Pharos Alliance continues its work in revitalising the use of Modern Greek in Melbourne, guided by a strategic plan which commits them to work at three levels, first to build capacity in the language whether this is at home, in school or in higher education, second to increase opportunities for people to use the language in a wide array of settings in our city and thirdly, to foster a positive desire among young people to see themselves as competent and frequent users of the language.
These priority actions are based on research evidence from different parts of the world that has revealed how languages undergoing loss across the generations can be restored to health.
Following on from two successful parent seminars in 2023 and 2024, Pharos Alliance have announced the third seminar on Raising Bilingual Children, to be held on Sunday 8 June 2025, 1.30pm to 5.30pm at The Greek Centre.
The presenter will be Professor Joseph Lo Bianco, also President of Pharos Alliance. With his immeasurable experience in this area, alongside his recent published articles for parents, the seminar will give the opportunity for attendees to develop the skills to encourage their children’s use of Greek at home. With the help of research and interactive activities, all who attend should feel enriched with tools to support their own endeavours.
For any further queries, please keep in touch via email at pharos.au@gmail.com
Pharos Alliance to present parent seminar on raising children bilingually
Pharos Alliance continues its work in revitalising the use of Modern Greek in Melbourne, guided by a strategic plan which commits them to work at three levels, first to build capacity in the language whether this is at home, in school or in higher education, second to increase opportunities for people to use the language in a wide array of settings in our city and thirdly, to foster a positive desire among young people to see themselves as competent and frequent users of the language.
These priority actions are based on research evidence from different parts of the world that has revealed how languages undergoing loss across the generations can be restored to health.
Following on from two successful parent seminars in 2023 and 2024, Pharos Alliance have announced the third seminar on Raising Bilingual Children, to be held on Sunday 8 June 2025, 1.30pm to 5.30pm at The Greek Centre.
The presenter will be Professor Joseph Lo Bianco, also President of Pharos Alliance. With his immeasurable experience in this area, alongside his recent published articles for parents, the seminar will give the opportunity for attendees to develop the skills to encourage their children’s use of Greek at home. With the help of research and interactive activities, all who attend should feel enriched with tools to support their own endeavours.
We will proceed with a coded, highly unbiased assessment of the social integration and political intervention of Australians of Greek ancestry. Each paragraph of this article could be essentially an independent chapter of the presence of Greek settlement in this country. It will be good to recall some important periods of the evolution of Hellenism, honouring the memory and work of all those who contributed to the progress of the country, including our children and grandchildren.
It remains a historically indisputable fact, and it has emerged in the richest historical literature, that the approximately 16,000 Greeks who had settled in Australia during the pre-war period experienced the prejudice and xenophobia of Australians. Many Greeks fell victim to racism and persecution, and many were forced to flee to the vast countryside to work as loggers and farmers. Those who were compelled to find themselves in the country’s major urban centers worked in the few factories, which were the privilege of British subjects, or sought protection in the kitchens of the restaurants of their pioneer Greek compatriots. With the return of the 17,000 Australian soldiers in 1945 from the Greek fronts of Macedonia and Crete, friendly relations were cultivated between the Greek settlers and the Australians. The initial prejudice progressively faded and hundreds of Australian veterans had the opportunity to publish stories of sacrifice and deprivation by Greeks in order to protect Australian and New Zealand soldiers from Nazi troops. At the same time, aid campaigns were organised for the Greek victims of the war, the refugees and the poor, who had gathered by the hundreds in the large urban centers of Macedonia. Australia has carried out a humanitarian campaign and tax exemptions on products transported to Greece, and has systematically provided special shipments of food, pharmaceutical material, wool and clothing.
Australia is a country of immigrants. Its society consists of 120 ethnic groups with different cultures and languages, with English being the dominant one. Since 1946, 60,000 Cypriots and 270,000 Greek immigrants have settled in Australia. After 1972, the country cultivated multiculturalism as the ideal system of governance, offering the opportunity to the country’s ethnic groups to preserve and cultivate the culture that the migrants brought from their ancestral homes. A multicultural state radio and television station operated, a national policy was formed for languages other than English, the languages of immigrants were protected and operated in state schools, and in general emphasis was placed on the importance of the cultures that immigrants brought with them. This state of harmonious cohabitation of the various ethnic groups led to easier communication between them and to the effortless exchange of customs and ways of life.
