At just 12 years old, Melanie Tzoukas has been recognised as a leader and role model in her community, taking home the Rising Star title at this year’s Randwick Volunteer Recognition Awards.
The youngest of four children, Melanie has spent the past four years volunteering and fundraising for a range of causes, inspired by her siblings Evan, Jonathan and Tiana.
Her mother, Patrisia, said Melanie’s drive reflects those role models. “She’s grown up watching them push themselves, give back, and achieve big goals, and she’s taken it all in.”
After losing a beloved aunt to cancer, Melanie followed her sister Tiana in raising money for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
This year, she combined her passion for dance with fundraising, joining Dance for Sick Kids to support Ronald McDonald House Charities. Dancing every day for a week, she raised $8,150, the second highest total nationally.
“When I saw the total amount I had raised, I was amazed and proud to have successfully fundraised for such a meaningful cause,” Melanie said.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to know that these funds will directly support families with seriously ill children who truly need it.”
Patrisia described her daughter as having a “quiet inner strength” and a natural ability to lead. “She doesn’t wait to be asked… she just sees a need and steps up – not loudly, but with calm confidence and care.”
For Melanie, the award is just the beginning. Whether it’s volunteering, raising awareness or lending a hand, she says she’s ready to help wherever she can.
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) is refusing to compensate a young woman who narrowly avoided being struck during James Gargasoulas’ 2017 Bourke St rampage, arguing her mental health struggles are “unrelated” to the attack.
Gargasoulas, described as a “murderous psychopath,” killed six people and injured 27 when he ploughed through Melbourne’s CBD. He is serving life imprisonment with a minimum 46-year non-parole period.
Prison sources say his psychopathic and delusional state has shown slight improvement since undergoing electro-shock therapy last year.
Among those caught up in the tragedy was then-12-year-old Mahli Skordos, who was in “close proximity” to pedestrians killed and injured. Now 21, she suffers chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.
Her lawyers, Angela Sdrinis Legal, say she has been unable to continue her university studies and is unlikely to manage full-time work, estimating her future loss of income at nearly $670,000.
However, in its most recent defence, the TAC claims her conditions were “pre-existing and unrelated” to witnessing the Bourke St massacre.
A spokeswoman for her lawyers said: “Our client was just twelve years old when she witnessed the massacre that unfolded on Bourke Street and narrowly avoided being struck by a car driven by James Gargasoulas… The incident has had a profound impact on her adolescence and early adult life.”
The TAC has been repeatedly criticised for rejecting claims by so-called “bystanders” of the Bourke St tragedy. Of 145 claims, 110 were for mental injuries, with $19 million in total compensation paid.
The 30th Greek Film Festival of Sydney, proudly presented by Benchmark Greek Law, has announced an exclusive and intimate evening dedicated to celebrating the work of acclaimed Sydney-based Greek Australian filmmakers.
The event will feature an in-depth Q&A session with Alex Lykos, Peter Andrikidis, Billy Cotsis, and Kay Pavlou, hosted by podcast team, Ouzo Talk.
The evening offers a unique opportunity for film enthusiasts and the broader community to discover the powerful and poignant stories that have shaped our city’s cultural landscape. Guests will gain a rare glimpse into the creative process and personal journeys of these talented filmmakers, with appetizers and refreshments provided upon arrival.
“It is with immense pride that we support events like Sydney Silver Screen, which not only celebrates the incredible talent within our community but also ensures that the rich stories of Greek Australians are shared and preserved for future generations. This is a vital part of our cultural heritage,” Harry Danalis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW), said.
Nia Karteris, Chair of the Greek Festival and Greek Film Festival of Sydney, said, “The Greek Film Festival of Sydney is dedicated to showcasing the very best of Greek and Greek Australian cinema, and this event is a perfect example of that mission in action.”
“We are thrilled to see our local filmmaking legends come together to share their insights, and we believe it’s a fantastic opportunity for our community to engage with the art form that so powerfully tells our collective story,” MsKarteris added.
Event Details:
What: Sydney Silver Screen: A Night with Local Filmmaking Legends
Alex Lykos: Renowned for the popular Alex & Eve stage series, which has sold over 40,000 tickets, Alex Lykos successfully adapted and co-produced the film version, which grossed nearly $700,000 at the Australian box office and secured international distribution. His most recent film, Disconnect Me, was pre-selected by the Venice International Film Festival in 2023 and is now streaming globally. With ten stage productions and a one-man show, Alex has established himself as a versatile writer, director, and actor.
Peter Andrikidis: An award-winning director and producer, Peter Andrikidis began his career directing episodes of iconic Australian series such as Cop Shop, Water Rats, and Underbelly, which earned him an AFI Award for Best Direction. His feature films include Kings of Mykonos and Alex and Eve. Peter has directed numerous acclaimed miniseries and tele-movies, including Catching Milat and Bali 2002. He was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for his services to Australian film production and continues to champion diverse storytelling.
