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Pan Macedonian Federation of SA launches the 44th Dimitria Greek Festival

Peter Tantalos
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Pan Macedonian Federation of SA launches the 44th Dimitria Greek Festival

On Friday, October 24, the Pan Macedonian Federation of South Australia officially launched the 44th Dimitria Greek Festival with a vibrant cocktail reception at the Hellenic Macedonian Cultural Centre.

The event brought together government representatives, community leaders, sponsors, and volunteers – all united in their shared commitment to preserving and celebrating Hellenic Macedonian heritage in SA. 

The atmosphere was one of warmth, pride, and anticipation as attendees marked the beginning of another year in one of Adelaide’s most beloved Greek cultural traditions.

The Dimitria Festival stands as the cornerstone event for the Pan-Macedonian Federation of SA, a federation representing five organisations. This year’s festival builds on the successful 43rd Dimitria Festival in 2024, which honoured the rich culture, history, and traditions of Macedonia, with more than 1,000 attendees with music, dance, food, and festivities. 

This year’s launch carried a theme of unity and shared heritage, inspired by the enduring legacy of Alexander the Great. 

Speakers drew on Alexander’s values of cultural exchange, philoxenia (hospitality), and inclusivity – ideals that lie at the heart of the Dimitria Festival. They also reflected on how the festival continues to serve as a bridge between cultures, fostering connection and understanding across the wider Australian community.

Among the distinguished guests were The Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP, Treasurer of South Australia; Dr Alexandra Theodoropoulou, Consul General of Greece in Adelaide; Josh Teague MP, Member for Heysen and Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs; and Michael Coxon, Mayor of West Torrens. 

The 44th Dimitria Festival will take place on Saturday, November 15, from 4:00 pm until late, and Sunday, November 16, from 12:00 pm until late, at the Hellenic Macedonian Cultural Centre, located at 94 Henley Beach Road, Mile End. The festival will feature an exciting program of live music, traditional Greek and various dance performances, authentic cuisine, and family-friendly entertainment – all offered with free entry for the public. 

The weekend promises to be a vibrant celebration of community spirit and cultural pride, bringing together people of all backgrounds to share in the warmth and joy of Hellenic heritage.

Youth, veterans and faith at the heart of Australia’s OXI Day tributes

Andriana Simos
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Youth, veterans and faith at the heart of Australia’s OXI Day tributes

In the lead-up to OXI Day (28 October), Greek communities across Australia held a series of heartfelt commemorations honouring Greece’s historic defiance of fascism in 1940 – a moment that continues to inspire generations around the world.

Throughout the weekend before the national anniversary, Greek Orthodox parishes and community organisations hosted doxologies, wreath-laying ceremonies, and cultural tributes.

Children from Sunday schools and Greek day schools played a leading role, performing patriotic poems, singing the Greek and Australian national anthems, and donning traditional Greek costumes, symbolising the continuity of Hellenic pride and identity across the diaspora.

In Sydney, commemorations began on Saturday, 25 October, with the Inner West Council’s OXI Day Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Winged Victory Memorial in Marrickville. The service paid tribute to Greece’s entry into the Second World War and the shared wartime legacy between Greek and ANZAC soldiers. Local dignitaries, clergy, and community representatives gathered to lay wreaths in honour of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

The following day, on Sunday, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia in Redfern held a solemn wreath-laying ceremony following the Divine Liturgy. Parishioners, clergy, and community leaders came together to reflect on the enduring message of “OXI” – Greece’s resounding “No” to tyranny – and to honour the bravery of those who stood for freedom and dignity in 1940.

In Adelaide, the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA) marked the occasion at the Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel on Franklin Street with a solemn doxology and wreath-laying ceremony.

Meanwhile in Melbourne, the Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen’s Association held its commemoration at the Axion Esti Church in Northcote, attended by clergy, dignitaries, and community members. After the doxology and memorial service, wreaths were laid in remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Assistant Minister for Social Services Ged Kearney MP attended the event, which also featured performances by students from Oakleigh Grammar, bringing a youthful and hopeful spirit to the day.

