dollars worth of assets, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Read More: Construction figure George Alex arrested over money laundering, tax evasion

This included 14 properties, starting with Mr Alex’s waterfront apartment on the Gold Coast and a Sydney mansion in Earlwood worth $2.5 million, owned by a company linked to the construction identity.

Details on all the assets seizures can now be revealed after a non-publication order on their existence was lifted last week.

ARRESTS-and-CHARGES

Police applied for the assets to be frozen on July 17, but the existence of the case was prevented from being revealed by a non publication order.

The order was in place because the police investigation, known as Operation Bordelon, was preparing to make pre-dawn raids in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, four days later that would result in 12 people being charged.

Lawyers for the police explained to the court that the order had to be kept a secret — including from the 12 people who were about to have their assets frozen — to prevent them from either hiding or offloading the assets.

It was for this reason that police lawyers explained that the application to freeze the assets had to be heard without giving any of the 12 targets notice that the case was actually happening, court documents said.

Arthur Alex leaves Southport Watchhouse in Queensland. Picture: Glenn Hampson/The Daily telegraph

Mr Alex was alleged to be the leader of the syndicate that used labour hire and payroll companies to defraud the ATO. Millions of dollars were then allegedly transferred to Australian accounts controlled by other accused syndicate members.

Alex’s 22-year-old son, Arthur was charged with conspiring to cause a loss to the Commonwealth and intentionally deal with proceeds of crime, money or property worth $1,000,000 or more. He is yet to enter a plea.

Vale Thanasis Spanos: Pioneer of Greek hospitality in Melbourne

The Greek Herald
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Vale Thanasis Spanos: Pioneer of Greek hospitality in Melbourne

People who knew Thanasis knew he had a warm heart, complimented brightly by his warm smile. Passing aged 74, Spanos will be deeply missed by the Greek Community in Melbourne, where he began his hospitality legacy.

When Thanasi came to Australia in 1971, his first port of call was Lonsdale Street, where he later ran Medallion Cafe for 20 years.

Thanasis’ greatest success, however, came from operating ‘Vanilla’, which has grown to be one of the largest businesses in Oakleigh.

Vale Thanasis SpanosThere are some people who absolutely blaze a trail.Thanasi did this in spades. He was one of the…

Posted by Steve Dimopoulos MP on Friday, 31 July 2020

Steve Dimopoulos, MP for Oakleigh, said Thanasis’ ability to connect with everybody was like “nothing I have ever seen”.

“This will be deeply felt by the Oakleigh community. We will stand by you always.”

An avid football fan as well, Thanasi was a supporter, life-member, sponsor and friend of South Melbourne FC for almost five decades.

Vanilla will be closed for 3 days to observe the beginning of their mourning period. (Saturday 1st August 2020 – Monday 3rd August 2020 inclusive).

VALE THANASIS SPANOS 18.12.45 – 31.07.20This afternoon our beautiful Thanasi was surrounded by his family and passed…

Posted by Vanilla on Friday, 31 July 2020

Construction underway for Greek Orthodox church destroyed in 9/11 attacks

The Greek Herald
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Construction underway for Greek Orthodox church destroyed in 9/11 attacks

Construction will resume Monday on the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Lower Manhattan, a historic house of worship which was destroyed in the devastating 9/11 attacks.

“Monday’s going to be a very emotional day. A powerful day,” said Michael Psaros, vice chairman of The Friends of St. Nicholas, which formed in January to get the project back on the right track after years of scandal and mismanagement.

“Another powerful symbol to the world of the resurrection of all of Ground Zero and New York City.”

Named for the patron saint of sailors, the original St. Nicholas opened its doors on Cedar Street in 1916, quickly becoming the first stopping point for Greek immigrants after they left Ellis Island. It served the community for 85 years, retaining a quaint, old-world charm as skyscrapers rose around it.

The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine still under construction as part of the World Trade Center redevelopment. Photo: Stefan Jeremiah/The New York Post

When the South Tower of the World Trade Center came crashing down on New York’s darkest day, it took St. Nicholas with it.

The New York Post reports that the reconstruction of St Nicholas was immediately brought into conversation by then-Gov. George Pataki and leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church, yet was met with large obstacles.

