Hollywood icon Anthony Hopkins has captivated the internet with a delightful video of him dancing the syrtaki, which he shared on his Instagram account.
The celebrated actor showcased his talent not in front of the camera, but on the dance floor, thrilling hundreds of thousands of viewers with his moves. At 86 years old, Hopkins radiated enthusiasm for Greek culture in the video, which features him energetically performing the well-known Greek dance.
Set to the beloved tune of “Zorba’s Dance” by Mikis Theodorakis, the clip highlights the joy and vibrancy of the syrtaki, further endearing the legendary actor to his audience.
The syrtaki marks a vital part of Greek folk culture and is often danced at celebrations and gatherings for weddings and other cultural events.
After serving three terms over nine years, Bruce Saunders has been defeated in his bid for re-election as the member for Maryborough. The seat now belongs to the Liberal National Party’s (LNP) John Barounis.
Mr Barounis secured the seat for LNP for the first time since 2012. Mr Barounis campaigned alongside Owen Davies.
The LNP’s strong stance on addressing youth crime resonated with voters on the Fraser Coast, leading to a substantial swing of 13 per cent against the incumbent. This shift effectively erased Mr Saunders’ lead, allowing the LNP to claim victory in the seat.
John Barounis and Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien.
Under Saunders’ leadership, the State Government promised to establish a new train manufacturing facility in Maryborough, designated to produce trains for the upcoming 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. The region also welcomed new enterprises, including a munitions factory operated by Rheinmetall.
He was a staunch advocate for the Heritage City, committing to revitalising jobs and manufacturing. He famously highlighted the area’s struggles, noting it had earned the moniker “Detroit City” due to the decline of its once-thriving manufacturing sector.
Despite these advancements, Maryborough faced significant hurdles. The city dealt with two floods within weeks in 2022, as well as two tragic car accidents that resulted in three fatalities. One of these incidents involved a 13-year-old driving a stolen Mercedes, while the other occurred at the Walker Street intersection on the Bruce Highway. The LNP had previously pledged to enhance safety at this location by constructing a roundabout.
Over the weekend the unofficial indicative result revealed Barounis led by 51.78 per cent with Saunders on 48.22 per cent of the vote.
Australia’s Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton MP, has issued a message to Greek communities across the country to mark OXI Day today.
Full message in English
Eighty-four years ago, Ioannis Metaxas stood tall in the face of aggression. At 3.00 am, the Prime Minister of Greece opened a message from Benito Mussolini delivered by the hand of the Italian Ambassador, Emanuele Grazzi.
Mussolini’s message was an ultimatum: Metaxas must support the Axis war effort and allow Italian troops to enter Greece, but should he refuse, Greece would be declared an enemy and face war. Metaxas turned to the Italian Ambassador and defiantly said, “Then it is war.”
Just as the Greek leader had embodied the spirit of his people, the Greek people reinforced the spirit of their leader. For in the days that followed, the people of Greece took to the streets with a resounding roar of resistance to the menace of Mussolini. Their chants of ‘No’ – of ‘Oxi’ – sent a clear message that, faced with invasion, the Greeks would not cower in fear, rather, they would shoulder arms and fight back with courage.
On 28 October, we remember the Greek people’s determination to defend democracy from fascist Axis dictators hell-bent on conquest. We also recall how the Anzacs steadfastly stood with the Greeks in their fight for freedom during the Battles of Greece and Crete in 1941.
Today, with democracies threatened by new tyrants and terrorists, Oxi Day reinforces the timeless need for courage, commitment and moral clarity to prevail over evil, as well as the importance of friends and allies standing together to defend civilisation.
On behalf of the Coalition, I send my best wishes to The Greek Herald’s staff and loyal readership – and all Australians of Greek ancestry – as you commemorate Oxi Day.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took to Facebook on Sunday, October 27, to reflect on the significance of OXI Day and the events surrounding it.
Mitsotakis described the national holiday of October 28 as “a constant reminder of what we can achieve with national unity, even when we face the ‘impossible’.”
“Eighty-four years later, our country is a pillar of stability in a persistently troubled neighbourhood, a reliable factor of peace, with strong armed forces that guarantee our deterrent power. A prerequisite for this patriotism of responsibility, this healthy patriotism, is a dynamic and sustainable growth of the economy,” the PM added.