Commemorations in Melbourne will continue on Tuesday, 28 October, when the Hellenic RSL Sub-Branch leads the official OXI Day service, beginning with a doxology at St Eustathios Church in South Melbourne, followed by wreath-laying at the Australian Hellenic Memorial and the Shrine of Remembrance, concluding with a light luncheon at the Hellenic RSL Hall.

Across Australia, these early commemorations captured the essence of OXI Day – courage, freedom, and unity. From children in traditional dress to veterans laying wreaths, the Greek Australian community once again affirmed its enduring connection to Greece and its timeless stand against tyranny.

From Brunswick to Greece: One family’s wartime story of survival, sacrifice and memory

The Greek Herald
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From Brunswick to Greece: One family’s wartime story of survival, sacrifice and memory

By Phil Cleary

I was 11 years of age when I watched my grandfather, Teddy Dorian, stumble away from the kitchen table on route to the bungalow that had become his sleeping place in the Brunswick home he shared with his factory worker wife, Gladys. 

It was Christmas Day 1963 and 18 years had passed since Teddy returned home from four years as a prisoner of the German Reich. Five months later, he died at the very table where I’d pored over his troubled face on Christmas Day. 

The sad truth was that he never recovered from the trauma of his years at war and had sought to alleviated the pain of posttraumatic stress with ‘cheap plonk’. 

While he struggled with nightmares and alcoholism, Gladys relentlessly pursued the government for a full pension for her soldier husband. Only weeks after she won that battle, her husband died. He was a mere 49 years of age.

How different life had looked when he and his brother, Roy, and their Brunswick mates left the Middle East in April 1941 to take on the Germans. Feted for their defeat of the Italian enemy in the battle of Bardia in Libya, my grandfather and his mates thought thwarting the Nazi march towards Greece would be a push over. 

Unfortunately, there was no stopping the Nazi army. So, by late April, ‘The Brunswick Boys’ were frantically in retreat. 

On 28 April, my grandfather’s brother and his 2/7th Battalion steamed out of Kalamata on the Costa Rica destined for Crete. The story goes that amidst the chaos, Roy had searched of his younger brother but couldn’t find him. Such was the life of an army driver. Teddy was too busy shuffling men back and forth to join his brother.

Despite the Costa Rica being sunk by the Luftwaffe, Roy and his battalion managed to scramble aboard another ship and escape to Crete. While Roy was counting his lucky stars, his brother Teddy was forlornly preparing for a stint in the horrific Corinth transit camp. Here, disease would take a heavy toll on the captured men. 

A couple of weeks after my grandfather’s arrival at Corinth, he was joined by one of his Brunswick mates, Billy Ottaway. 

At the Corinth camp, 22-year-old Ottaway would describe how, despite the risk of execution, a Greek family had taken him in. In 1994, he would tell me how he spent weeks ‘lying in the sun’ in clothes provided by the family, as German soldiers marched passed. Not wanting to put the family at risk, he decided to ‘put his uniform back on’ and surrender. 

The story of Greek civilians protecting Allied troops was legendary during the Nazi invasion of Greece. When Crete fell on 1 June 1941, leaving thousands of Australian troops stranded in Sfakia, Roy rowed 11 hours overnight to the island of Gavdos with four mates. 

In a letter home, he described how villagers on Gavdos had ‘wiped tears from their eyes’ as they wished him well and pointed to a cove where a boat skippered by an Australian had dropped anchor. That boat would take Roy and his mates to Egypt in one of the most miraculous escapes of the war.

Since beginning work on my documentary film, ‘Gladys and the Brunswick boys’, I’ve visited every place my grandfather, his brother and  their mates traversed in Greece. I’ve travelled across Brallos Pass, where my grandfather trekked some 30 miles in late June 1941. I’ve walked in his footsteps through the streets of Thessaloniki, where he and his mates were greeted with cheers by local people as they marched to the railway station where a train would take them on a near-death 6-day rail trip to the Prisoner-of-War camp in Austria. 

