Ernst & Young Australia (“EY Australia”) executives, Morgan Kelly and David Kennedy, were appointed Voluntary Administrators of the Cyprus Community of NSW Ltd (The Cyprus Club) today.
Founded in 1929, The Cyprus Club is a social community club located in Stanmore, New South Wales. In addition to operating the Cyprus consular service, it operates a social club, Greek and dancing schools, the Saturday Café and other services.
The Cyprus Club at Stanmore in Sydney’s Inner West.
Administrator Morgan Kelly, Partner at EY Australia, said the primary objective of the administration is to secure a longer-term future for the organisation.
“We understand these are uncertain times for employees, Club members and the community. Our priority is the continuation of services at The Cyprus Club to minimise disruption,” Mr Kelly said.
“The Cyprus Club has a long and proud history and plays an important part in the community. We are committed to having regular and clear communication with members, employees and all stakeholders.”
There will be no interruption to any of the Club’s operations in the immediate term. Saturday Greek and dancing schools, community soccer, the kafenio, the Saturday Café, and Cyprus consular services will all continue. Trading hours will remain the same.
Five entrepreneurial women from South Australia spoke about their career path in the business world at an event run by the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry SA (HAACI SA) on Friday, September 20.
HAACI was formed in 1985 to promote and strengthen the economic and cultural ties between Greece and Australia. In June, the HAACI SA branch launched their membership drive so members can connect, interact and exchange knowledge and ideas.
Their recent event Celebrating SA Women of Hellenic Heritage in Business attracted around 50 women and men who were there to hear about stories of success from building an investment firm, to creating boutique chocolates, a tea business that exports around the world, how an award-winning cheese decorated with green ants has captured the US market, and a self-published poetry book to help with loss.
Effie Blias and Olympia Gerovasilis.Guest speaker Marissa Schulze.Enjoying luxe chocolates by Adixions.
Special guests included the new Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, Alexandra Theodoropoulos; the SA Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Andrea Michaels MP; the SA Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Zoe Bettison MP; and Connie Bonaros MLC.
In her speech as emcee, Ms Bonaros paid a tribute to “all the uncelebrated women” – the wives of priests and the women’s auxiliary groups – who do what they do for “the love of community.”
“They bring together communities that hold funerals, that hold weddings, that hold baptisms and community events,” she said “I think that’s absolutely extraordinary.”
Chair of HACCI SA, Kosta Koutsonas.Board member Dr Sylvia Villios.
Chair of HACCI SA, Kosta Koutsonas thanked the VIP guests in attendance and gave a very moving speech, tearing up as he spoke of the influence his beloved grandmother had on him, as well as the influence of two women in the early days of his career, who were also role models in the world of engineering.
The five speakers shared similar themes in their speeches – how family role models shaped and influenced their success, their Greek heritage and how they developed their business idea to grow and develop in economic diversity.
The speakers were: Marissa Schulze (Director of Rise High Financial Solutions); Vicki Papazaharias (Founder of Adixions Luxe Chocolate); Kris Lloyd (Artisan Cheesemaker/manager of Woodside Cheese); Peggy Veloudos (co-founder TBar), and Doris Falidis Nikolas (author/poet).
HAACI SA board member and Associate Professor at the Adelaide Law School, Dr Sylvia Villios, said the event was an “outstanding” success that celebrated the “remarkable” business journeys of five women of Hellenic heritage.
“Each speaker brought their unique experiences, illustrating the intersection of family heritage, cultural pride, and entrepreneurial spirit,” she said.
“The diversity of industries—from finance to food, and from artisanal crafts to literature—made the event particularly powerful.
“It wasn’t just about celebrating success but acknowledging the challenges each of these women overcame and the communities they’ve built.
“Their stories underscored the strength and resilience of Hellenic women in business, resonating deeply with all attendees and offering valuable insights and inspiration.”
Dr Villios became involved with HACCI SA because of her commitment to foster opportunities for businesses and professionals within the Greek community.
“Our mission to support and promote the success of Hellenic entrepreneurs aligns with my professional values and personal goals,” she said.
“Additionally, I wanted to contribute to the growth of a platform that advocates for Greek businesses and professionals in South Australia and helps them achieve their full potential.”
There are plans to host similar events in the future.
Dr Sylvia Villios and the Consul General.The Consul General with Vicki Papazaharias.
“We are dedicated to fostering a supportive environment where female entrepreneurs and professionals can thrive,” Dr Villios said.
“We would love to have more people join us in supporting our members and driving our mission forward.