This comes as the northern port city of Thessaloniki celebrated the annual student parade in honour of OXI Day.
The vibrant procession took place in the city centre, featuring students from a diverse range of schools. In total, 21 public and private institutions participated in this significant event.
While Thessaloniki hosted the student parade, a military procession is also set to occur in the city, with Athens holding its own student celebrations.
OXI Day commemorates a crucial moment in Greek history in 1940 wherein the government firmly rejected an ultimatum from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, a decision that ultimately led Greece into the Second World War.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued a message to mark OXI (‘NO’) Day today, October 28.
Full message in English
Today Australia’s Greek community, together with those of Greek heritage all over the world, commemorate the 84th Anniversary of Oxi Day.
On this day we recall the historic όχι – No! – defiantly delivered by the Greek people against invading forces. We honour their courage and perseverance, and remember the immense suffering and loss that occurred during the Second World War.
In reflecting on the events of 28 October 1940, we pay tribute to those who fought against occupation and stood for freedom and peace. We honour those who so resoundingly rejected fascism.
Many Greek migrants to Australia lived through Oxi Day and the ensuing battles. Their resilience and determination enriched our nation, and helped build the strong, vibrant Greek community that contributes so much to Australian life today.
Oxi Day is a living memorial to the bravery, solidarity and heroism displayed by those who fought and died — a mighty legacy worthy of our gratitude and respect.
Ζήτω η 28η Οκτωβρίου 1940!
The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Prime Minister of Australia
Actors, painters, poets, and novelists appeared on the front lines, proving they were not “weaklings,” as was the term of the time, and most importantly, they did not try to evade service.
Lambros Konstantaras
At 27 years old, Lambros Konstantaras volunteered for the Albanian front as a reserve officer. He fought on the front line alongside his close friend, Odysseas Elytis. In one battle, Konstantaras was injured, and Elytis helped him. He carried him, severely wounded, to the hospital. As a result of the injury, Konstantaras was left with a lifelong issue with his hip and head.
“He had small fragments from the war that hadn’t been removed, and they caused problems later in life,” Maro Kontou said.
“I had been wounded in the head at the Albanian front, and they asked for my signature to perform a skull surgery. I didn’t sign, and that saved me. Who knows where I would be now if I’d acted differently,” Konstantaras said in an interview.
After recovering, he requested to return to the front line and was decorated for his service.
Dionysis Papagiannopoulos
The actor Dionysis Papagiannopoulos was called to serve on the front line when war broke out in 1940 and took part in significant battles. Living conditions in the mountains were harsh for him and the other soldiers.
Much later, when the war was a distant memory, he said in an interview, “No matter how many years pass, you never forget. How could I erase from my memory the assault on the height of Agios Athanasios in Chimara? We climbed with our hands and feet, fighting with rocks.”
He added, “I had five rounds of ammunition for 20 hours. Where we had climbed, the supplies couldn’t reach us. We fought with stones.”
Papagiannopoulos survived the front line and, after the capitulation, returned to his hometown, Diakofto, on foot.
During the German occupation, Papagiannopoulos continued performing in theatres. One evening, a German commander knocked on his door to congratulate him, but Papagiannopoulos refused to see him. The commander was Max Merten, the political head of Thessaloniki, responsible for the massacre of Greek Jews.
Mimis Fotopoulos
During the occupation, Mimis Fotopoulos joined the resistance and became involved with the National Liberation Front (EAM). Due to his education, he took on a more “enlightening” role, spreading revolutionary ideas to the people.
In 1944, he joined the United Artists troupe, a group of actors who, through their performances, promoted left-wing ideas. As a member of this troupe, Fotopoulos participated in shows held in underground theatres, under the watchful eye of ELAS personnel, who protected actors and audiences from potential attacks.
Later, he was punished for his leftist ideas. On New Year’s Eve 1945, he was arrested and exiled to El Daba in Africa, returning to Greece in March that year.
Kostas Hatzichristos
Hatzichristos had a deep love for the military from a young age. He wanted to become an officer and, after finishing school, joined the Military Academy in Syros.
A few days after his graduation, World War II broke out, and he fought on the Albanian front. After the first fifteen days, he suffered from frostbite and could no longer walk, so he was sent to the rear. He recounted, “When the captain saw me, he said sarcastically, ‘What are you doing here? With those legs, you could be skating. You call this frostbite? I’ll send you back.'”