On Gavdos, I’ve talked to a local man, Mr Babis, and a priest, who heard the story of four Australians escaping across their island after the fall of Sfakia. 

In Australia, I interviewed the late George Rerakis – father of restaurateur, John – who talked about gun running for the Cretan resistance as a teenager. 

So too have I visited villages in Crete where the Nazi army committed barbaric war crimes. In one of those villages, Kondomari, some 17 civilians were executed on 2 June 1941. On that very day, villagers on Gavdos were helping my grandfather’s brother, Roy, flee the Nazi invasion. 

Not surprisingly, I’ve fallen in love with the Greece that ‘Gladys and the Brunswick Boys’ defended in 1941. It’s a Greek Australian story that deserves, and I hope, will come to life on film.

Sydney teen Mary Palogiannidis to represent Australia at Deaflympics in Japan

Andriana Simos
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Sydney teen Mary Palogiannidis to represent Australia at Deaflympics in Japan

With less than 20 days to go until the 2025 Deaflympics kick off in Tokyo, Sydney teenager Mary Palogiannidis is preparing to don the green and gold for the Australian Deaf Football Koalas – the national women’s deaf football team – as they chase Olympic glory.

At just 17 years old, Mary is the only player of Greek heritage in the squad and one of its youngest members. 

A proud student of Matraville Sports High School’s Talented Sports Program, where she trains under Sydney FC manager Ante Juric, she will also play for Sydney Olympic FC’s Under-18s in the 2026 season. 

Her passion for football and her dream to represent Australia have driven her to train daily, balancing schoolwork, club commitments, and national team preparations.

But for Mary and her teammates, the road to Japan has been far from easy. With minimal government funding, the Koalas must raise their own funds to cover travel and accommodation costs. 

Her journey reflects a broader challenge facing deaf athletes across Australia. 

Deaf Football Australia Secretary Brian Seymour told ABC News deaf sports receive little support compared to Olympic and Paralympic programs. He noted that while it could cost close to a million dollars to send around 100 athletes to this year’s Deaflympics, most of that money must come from fundraising and charity support. 

Despite this, Mary’s mother said her daughter’s selection was a proud moment not only for their family but also for the Greek Australian community. With grandparents from Symi, Kos and Asia Minor, Mary carries her Hellenic heritage with pride as she prepares to represent both her country and her culture on the world stage.

For Mary, the experience is about more than medals – it’s about representation, resilience, and pride.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity to represent both Australia and the deaf community, and also to be someone that younger girls can look up to,” Mary said. “I never would’ve thought that I would be playing for such a team because I have hearing loss.”

The Deaflympics will take place in Japan this November, uniting athletes from across the world in a celebration of talent, perseverance, and inclusion. With her community behind her, Mary is determined to make every moment count – on and off the field.

Con Paffas celebrates as Waverley Council to replace trees blocking Dover Heights views

The Greek Herald
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Con Paffas celebrates as Waverley Council to replace trees blocking Dover Heights views

Con Paffas, a retiree of 64 who has lived on Myuna Rd in Dover Heights for 26 years, welcomed Waverley Council’s decision to replace the towering tuckeroo trees that had long blocked the area’s prized ocean-to-harbour views.

“They grew so fast,” Paffas said. “There’s not many places where you have a view of the ocean and the harbour and you pay a premium dollar for that, so if council comes and plants a tree that blocks that view it’s pretty demoralising. I think, have trees, but have trees that don’t block views.”

The tuckeroos, planted nearly 20 years ago and now reaching up to five metres, replaced smaller trees of around three metres, leading to years of costly topiary pruning.

Following a petition from residents, council recently agreed to remove the tuckeroos and replace them with native Grevillea trees, which will max out at 2.5 metres.

Council’s general manager, Emily Scott, noted the ongoing trimming had been expensive, prompting the move to relocate the old trees and restore the scenic outlook.