Billy Cotsis: Born in Sydney to Greek parents, Billy Cotsis has dedicated his life to exploring and documenting his heritage. A prolific author of eight books, he has also written over 350 articles for various media outlets. His creative work includes 27 short films and documentaries. In addition to his creative pursuits, Billy is a human rights advocate and works in community building and economic development. He is currently working on a feature film titled Once Upon A Time In Crystal Palace.
Kay Pavlou: Kay Pavlou is an award-winning director, writer, and producer known for exploring themes of ancestry, identity, and political struggle. Her work spans both documentary and drama, focusing on emotive stories of people who thrive against adversity. Her documentary credits include Two Homelands and Who Do You Think You Are?, while her drama work includes episodes of popular series like McLeod’s Daughters and All Saints.
Metropolitan Justin of Nea Krini and Kalamaria and Hieromonk Chrysostomos, elder of the Holy Cell of Saint Panteleimon at the Skete of the Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou on Mount Athos, arrived in Sydney on Tuesday, September 23.
The two will take part in the 2nd Pan-Australian Clergy Synaxis, scheduled for September 29 to October 1, 2025.
At Sydney Airport, they were welcomed by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who expressed “heartfelt gratitude and fraternal love.”
He was joined by Their Graces Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne, Bishops-Elect Athenagoras of Canberra and Christoforos of Kerasounta, clergy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and members of the Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney.
Bishop Evmenios of Chora accompanied the visiting delegation from Melbourne, Victoria.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at St Dimitrios Church in Salisbury Plain on Tuesday, September 23, to farewell popular Adelaide DJ Stelio Mitsos, who died suddenly on September 13 at the age of 56.
Known as ‘DJ Stelio,’ Mitsos collapsed at his Salisbury home earlier this month after suffering a cardiac arrest. Just a week before, he had unknowingly played his final set, wearing the same suit in which he was farewelled.
His wife of 22 years, Priscilla, paid tribute in a statement, calling their 2003 wedding “the happiest day of my life.”
“We shared a strong marriage full of love, full of laughter, lots of fights, good times and hard times. But through it all we stood by each other,” she wrote.
“No matter what life threw at us, Stelios worked so hard to make me happy. He never said no, only when I asked for a cat.”
Priscilla described life with Mitsos as “never boring,” adding: “It was full, it was rich, it was real … I’m going to miss you more than words can say. He is all I’ve known and all that I’ve ever wanted.” She said she would now get the cat she always wanted and name it Stelio.
The service began with traditional hymns, as mourners stood while his casket was carried into the church, followed by his family.
A pair of black headphones were placed inside his coffin to symbolise his love of music. Candles were lit inside, while outside, friends and family left dozens of wreaths and bouquets. A heart-shaped display of white roses with the words “love you forever” in red petals sat at the altar.
Mitsos was remembered for decades of entertaining Adelaide crowds at weddings, parties and concerts. He founded Glamour Entertainment in 2022, bringing Greek stars to local audiences.
Tributes have poured in on social media, with friends and fans recalling the joy he brought to their celebrations.
Priscilla said the couple were “happy, just the two of us,” and that his memory will live on “through his music, through stories people are sharing and the way he touched so many people, so many lives.”
Yarra City Council has demolished a wall and gate at Alphington Grammar School, ending what it calls a long-running dispute over public access to Old Heidelberg Road. However, Principal Vivianne Nikou insists the matter is not over.
The council acted during the school holidays to remove the barrier, which had blocked access to the Darebin Creek Trail since 2019.
Citing student safety, the school fenced off the disused road, but the move angered locals who argued it cut them off from the $18 million trail.
Council consultation drew more than 270 submissions supporting reopening the road, and work has already begun on a new pedestrian crossing and plans for a safe path to the creek.
The project is expected to cost ratepayers about $400,000.
Mayor Stephen Jolly said the issue was “over now” and urged the school to accept the “new reality.”
But Nikou told parents last week she remained “greatly disappointed” by the demolition and stressed the school would not walk away.
“Whilst it appears we have lost this battle, we are still pursuing other options to secure our right to control this defunct piece of road, useful only to the school,” she wrote.
Golden North, long known for its ice cream, is preparing to enter the cheese market under the leadership of director and co-owner Dimi Kyriazis.
The company has acquired Beston Global Food Company’s former Murray Bridge dairy site and equipment, paving the way to produce Golden North-branded cheese and expand its operations.
Kyriazis said the move could make the business South Australia’s largest hard cheese maker.
“When Bestons were operating out of here at full speed, I think it was around $60 million worth of cheese coming through this room. We would love to beat that,” he said.
Golden North plans to meet with major supermarket chains, including Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Foodland and Drakes, to get its cheese products on shelves within a year.
The Murray Bridge expansion is expected to generate dozens of jobs, with Kyriazis aiming to double the workforce.
“I think within five years we could possibly be closer to 200 employees than 100,” he said.
The company is prioritising redeployment of staff from its soon-to-close Laura factory and considering former Bestons employees.
Kyriazis added Golden North aims to tap export markets and process milk and cheese for other businesses across South Australia.
“We’d like to launch a cheese brand not only for Australia but we’d like to be exporting cheese as well,” he said.