Largely, rampant cost overruns amounting to millions of dollars, alog with legal squabbles between the church and the Port Authority, saw the rebuilding be delayed indefinitely, until now.

By January 2020, the church sat half-finished, but untouched for two years with the coffers bare.

Then, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and PA head Rick Cotton met with Archbishop Elpidophoros, Father Alex Karloutsos and the leaders of The Friends of St. Nicholas — Psaros, Chairman Dennis Mehiel and vice-chairman John Catsimatidis — and resolved to get the project done.

“We lost a tremendous, great religious institution [in] what happened on 9/11,” said Catsimatidis, a billionaire grocery-store mogul and former New York mayoral candidate eyeing another run in 2021. “[Reopening will be] A victory for all New Yorkers.”

The leaders undertook a fundraising drive that, in just 90 days, amassed the $45 million necessary to complete the project, including a $10 million donation from the family of late real-estate mogul and Los Angeles Chargers owner Alex Spanos.

Construction was set to resume in the spring — “then COVID hit,” said Psaros, grounding all non-essential projects statewide to a halt for months.

The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine is still under construction.
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine is still under construction. (Google Maps)

It will begin once again on Monday when a crane lowers the first skylight into the church’s dome, in a ceremony presided over by Cuomo and Archbishop Elpidophoros, the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

“St. Nicholas … will be, for the Greek-American community, our Parthenon and our St. Sophia in America,” said Psaros. “It will be a powerful symbol of the triumph of the principals of the American ideal, with respect to individual and religious freedom.”

The aim is to have the new St. Nicholas open on September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of the attacks — as a sign of respect to New Yorkers of all faiths.

“It is the struggle and the unfortunate events over the last 20 years that exactly make Monday so special,” he said, noting that the word “agony” is rooted in the Greek agōnía, connoting “what you go through to accomplish a goal.”

Sourced By: The New York Post

10th Anniversary of Antipodean Palette showcases talent of Greek Australian artists ‘IN ISOLATION’

The Greek Herald
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10th Anniversary of Antipodean Palette showcases talent of Greek Australian artists ‘IN ISOLATION’

To celebrate it’s 10th anniversary, the Antipodean Palette has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by asking artists to submit a work relating to the theme ‘IN ISOLATION’. After a call out to all past participants, the response was incredible.

Starting in 2010, the Antipodean Palette promotes the visual arts within the Greek community and gives artists the opportunity to show their work to a wider public. Greek-Australian Cultural League President Cathy Alexopoulos has been overwhelmed at the response of the exhibition since it’s launch 10 years ago.

“This group exhibition has become not only a focal point in the events calendar of the Greek-Australian community but also a ten day celebration of culture at its best,” Ms Alexopoulos said a few years ago, speaking about the Antipodean Palette.

Above works (from left to right, top to bottom). CHRISTOS AVRAMOUDAS, ANGY LABIRIS, EFROSSINI CHANIOTIS, MARITSA MICOS, JAMES JOSEPHIDES, LUKE SPILIOPOULOS

Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, the Antipodean Palette 2020 was to involve the collaboration of Indigenous, Greek Australian artists and performers in a unique exhibition titled ‘CONNECTION’. As a result of the pandemic that has tragically plagued the world, Ms Alexopoulos and the event organisers decided to acknowledge the profound impact the virus has had on artists and the Arts industry.

The Antipodean Palette was re-branded into a virtual exhibition, titled ‘IN ISOLATION’, with the Cultural League asking artists to send in a piece of isolation-themed work.

As a result, 15 Greek Australian artists sent in a variety of pieces, along with a statement, proving that artistic expression and innovation can arise from any challenge. All the artists can be found below, with all works featured on Facebook, Instagram, and the GACL’s ‘Antipodes’ periodical, publications and website.

Greek-Australian Cultural League celebrates 50 years

Along with the celebration of the Antipodean Palette’s 10 year anniversary, the Greek-Australian Cultural League jointly celebrates an incredible 50 year milestone. A non-profit organisation, the League aims to advance, support and disseminate the creative endeavours of Greek-Australian writers and artists.

The League recognises all works of Greek Australians, yet particularly admire those that reflect the confluence of the Greek and Australian cultures and contribute to the enrichment of Literature, the Visual Arts and the Performing Arts.

