The Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales (GOCNSW) have issued a letter to Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese protesting “historically incorrect statements” he made during the recent visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The letter – signed by GOCNSW President Harry Danalis and Treasurer Chris Belerhas – calls out Mr Albanese for his public statement that, “For a century, the Church has preserved the culture and language of Australia’s Greek community, connecting generations to their heritage.”

GOCNSW said the comments were “historically incorrect but also an affront to the Greek Orthodox Communities of New South Wales, the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne, the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia and other Greek Associations numbering in the hundreds throughout Australia which were created by lay persons and which have contributed to the teaching of the Greek language, provided cultural activities, taught Greek culture, celebrated the various National days of Greece, and represented the voice of the Greek people in our community.”

The letter comes after a statement was issued and signed by 109 Greek Australians last month, also calling out the Prime Minister for his “historically inaccurate statement.”

Full letter in English by the GOCNSW: 

The Honourable Anthony Albanese MP,

At the Annual General meeting of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW held on the 3 November 2024, the members resolved to forward to you a letter protesting at the historically incorrect statements recently made by you during the visit of  His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

You stated: “For a Century the Church has preserved the culture and language of Australia’s Greek Community”, “connecting generations to their heritage”.

These comments are not only historically incorrect but also an affront  to The Greek Orthodox Communities of  New South Wales, The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne, the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia and other Greek Associations numbering in the hundreds throughout Australia which were created by lay persons and which have contributed to the teaching of the Greek language, provided cultural activities, taught Greek culture celebrated the various National days of Greece and represented the voice of the Greek people in our Community.

The Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales was established by lay people in 1898 and founded the first Greek Orthodox Church in Surry Hills, the Holy Trinity which still offers religious services to our community

It was the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW that established the first Greek School where Greek language and culture was taught and which established many other schools throughout this period.

The Greek Community of Melbourne was established in 1898.

As the historian Professor Michael Tsounis has documented, in 1975 there were over 600 schools throughout Australia teaching Greek and run by secular Greek Orthodox Communities as well as private institutions.

There was no presence of the organised Church in Australia until March 1924 when the Ecumenical Patriarch established the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand by the appointment of a Metropolitan.

It was not until the 1^st of September 1959, that the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand was elevated to an Archdiocese and the first Archbishop of the newly formed Archdiocese, Archbishop Ezekiel was appointed

Between 1898 and 1960 it was the lay Communities of NSW, Melbourne and Adelaide that built, paid for and supported financially the churches, conducted Greek Schools, and provided cultural activities.

These initiatives were not carried out by the then Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand.

During that time many other Greek Associations were formed with the same objects in mind and made invaluable contributions to the preservation of Greek language and culture

It was not till the 1960’s on the initiative of Archbishop Ezekiel who commenced the establishment of the many churches and other institutions, that the Church was involved in teaching Greek and have some presence in cultural activities.

Mr Prime Minister there is ample evidence in the form of books by eminent historians, articles and other material on the presence of Greeks in Australia and the true contributions made by the organised lay communities and Greek Associations.

The Greek Communities continue to this day to conduct Churches, schools, cultural festivals, welfare services and endeavour to represent the interest of the members of the broader Greek Community

It is therefore disappointing that you should make statements of the kind referred to above which misrepresent history and the true position of the role of The Greek Orthodox Communities, brotherhoods and other organisations which have played a vital role in the history of the Greek Community in Australia and the maintenance of our Greek language, culture and traditions.

Yours faithfully,                                     

Harry Danalis, President

Chris Belerhas, Treasurer