The GOC Welfare Service, with the generous support of the Ramsgate Life Saving Club, has announced the opening of a new seniors group program for women at the Ramsgate Life Saving Club hall (274 Grand Parade, Ramsgate Beach).
The Ramsgate Life Saving Club has kindly offered the hall space in its location free of charge for the benefit of the local community.
Photo: SARM Architects.
With a large concentration of Greek people residing in and around the Ramsgate, Dolls Point and Brighton-Le-Sands areas, a weekly Community Program such as this will offer people an opportunity to come together, build strong social connections within their culture, improve physical and mental well-being and help break down isolation.
The weekly program will consist of a Gentle Exercise Session, morning coffee break, Group Bingo, Guest Speakers and Social Outings.
Morning refreshments will also be provided for all attendees.
Group commencement:
Date: Friday 27th September, 2024
Time: 10.00am – 12.30pm
Place: Ramsgate Life Saving Club (274 Grand Parade, Ramsgate Beach)
Cost: $5
For more information or to register your interest, please contact the GOC Welfare Service at (02) 9740 6022
Grape growers in some of Australia’s most iconic wine regions said they have suffered crop losses due to unseasonable frosts, which are expected to persist.
In Australia’s largest wine grape growing region, the Riverland, South Australian vineyard owner Michael Stivahtaris has grappled with significant losses at his Monash property.
Stivahtaris reported that at least 20 percent of his crop has been devastated by a series of frosts that occurred in September – a situation exacerbated by low winter rainfall.
The Riverland typically has an annual average rainfall of 250-300 millimetres but only received 50mm in the past three months.
Photo: SA Farmer.
“Unfortunately, it hasn’t rained, it is very dry and we’re going to be susceptible to frosts right up until the end of October unless we get some very good rain within the next week or so,” Stivahtaris told ABC News.
“Wherever the frost has hit our crops, it has taken those vines out for the rest of the season. It isn’t a good scenario.
“If you’re in an area where the frost came through, any sorts of crops can be damaged: almonds, stone fruit, apricots or peaches.”
As a Melbourne general practitioner with nearly three decades of experience, Dr Magdalena Simonis has consistently prioritised additional training in family violence throughout her career.
As a representative of the Australian Medical Association for general practice, she recognises the importance of being equipped to address this critical issue.
However, Dr Simonis notes that not all professionals in the medical field share her commitment to ongoing education in family violence, emphasising the need for change.
“I don’t think general practitioners on the whole feel confident identifying the subtle signs of family violence because very few people will come in presenting with physical evidence of harm,” Dr Simonis told ABC News.
“Yet, it is really doctors who have been identified as the trusted other person outside of a close family member or close friend that victim-survivors will tell and talk to.
“So, general practitioners are considered a really important part of the solution.”
Recent research has found as many as one in two Australian children grow up in violent homes, rendering it a rampant issue for medical professionals.
Gunmen have once again targeted the residence of bankrupt former luxury car dealer Andrew Triantafyllos, marking the second attack in just three days.
On Sunday, September 15, gunmen fired up to seven shots at Triantafyllos’ home on McCracken Street in Essendon, Victoria. According to a Victoria Police spokeswoman, the attackers, driving a dark Holden Commodore, discharged the gunshots before fleeing the scene around 5 pm.
This follows an earlier attack on Friday, September 13 when offenders in a ute fired at least five gunshots at the property around 4 am.
The Friday shooting followed an incident on Monday, September 9, where loud male voices were heard threatening Triantafyllos, followed by a burn-out and departure in a vehicle. On both occasions, people were inside the house but no one was injured.
Police have reportedly advised Triantafyllos to vacate the property due to ongoing concerns for his safety. This latest incident adds to a troubling series of attacks aimed at the former director of VIP Executive Car Rentals.
Arson was the third attack on Triantafyllos’ home on May 14. Photo: Jake Nowakowski.