In general, Australia’s foreign policy, as far as Greece’s national issues are concerned, was seriously influenced not only by the numerical strength of the Greeks in Australia but also by the political pressure exerted, from time to time, by the organised Greeks. Many entrepreneurs maintained communication and participated in political forums that influenced financial decisions. Many of the industrialists emerged as great benefactors of Hellenism and masters of letters and arts. Dozens of Greek businessmen and merchants financially supported the activities of Greeks in letters, arts and culture, with their donations and grants.
Greece did not show much interest in the Greeks of Australia until 1974. The first agreements signed between Greece and Australia had no substantial effect, with the exception of the immigration agreement signed in March 1952. It had only been preceded by the agreement that allowed the transfer of the migrants’ assets, in September 1949. The lack of agreements on immigration, cultural and social issues has deprived the communities of the Greeks of Australia of the assertion of rights, but also of better communication with Greece and the Greeks. When the President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Karamanlis, came to Australia (March 1982), the first substantial scientific agreements were signed and conditions for cooperation between universities, cities, commercial and industrial organisations of the two countries were created. Since then, there has been an intense visit from Greece by politicians, academics, military dignitaries, people of letters and art.
Almost all Greek immigrants became citizens of Australia and therefore retained their dual citizenship. This, despite the great advantages, caused serious social problems. The compulsory conscription in Greece, the retirement, the different legal status, the ignorance of the Greeks to declare a family portion in Greece caused serious problems in the relations of the settlers with their old homeland. Hellenism of Australia maintained a strong awareness of its dependence on Greece. Immigrants and their children generously offered in times of crisis and national calamity (wars, earthquakes and disasters). On the national issues of Hellenism, they organised fundraisers, marches and demonstrations in favour of Greece, even if they were directed against the Australian government.
The Greek Diaspora reacted to national issues with determination, organising massive marches, enlightenment rallies, fundraisers, plays, musical competitions, student competitions and a systematic campaign to influence Australian politicians. In most cases, due to the reactions of the Greek community, the country’s governments took care to take decisions that were favorable to Greece and the Greeks. The Macedonian Problem and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus were the two national issues that Hellenism of Australia served with passion. The Greek communities appeared effective on issues that offended the prestige and honesty of the Hellenism of Australia and offended the national security and prestige of Greece. From 1969 onwards, Hellenism began to demand better conditions in terms of social welfare and the preservation of its cultural identity. In close cooperation with the large ethnic groups of Italians and Germans, Hellenes managed to secure the right to transfer pensions to Greece from 1972, with many amendments until 2014; to have a say and to propose to the Government views on unemployment issues (1969); to systematically pressure the Government on immigration policy issues by demanding an increase in the number of immigrants (1985). In 1983, in a coordinated manner, Hellenism protested with a report to the Court of Human Rights against the Immigration Law of 1958, because it contained “anachronistic verses” that recognised some privileged nationalities over others, while since 1984 the participation of Greeks in the Australian Parties’ conferences where their programs and policies were drawn up was evident. In 1986, it became known that from the American bases of Pine Gap in central Australia, the Americans, with the tolerance of Australia, had installed spying mechanisms through satellites of the phones and communications of the Greek Government. The organised Hellenic community protested in a coordinated manner with a delegation to the Prime Minister of the country, who was forced to declare that “Australia would never proceed to actions that would endanger the security of Greece“.
After 1960, Greeks with a strong political consciousness, mainly leftists, joined Australian local party organisations and formed their Greek-speaking branches. Twenty years later, their Australian-born children became ministers and MPs, senators and mayors, local government councillors and directors of prime minister’s offices. In 2021, there were 28 elected politicians of Greek origin in Australia, while more than 120 were mayors and councillors. The Governments of Greece and Cyprus on many occasions have requested and willingly received the practical assistance of MPs of Greek origin in Australia in order to exercise a more effective foreign policy in the handling of its national issues.
In the next article we will refer to the cultural contribution and integration of the Greeks of Australia.
*Professor Anastasios M. Tamis taught at Universities in Australia and abroad, was the creator and founding director of the Dardalis Archives of the Hellenic Diaspora and is currently the President of the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies (AIMS).
