On the morning of June 20, 1824, the Turkish fleet began the destruction of Psarra, signifying one of the biggest blows to the revolutionary effort.
The Turkish fleet comprised of 176 ships (warships and transports), carrying 17,000 Turkish and Albanian troops. The forces defending Psara included 1,300 Psarians, 700 refugee troops, and 1,027 mercenaries from Macedonia and Thessaly. The island’s 100 ships were a sizeable force that posed a thorn in Turkish naval operations.
The beaches were organised with cannon emplacements and trenches. All defences were prepared well, apart from one tragic mistake. In trying to placate the mercenaries, the locals agreed to remove the rudders from their significant fleet, thus rendering their ships useless.
Despite strong naval bombardment, the Turks were unable to land their troops on the Greek island. However, naval scouts found they could disembark at an area called Cavo Markaki.
They then disembarked and proceeded to destroy the islands defenders. Very quickly they began the systematic roundup and slaughter of the inhabitants. Horrific scenes ensued, with streets strewn with the corpses of old men, women and children.
Of the 30,000 inhabitants, 18,000 were massacred or sold as slaves. Of the 100 or so Psarian ships, only 16 managed to escape along with seven fireships under Konstantinos Kanaris.
The destruction of Psara dealt a serious blow to the revolutionary effort as it destroyed a very vital portion of the Greek navy.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios has paid a visit to doctors working on the coronavirus vaccine during his three-day visit to Melbourne.
His Eminence received a special invitation from the University of Victoria, specifically from the head of research for the treatment of COVID-19, Dr Vasso Apostolopoulo.
Also present at the meeting were Corinne Reid, Vice President for Research, Ross Coller, Director of Scientific Progress, and Yvette Petersen, Director of Scientific Development at the University.
His Eminence briefed on the current research progress. Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
The scientists presented to His Eminence the current research progress on discovering drugs and vaccines to help fight coronavirus, with the Archbishop also asking questions regarding the type of work conducted.
It should be noted that the Archbishop was accompanied by Archdeacon Mr. Athenagoras, also a Doctor of Physics at Stanford University, and the Director of the Archbishop’s Office, Deacon Mr. Christoforos.
His Eminence proceeded to visit the workshops, congratulating and blessing the efforts of the Greek researcher and her collaborators.
His Eminence blesses the efforts of the Greek researcher and her collaborators. Photo Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
His Eminence blesses the efforts of the Greek researcher and her collaborators. Photo Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
“I am very optimistic that the research currently being carried out at this Research Centre will bear fruit and that we will soon have the tools to fight the pandemic. I wish and pray that the time of God will come and that humanity will be saved,” His Eminence said.
Ms. Apostolopoulou also stressed that “we asked for special permission to bring Archbishop Makarios to the workshops and bless us. Because he himself has research experience, he can understand our struggle. We want his support, his blessing and his prayers.”
Throughout Vasili’s journey throughout Sydney’s Greek business community, one recurring theme is the importance of family in a business’ success. And what is amazing is how the support and care in one family’s business transcends into the family that takes over this business. The same strong family values and attitudes are passed on and the business continues to grow. One family fosters a warm and loving work environment and the next family continues on with it…
Our lives are full of wonderful moments, whether they are engagements, weddings and baptisms, and they become etched in our family’s stories. On these special occasions, we rely on someone to make sure that everything runs smoothly and everyone walks away (at the end) completely happy and satisfied. How many of us have organised or attended one of these special occasions, and have had Pelopidas Catering make sure it was a magical occasion?
Pelopidas Keravnos migrated to Australia in 1970; in Sydney, his first job was in Riverstone abbatoirs; a huge strike prompts his cynicism about its reasons and he finds work at Arthur Roufagalis’ milk bar in Bondi Junction and he works here for a number of years.