Detectives are investigating the series of attacks, with Sunday’s incident being the fifth targeted assault on Triantafyllos’ home. This included an attack in May wherein arsonists firebombed two cars by ramming them into the front of the same house.
Residents have noted that these fiery assaults led Triantafyllos to hire security guards for protection. The recent attacks coincide with Triantafyllos’ recent court appearance regarding his handling of a $250,000 loan and a missing McLaren sports car.
Triantafyllos has been associated with over a dozen businesses involved in leasing luxury cars. Notably, in 2019, Supercar Garage Melbourne, a company connected to him, was reported to owe more than $250,000 to several customers. Additionally, he managed Dream Drives Melbourne in Richmond, which also went into liquidation. Dream Drives Melbourne was accused of withholding deposits exceeding $450,000 from 22 customers.
His business practices have previously led to significant disputes. In 2017, former Comanchero enforcer Hasan Topal confronted Triantafyllos in his Richmond showroom, assaulting a worker over a $20,000 deposit that had not been refunded.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia met with Stavros Venizelos, the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, on Tuesday, September 17 at the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA).
Mr Venizelos was joined by Yannis Mallikourtis, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney.
The meeting, marked by cordiality and constructive dialogue, focused on various current issues and matters of mutual interest concerning the Greek community.
At the conclusion of their meeting, Archbishop Makarios presented Ambassador Venizelos with a special commemorative set of coins, minted to mark the centenary celebrations of the GOAA.
Ambassador Venizelos and the Consul General were also given a tour of the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady.
Cyprus officially approved the construction of a $2.1 billion undersea electricity cable that will connect its power grid with Greece’s, marking a significant step towards reducing electricity costs and ending the island’s energy isolation.
Cyprus’ Energy Minister George Papanastasiou highlighted the Great Sea Interconnector’s importance, noting that it has received substantial backing from the European Union, which is funding $735 million of the total cost.
The Cypriot government will contribute an additional $27.8 million annually over the five-year construction period of the 1,000 MW cable. This contribution will be funded by revenue from the EU’s emission trading system, ensuring that Cypriot taxpayers will not face increased electricity bills as part of their share of the project costs.
The Great Sea Interconnector plan. Photo: Brief.
The cable is expected to be completed by the end of 2029. Once operational, the cable, which spans approximately 900 kilometres, is anticipated to reduce Cypriot electricity bills by up to 40%.
Operating costs for the cable will be equally divided between Cypriot and Greek consumers. The project is projected to offer a guaranteed return on investment of 8.3%, making it an attractive opportunity for investors. The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates’ TAQA energy and water company has already shown interest in the venture.
Cyprus’ Energy Minister George Pananastasiou. Photo: Petros Karadjias / AP.
The Cabinet’s decision comes after weeks of negotiations with Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator, focusing on risk mitigation and financial viability of the project. Concerns include potential delays due to third-party interference.
France’s Nexans will oversee the cable’s construction, while Germany’s Siemens will handle the onshore transformers. Although the undersea route has been largely mapped, additional surveys may be needed to address challenging subsea terrain that could require trenching to protect the cable.
A large fire that broke out inside Greece’s second-largest oil refinery on Tuesday, September 17 resulted in injuries to three workers and prompted a full evacuation of personnel.
Motor Oil, the company operating the refinery, reported that the now-contained blaze broke out at their southern facility in Agioi Theodoroi due to undetermined causes.
According to the announcement from Motor Oil, “a serious fire” ignited at the site, injuring three workers from a contractor company. The injured workers sustained minor burns to their upper limbs and were promptly transported to Corinth Hospital for treatment.
Initial reports suggest that the fire may have been triggered by an explosion in the area of the old refineries. The facility’s cooling systems were activated immediately to manage the situation.
Anastasios Giolis, deputy governor of Corinth, noted that the fire occurred in a section of the facility dedicated to processing mazut.
“While we have experienced small-scale fires in the past, this one is larger,” Giolis said on the blaze.