Renowned for its pristine white sands and crystal-clear Aegean waters, the Cycladic island of Naxos has secured a spot among Europe’s top beach destinations, according to a recent reader poll conducted by The Guardian.
The British publication’s readers highlighted various coastal gems across the continent, praising their natural beauty and charm. Alongside Naxos, beaches in Corsica, western France, Croatia, Sweden, Gran Canaria, Calabria, Bodrum, and Catalonia were also recognized.
Kastraki’s Unparalleled Appeal
Within The Guardian’s feature, readers singled out Kastraki as a standout among Naxos’ many beautiful beaches. They described it as possessing a rare and exceptional allure, with its soft, powdery sand merging seamlessly with a sea that glows in shades from soft blue to vivid turquoise.
Global Recognition at the Greek Travel Awards
Naxos’ growing reputation was further cemented by international recognition at the recent Greek Travel Awards in London, held after the WTM tourism exhibition. The island earned the title of Top Sustainable Destination, following a structured evaluation and public vote organized by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO).
This honor highlights the continued efforts of the Municipality of Naxos and the Small Cyclades, which have launched multiple sustainability projects and recently hosted a familiarization trip for tourism professionals and journalists, in partnership with GNTO’s UK office.
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn was born on the island of Santa Maura (now more commonly known as Lefkas or Lefkada) in the dark wine Ionian Sea on 27 June 1850.
According to the baptismal records kept on the island, the child was brought to the Greek Orthodox church of Saint Paraskevi by Madam Rosa Cassimati, described as a noble woman originally from Cerigo (Kythera) and the wife of the absent Dr Charles Bush Hearn, an Irish-born Surgeon-Major of the British army. The young child was christened Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος (Patrick Lafcadio).
From these humble beginnings, the young man (who would go on to abandon the name Paddy in favour of “Lafcadio” by way of reaffirming his maternal and Greek-conceived heritage) evolved into an enigmatic journalist and writer and went on to become the foremost Western interpreter of Japanese folklore, culture and traditions.
Lafcadio Hearn’s life would be a remarkable odyssey from west to east across continents, cultures, and identities.
A Kytherian connection
Major Hearn had been sent to British garrisons in Zante, Ithaca and Corfu during the British Protectorate of the Ionian Islands (1810-1864). From early 1848 he was stationed in the Venetian castle at Hora on the isolated and potentially forbidding island of Cerigo. There he met and fell in love with the strikingly beautiful and spirited Rosa, the daughter of nobility on the island, who lived in a house near the stairs leading to the castle (and which today is maintained as a historical home/museum in tribute to Lafcadio’s embryonic Kytherian lineage).
Rosa eventually fell pregnant to Major Bush and to avoid both family opprobrium and public disapproval, the couple eloped to Lefkas in 1849. Their first child died at an early age. Lafcadio was born the following year.
In July 1852, Lafcadio and his mother moved to Dublin in Ireland. But the young boy had a disrupted and unsettled upbringing after the separation of his parents and he was raised by his paternal great-grand aunt in Ireland. He would never see his mother again after the marriage was annulled and Rosa returned to Kythera and remarried but she remained a constant presence in his thoughts.
Inventing the mystique: Lafcadio Hearn’s enduring influence in America
At the age of 19 years, and after finishing his education in Britain, Lafcadio Hearn emigrated to the United States.
On 2 September 1869 he arrived at the port of New York on the steamship S. S. Cella. The young Hearn declared at entry to the United States that the country he “belonged to” was “Greece.”
The significance of this seemingly innocuous declaration would gradually emerge as he often referred to his southern temperament, once describing himself as “of a meridional race, a Greek” who could more readily identify with the Latin race than with the Anglo-Saxon, thus enabling him to create something different from the stone-grey and somewhat chilly style of latter-day English or American romance.
Hearn moved to Cincinnati and after enduring several years of hardship he found work as a reporter at the Cincinnati Enquirer. Under the byline “Dismal Man” he quickly gained a reputation for his sharp wit, vivid prose, and fascination with the macabre and the unconventional. His early writings were often blood-chilling reports of murders and street crimes that were steeped in gothic horror, reflecting the raw intensity of a writer with a ruthless eye. Although his graphic prose may have shocked many of the Enquirer’s readers he almost singlehandedly managed to rescue the struggling newspaper from the brink of bankruptcy.