However, the captain was sent to the front, and Hatzichristos became the commander of the annex of the 1st Hospital in Koritsa. Across from the hospital was a café owned by an Albanian, where his beautiful sister, Ohrana, worked. Hatzichristos liked her and fulfilled all her requests, giving her blankets and supplies, only to later discover that she was working with the Italians.
Manos Katrakis
During the Greco-Italian War, actor Manos Katrakis found himself on the front line. He was the only one to witness his commander’s suicide, as the latter couldn’t bear the disarmament by the enemy. When Katrakis returned to Athens in 1941, life was extremely difficult due to hunger. Despite the daily struggle for survival, he married during the occupation.
Things worsened, and like thousands of citizens, Katrakis was forced to sell even his clothes to secure food. He joined EAM and the Communist Party, fighting in the National Resistance.
When asked to sign a declaration renouncing his communist beliefs, Katrakis refused. He was persecuted, tortured, and exiled to Makronisos and Ai Stratis for nearly seven years, returning to Athens in the early 1950s.
Odysseas Elytis
With the outbreak of the war in 1940, Elytis enlisted as a second lieutenant at the Headquarters of the First Army Corps. On December 13, 1940, he was transferred to the combat zone.
On February 26, 1941, he was hospitalised with severe typhoid in Ioannina. Elytis believed he had fallen ill due to the dirty water they drank, which “they found between the corpses of mules.” After recovering, he returned to Athens. In 1945, he presented his poetic work “Heroic and Elegiac Song,” which referred to a lost second lieutenant of Albania. Some believe it was written about his fellow soldiers on the Albanian front, while others think it was for his friend, poet Giorgos Sarandaris, who also fought in Albania and died after being transported gravely ill to Athens.
Angelos Terzakis
Writer and essayist Angelos Terzakis also fought in the Greco-Italian War. His son, Dimitris, recalled in a documentary, “The first image I had of my father was terrifying. I was two and a half years old then. A wild-looking man entered, with a long beard and a tattered soldier’s uniform. He wanted to hug me but didn’t because he was covered in lice.”
In one story, Terzakis was spared from certain death. A captain told him at the last moment to get off the truck before his unit went on a mission, knowing they were heading into a deadly trap. None returned. Terzakis recorded his war experiences in several stories, including his book “April.”
These individuals from the world of arts and letters were not only influential in their crafts but also made significant contributions on the battlefield, shaping the history of Greece both in wartime and in peace.
Greece’s Ambassador to Australia, Stavros Venizelos has issued a message for OXI Day, emphasising the strong historical bonds between Australia and Greece.
Full message in English:
The message of October 28, 1940, is timeless. Throughout our long history, Greeks have taken up arms against superior forces many times when it came to defending our homeland. The resistance against the powerful Axis forces, who sought to undermine Greece’s national sovereignty, was self-evident for Hellenism. The intense political divisions of the time were set aside in the face of the nationwide effort against the invaders. First, the epic of Albania, followed by the resistance against the occupiers, not only in Greek territory but also in North Africa, continues to inspire and evoke admiration to this day.
Every Greek family remembers a story from the war and the occupation. As a child, I listened to my parents recount the enthusiasm of the Greeks, their heroism, but also the hardships and sufferings of war. We honour our many heroes. We remember their names and will never forget their sacrifice.
With the end of World War II, the Dodecanese islands were united with Greece. However, for Greeks, the victory had a bitter taste, with incalculable destruction, loss of human life, and a long civil war. During the following two decades, many Greeks—our fathers, who lived through those heroic and difficult years—emigrated to Australia in search of a better future. The welcoming land of Australia became home to yet another generation of successful Greeks.
After the First World War, the Second World War further intertwined Australia’s fate with Hellenism. The participation of the ANZACs in the Battle of Vevi in Macedonia and the Battle of Crete has forged the relations between the two countries and peoples for decades.
The sacrifice of the Greeks and Australians was not in vain. It laid the foundation for the formation of the post-war world, with the establishment of international organisations such as the United Nations, aimed at peace, security, prosperity, cooperation, and the implementation of international law. Greece, Australia, and much of the world have enjoyed and continue to enjoy peace and prosperity for more than 70 years.
Today, in a period of international polarisation, geopolitical competition, and conflicts that undermine the post-war system, the example of Greece’s heroic struggle reminds us of the importance of peace and the need for tireless efforts to maintain it.
