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The late Palasa Salvi honoured with garden named after her in Goulburn

The Greek Herald
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The late Palasa Salvi honoured with garden named after her in Goulburn

The late Palasa Salvi (Miriklis) has been honoured with a garden named after her. The garden in Howard Park, Goulburn, was officially opened on Tuesday.

There was a large turnout of family and friends for the opening, which flourished into a reunion of for the Greek and Italian communities of Goulburn.

Palasa Salvi was a migrant from Greece who ran The Empire Cafe, in Goulburn, from 1949. She was nominated for Gouldburn’s Lilac Queen competition in 1953 to represent the Greek community, and won the award.

Not only was she crowned the Lilac Queen, but she helped build the bridge between post-war migrants and cultural integration into local Australian communities.

Palasa’s family came from the war-ravaged Greek island of Kastellorizo.

In a short memoir she wrote before her death, she said winning the competition altered her life.

“The confined life of a Greek migrant was suddenly changed,” she wrote.

“Non-Greeks had helped our efforts and shown a new warmth. Overnight I was well-liked and a town celebrity. I raised my sights.”

Young Palasa Miriklis married Peter Salvi and together they ran the Empire Fish Cafe.

Mrs Salvi, who died in November 2017, remained a big supporter of the country’s longest-running festival.

At the opening of the garden, Goulburn Mulware Mayor Bob Kirk paid tribute to her and her family.

“She was very much a bridge between the local Greek and Italian and wider communities,” Kirk said.

“She was a model of post-war multicultural integration.”

“She helped out with the Crescent School, St Saviour’s Neighbourhood Centre and the Greek Church,” he said.

“It is fitting that the council has chosen to dedicate this garden to her and even more fitting to do so at the start of Lilac Time.”

Her son Bepi Salvi also spoke at the opening.

“Mum had three identities. She was a proud Greek. She was accepted in the Italian community, but she was always Goulburn,” he said.

“Back in those days, the Greek community was 150 strong and they did quite well. She loved her Greek community here and there are a lot of them still here and they contribute a lot to the city.”

Gary Groves also spoke, saying Palasa was symbolic of the post-war contribution migrants made to Australia.

“When she arrived here, she could have held back, hurt by a slurry of anti-migrant jests, but instead she reached out, befriended all and sundry and volunteered on many fronts in a six-decade-long engagement with the Goulburn community,” he said.

Lilac bushes have been planted along the boundary of the garden. Goulburn’s Lilac City Festival returns this weekend.

Greek wine: Learn and Love

The Greek Herald
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Greek wine: Learn and Love

We all know about how delicious Santorini wine is, but what about the other regions in Greece?

Become an expert. Take a friend and head along to The World of Greek Wine Program when TAFE NSW Sydney Wine Academy will open its doors to people interested in learning about the wonderful world of Greek Wines.

Its a simple three hour course that will explore the ancient and modern history of Greece, its four iconic grape varieties and the different wine regions located throughout Greece.

Delivered in partnership with Greece’s National wine body, the National Inter-Professional Organization of Vine and Wine of Greece, TAFE NSW Sydney Wine Academy is the first and only academy outside Greece able to offer this certificate.

“This program is very unique as it is the only one of it’s kind taught in Australia. It allows students to explore an area of wine which they may not know much about in our wine sensory centre and fully equipped wine tasting classrooms.

With a focus on some of Greece’s most famous indigenous grape varieties and their regions, students come away with a thorough understanding of Greek Wines.” said Sydney Wine Academy Course Director, Clive Hartley

The World of Greek Wine Program, will take place on Saturday 21 September 2019 at the TAFE NSW Sydney Wine Academy at Ryde.

For further information visit https://www.tafensw.edu.au/sydney-wine-academy

Milos, voted ‘Best Island of Europe’ for 2019 & Crete, Paros & Santorini in overall top 5

The Greek Herald
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Milos, voted ‘Best Island of Europe’ for 2019 & Crete, Paros & Santorini in overall top 5

The Cycladic island of Milos has been voted the ‘Best Island of Europe’ for 2019 by readers of the foremost U.S. travel magazine “Travel and Leisure”, with three more Greek islands – Crete, Paros and Santorini, respectively – occupying second, fourth and fifth positions in the same category.

Greece “rules the list” according to the author of the article “The Top 15 Islands in Europe,” with four islands in the top five. About Milos, she notes that the famous ‘Venus de Milo’ statue was found there while present attractions include its traditional Cycladic villages, volcanic craters, ruins, white sand beaches and turquoise waters – plus being affordable and largely free of the crowds seen on other Greek islands.

The four Greek islands also occupy prominent positions on the ‘Best Islands in the World’ list, where Milos ranks fourth, Crete seventh, Paros 11th and Santorini 14th. Among their advantages, according to readers, are their natural beauty, fine food and ancient civilisation.