In 1877 Lafcadio Hearn moved to Louisiana. In the following year he joined the Daily City Item and soon developed a reputation as a fearless reporter and chronicler of life in New Orleans. In 1881 he was made the literary editor at the Times Democrat.
When Lafcadio arrived in New Orleans, he felt immediately as if he had arrived at home. Before “this divine breath of the ocean” he wrote (drawing on one of his few real Greek reminiscences) … “the Greek sailor, awaking from the vision of winds and waves, may join the three fingers of his right hand, after the manner of the Eastern Church, and cross himself, and sleep again in peace”.
A master storyteller, Hearn was captivated by the vibrant tapestry of New Orleans culture. It is here, amidst the jazzy melodies and Creole whispers, that Hearn’s literary genius found fertile ground, producing works that would immortalize the enduring spirit of New Orleans.
Hearn’s prolific writing for New Orleans newspapers and also in national magazines such as Harper’s Weekly, brought New Orleans to the attention of a wider audience. His focus on the city’s more exotic elements, including its unique blend of French, African, and Creole folklore, voodoo, cuisine, carnival traditions and masked balls, and the colourful characters he encountered in the city’s alleys and lingering shadows, contributed to the image of New Orleans as a mysterious and enchanting city.
He even published a dictionary of Creole proverbs and compiled a collection of Creole recipes, “La Cuisine Créole.”
Mardi Gras and the two worlds of Lafcadio Hearn
To this day Lafcadio Hearn is celebrated as New Orlean’s “Unseen Influencer” such was his impact on the city.
In February 2024 one of the striking themes of the city’s famous annual Mardi Gras carnival was a parade of exotic floats under the banner “The Two Worlds of Lafcadio Hearn: New Orleans and Japan”, celebrating how a young Greek-Irish newspaper reporter rose to prominence in the sultry embrace of New Orleans to promote the vibrant culture and rich tapestry of the famed Crescent City before moving to Japan to reinterpret and reveal Japanese myths, ghost stories and folklore.
As one observer at the Mardi Gras commented, amidst the splendid cacophony of sounds and ‘Lafcadioesque’ imagery, “we love Lafcadio in New Orleans – he got us!”
Japan: A soul’s homecoming
When Lafcadio Hearn left New Orleans in 1887 he initially went to Martinique in the West Indies before finally moving in 1890 to live and write in Japan where he discovered another rich and colourful culture.
He eventually married a Japanese woman of samurai descent, Koizumi Setsu, with whom he had four children. In 1896 he became a Japanese citizen, taking the name Koizumi Yakumo.
Not surprisingly, it was in “ghostly” Japan where Lafcadio Hearn’s literary genius flourished. Between 1896 and 1903, Hearn worked as a professor of English literature at the Imperial University of Tokyo and was drawn to the spiritual elements of Japanese exotic folklore, especially the ghost-story genre known as kaidan.
He proceeded to translate and re-tell traditional Japanese folktales and write other original stories of haunting power.
He authored fourteen books on various aspects of Japanese life and culture. His books, including Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things and Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan and Ghostly Japan, offered a rare and sensitive portrayal of a society in transition and helped open Western eyes to this Asian culture.
He was enchanted by the Japanese civilisation which he saw as being similar to the beautiful vanished world of Greek culture, and compared the natural beauty of Greece and Japan which he likened to the “spirit and the body”. So consistent was this identification that his biographer, Jonathan Cott, observed, “Lafcadio always insisted on his Greek ancestry as determinative of his character, talent, and soul.”
Lafcadio Hearn died in Tokyo in 1904.
On the 150th anniversary of his death, the Japan Times carried a special eulogy to Lafcadio and referred to him as a “story reteller of genius with an instinctive knack for grasping the essence of another culture’s spirituality, legends, rituals and myths”. Hearn was given the ultimate laurel, that of Japan’s ‘gaijin laureate’, the single greatest interpreter in Japanese eyes of their inmost cultural secrets. Lafcadio Hearn had found in Japan a “sanctuary for his imagination”.
The open mind of Lafcadio Hearn: Imagining his mother and homeland
Lafcadio Hearn was a wanderer, a dreamer, a scholar, and a prodigious storyteller blessed with an inquisitive mind. His odyssey of discovery would take him from the sun-drenched isles of Greece to the industrial grit of America, and finally to the temples and legends of Japan.