US President Donald Trump has criticised European migration policies in a combative address to the UN General Assembly, citing Greece among countries with high numbers of foreign nationals in prison.
Quoting the Council of Europe’s 2024 prison statistics, Trump said, “almost 50% of inmates in German prisons were foreign nationals or migrants, in Austria the number was 53%, in Greece the number was 54% and in Switzerland 72%.”
Arguing that European countries had “the right to control their borders,” Trump linked migration to rising crime and called for an end to what he described as “open-borders.”
“When your prisons are filled with so-called asylum seekers, who they repaid kindness with crime, it’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders,” he said. “Your countries are going to hell.”
The remarks came as part of a wider attack on the United Nations, climate policies and global migration programs, with Trump warning that Europe’s approach was “not sustainable.”
Greece has declined to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, saying such a step should come only “at the end of the political process and under the auspices of the UN.”
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said Athens supports the establishment of a Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders but stressed that “the issue is timing.”
He pointed to Greece’s involvement in the international conference on the two-state solution, convened by France and Saudi Arabia, and highlighted the country’s humanitarian aid to Gaza and support for the Palestinian Authority.
“Greece has a clear and expressed position,” Gerapetritis said, emphasising the country’s role in backing peace efforts while refraining from joining France, the UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal and others who have recently recognised Palestinian statehood.
The debate comes as international pressure mounts over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and ongoing settlement construction in the West Bank. Israel has argued that recognition would reward Hamas for its October 7, 2023 attack.
In a world where communication is the centre of human connection, International Day of Sign Languages offers an opportunity to appreciate and recognise the many ways people connect. Falling on Tuesday 23rd September, within International Week of the Deaf, this day highlights the many sign languages used around the world.
Melbourne-born actress Yiana Pandelis was diagnosed with being hard of hearing at two years old. The Greek Herald sat down with Yiana to hear her story and how using sign language has shaped her identity and creative practice.
Remembering stories from her childhood, Yiana said, “I was told I was a very vocal child growing up – I always wanted to communicate and express myself using my voice.”
Yiana first learnt Auslan (Australian Sign Language) for her debut feature film Unsound. After moving to Los Angeles, she began using American Sign Language (ASL).
Yiana Pandelis.
Speaking about first learning sign language, she shared, “I absolutely loved the experience. In fact, I wish everyone knew sign language – it’s such a useful skill in so many situations, whether you’re in a loud environment or trying to communicate from a distance without yelling.”
She continued, “Surprisingly, I was able to pick it up really quickly – maybe because, in a way, it feels like it’s in my blood. I think that’s true for many Deaf and hard of hearing people; there’s an instinctive connection to visual communication.”
She wonders what life would’ve been like in the 1800s before any modern-day technology. “In that world, sign language wouldn’t just be an option – it would’ve been the only way to communicate.”
Transitioning between Auslan and ASL required a lot of patience and practice from Yiana. “At first, it was really challenging – some of the signs are similar but have different meanings, and for a while I found myself mixing the two.” Now, Yiana has “learned to compartmentalise and keep them separate.”
Film has always been part of Yiana’s life and led to her love of storytelling and acting.
“I’ve never told my dad this, but his love of Westerns had a big impact on me. He once showed me a film with Steve McQueen and talked about his on-screen presence. I was mesmerised by the way he moved – his specificity, his quiet intensity. He had so much humanity in his performance,” she said.
Yiana Pandelis in short film ‘Baby’.
Yiana’s fascination with body language and human behaviour has merged with her talent as an actress. So many emotions and stories can be conveyed visually, and Yiana appreciates the role the Deaf community plays in film.
“I strive to be a character actor, someone who dives deep into different roles with honesty and storytelling at the core. I’m especially passionate about seeing more Deaf representation on screen – and more characters who use sign language,” she said.
For Yiana, International Day of Sign Languages “is a celebration, not just of the language, but of the culture behind it. Sign language is such a beautiful form of communication.”
Yiana Pandelis in short film ‘City of Salt’.Yiana Pandelis in the short film she directed, starred in, wrote, edited and produced ‘Wild Rumpus’.
She finds these beautiful moments when signing with her close friend Nathan Borg. “When he and I sing to each other, it feels special. We share a similar journey – both born and raised in a hearing world, and both learning sign language later in life. We’ve come so far together, and it’s opened up connections with so many others around the world.”
Sign language has allowed Yiana to connect with other Deaf individuals who understand her journey, and she has also embraced using sign language in her acting. “It’s such a unique way of performing – so physical, yet feeling in tune with your body in a different way. It demands a rich internal life, and I really enjoy that process of discovery,” she said.
Yiana hopes that those unfamiliar with the Deaf community, especially within Greek Australian culture, take a moment to “listen, learn, and create space for Deaf voices within all cultures”.
International Day of Sign Languages lets us see ways to communicate beyond spoken language. This Tuesday 23rd September, try learning a sentence in Auslan or attend a Deaf community event to appreciate the dynamic and expressive style of sign language.