The prizes will be awarded on July 16 in New York, with the prize for Milos to be accepted by the deputy head of the U.S. National Tourism Organisation office, Maria Kritharioti.

Woman and child dead in fire at Moria refugee camp, police respond with tear gas

The Greek Herald
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A wildfire in Moria hotspot broke out yesterday, leaving at least 2 refugees dead. It has not been confirmed yet whether there are more casualties.

It was reported the fire broke out due to an electricity short circuit.

A forensic examination is underway of the charred corpse of a woman, which was transferred from Moria to Lesvos General Hospital on Sunday evening by a local individual.

Police are trying to reach the burnt housing containers where a second corpse, of a child, is reportedly located, police sources say.

Meanwhile, additional police forces are being deployed to Lesvos to help contain clashes between camp residents and local police.

In a statement by police headquarters, the upheaval broke out after two fires that occurred separately, first outside and then inside Moria camp.

Furthermore, the Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection Lefteris Economou, along with the Chief of Police and the Secretary General for Migration Policy are heading to Lesvos.

The first fire occurred 400 meters outside the camp, while a second fire occurred twenty minutes later at a housing unit inside the camp, which was destroyed while flames spread to adjacent housing units.

Witnesses also shared reports of police responding with tear gas and abuse, to contain the panic.

Humanitarian aid organisation, Movement On The Ground, wrote on their social media:

“Unfortunately we can’t say that we are shocked. Over a month ago we rang the alarm that the situation in and around Moria was extremely worrying. And today, despite all our efforts we regret it was in vain for the souls we lost today,” they said.

“We continue our mission as we are here to serve the people but we realize more than ever this situation needs to change.”

Remaining tourists stranded from Thomas Cook bankruptcy will be repatriated soon

The Greek Herald
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Remaining tourists stranded from Thomas Cook bankruptcy will be repatriated soon

The repatriation of the 50,000 tourists stranded at 13 different locations in Greece following the bankruptcy of travel agency Thomas Cook will be completed by the beginning of October, Deputy Tourism Minister Manolis Konsolas said on Monday.

Konsolas added that some 6,331 tourists at South Aegean islands have already been returned to their home countries, soon to be followed by the remaining 958.

Thomas Cook said it had been forced to seek insolvency to extricate itself from its UK parent company’s “financial tie-ups and related liabilities”.

Under EU package holiday rules, tourists are covered financially from a company’s insolvency as well as have the right to repatriation.

Greek strikes bring country to a standstill for second time in two weeks

The Greek Herald
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Greek strikes bring country to a standstill for second time in two weeks

Private sector workers in Greece have caused havoc as transport links, the finance sector and media agencies walked off the job on Wednesday for the second time in two weeks. This 24-hour nationwide strike is in protest against labour reforms planned by the country’s recently-elected conservative government.

Athens airport services and railways in and beyond the capital were severely affected.

Ferries serving islands also stopped their service and the journalists’ union announced a media shutdown for the duration of the strike.

A rally in Athens city centre caused large traffic jams throughout the city. Protesters marched through the city chanting “Hands off strikes, hands off unions!” The rally was organized by GSEE, Greece’s largest union, which represents around 2.5 million workers.

The unions have accused the government of trying to control or weaken them.

“Once again, the few on strike inconvenienced the many,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The conservative politician claims that the new regulations would encourage greater investment and allow economic growth beyond 2%.

The bill is also aimed to tackle unemployment, which currently sits at 17%, the highest of any Eurozone country.

The proposed law would also require a turnout of more than 50% at any future strike action for it to be valid.

The controversial bill will be discussed in parliament later in the month.

Greece to implement plastic ban

The Greek Herald
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Greece to implement plastic ban

The Greek market will rise to the challenge of eliminating single-use plastics, replacing them with green alternatives.

Mitsotakis made an announcement in New York, where he was taking part in the UN Climate Action Summit, that single-use plastics will be banned across Greece as of 2021.

Greece has already made some progress in this regard by charging users of plastic carrier bags with an environmental tax over the last couple of years, in compliance with a European Union directive.

This measure reduced the use of single-use plastic bags by an estimated 80 to 85 percent in 2018, compared to the year before, according to a survey by the Institute of Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA).

Applying a ban to all types of single-use plastics, such as cups, bottles, straws and other commodities of everyday use may seem more difficult, but it is entirely feasible for Greece, said Ilianna Kosta, a product designer of a local manufacturer of bamboo-made biodegradable utensils.

“The Greek market is working very hard to show progress in this respect, and is advancing fast. Local business has made a dynamic entry in environment-friendly products and Greek society has also matured toward that,” said Kosta.

Greece’s Chios island grows mysterious healing plant

The Greek Herald
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Greece’s Chios island grows mysterious healing plant

Known as the “painted village,” Pyrgi is undoubtedly one of the most photogenic places in the world.

Located on Chios, the fifth largest of Greece’s islands, it’s made up of houses adorned with geometric engravings that use a technique called sgraffito.