“We welcome anyone who is passionate about making a positive impact in the Hellenic business community to volunteer with HACCI SA.”
HACCI SA is a not-for-profit organisation and welcomes people who are passionate about making a positive impact in the Hellenic business community by volunteering.Find out more here.
Floriade – Australia’s largest flower festival celebrating Spring – has returned to Commonwealth Park in Canberra, the ACT for its 37th year.
The annual festival runs until Sunday, October 13 with the theme Art in Bloom. More than one million beautiful flowers will transform Commonwealth Park into a vibrant canvas of colour and creativity.
Photo supplied by John Loukadellis.
This year’s program also offers art exhibitions, entertainment, music, food and drink, horticultural and artistic workshops, market traders, recreational activities and more, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Over the past weekend, Floriade attendees were given a special treat with a dancing performance by the Canberra Hellenic Dancers.
Thousands attended the festival.
Dancers of all ages from Kindergarten to the older Atalanti group proudly performed on the day dressed in traditional Greek costumes.
Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis, and Deputy Head of Cyprus Mission Nicholas Varelas were in attendance to watch the Canberra Hellenic Dancers impress and entertain the thousands in attendance with their Greek dancing.
The man known as Melbourne’s pasta master, Andreas Papadakis is opening up his first restaurant in Sydney.
According to Good Food, Papadakis plans to open a restaurant in Sydney’s Double Bay on the same Bay Street strip as Neil Perry’s restaurants Margaret and Song Bird.
Andreas Papadakis is known as Melbourne’s pasta master.
The Greek-born chef said he and his business partners Luke Skidmore and Alberto Fava, will open the restaurant next year but they are unsure what it will look like at this stage.
“We’re still working out what we’re going to do,” he said. “We’re not going to replicate Melbourne… [but] we’re not going to open a Japanese restaurant.”
The trio are behind popular Melbourne pasta bar Tipo 00, Osteria Ilaria, pizzeria Figlia, and Grana Deli.
Saint Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza has established a medical point within its subsidiary accommodation centre, to provide medical and therapeutic services for people sheltering in the parish compound and those in need of treatment.
The medical clinic was set up with the blessing of Bishop Alexius, and parish priest Father Silas Habib.
The Orthodox church in the Holy Land is providing medical and administrative staff for this work, with the support of the ‘Shepherd’s Association’ in Bethlehem.
The parish has had a pharmacy on the premises since the beginning of the war with Israel. This is being supported by donations from many individual donors and charities, among them the International Orthodox Charity Society the Pontifical Mission in Jerusalem, and many other organisations.
Greece’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said on Monday that Israel is not facing “effective pressure” to end the war in Gaza and its escalation in Lebanon.
This statement comes after 492 people were killed on Monday when Israel unleashed its most widespread wave of air strikes against Hezbollah, making it Lebanon’s deadliest day since the end of the civil war.
Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Gerapetritis said the escalation in Lebanon is a minefield that the international community may not be able to deal with.
#UNGA79 FM George Gerapetritis attended a working dinner @ipinst on bringing peace in #MiddleEast. As an elected member of the #UNSC for 2025-2026, Greece will play an active role in coordinating efforts towards de-escalation, peace, and stability in the Middle East and beyond pic.twitter.com/KKTgrUDe22
“It seems that there is no effective pressure upon Israel. We are friends of Israel, and we’re strategic partners of Israel, and we’re trying to be as open and sincere with them,” Mr Gerapetritis said.
“We have not prevented the spillover, and the more dispersed the war becomes, the more the situation becomes more complicated to be solved.
“Lebanon could easily be a zone of tremendous hostility, and this is something that we cannot deal with. It’s a clear minefield.”
Australian authorities have begun the extradition process for Perry Kouroumblis, the man accused of the Easey Street murders nearly half a century ago.
Kouroumblis was detained at Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome late on Thursday, September 19, with the Greek Australian having been the subject of an international arrest warrant.
Italian authorities told The Australian that the “clock has started ticking” for extradition, with a 40 day deadline from the moment Kouroumblis was detained.
Just how quickly Kouroumblis returns to Australia to face trial depends on whether he lodges a last minute objection to the extradition.
If Kouroumblis decides not to contest the extradition, he could be back in Australia before this Christmas. But if he does fight the extradition, the case could drag out throughout 2025 and into 2026.
Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett.
The 65-year-old’s arrest came nearly 50 years after Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Bartlett, 28, were allegedly murdered in their Easey Street home in Melbourne’s inner city suburb of Collingwood. He also faces a rape charge.