Along with the Antipodean Palette, the Greek-Australian Cultural League frequently releases an Antipodean ‘Periodical’, as well as hosts an annual literary competition. Established in 1980, the competition covers the categories of poetry and short stories, accepting works in Greek or English as an incentive for participation by young members of the Diaspora.

Archbishop Makarios held memorial service for the victims of the pandemic in Australia

The Greek Herald
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Archbishop Makarios held memorial service for the victims of the pandemic in Australia

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios held a memorial service for coronavirus victims on Friday, 31 July, at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of our Lady Theotokos in Redfern, Sydney.

During the service, His Eminence commemorated the names of the Greek people who recently passed away and, in particular, those who were residents at the St Basil’s aged care facility in Melbourne.

“We have gathered here today, devastated by the events of recent weeks, to pray for the repose of the souls of all the victims of the pandemic, which has ravaged our country and all of humanity,” he said at the beginning of his service.

Read More: Victoria’s Greek community in tears – 16 deaths at St Basil’s, 22 Greek lives mourned

“We are specifically commemorating the names of our brethren who have fallen asleep and who were residents at St Basil’s in Melbourne and we wholeheartedly pray for strength and consolation to be granted from on high to their relatives and families who are undergoing this difficult trial with the loss of their loved ones.”

Archbishop Makarios reassured the relatives and friends of the victims that all of the Greek Orthodox Church of Australia is mourning with them and especially the staff who have worked with dedication at St Basil’s.

“Certainly, their pain is also our pain,” he emphasised.

“The anguish that they are experiencing, we are experiencing as well. My humble self, as your Archbishop and Shepherd, as well as the God-loving Bishops in Australia, all the clergy of our local Church, the co-workers and the members of our institutions, are co-suffering over the deaths of our brethren.

“Also suffering and mourning together with us, together with the relatives of the coronavirus victims are the people, who for so many years have served with dedication in the sacred mission with which they have been entrusted by St Basil’s.”

“All the management and staff of our facility in Melbourne, who for years have cared for our residents with much love as if they were their own parents, as if they were their own grandfathers and grandmothers, these days each of them, individually, is grieving heavily.

“It is as if they have lost members of their own family. It would be unjust to deny this; no matter how much sadness and pain, panic and resentment inevitably prevails during these difficult moments.”

Read More: 109 new coronavirus cases in Victorian aged care homes as state records deadliest day

His Eminence then appealed for patience and understanding, noting that “I, personally, like the entire Greek community, judging by the accumulated experience of the past, we cannot erase and ignore the long-lasting good testimony of this institution within Australian society.

“I ask all people to be patient and give us time,” he emphasised and added, “I am, personally, looking into the situation and will not hesitate, if necessary, to make tough decisions for the good of the organisation.”

“As for the relatives of the victims”, he continued, “I assure them that the Church will not wrong them, as it has not ever done so before. I plead that they show patience and understanding, bearing in mind that we are living in unprecedented times for humanity. No one can manage the pandemic unless a cure is found.”

The Archbishop stressed that he is in constant and close cooperation with the relevant government authorities of Victoria as well as the authorities of St Basil’s in order to deal with the current situation in the best way possible.

“I have spoken with the Minister for Health, Mr Greg Hunt and Minister for Aged Care, Mr Richard Colbeck” he noted.

“Often, daily, I am brought up to date by the relevant people at St Basil’s. Together and with all our strength, we continue to support the difficult effort that is evolving.”

“In order to overcome the current ordeal and to eliminate any danger to the residents of St Basil’s from now on. We similarly support the other eleven facilities of St Basil’s throughout Australia, in which not a single case of the coronavirus has been recorded,” he added.

His Eminence did not fail to mention the people with coronavirus who are currently in hospital, making special reference to the vulnerable group of the elderly and praying for their speedy recovery.

“At the same time, our thoughts are with all Greek people and all our fellow citizens who are hospitalised due to being infected with the coronavirus, as well as with their families who are in anguish”, he stressed.

“We pray for their speedy recovery so that neither the Greek community nor Australian society mourns any further deaths.

“We are particularly anxious and praying for our fellow humans who belong to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly given, as is well-known, that more than 60 aged care facilities in metropolitan Melbourne and in all of Victoria have outbreaks, with confirmed cases amounting to many hundreds.”