Photos: Vasilis Vasilas
Marrying Anthoula in 1977, and wanting venture into his own business, Pelopidas and his κουμπάρο, Kostas Christodoulou, established the catering business, Lefkosia Catering. Like so many beginnings, it was initially difficult but this dynamic duo’s philosophy of respecting their customers’ wishes and providing excellent service and delicious food won over customers. Back then, Pelopidas and Kostas prepared foods like the dips in Kostas’ garage and did all the cooking at the reception centres and halls- people appreciated hot food on the premises!
Despite their success, Kosta moved onto running successful reception centres while Pelopidas continued in catering and established Pelopidas Catering (1988). Reflecting on his decision to continue catering, Pelopidas points out, ‘I enjoyed the freedom go moving around different venues whether it was the Marana Hall, Hurstville, or the Kos Association Hall in Petersham. Being free, I could cater numerous functions at the same time, whereas running a function centre limited you with one of two functions. One time, we catered twelve functions during one weekend!’
Photos: Vasilis Vasilas
Through another κουμπάρο, Savvas Plakides, who worked for hims, the Pericleous family’s sons- Perry, Kokos, Moysis and Mario- all found casual work at Pelopidas Catering. Even the parents, Haralambos and Haralmbia began working there! Coming from Argaka (Paphos), Cyrpurs, the Pericleous family migrated to Australia in 1977.
With Pelopidas establishing a base on Canterbury Road, Canterbury, for all the preparations to be made, and Perry finishing his hospitality management TAFE course, an opportunity arose for the Pericleous family to become partners in the business (1992) and they then subsequently bought it (1995)- with Pelopidas everpresent to help and advise the family. Expanding the business, the Pericleous family ran the function centre, Fontana Amorosa, at Liverpool’s Agios Rafael Greek Orthodox Church (1998) and the function centre at Blacktown’s Agia Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church (2001).
All four brothers emphasise every function is very different whether it is catering for touring Greek singers Michalis Violaris, Rita Sakellariou and Gita Lidia or an outddor glala day for Sydney Olympic Soccer Club; yet, it does not matter what type of function it is, the late Haralambos Pericleous philosophy was always ‘please your visitors before you please yourself’ and the family strives to be the perfect hosts in making sure of this- offering high quality service and food which is always great value..
Photos: Vasilis Vasilas
Asked about the secret of keeps the family business together, all four Pericleous sons agree, ‘It is all about what is best for the family. We may have our differences, but work through them because we have been together all our lives, and this is our strength. Even our children work in the business, so this is a third-generation family business! And we have such strong ties with Pelopidas’ family, as we may be in contact with Anthoula three or four times a week. And Pelopidas and Anthoula’s daughter, Irini (Plangides) has baptised one child in each of our families. We are κουμπάροι four times!’
And what keeps people coming back over the years, ‘We have customers whom we catered for their engagement, wedding and baptisms; the years pass and their children are now going through the same cycle and they come to us. Why? As we are dealing with families’ special moments, we cater for them in the same way as if they are our family. We are also part of their celebration. When we offer zivania to our customers at the beginning of each function, it represents a toast to our customers as if they are our extended family’.
Feature guests took to the stage to discuss ways on strengthening the relations between Greece and Diaspora as part of the 5th Delphi Economic Forum, on Thursday 18 June.
The discussion was held in English and featured:
George Prevelakis, Professor emeritus, Sorbonne University (Paris 1), Permanent Representative of Greece at the OECD
Bill Papastergiadis, Managing Partner, Moray & Agnew Lawyers, Australia
Endy Zemenides, Executive Director, Hellenic-American Leadership Council, USA
Moderator: Antonis Papayannides, Managing Director, Economia Publishing, Greece
During the discussion, a number of issues related to Diaspora’s cooperation with Greece were discussed, as well as proposals for improving these relations in the future.
Four issues were of main consideration during the panel:
What is the current make up of the Diaspora
Is now a good time to further the relationship
How is the Diaspora currently dealing with this relationship
What are the impediments?
According to Mr Papastergiadis, it was predicted that the Greek Diaspora in Australia would shrink numerically and culturally as a result of the termination of Greek immigration post 1974. However, following the economic crisis and collapse of the Greek economy, there has been a huge repatriation of the Greek-Australian Diaspora back to Australia.