The High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis has issued a message to the Greek and Cypriot diaspora ahead of OXI Day on Monday, October 28.
Full message in English:
Dear Compatriots,
With feelings of national pride, I once again extend my greetings on the great national anniversary of OXI Day and the epic of 1940. Greece’s significant victory over Italy became a unique source of inspiration, courage, and emotion for the entire democratic world. From New Zealand and Australia, who were in the fight from the outset of the war, to the United States, which entered the war the following year but supported from the start those forces that stood up against fascism, messages of admiration for the heroism of the Greeks flooded into Greece. These sacrifices were worthy of the struggles our people have fought for thousands of years to keep their country free from any foreign threat.
We never forget that alongside Greeks around the world, including many volunteers from Cyprus, the ANZACs fought valiantly in battles from Macedonia to Crete, with thousands of Australian soldiers of Greek and Cypriot descent once again taking part. Thousands of Cypriot volunteers also joined the British Army, fighting in Greece, Egypt, Italy, and Central Europe. The struggles of the free and democratic world were justified in 1945 when fascism was finally defeated. However, sadly for all of us, the horrid years of German occupation in Greece were followed by a bloody civil war rather than the unity and harmony that could have led to the rebuilding of our homeland. Foreign ideologies, alien to Hellenism, and external powers incited a fratricidal conflict from as early as 1944. This not only brought new destruction but also prevented Greece from integrating regions that rightfully belonged to her, such as Northern Epirus and Cyprus.
This year’s anniversary coincides with another tragic anniversary for Cyprus—the 50 years since the Turkish invasion and occupation of a large part of our homeland. Allow me once again to extend my deepest thanks to all our expatriates for their participation in the events condemning this occupation, held in all major cities of Australia. We will never forget the crime against Cyprus, and we will never cease our efforts for the island’s liberation and reunification, no matter how many years pass. In this struggle, we now have the support of a united Europe, the great family we joined exactly 20 years ago, with the hope of securing all human rights and freedoms for all Cypriots—Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike—just as is the case in every other European Union country.
Finally, with this opportunity to address the diaspora, I would like to congratulate the Archdiocese of Australia, the Mother Church, the guardian of the traditions and identity of our people, for the successful celebration of its 100th anniversary. These celebrations, many of which I had the honour and blessing to attend, culminated in the historic visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. During this visit, I was delighted to see once again the strong presence and support of our diaspora community.
Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgos Kotsiras has sent an OXI (‘NO’) Day message to Australia’s Greek diaspora ahead of October 28.
Full message in English:
Dear Compatriots,
Today’s anniversary of “OXI Day” is a day of remembrance and pride for the Greek people, who on October 28, 1940, stood tall and, with national unity and solidarity, fought against the Axis forces. Today, we honour those who fought and sacrificed their lives for our freedom, writing one of the most glorious chapters in modern Greek history, the epic of 1940, and defending the timeless and fundamental values of Hellenism, such as democracy, freedom, independence, and justice.
The critical and fluid international period we are currently experiencing makes the anniversary of October 28 exceptionally relevant, bringing to the forefront those timeless and universal values that inspired our ancestors and continue to inspire Greeks all over the world. Today, more than ever, we are called to highlight together the enduring messages of October 28, the ideals and values that remain the firm points of reference and the guiding compass of our nation. It is no coincidence that Dialogue, Diplomacy, and Democracy—Greek-origin words with universal significance—form the guiding principles of Greece during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025-2026 period.
We are proud of the Greeks of the Diaspora, who are undoubtedly our best ambassadors beyond the borders of the motherland. Not only do they promote Hellenism as a vessel of universal values, but they also significantly contribute to the protection of national interests and the international image of Greece.
Strengthening the Greek presence worldwide and our ties with the Diaspora is a matter of national priority for us. With this vision, we have proceeded at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the creation of the Strategic Plan for the Greek Diaspora 2024-2027, a comprehensive plan for the Greeks of the Diaspora, with clear objectives and actions.
Dear compatriots,
In an era when challenges to peace and security are multi-dimensional and more complex than ever, Greece remains a pillar of stability, always faithful to the values for which the heroes we honour on today’s anniversary of October 28 fought and sacrificed their lives. Today, all Greeks are called upon to move forward with national unity, creativity, and confidence to achieve our national goals and work towards a better and more just world for future generations.