Pyrgi has proved to be one of the wealthiest villages in the Mediterranean over the ages.

For centuries, the local economy has been strengthened by the cultivation of lentisc trees that produce the aromatic “mastiha” resin.

The natural resin is obtained through the cultivation of lentisc trees that produce “mastiha”.

Historically, the wealthy chewed mastiha as a form of dental hygein to protect themselves against plaque and to freshen their mouths. As a result, it was very highly prized.

Today there’s a renewed interest in mastiha thanks to its perceived health benefits.

“The EU has recognized mastiha as a traditional herbal medicine for digestive problems and the cultivation know-how has been declared a UNESCO intangible cultural monument of humanity” says Ilias Smyrnioudis, research manager for the Mastiha Owners Association in the official mastiha shop in Chios Town.

Chios exports 90% of their annual production to 45 countries. You can even find mastiha across American health foods stores as a food supplement.

“Most exports go to the Middle East, which never lost its taste for mastiha.” Muslim culture has been known to use during Ramadan as a spice in food and also as a house perfume.

In Greece, it’s been used as a gum, a digestive liqueur and for sweet treat “submarine,” a soft mastiha fondant served around a spoon in ice cold water.

Actor and director, Stathis Grapsas, shares his achievements in seminar in Melbourne on Oct 10

The Greek Herald
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Actor and director, Stathis Grapsas, shares his achievements in seminar in Melbourne on Oct 10

Actor and director Stathis Grapsas will share his life changing experience in the theatre, in a special seminar at the Greek Centre, on Thursday 10 October.

He started in the Melbourne Greek Community Children’s Theatre group in 1979, and made it all the way to the Athens theatre scene, creating a personal development workshop for prisoners. He has collaborated his work with the Greek National Theatre in four major prison facilities in Greece, and has presented his ideas in cities across Europe and America.

The emphasis in his work is about personal development being achieved in group settings. The group becomes a family from which we keep growing and manage to gain a new perspective on life, new experiences and limits that we keep striving to surpass.

Stathis has trained as an actor in Melbourne, London and Athens, and has performed in most major cities in Europe, at the Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia, at the Ancient Theatre of Epidavros and the Herodes Atticus Theatre in Athens. In Post-War Belgrade (2001), he organized and conducted theatre workshops for beneficiaries in 10 institutions for homeless and parentless children and youth. He was the assistant director for the BBC on location in Greece for the November 17 documentary.

In June 2010, he undertook a project with migrant primary school students and presented a provocative text titled Furtive Life. From 2010 to 2013 he ran a personal development workshop on a voluntary basis, in a Greek prison for young offenders.

In 2011 the theatre group in the prison started performing to audiences from within the community and also travelled via police escort to other prisons to perform. His experience extends to working with youth under court supervision and conducting workshops for released adult prisoners. Before leaving Greece in 2013, Stathis conducted a workshop for prisoners in the Korydallos Psychiatric Prison of Athens.

From 2003 to 2013, he was the resident director at Hydrama Theatre and Arts Centre, where he conducted workshops for students and professional actor, focusing on the political aspect of Ancient Greek Tragedy and its contemporary application.

Upon his return to Melbourne, he conducted a workshop in a local remand facility and collaborated with the Northland Youth Centre on a project for high-risk youth. In 2015 he started a 2-year voluntary initiative with three actors from the Fusion Theatre Company and presented an original piece of work titled, Heroes of the Past and Present.

He has worked for the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) both as an actor and a director. Apart from his work with students from the Greek Schools run by the GCM, he also worked with the Creative Drama and Arts group which consisted of predominantly Greek migrants and presented work devised by the group itself.

Stathis is currently based in Greece and continues his work in four prison facilities and as a workshop facilitator for the Epanodos Organization which caters for released prisoners and continues his work at the Hydrama Theatre and Arts Centre.

When: Thursday 10 October 2019 | 7:00pm

Where: The Greek Centre, Mezzanine Level, 168 Lonsdale Street , Melbourne

Archbishop Makarios launches October as the Greek Welfare Centre’s community awareness month

The Greek Herald
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Archbishop Makarios launches October as the Greek Welfare Centre’s community awareness month

The Primate of Australia points out in a message that, as an arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, the Greek Welfare Centre undertakes a wide range of programs and services to help address the needs of the “least of these my brethrem”.

Archbishop Makarios warmly congratulates and commends “the Management of the Centre for their guiding focus, the tireless efforts of the Director Steve Magdas for his leadership, the Staff and the hundreds of volunteers who come together with the single aim of giving of themselves in a self-sacrificing and humble manner.”

“The events that unfold during the coming weeks, showcase the multi-faceted approach of the centre’s wide-ranging activities, which ultimately see Christ in all those they serve,” the Archbishop says.

Archbishop Makarios, finally, wishes the Greek Welfare Centre every success in the endeavours and pursuits during this month, and for the years ahead.

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