Work is expected to begin in the coming months.

Source: The Daily Telegraph.

Archbishop Makarios leads global dialogue on euthanasia at 3rd Bioethics Conference in Crete

The Greek Herald
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Archbishop Makarios leads global dialogue on euthanasia at 3rd Bioethics Conference in Crete

The 3rd Bioethics Conference of the Ecumenical Patriarchate opened on Friday, 24 October 2025, in Rethymno, Crete, under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia. 

Serving as both the representative of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and President of the Synodal Committee on Bioethics, Archbishop Makarios guided the proceedings of the three-day conference, which examined the deeply complex and sensitive theme of “euthanasia.”

Opening the event, Archbishop Makarios read the Patriarch’s message, which reaffirmed the Church’s compassion for those who suffer yet condemned euthanasia as a “destructive choice” that threatens human salvation. 

He then delivered a thought-provoking keynote address that drew on Homer’s Odyssey to explore the spiritual and philosophical dimensions of human pain, endurance, and hope. His allegorical reflection, weaving together classical literature and Orthodox theology, set the tone for a conference that aims to balance compassion with moral clarity.

The gathering brought together prominent hierarchs, scholars, and medical experts from Greece, Australia, and beyond, including Archbishop Eugenios of Crete, Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand, His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Canberra, and professors from the Universities of Athens, Thessaloniki, and Crete. 

Over days of discussion, participants delved into theological, ethical, and medical perspectives on end-of-life care, reflecting the Orthodox Church’s call for a humane and faith-centred approach to bioethical dilemmas. 

The conference concluded on Sunday, 26 October, at the Holy Monastery of the Holy Cross Vosakou, where Archbishop Makarios presided over the Divine Liturgy and presented the final conclusions.

Oakleigh Grammar celebrates the Class of 2025 at Year 12 Farewell Assembly

The Greek Herald
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Oakleigh Grammar celebrates the Class of 2025 at Year 12 Farewell Assembly

The Oakleigh Grammar community united to celebrate the Class of 2025 in a day filled with reflection, gratitude, and heartfelt celebration, marking the conclusion of their school journey and the beginning of exciting new chapters ahead.

The day began with a special Doxology (Thanksgiving Service) attended by families, students, and staff, offering a time to reflect on shared values and the enduring sense of connection that defines the Oakleigh Grammar community. 

Following the service, a morning tea provided a warm opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to come together and share in the joy of the occasion before the whole school gathered for the Year 12 Farewell Assembly.

The assembly recognised the outstanding accomplishments of Year 12 students, as Principal Mark Robertson, together with School Chaplain Fr Stavros Kakavas and Board Chairman Chris Damatopoulos, presented Certificate of Achievement Awards to the top performers across all Unit 3&4 subjects, celebrating academic excellence, leadership, and commitment.

In a touching moment of gratitude, the Class of 2025 presented flowers to their teachers and staff, expressing heartfelt appreciation for the guidance, care, and encouragement that have supported them throughout their educational journey.

A highlight of the assembly was the traditional flower presentation from Prep students to the Year 12 students, a symbolic moment representing the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

Each Year 12 student crossed the stage to receive a handcrafted flower, lovingly made by Year 8 student Aaliyah, adding a heartfelt touch to this much-loved tradition and reflecting the strong sense of care and community within the school.

Reflecting on the assembly and the achievements of the Class of 2025, Principal Mark Robertson shared: “Emotions were at the fore as the final Blessing and Graduation Assembly were held for the Class of 2025 in a packed gymnasium of students, staff, and parents.”

Mr Robertson added, “There were many reflections, and gratitude was extended to all in attendance following, for the majority, thirteen years of their school life at Oakleigh Grammar. I wish them every success for their forthcoming examinations and life beyond the Oakleigh Grammar gates.”

As the Class of 2025 prepare for their final exams and the next chapter of their lives, the school community celebrates their accomplishments, their resilience, and the way they have embraced Oakleigh Grammar’s values of Humility, Aspiration, Respect, and Kindness throughout their journey.