Long live October 28! Happy OXI Day to all Greek women and men!
Sonia Stefanidou was the daughter of Philopoimen Stefanidis, a doctor from Trebizond honoured for his voluntary service on five different fronts. Two traits that his eldest daughter Sonia inherited from him were determination and a desire to serve her country.
To get to the frontlines, Sonia trained and served as a volunteer nurse for the Red Cross. Rumour has it that, to expedite her application, she sought the intervention of government minister K. Bourboulis under the Metaxas administration.
“I considered it my duty to offer all that I could for the Sacred Struggle,” she wrote in her request to the Ministry of Economy, where she was employed, seeking permission to enlist in the military service.
She was first dispatched to Ioannina and the 1st Military Hospital of the Rear Nursing Centre.
On 20 April 1941, after the signing of the first armistice protocol, she returned to Athens. Determined to escape to the Middle East, where the exiled Greek government was based, she utilised her nursing skills by serving in military hospitals in Alexandria and Hadera, Palestine. On 8 April 1943, she requested a 20-day leave to travel to Cairo.
“I longed to serve my Greece in a more direct and effective way, as if she, bloodied, was calling me,” she wrote in her diary.
In Egypt and Palestine
In Cairo, she approached the head of the Greek Government, Emmanouil Tsouderos, asking to become a commando. A month later, she was sent to the British Secret Service ISLD (Intelligence Service Liaison Division), which dispatched her to Haifa, Palestine, for training in intelligence gathering, reporting, code usage, and signal encryption for wireless transmission.
Her parachute training took place at a RAF camp near Nazareth.
“Her performance during training was of a high standard,” her British officer trainer noted.
Her skills in the spy and paratrooper schools were exceptional, and she was also fluent in French, English, and German.
She was then sent to occupied Greece, joining British commandos along the Pindus mountain range to collect military intelligence. She encrypted the information daily and sent it to the Middle East. Her team of paratroopers, along with two mules to carry supplies, moved under cover of darkness and hid during the day. However, Sonia would often disguise herself as a peasant, cleaner, or beggar to gather intelligence from villages. She also recruited many local boys to contribute to the cause based on their skills.
The death sentence
This secret mission lasted about two months until the team reached the Greek-Albanian border in the region of Lemos Langa. There, on 2 September 1943, Sonia and her comrades were captured by men from a nearby German outpost and sentenced to death after harsh interrogation.
A German guard, moments before the scheduled execution, freed the group, and they escaped into a dense forest. Sonia made it to the region of Neraida in Kalambaka, where there was a resistance base with both Greek and foreign contacts. These contacts had orders to return to the Middle East, and Sonia returned to Cairo. She applied and was accepted into the newly established Women’s Volunteer Military Corps, earning the rank of a military officer, equivalent to a second lieutenant.
The details of this mission remained classified, and what little we know comes from retired Lieutenant General Christos S. Fotopoulos, who gleaned his information from Sonia’s personal diary and a few remarks she made during a radio broadcast.
Few details have been uncovered about her mission in German-occupied Crete between January and October 1944, possibly under Tsouderos’ orders.
In Crete, she met with Manolis Bandouvas, one of the key leaders of the Greek resistance on the island.
“She may have been there as a liaison, carrying documents, verbal orders, or even money,” Lieutenant General Fotopoulos suggests. It is speculated that she participated in the abduction of German General Kreipe.
“I served in the Middle East as a commando for a special mission in Western Macedonia and Crete,” Sonia stated in 1953 in an official declaration to the Ministry of Industry.
Sonia Stefanidou had by then earned “The Parachutist’s Wings,” which she proudly wore on her uniform as a sign of a wartime jump.
Return to Greece
Upon her return to a liberated Greece, she worked in the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She later applied, unsuccessfully, to participate as a paratrooper in the American battles against the Japanese.
In 1967, after 40 years of service, Sonia retired, having been awarded the Gold Medal for Bravery, the Medal for Exceptional Acts, the National Resistance Medal, and the Army Service Medal for her actions between 1940 and 1968.
Sonia passed away on 22 August 1990.
“I want to be buried in my khaki military uniform with my medals. I wish for a simple burial,” she requested of her family. Her funeral took place with full honours at the First Cemetery of Athens.