But the inheritance of his mother’s bloodline also allowed a young Lafcadio Hearn to explore his own Greek “ghost memory”. The imagery of Rosa, the ‘lost’ worlds of Lefkada and Kythera and the feelings of loss of his mother’s loving embrace would continue to haunt him.
In a letter from New York to his younger brother James Daniel in 1890, just before he set out for Japan, Lafcadio said of their mother:
“Whatever there is good in me and, I believe, whatever there is of deeper good in yourself came from that dark race soul of which we know so little. My love of right, my hate of wrong, my admiration for what is beautiful or true, my capacity for faith in man or woman, my sensitiveness to artistic things. I think only of her. And I would rather have her portrait than a fortune.”
2025 marks the 175th anniversary of Lafcadio Hearn’s birth.
To paraphrase Nikolaos Tsamados, the former Ambassador of Greece to Japan, Lafcadio Hearn’s time on this earth, bookended by Greece and Japan, has left an indelible mark on history and his cultural and literary legacy will undoubtedly live on, as we hopefully continue to be able to see the world through the lens of his open mind.
*This is an expanded version of an article published in the Ball Program of the Kytherian Association of Australia on the occasion of its 103rd anniversary. The author is a past president of that association and currently on the committee of the Kytherian World Heritage Fund.
From humble beginnings as a five-year-old on Sydney’s tennis courts to an international career in senior sport, 55-year-old Michael Kypreos is proof that passion, perseverance, and discipline have no age limit.
The Sydney-born professional accountant and founder of Sydney Accounting Services is now preparing to represent Australia at the ITF Seniors World Championships in Lisbon this August — making him the first Greek Australian selected for the national veterans team in the 50+ category.
“I was almost in tears,” Kypreos told The Greek Herald of the moment he received the call-up. “It was overwhelming.”
Balancing business and tennis
Kypreos, whose parents Eugenia and Heraklis migrated to Australia from Patras in 1962, has carved out parallel careers in both accounting and competitive sport.
A graduate of UTS and a member of the Institute of Public Accountants, he founded his firm in 2003 and has grown it into a successful enterprise. But behind the desk is also a dedicated athlete who trains daily and manages to fit high-performance tennis around a full professional schedule.
“With very good time management. I wake up very early and sleep late,” he explains. “For the past six years, I’ve devoted my life to training in order to reach a world-class level.”
A champion on and off the court
Kypreos currently holds an ITF seniors world ranking inside the top 200 in singles and top 80 in doubles. His long list of achievements includes reaching the finals in major state and national tournaments and a standout performance at the 2025 Australian Tennis Championships, where he won 20 of 22 matches for New South Wales.
In 2024, he became the only Australian player in his category to win a match at the ITF World Individual Tennis Championship in Mexico, before falling to the UK’s Seb Jackson in the Round of 32.
Now, as he sets his sights on Lisbon, his personal goal is clear: “Yes, I want to become number 1 in the world in my category… I’m working on it every day.”
A message to the community
Despite his elite achievements, Kypreos remains grounded. He credits his Greek roots for instilling a strong work ethic and resilience.
“Health is the most important thing in life. Sports offer health, mental well-being, and build character. Winning or losing doesn’t matter—what matters is participating and trying,” he says.
His life motto? “Health is above all. Sport is victory – even in defeat.”
Career highlights
Champion (Division 1) – Hellenic Tennis Association State League (2005)
Quarterfinalist – Australian Veterans Singles Championship, 45+ (2015)
Multiple-time Semifinalist – ACT, NSW, Queensland and Oceania Veterans Championships
Finalist – Melbourne Veterans Doubles, 50+ (2024)
Represented NSW – Australian Championships (2024–25), with a 91% win rate in 2025
ITF World Championship Participant – Mexico (2024)
Set to represent Australia at the ITF Seniors World Championships – Lisbon, August 2025
ITF Masters Rankings
Highest Doubles Ranking: No. 84 (January 2025)
Highest Singles Ranking: No. 210 (November 2024)
As Kypreos prepares to wear the green and gold in Portugal, he carries with him the pride of two nations, the spirit of sport, and a message that age is no barrier when heart and discipline lead the way.
Since its establishment shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Northern Territory (HACCI NT) has grown into a dynamic and diverse network of businesses and professionals.