On Saturday, September 14, the Hellenic Youth Club of Canberra (HYC) held its premiere Greek event, Bouzouki Night.
Taking place at the Hellenic Club in Woden, the popular ACT music event commenced at 6:30 pm and went into the early hours of Sunday morning.
The successful night welcomed around 270 people who were treated to a delicious two-course meal, accompanied by non-stop entertainment throughout the night.
Kicking off with a committee address by the HYC, the event consisted of live Greek music from a Sydney band, and music by Canberra’s DJ Stavros, as well as a special performance by the Canberra Hellenic Dancers ‘Atalanti’ group.
Attendees were then invited to hit the dance floor, filling the room with kefi, smiles, and a lot of zembekiko and tsifteteli dancing. Plate smashing and flower throwing were also crowd favourites.
HYC President, Olivia Kambouris, said Bouzouki Night featured people of all ages from little kids up until yiayiathes and pappouthes.
“Bouzouki Night is the main event on our event calendar every year and its purpose is to just bring everyone that has a common interest in Greek music and Greek dance together,” Olivia told The Greek Herald.
“It’s definitely marketed towards a younger crowd, but in saying that, it’s an event that all age groups enjoy.”
Being held for more than 10 years now, Olivia said Bouzouki Night has seen increased engagement from the younger Greek crowd post-COVID.
“Within the last few years, we’ve seen so many younger Greeks stepping up and enjoying the event,” she said.
“I think it’s always really positive seeing that newer generation come along, particularly the ones who aren’t quite 18. This is the event that they come to where they can mingle with the older Greek kids and see what it’s like to attend the bouzoukia.”
HYC general director Max Moraitis, who has been attending Bouzouki Night for the last five years, said he loves that after many years of being an attendee, he’s now one of the event organisers on the committee.
“I love going to Bouzouki Night because of the atmosphere and kefi in the room,” Max told The Greek Herald.
“It’s great to see so many of the young kids within our community getting involved as well.”
The highlight for him was watching the Canberra Hellenic Dancers perform.
“They always do such a great job at performing and entertaining the crowd,” Max said.
The HYC president said she hopes events like Bouzouki Night inspire more people to become a part of the youth group.
“Our committee aspires to build engagement within the Greek youth,” Olivia said.
“We heavily rely on the support of our sponsors, and we appreciate their generosity, but we also rely on the community, who is very supportive. We hope that they continue to follow us, be engaged with our events, and pitch ideas of what they want to see from the HYC in the future.”
The Hellenic Youth Club will be holding their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, 15 December, providing the opportunity for young Canberra Greeks to sign up.
If you listen to Konstantinos Pantelidis’ voice with a bandana covering your eyes, you’d think you were hearing Pantelis Pantelidis. That beautiful, deep and captivating sound that Pantelis was so well known for, now lives on through his brother.
Konstantinos was born on January 29, 2002, in Athens, Greece with maternal origins from Agrinio and paternal origins from Asia Minor. He is perhaps most well-known for being the brother of the late Pantelis, who tragically died in a car crash at the height of his career in 2016.
Konstantinos sat down with The Greek Herald for a sincere chat about life, his brother and the thing that unites them both, a love for music.
“Loss is a situation that unless someone goes through it, it cannot be understood in words. It can never be overcome. You just slowly learn to live without that person. But they are always in your mind, in your thoughts you, in your heart!” he says.
(Left photo) Konstantinos Pantelidis with his late brother Pantelis Pantelidis.
Konstantinos began his career in 2020 at the age of 18, releasing his first song titled Ki An Me Miso and signing a contract with record company Cobalt Music. Speaking about how he felt to be signed at such a young age, Konstantinos expressed how excited he was.
“When a big record company trusts you, you can’t help but be very happy!” he says.
In 2023, Konstantinos announced an Australian tour, expressing his desire to make his brother proud. In interviews, he often speaks about how his family honours Pantelis’ memory, noting that they keep his presence alive through music and memories.