Armstrong’s infant son was found unharmed in his cot when police discovered the bodies on January 13, 1977.
Kouroumblis is currently being held in Regina Coeli prison and the Italian Ministry of Justice Directorate General for International affairs and Judicial Cooperation has oversight of the case.
On Sunday, September 22, the 30th Greek-Serbian Orthodox and Cultural Friendship Day was celebrated in Sydney. The event featured the significant presence of the diplomatic representatives of Serbia and Greece in Australia.
The celebration is always eagerly anticipated by both Greek and Serbian communities and is traditionally held in mid to late September each year. However, last year, due to the prolonged absence of the coordinators from Australia, the meeting of the two communities did not take place.
It’s worth noting that the first “Greek-Serbian Orthodox and Cultural Friendship Day” took place in 1993 at the hall of the Serbian Orthodox Parish-Community of St. Stefan in the western suburbs of Sydney, and has been held in the same venue for three decades now.
The doors of this large parish hall are always wide open, welcoming Greeks, Serbs, other Orthodox Christians, and friends of both communities to experience a rich and unique Balkan musical and dance program filled with warm camaraderie. The facade and interior of the building are adorned with the flags of Greece, Cyprus, the Star of Macedonia, and Serbia.
Historical links between Greeks and Serbs:
The affection that Serbs hold for Greeks in Australia, Greece and Cyprus is evident in the hospitality they demonstrate during the celebration.
Greeks rushed to assist Serbs in the early 1990s and later towards the end of that decade when Serbs faced civil wars in the former Yugoslavia. The dissolution of the Yugoslav federation wounded the souls of ordinary Serbs and other Slavic peoples who constituted this strong Balkan nation. The American-NATO bombings at the end of the 1990s, particularly in Serbia, prompted a wave of unwavering support from Greeks, Cypriots and Greek expatriates worldwide toward their Orthodox Serbian brethren throughout the former Yugoslav territory.
During these tragic moments of attacks on Serbia, Greeks, especially Macedonians in northern Greece, welcomed and hosted hundreds of orphaned Serbian children from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other areas of the former Yugoslavia in their homes in Thessaloniki, Kavala, Pieria, Pella, Kastoria, and elsewhere, trying to soothe the souls of the wounded children as much as possible.
The Serbs, both within Serbia and among their diaspora (such as here in Sydney), never forget the psychological and financial support and love from Greeks toward the orphaned Serbian children and the displaced families devastated by war. Greek assistance is deeply engraved in the memory of the Serbian people and, of course, the Serbian diaspora.
The opening, messages and official guests:
The 30th Greek-Serbian Orthodox and Cultural Friendship Day commenced with a Divine Liturgy led by Father Aleksandar Ivanovic, the priest-in-charge of the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Stefan. Present for the service were Serbia’s Ambassador to Australia, Rade Stefanovic, and Greece’s Consul General in Sydney, Yannis Mallikourtis, attending for the first time.
Other officials present from the Greek side included First Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the Consulate of Greece in Sydney, Anastasia Christofilopoulou; parish priest at the Greek Orthodox Community of St Paraskevi and St Barbara in Blacktown, Father Alexios and the parish president, Dr Vlassis Brakoulias; the president of the Pan-Macedonian Association of Sydney and New South Wales, Anastasia Karakominakis; and councillor Evgenia Kapori, among others.
After the church service, the diplomatic representatives, parishioners, and hundreds of guests moved to the adjacent hall for lunch and to partake in the celebration, which began with a multitude of slides showcasing various photos from the event’s history.
The celebration kicked off with the playing of the national anthems of Serbia and Greece. Immediately after, Father Aleksandar prayed for the health of the Serbs and Greeks and all those present, blessing the food prepared by tireless women of the Serbian parish. The priest then thanked the Greeks for their attendance, praising the friendship between the two nations and communities throughout history.
The Serbian Ambassador was the first to deliver a brief greeting from the stage, praising the initiative of the Serbian Orthodox Parish towards the Greeks, emphasising once again the deep bonds between the two nations and peoples over centuries, especially in recent years.
A similar greeting was delivered by Ms Christofilopoulou, focusing on the strong ties between the two peoples. She congratulated the organisers, Dimitrios Kametopoulos from the Greek side and Branko Kondic from the Serbian side.
Following this, Mr Kametopoulos read a greeting message from the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis. In his message, Mr Sammoutis highlighted the important cultural, geographical, historical, and religious connections between Greeks and Serbs, emphasising their shared struggles for democracy and freedom, and hoped for Cyprus to find its freedom after 50 years of unlawful occupation by Turkey.