It is estimated by Dr A. Tamis, that there are approximately 80,000 Greek-Australian citizens that returned to Australia and 10,000 Greek settlers on various visas.
“The
Diaspora in Australia is not homogenous, Melbourne is different to Sydney – for
example – those born in Greece differ from their children and then they differ
from those who have married into other ethnicity,” he said.
“There is no homogenous national identity. Equally, there has been a change of view about the Greek homeland. That yearning for the return to Greece is no longer related to a melancholy story of loss and decay. Hence, the idea of belonging has changed over a period of time with the recognition of cultural differences.”
Mr Papastergiadis believe’s that now is the time to move forward in developing the relationship between Greece and Australia. “In Australia, the politicians and policy makers know that the Greek Diaspora is good for business,” he said.
“In Australia and particularly in Melbourne, the Greek community is considered amongst the strongest if not the strongest ethnic group. It stimulates trade, provides links to foreign markets and expanded services for the community. The government provides and funds festivals and numerous cultural and educational programs.”
Referring to the meeting held in July 2019 with Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Mr Papastergiadis discussed the issue of postal vote from Diaspora.
Discussing the importance of the right to vote for Greeks living abroad, Mr Papastergiadis emphasised that: “A vote means more than just filling out a ballot. It means reflecting and engaging on all issues that relate to your country. It brings you closer to your country. By allowing the vote, Greece will send a message to its citizens that everyone counts. That we are all one. Hopefully this will lead to more engagement both culturally and economically.”
The father of one of Milton Orkopoulos’ alleged victims claimed he tried to alert Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd that another MP had covered up warnings that Orkopoulos was preying on children.
But the former PM says he has no memory of being informed of any complaint reaching his office.
Orkopoulos this week was charged with charged with 15 new child sex abuse offences. Police allege Orkopoulos sexually and indecently assaulted two juvenile boys known to him on separate occasions in the 1990s at locations in Lake Macquarie and on the NSW mid-north coast.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the father of one of the victims, who made allegations towards the former MP in 2014, claims the matter had not been properly handled by police or the Labor Party.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says he does not remember any complaints about pedophile former Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett
The father claimed he wrote to Mr Rudd, then the prime minister, in 2009, naming a Federal MP he said was made aware in 1997 that Orkopoulos allegedly abused his son. He claims he received a response from an adviser saying it was inappropriate for the PM’s office to interfere in state matters and he should contact law enforcement.
But a spokesman for Mr Rudd said thousands of messages reached the office of the prime minister each week and he has “zero recollection” of hearing such information.
“Mr Rudd’s office as prime minister would have received thousands of items of correspondence each week,” the spokesman said. “These were routinely dealt with either by the correspondence unit attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, by staff members or by the public service.”
Orkopoulos is alleged to have molested a boy in a shower in 1993 or 1994. Photo: John Grainger/The Daily Telegraoh
Mr Rudd said he had no recollection of hearing any rumours about other victims nor recalls any engagement with any other MPs about the matter.
“The staffer’s purported advice (to the father) was to take the matter to state law enforcement, as opposed to in any way concealing the matter or letting it drop,” the spokesman said.
There is no suggestion Mr Rudd ever received the letters personally.
Orkopoulos was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court via audio-visual link on Tuesday.
The convicted paedophile spent 11-and-a-half years in jail after he was convicted of 30 child sex, drug and child porn offences.
“As you would expect, coming forward in relation to being a victim of a sexual offence is a very traumatic experience,” said Superintendent Sullivan. “We are very thankful for the courage shown.”
State Theatre Company South Australia and Country Arts SA are making the 2018 production of The Gods of Strangers by Elena Carapetis available to stream online in Australia from 22 June to 29 June, 2020.
Inspired by the oral histories of Greek, Cypriot and Italian migrants to regional South Australia, The Gods of Strangers explores the untold struggles of belonging, identity and family in post World War II Australia.
