Mr Tsouhantaris (right) met with the Vice President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas.
He is currently overseas holding meetings with key political leaders including the Vice President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, and Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister and representative for Greeks Abroad, Kostas Vlasis.
Mr Tsouhantaris met with Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister and representative for Greeks Abroad, Kostas Vlasis.
During his recent meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr Tsouhantaris discussed issues concerning the Greek diaspora both in Australia and around the world.
After welcoming Mr Tsouhantaris to the Phanar, the Ecumenical Patriarch wished him success in the upcoming European elections to be held in June.
Drakopoulos‘ Sydney Restaurant Group has taken over the reins of Manta restaurant at Woolloomooloo Wharf.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Restaurateur, Rob Rubis will hand over his seafood venue, Manta, after 17 years.
The final sale price has not been disclosed but incoming owner Sydney Restaurant Group is already king of waterfront restaurant real estate, with a dozen venues parked on the edge of Sydney Harbour.
Restaurateur Bill Drakopoulos at Summer Salt on Elouera beach, the Sydney Restaurant Groups’ most recent venue acquirement. Photo: John Veage.Manta at Woolloomooloo. Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald.
“There’ll still be seafood, any change will be incremental … we’ll introduce some cool new snacks, and we’ll make it a bit more fun,” Daniel, son of Bill Drakopoulos said. A 2025 renovation is also part of the plans.
Rubis is happy to leave Manta in the hands of good operators. “There are a zillion new restaurants opening, and it’s getting harder as a single operator. It’s easier if you have [a few venues].”
Greece’s Police Minister announced plans on Monday to establish a countrywide network of domestic abuse shelters, just days after a woman was fatally stabbed outside a police station in Athens.
Kyriaki Griva, 28, was killed on April 2 while seeking police protection from her ex-boyfriend; the man was detained and brought into jail following the stabbing, north of Athens, which refocused public attention on domestic abuse.
The victim of this heinous crime was the 28-year-old woman (right), who was brutally murdered by her 39-year-old ex-boyfriend (left) outside the police station, which she had visited in order to report him. Photo: Ieidiseis.gr.The Agioi Anargyroi police station, Athens, where the woman was killed. Photo: Eurokinissi.
According to Ekathimerini, Minister for citizens’ safety, Michalis Chrisochoidis announced on Monday that shelters will be established in every police station in Greece as part of a scheme that would be officially inaugurated later this week.
“The location of the shelter will only be known to the police. The facilities will be available to women as long as necessary to overcome the danger,” Chrisochoidis said.
Greece’s Defence Minister, Nikos Dendias met with US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Jessica Lewis, and US Ambassador to Athens, George Tsunis at the National Defense Ministry in Athens on Monday.
According to Ekathimerini, the talks addressed security dynamics and recent events in Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is with great joy that I welcomed today the US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs @AsstSecPM, Jessica Lewis, at the Ministry of National Defence, accompanied by the Ambassador of the United States to Athens, @USAmbassadorGR, George J. Tsunis
Dendias also shared on social media that conversations additionally focused on increasing and deepening bilateral strategic defense cooperation between Greece and the United States, underlining its importance to regional stability.
2024 marks the fourth successive year of the Greek-Australian Society Inc (GAS)’s flagship Mentoring Program, which continues to grow across Sydney, Melbourne, Wollongong, and Melbourne, the United States and Greece.
The GAS Mentoring Program is an initiative that provides an innovative and genuine platform for emerging Greek Australian talents. Successful mentee participants in the 2024 GAS Mentoring Program will receive dedicated mentorship from their assigned Mentors to help guide and navigate them through their personal development and career journey.
This year’s expanded Mentor cohort includes a vast depth of professional experience and Greek Australian community engagement. New Mentor additions to the Program in 2024 include Bill Papastergiadis OAM, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne; John Lazarou, Founder of Brisbane-based The Coffee Club; and Evangelos Pappas, Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Wollongong.