Over the past five years, nearly 100 members have joined HACCI NT, representing sectors such as construction, services, manufacturing, professional services, small business, and hospitality.
While all members contribute uniquely to the HACCI NT community, the organisation has chosen to recognise a select group of business owners and individuals for their outstanding contributions to industry, public service, and the broader community. Their dedication reflects the strength and spirit of the Territory’s Hellenic network.
At the forefront of HACCI NT’s honorary members is its Patron, the Honourable John Anictomatis AO. His unwavering support has been instrumental since the organisation’s inception. A long-serving Honorary Consul for Greece in the Northern Territory since 1991, Mr Anictomatis brings decades of service and commitment to the Hellenic community.
HACCI NT also proudly acknowledges several distinguished individuals within the Hellenic community:
Judge Tass Liveris, Federal Circuit and Family Court Judge, whose 2024 appointment underscores their leadership in the legal profession and commitment to justice.
Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis and Mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell, recognised for their dedication to public service and inclusive community building.
HB Group (John & Nikitas Halkitis), a generational family business originally founded by the late Mick and Theo Halkitis in 1960. Their pioneering work in civil construction has helped shape the region’s infrastructure.
JH Group (John Halikos), a leader in property development, hospitality, and philanthropy, with lasting contributions both in Australia and Greece.
Michael Koulianos, President of the Greek Orthodox Community, recognised for his steadfast advocacy for cultural and business initiatives.
In addition, HACCI NT values the ongoing contributions of Associate Professor George Frazis and Mr Neville Pantazis, who continue to promote the arts, Greek language, and culture throughout the Northern Territory.
HACCI NT’s five-year milestone comes at a pivotal time. From its foundational role in establishing the HACCI National Federation, to its participation in a Memorandum of Understanding with Chambers in Greece, and more recently, the online National HACCI Forum—featuring both the Australian and Greek Ambassadors—the organisation continues to highlight the importance of the Greek-Australian business relationship.
As noted by Greek Ambassador Stavros Venizelos during his recent visit to Darwin, HACCI NT plays a vital role in converting “relationship capital into real economic opportunity.”
The organisation remains energised by the opportunities ahead: to support local businesses, encourage cultural exchange, and further strengthen ties between the Northern Territory, Australia, and Greece.
HACCI NT expresses its sincere gratitude to all members—past, present, and future—for their continued trust, engagement, and support. As the organisation reflects on its achievements, it also looks ahead with enthusiasm and optimism.
The Hon John Anictomatis AO said, “HACCI NT plays a crucial role in bringing together Hellenic businesses and professionals, fostering a network that strengthens our cultural and economic ties. I am proud to support this organisation and its commitment to excellence.”
Dr Elena Limnios, Chair of HACCI National Federation, said, “The growth of HACCI NT over the past five years is a testament to the dedication and passion of its members. Their efforts have strengthened the Hellenic presence in the Northern Territory and beyond.”
Angela Tomazos, HACCI NT President, said, “Our strength lies in our diverse and dedicated members. From business leaders and bold entrepreneurs, to professionals, students, and public servants, we celebrate everyone who has been part of this journey. We look forward to building on this foundation and welcoming even more members in the years ahead.”
The HACCI NT Committee is made up entirely of dedicated volunteers, who continue to work tirelessly to support and empower the Territory’s Hellenic business community. The current committee members are:
The fifth Lead With Kindness gala, held last Friday at The Glasshouse in Melbourne, raised almost $214,000 ($213,765) in support of the St Vincent de Paul Society. It was the most successful event in the initiative’s five-year history.
The funds raised will directly provide 23,400 hot meals and almost 1,000 safe places to sleep for Australians doing it tough.
Chris Christofi is the founder of Reventon and is currently the highest fundraiser in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout’s national history. He has already raised over $300,000 for this year’s campaign with a target of raising $350,000. Chris hopes to become the person who raises the most money in a single Sleepout campaign.
“This is not about putting on a fancy event. It is about making sure people doing it tough have what most of us take for granted – a hot meal, a safe place to sleep, and the dignity of being seen and supported,” Christofi said.
“It’s about making a real difference. That’s what these numbers mean. That’s the impact.”