After speeches by the dignitaries, a symbolic 30th anniversary cake was cut.
A rich musical and dancing program:
The four-hour musical and dance program was organised and presented in three languages (Serbian, Greek, and English) with great enthusiasm by Mr Kametopoulos and Mr Kondic.
The participation of local Greek and Serbian dance schools, along with a dance troupe from the Bulgarian community, added a unique flair of traditional costumes and sounds within the hall of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Greek groups included dancers from the Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW, the Cyprus Community of NSW Dance Group, and Sydney Sizmos. The Serbian attendees enthusiastically stood up, giving warm applause to the Greek groups after each performance.
Simultaneously, the Bulgarian group “Bulgarian Rhythms,” making its first appearance at this year’s celebration, received resounding applause for its presentation of Bulgarian dances from the Pirin region and from central and northern Bulgaria, further enhancing the Balkan flavour of this 30-year celebration of Greek-Serbian friendship.
The Serbian dance groups also impressed with the speed of their dance movements, colourful costumes, and traditional sounds from northern Serbia and the province of Vojvodina, central Serbia, and the province of Sumadija in the southeast of Kosovo, as well as areas along the southern borders with the Republic of North Macedonia.
Date set for 2025:
This year’s 30th anniversary celebration between the Greek and Serbian communities was characterised as the best yet in terms of attendance, energy, and enjoyment. Once again, the already strong ties between the two communities were reinforced.
The next meeting between Greeks and Serbs is scheduled for mid-September 2025 for the “31st Greek-Serbian Orthodox and Cultural Friendship Day.” Until then, the Greek-Serbian friendship, love, and mutual respect between the two nations, states, and communities in Sydney will remain strong over time and will be part of multicultural and multiethnic Australia.
The Logos / Λογότυπα exhibition featuring 40 Greek Australian artists officially opened on Friday, September 20 at the Hazelhurst Arts Centre in Gymea, Sydney.
The exhibition is curated by Kon Gouriotis OAM and is presented in collaboration with Saint Stylianos Greek Orthodox Parish, Gymea. It will run until November 17 and explores Greek culture and identity in Australian art.
All photos supplied by Eirini Alligiannis.
Crossing six decades from the 1960s to the 2020s, the exhibition embraces Hellenism and the idea of permanency as an illusion in Australian art and culture.
For many of the exhibiting artists, Logos / Λογότυπα is the first time their works will be positioned in a Greek context.
Many of the artists were present at the launch night on Friday along with their family and friends. Official proceedings included speeches by parish priest at Saint Stylianos Gymea, Father Constantine Varipatis, curator Mr Gouriotis, and a representative from the Hazelhurst Arts Centre. Member for Miranda, Eleni Petinos MP was also present.
Live music by Perry Tsepetzis on the bouzouki and Peter Kokkinis on the guitar provided a festive atmosphere.
The Logos / Λογότυπα exhibition will be on display at the Hazelhurst Arts Centre in Gymea until November 17. The participating artists are:
‘Logos’ exhibition featuring 40 Greek Australian artists at Hazelhurst Arts Centre.
The league difference between the two teams did not impact the Australia Cup semi-final, as South Melbourne FC, competing with a makeshift lineup, had every chance to secure victory against a lethargic Macarthur FC.
But in the end, Macarthur FC advanced to the Australian Cup final thanks to a questionable penalty that only the referee saw, following a dive by a Macarthur forward near the end of the match.
On Sunday at Lakeside Stadium, in front of approximately 4,200 spectators, South Melbourne fielded a team missing Sawyer, Marshall, Archibald, and Evans, and early in the second half, Bonada left the field injured.
Despite these setbacks, South Melbourne played evenly against their opponent and had two significant opportunities early in the game to take the lead, including a close-range shot from Max Mickolla that was saved by the visitors’ goalkeeper, Felix Courto.
In the second half, the visitors had more possession but failed to create a scoring opportunity. They found the net in the 83rd minute with a controversial “gift” penalty awarded by referee Ben Abraham. He called a penalty on a dive by Hollman in the penalty area, which Valere Germain converted into a goal. The scorer from Macarthur was sent off at the end of the match with a second yellow card.
The defeat and elimination of South Melbourne from the Cup Final closed the curtain on the season for the “Blue and Whites” who departed with heads held high. It was a year filled with successes, befitting the history of South Melbourne.