Featuring Dina Panozzo, Renato Musolino and Eugenia Fragos, this multicultural drama was written from the heart by Greek Cypriot Elena Carapetis and as a result, it has received critical acclaim.
The Gods of Strangers features Dina Panozzo, Renato Musolino and Eugenia Fragos. Source: State Theatre Company South Australia.
“This play is destined to become a contemporary classic of Australian theatre,” writes The Upside News.
“South Australia’s most promising new playwright,” The Barefoot Review says about Carapetis.
With such high praise, there’s no doubt The Gods of Strangers is not to be missed when it streams online for a limited time. If you want to gain access to the streaming link please sign up here.
SYNOPSIS:
It’s 1947. Two women in Port Pirie greet unexpected guests at their doors. At one, there’s a man looking for shelter, work and to leave his past behind him. At the other, a woman seeking someone she has lost and something that was stolen from her.
It is said that if a stranger knocks on your door, you let them in – they could be a god in disguise. But, what do they bring in with them?
The Gods of Strangers is a trilingual performance. It will be performed in English, with sections of the play being performed in Greek and Italian with English subtitles.
Australia is currently being hit with a massive cyber attack by a “sophisticated, state-based cyber actor”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.
“This activity is targeting Australian organisations across a range of sectors, including all levels of government, industry, political organisations, education, health, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure,” Mr Morrison told reporters Canberra.
“We know it is a sophisticated, state-based cyber actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting and the tradecraft used. Regrettably, this activity is not new. Frequency has been increasing.”
Mr Morrison said the government was announcing the issue today “not to raise concerns in the public’s mind but to raise awareness in the public’s mind”.
Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. Photo: Australian Federal Gov.
He said so far there had been no large-scale data breaches of Australians’ personal information as a result of the attacks.
“This is the world that we live in. These are the threats that we have to deal with. The fact that these threats present is not a surprise in this world in which we now live and the actions that we are taking are the actions that we need to take and we will continue to be as ever vigilant as we possibly can,” he said.
The ABC reports that China is behind the malicious attacks, yet Mr Morrison said the Federal Government would not be making “any public attribution” about the attack.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the attacks were “not new” but the “frequency has been increasing … over many months”.
“It hasn’t just started,” he said.
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 18: Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House, on June 18, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images)
“This is a constant threat to Australia, as it is to many other nations and you would be aware of many other nations having highlighted similar activity in their jurisdictions. This has been a constant issue for Australia to deal with and so I wouldn’t say that there has been any one event or any one instance.”
He said it had been an “issue of ongoing management, defence and cooperation, working with private operators, other governments, all levels of government and other organisations”.
Mr Morrison said the Opposition had been notified last night, as had state and territory premiers and chief ministers.
“A number of them have already been involved working with our agencies on these issues,” he said.
“In addition to that there will be further technical briefings conducted with the states and territories today.”
Angelos Sikelianos was one of Greece’s most distinguished poets, born on the island of Lefkada on March 15, 1884. Dedicating his life to his work, Sikelianos developed some of Greece’s most prestigious pieces of literature, being nominated five times for a Nobel Prize.
His first poem “Alafroiskiotos”, written in 1907 on a trip to Egypt, was a true hymn to Greek nature, written with admirable power and coarse original lyrics. During the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), in which he took part, he wrote patriotic poems, which were published in newspapers, magazines and in the poetry collection “Verses” (1921).
In May 1927, in collaboration with his wife, Eva Palmer-Sikelianos, Sikelianos held the Delphic Festival as part of his general effort towards a revival of the ‘Delphic Idea’. The ‘Delphic Feasts’ featured performances of ancient tragedies and popular exhibitions, attracting global attention.
Angelos Sikelianos with his wife Eva Palmer-Sikelianos.
Much of Sikelianos’ poetic inspiration is drawn from themes from the ancient Greek world, mythology and mysticism. Such are his tragedies: “Dithyrambus of Rhodes” (1933) and “Daedalus in Crete”, as well as many poems.