Exclusive: Basil Zempilas – ‘My heart beats true for Greece and Perth’

Peter Olgos
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Exclusive: Basil Zempilas – ‘My heart beats true for Greece and Perth’

A proud Kastellorizian who wants nothing more than the people of Perth to be proud of their city. Nothing else could better describe the man who is running to become Perth’s next Lord Mayor this year.

Basil Zempilas has so far had a successful career as an Australian television host, radio presenter and sports commentator. Yet the Greek Australian wishes to take his career to the next step, or more appropriately, take the City of Perth into a new direction.

“Perth’s not broken but it can be improved. It can be better,” Basil Zempilas says exclusively to The Greek Herald.

“The city needs strong leadership at the moment and I see myself as a strong leader.

“Perth has been very good to me and my family and this is an opportunity for me and my family to give back to the city that’s been so good to us.”

The Perth radio breakfast host says he’s always been on the lookout to give back to the city and run for office, yet the time never seemed right until now. With no council or Lord Mayor for two and a half years, Basil says it’s the closest Perth is going to get to a “fresh start”.

Channel 7 personality Basil Zempilas at Elizabeth Quay. Basil Zempilas with wife Amy and their children Ava 9, Anthony 2, and Chloe 6. Picture Jackson Flindell /The West Australian

“I’ve always been very interested in local government, particularly the city of Perth. I had to assess if the time was right for me.

“Given it was a fresh start and there was no incumbent Lord Mayor, it did feel like it was the right time.”

The lack of leadership has seen the conversation around Perth have more of a negative approach, with Basil saying the city has an issue with “anti-social behaviour”. Seeing the protentional for a “better Perth”, Basil plans to use his resources to deliver the demands of the people of Perth.

“People continue to tell me they want a safer and cleaner Perth and there’s no doubt to me that’s not the first and most significant building block to a better Perth,” Basil says.

“We need to clean our city up. But we also need to attract and create compelling events and attractions and we need to make it a more people focused and people friendly city.”

A project that Basil recognises as the greatest step in the right direction is the construction of Australia’s first and pre-eminent Indigenous museum and cultural centre built in Perth. The Lord Mayor candidate plans to use the City of Perth’s “enthusiasm, state government finances and private sector funds” to make the opportunity become reality.

“I’m determined to play a lead role in that if I’m successful, bringing the various stakeholders together to make it happen for Perth.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for our city and I don’t want to see it wasted.”

With a passion for media, Basil enjoys his current role on breakfast radio and as an AFL commentator, as well as his former role on the popular breakfast show ‘Weekend Sunrise’. Asked if he would continue his media career if elected, Basil said he had no intention of pausing one dream to pursue another.

“My plan is to continue as a working mayor… I have a lot of flexibility with my employers, I’ve got a lot of energy as well, and I have a commitment to make it work.

“I can make it work and I wouldn’t of put my hand up if I didn’t think I had what it takes to give this everything.”

A beautiful city that has seen great development, particularly in the last ten years, the Western Australian capital has seen many migrant families call the city their home. Hailing from Kastellorizo at various stages in the 1900’s, Basil’s family has made a legacy in the City of Perth.

“My grandfathers both had businesses on Barrack Street…. My mum’s dad had the Olympia Café and my dad’s dad had a shop at the town hall just across the road, and that started a long association of the Zempilas family with the city of Perth.”

The Zempilas family’s legacy was permanently recognised by the City of Perth with a street in the cultural hub of Northbridge being named in honour of his family’s contribution.

“My family’s contribution to the area was acknowledged with one of the streets in Northbridge which is just next to Perth central. It was named Zempilas street in honour of my family’s contribution.”

Much of Basil’s family still lives in Greece, with his sister being married and living there since 1979. A proud member of the Greek community in Perth, the Lord Mayor candidate is honoured to call Greece and the City of Perth his home.

“My heart beats true for Greece and beats true for Perth,” Basil says proudly.

“I’ve been involved in many different levels of the Greek community here in Perth. In 2018 I was named Kastellorizian of the year by the Victorian Kastellorizian association.

“I’m very proud of my Greek heritage and it drives a lot of what I do and has driven a lot of what I’ve done throughout my career.”

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