Dominant Greece defeats North Macedonia to secure All Nations Cup quarter-final spot

The Greek Herald
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Dominant Greece defeats North Macedonia to secure All Nations Cup quarter-final spot

Team Greece has qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2025 All Nations Cup following a convincing 3 nil victory over North Macedonia in the final game of the group stages. 

Greece finished on top of its group and will now face Chile in the quarter finals in two weeks.

Coach George Katsakis was thrilled following the game.

“The boys came to play today and completely dominated from the start. Our team has come together nicely and is peaking at the right stage of the tournament. We now look forward to our next challenge in the quarter-finals and beyond,” Katsakis said.

Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) President Bill Papastergiadis was also full of praise following the win.

“Today was special as we united as one and defeated a difficult opponent, who were on top of the group. We were facing elimination and only a win would see us progress, which the boys achieved comfortably in difficult wet conditions,” Papastergiadis said.

“I would like to congratulate both George Katsakis and Kon Tangalakis, our amazing coaches, who have once again managed to reach the quarter-finals and hopefully repeat our feats of three years ago when we won the cup in our first attempt. I wish them all the best in the finals.”

Fixtures and kick-off times for the finals will be presented early next week.

Heidelberg, South Melbourne and Sydney Olympic shine in Australian Championship Round 3

The Greek Herald
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Heidelberg, South Melbourne and Sydney Olympic shine in Australian Championship Round 3

Round 3 of the 2025 Australian Championship delivered excitement across the board, with standout performances from Heidelberg United, South Melbourne, and Sydney Olympic.

From high-scoring thrashings to nail-biting finishes, each team made its mark in the competition.

Heidelberg United dominates South Hobart

Heidelberg United powered to a 6-1 victory over South Hobart in Round 3 of the Australian Championship, thanks to a blistering first-half display.

Angus Taylor opened the scoring within three minutes, followed by Bul Juach doubling the lead.

Heidelberg continued their relentless attack with four more goals from Juach, Bramwell, and Fletcher Fulton, before Eli Wright scored late for South Hobart.

South Melbourne edges Broadmeadow Magic

South Melbourne maintained their perfect start with a narrow 1-0 win over Broadmeadow Magic.

Yuki Uchida scored five minutes before halftime, giving the visitors the lead.

Despite strong efforts and a near-miss from Thomas Beecham in stoppage time, Broadmeadow could not find an equaliser, leaving South Melbourne atop Group A.

Sydney Olympic secures first win

Sydney Olympic claimed their first three points of the competition with a 2-1 win over Moreton City Excelsior.

Ali Auglah opened the scoring early with a stunning strike, and Michael Vakis added a second goal in the 84th minute.

Marc Janko’s late header for Moreton City was not enough to prevent Olympic from securing the victory.

Sue Chrysanthou SC presses for swift action in Rebel Wilson defamation case

The Greek Herald
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Sue Chrysanthou SC presses for swift action in Rebel Wilson defamation case

Prominent defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC has urged the Federal Court to fast-track proceedings in Charlotte MacInnes’ lawsuit against Rebel Wilson, arguing that the emerging actor continues to suffer “ongoing reputational damage” after being “unapologetically defamed.”

MacInnes, who starred in Wilson’s directorial debut The Deb, filed proceedings last month over a series of social media posts in which Wilson made allegations MacInnes has called a “fabricated narrative.”

Chrysanthou pushed back against efforts by Wilson’s legal team to delay the matter, rejecting claims the actress needed to review documents before providing evidence.

“People telling the truth don’t need to see documents in order to make a statement,” she told the court. “She is clearly not too busy.”

Wilson’s lawyer, Renée Enbom KC, argued her client’s testimony was “not simple and straightforward” and required review of materials dating back to 2022.

The court has ordered Wilson to file an affidavit by December 10, with the case returning in February.

The dispute marks the latest legal challenge surrounding The Deb, following two separate lawsuits over the film’s troubled release.

Source: Nine.

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