The poetic creation of Sikelianos is of special value, from when the first signs of World War II began to its end. During the occupation of Greece, he secretly wrote and published “Akritika” (1941-1942), a cry of pain for enslaved Hellenism. In 1947, his poetic work titled “Lyrical Life” was published in three volumes.
On June 4, 1951, due to a mistake by a domestic helper, he received a disinfectant instead of his medicine, suffering severe burns to his respiratory organs. On June 19, 1951, he died at the “Pammakaristos” clinic in Athens.
Never seen before on the Australian version of the popular cooking show, winner of Masterchef Greece Stavros Varthalitis announced on Thursday that he is gifting half of his prize money to runner-up Stavris Georgiou.
Hundreds of thousands of Greeks tuned in to watch Varthalitis be crowned the winner of Masterchef Greece 2020, beating out fierce competitor and friend Stavris Georgiou, Greek Reporter writes.
While Varthalitis rightly won the competition fair and square, he announced the next day that he would share the 50,000-euro prize with Georgiou.
“The prize money will be split 50-50,” he said speaking to interviewers from Star TV. “When I promise something, I keep my word,” he added, referring to a private deal the two competitors made during the show.
“Now that our real life begins, I don’t want to lose him. I want to maintain this healthy relationship that we had in the game as I hope we can cooperate as chefs in the near future,” Varthalitis added.
Masterchef Australia is close to wrapping up its twelfth season of the show. The show features a new panel of judges following judges George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan leaving due to a failed commercial agreement.
Ikoyenia,
or family, is a word describing the basic social unit in Greek society. It is also
the title of a bilingual, four-part children’s books series written by Adelaide
based Greek-Cypriot mum and journalist, Stephanie Timotheou.
“As a journalist I am always writing, but most of the time writing for a newspaper doesn’t allow you to completely unleash your creative flair. When I found out I was pregnant in 2018, I started searching for a sentimental book I could give to my mum and mother-in-law about being a yiayia (grandmother).
“I couldn’t find the perfect book, so I decided I would write one of my own. ‘Cooking with Yiayia’ is a tribute to them, as well as my own yiayiathes,” Mrs Timotheou told The Greek Herald shortly before the release of the first part of her Ikoyenia stories.
Cooking with Yiayia, is a bilingual rhyming book about one little Greek girl and the bond she has with her Yiayia through cooking. The book is written in English and Greek to encourage children to learn the language.
“Without
our heritage, who are we?”
Having grown close to her own grandmothers and in deep connection with her Cypriot roots, Mrs Timotheou wants to pass on the love for her culture to her daughter Anthea.
“My
biggest fear is that when our grandparents and parents are gone, nobody is
going to carry on our beautiful culture and traditions. I think it’s important
to maintain and preserve our heritage because without it, who are we?
“Geographically
we are so far away from Greece and Cyprus and it’s easy to lose sight of where
we came from, so I think, more than ever, we need to keep our culture well and
truly alive,” Timotheou said.
“To me, ikoyenia is home. It’s heart, soul and passion. It’s love, loyalty and a sense of belonging. It’s a very special thing that can’t be replaced.
“If my books can bring people together through storytime, my job is done. There’s nothing like a physical book, especially in this day and age where we are so consumed by technology. I think books bring people back into the present, real world and they are something we all need in our lives.”
The
self-taught illustrator who brought the book to life
In
the Ikoyenia book series, Stephanie’s written text is decorated with the
simplistic family characters who were brought to life by Australian self-taught
illustrator, Rachel Darling.
“For
the most part, all of the characters wear happy little smiles, as they enjoy
their family time with each other. I’ve really enjoyed bringing that feeling to
life through these characters and illustrations,” said Darling, explaining that
her only connection with the Greek culture are her many Greek friends, a summer
holiday in Greece and a bit of Greek language learning back in Primary School.
“I’ve
always loved Greek food and had a fascination with Greek mythology, which I
really enjoyed learning more about in Greece last year,” she said.
*The three books to follow are Gardening with Pappou, Playtime with Baba and Bedtime with Mama. You can order the books here: https://www.ikoyenia.com.au