A record breaking night of generosity:
• 324 tickets sold — the largest attendance in Lead With Kindness history • First ever black tie banquet format • Guests flew in from across Australia, including Sydney and Perth • Live performances including two finalists from The Voice • Powerful keynote from Vinnies leaders reflecting on 50 years of soup vans • 40 auction items, including: - Sydney Harbour luxury yacht cruise: $7,000 - Lucy Liu private dinner for 16: $6,000 - Bali resort holiday for six: $4,000
The evening formed a major part of Christofi’s eighth consecutive Vinnies CEO Sleepout campaign, continuing his long-standing commitment to raising funds and awareness for homelessness.
With this year’s total, Christofi has now personally raised more than $1 million, delivering vital resources to frontline support services.
The mission is far from over:
Christofi said now was no time to slow down.
“We are not here to rest on our laurels. We have helped thousands of people, but thousands more still need us. The homelessness crisis is not going away, and neither are we,” he said.
Lead With Kindness 2025 was proudly supported by major sponsor B1 Homes, with additional support from Reventon and Chris Christofi. Special thanks to all donors, bidders, attendees, and performers who made the night unforgettable. Andy Reid was the auctioneer on the evening, and Matt Charles was the MC.
To support Chris in this year’s campaign click here.
Braith Anasta has opened up about a heated confrontation with South Sydney Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell outside Sydney’s Chin Chin restaurant last year, admitting he briefly feared the exchange could turn physical.
Speaking on the Off the Record podcast, Anasta recalled how Mitchell, angry over criticism on Fox League’s NRL360, confronted him at the busy venue. He feared Mitchell’s anger might bubble over.
“I’d be lying if I said at some point, I didn’t think it might happen,” Anasta said. “I was thinking in my head, I can’t let him land the first one because I’ll be gone, because he’s a beast.”
Anasta said the Rabbitohs star tapped him on the shoulder, then accused him of “having a crack” on television before asking him to step outside.
Braith Anasta has opened up.
“It’s the middle of Chin Chin’s. It’s a busy night… I thought, I need to de-escalate this,” he explained.
Once outside, Anasta said Mitchell “laid into” him in a fiery exchange, angered over his past criticism of Mitchell’s on-field performance while Souths were struggling.
Despite the intensity of the moment, Anasta insists the pair have since reconciled.
“Let me get something clear here – me and Latrell are fine,” he said.
Mitchell has since bounced back to top form, starring in State of Origin and for Souths in their recent win over the Warriors.
Sydney real estate agent Theodore Penemenos, 31, has pleaded guilty to drug possession and possessing suspected stolen property, following a late-night arrest in Padstow Heights.
Penemenos was found by police outside a home in the early hours of 14 May 2024 and was unable to explain why he had a woman’s passport in his possession. He was taken into custody for breaching bail conditions and held overnight at Bankstown Police Station.
Court documents state that the next morning, Penemenos was observed on CCTV acting suspiciously, eventually attempting to hide a small bag of cocaine — containing 9.4 grams — in his underwear. When questioned, he initially claimed he was “playing with his penis.”
A minor struggle followed as officers attempted to search him, and Penemenos later injured his hand by punching a perspex screen, requiring treatment at Bankstown Hospital.
He remains on bail and is due to return to Bankstown Local Court in July, when his mental health application will also be considered.
Marina Strougaris, a lifelong resident of Norton Street in Croydon, Sydney, has expressed shock and distress over Inner West Council’s draft plan to acquire and demolish her home to expand a nearby playground.
“My parents bought this house in February 1969, and I have lived here all my life. I plan to live here until I die and then pass it onto my daughter… I’m not interested in selling,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“I haven’t really had much sleep… it’s taken a lot out of me.”
Under the council’s “Fairer Future Plan,” up to 60 properties across Marrickville, Ashfield, Croydon and Dulwich Hill could be acquired or rezoned to build new apartment blocks, bike paths and parks as part of a strategy to deliver 35,000 new homes in 15 years.
In Croydon, eight homes near Lion Street and Norton Street, including Marina’s, are flagged for demolition to enlarge Lion Street Playground.
Fellow Croydon resident Margaret Noonan also said she felt “blindsided” by the proposal, which she only learned about after her home was listed for rezoning.
Council said the plan is still in draft form and part of ongoing community consultation. A spokesperson confirmed affected homeowners were doorknocked and sent letters after the draft was made public on May 13.