His mother encourages him to remain humble, respectful, and grateful to those who support his performances.
Speaking about the fact that his brother is always mentioned when people first recognise him, Konstantinos says that he is “very proud to have Pantelis as a brother.”
“Pantelis was and is one of the greatest talents that Greece has produced, and it is normal when someone mentions my name that the connection is automatically made with my brother,” he explains.
Konstantinos has been following in his brother’s musical footsteps, becoming well-known for his performances that bring back recollections of his brother’s voice and aesthetic. His appearance on Spiti Me To Mega drew widespread attention and praise on social media, particularly X, as his voice strikingly resembled that of his late brother.
However, what many people don’t know is that Konstantinos’ fascination with musical instruments started at a very tender age.
“For me, people may not know that I started playing the guitar when I was very young and later, I also got involved in singing. I write lyrics and music, and I really love what I do,” he says.
When asked what inspires him to create music, Konstantinos answers that it all starts with “an internal need to externalise something that happened to you.”
“It’s something that you saw, a story told to you… That’s how I started writing music and lyrics,” he says.
Konstantinos’ says his tour Down Under was “great.” It is his first international tour and he said that “he’s very happy for the enormous love the crowds show me.”
“The magical hospitality and how much they love Greece is so apparent! I’ve loved my time in Australia,” he explains.
You cannot dim the light of creativity, and you cannot fake a God-given talent!
The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia’s (GOCSA) Odyssey Greek Festival, proudly sponsored by Bank of Sydney, returns to Adelaide this October with a stellar line-up of events to celebrate all things Greek.
With over fifteen events to be held from Friday 4 October – Saturday 2 November 2024 in various venues across Adelaide, the Odyssey Greek Festival is a cherished tradition incorporating the Greek Film Festival (22-27 October), concerts, paint & sip events, cooking workshops and the inaugural Grattan Street Paniyiri.
In his message about the festival, the Premier of South Australia, Hon Peter Malinauskas MP, said: “We have enjoyed celebrating festivals and special occasions with you over many years and this milestone event is a testament to the enduring spirit, rich culture and strong unity within the community. The Odyssey and the Greek Film Festival not only honour your proud heritage but also share the vibrant traditions of Greece with everyone.”
Photo from last year’s Odyssey Greek Festival supplied by the Greek Orthodox Community of SA (GOCSA).
GOCSA Acting President, Peter Gonis, said: “The Odyssey Greek Festival aims to bring people together and showcase everything we love about our rich culture and heritage to the wider South Australian community.”
“This year, we are proud to have partnered with Bank of Sydney to bring this festival to life and continue to pass on our language, culture and traditions to future generations,” Mr Gonis added.
“We would like to thank all our sponsors for their ongoing support, and our wonderful staff and volunteers for their hard work and commitment. Every festival is a really big team effort, and we are grateful for the community support we receive.”
Odyssey Greek Festival will cheer to 17 years with a kick-off Opening Night and Art Exhibition on Friday, October 4 from 6:30pm at the Olympic Hall, where the winners of the Odyssey Art Prize will also be announced. Audiences and supporters are welcome to celebrate with special dancing performances from the GOCSA Dance Academy as they indulge in complimentary refreshments and Greek nibbles.
The festival will continue with a series of events for all ages, including:
Cooking & Games Workshop for Kids (9 October)
Paint & Sip Sessions hosted by Neoléa (10 and 17 October)
Loukoumades with Yiayiades Cooking Workshop (15 October)
Diples with Yiayiades Cooking Workshop (16 October)
‘Laiki Psyhi’ Greek Urban Folk Music Concert (19 October)
Golden Age of Greek Cinema Movie Screenings (28 & 29 October), and
The Grattan Street Paniyiri (2 November).
The full 2024 Odyssey Greek Festival program will be available in the coming days. Please follow Odyssey Greek Festival on Facebook and Instagram for live updates and booking details.