In 2024, GAS will continue to implement refined methodologies and techniques introduced in the 2023 iteration to enhance the quality and delivery of the Program. These enhancements come off the back of continuous feedback across its previous rounds of the Program from Mentors and mentees alike, and will ensure optimal delivery and quality for all participants.
Meanwhile, legacy features of the Program that were introduced in the pilot iteration will continue to be maintained and supported; particularly the concept of cross-border mentorship across different Australian states and territories, as well as overseas mentors based in the United States and Greece.
The GAS Mentoring Program is available exclusively to the benefit of GAS Members. Annual GAS Membership is available online for $30.00.
To Apply to the 2024 GAS Mentoring Program:
Those wishing to apply to the GAS Mentoring Program need only submit their application form and a high-resolution photo, along with a CV and a 1-page cover letter to mentoring@gas.org.au by 5.00PM, 12 April 2024.
The 2024 GAS Application Form, along with further information about the GAS Mentoring Program, can be located by visiting our dedicated website: https://gas.org.au/gas-mentoring-program
An amazing finale was in store for Greece at the European Championships in Guimaraes, Portugal, thanks to Alexandra Efraimoglou, who won the gold medal in women’s tumbling.
Her victory was Greece’s first gold medal in the sport.
The 19-year-old champion achieved the biggest international honour of her career by winning the final, which had two legs: In the first leg she got the highest score among the eight finalists with 26.300 points. In the final four, she scored 26.200 points, edging out to a tie with Portugal’s Mariana Cascalieira, who won the silver medal. The trio of the podium was completed by the Frenchwoman Mael Dumitrou-Marin with 24,700 points.
Efraimoglou had taken 8th place at the previous European Championships in 2022 in Rimini, Italy, in her debut in the Women’s category, while last year she had finished 7th at the corresponding World Championships in Birmingham, alongside many more successes in World Cups.
“I have dreamed of this moment for many years. I was very well prepared, I really wanted to win and I am very proud of what I achieved. It was a final with very strong gymnasts. In the final I had two of the best performances of my life and got higher scores than ever before, which makes this victory even more beautiful,” Efraimoglou said after her win.
PAOK returned from 2-0 down to snatch a precious point at AEK and stay at the top of the Super League table, while Panathinaikos and Olympiakos are increasingly back into the game for the title.
AEK drew 2-2 with PAOK in the fourth round of the Super League playoffs on Sunday in a most entertaining top-of-the-table clash at the OPAP Arena in Athens.
The hosts advanced via goals from Mijat Gacinovic and Nordin Amrabat, but PAOK went level thanks to strikes by Abdul Rahman Baba and Magomed Ozdoev.
That has kept PAOK one point ahead of AEK at the top, but Panathinaikos is now within two points from the leader thanks to its 2-0 victory at Aris, through a swerving shot by Andraz Sporar and an own goal from Jakub Brabec.
Olympiakos has also edged closer to the top via an emphatic 5-1 win at Lamia. The hosts scored three times, but two of the times they found the back of the net was their own net. Stevan Jovetic, Ayoub El Kaabi and Youssef El-Arabi were on target for the Reds, as were Lamia’s Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Giorgos Kornezos. Toshio Lake found the target for Lamia, but with the score already at 5-0.
PAOK is on 67, AEK has 66, Panathinaikos rose to 65 and Olympiakos to 63, Aris stayed on 48 and Lamia on 34.
In the playouts, PAS Giannina appears doomed to relegation after losing 4-0 at OFI. Panetolikos has now dropped into the relegation zone too after going down to Volos 1-0 at home and Kifissia came from behind to beat Asteras 2-1 at Tripoli. Atromitos drew 1-1 with Panserraikos.
As people walked into the Prince Henry Centre at Sydney’s Little Bay on Sunday, April 7, they were instantly drawn to 21 boards expertly placed around the room which featured 137 photographs and research showcasing the little-known ANZAC history of the island of Imbros.
The From Imbros over the Sea photographic exhibition and lecture – organised as part of this year’s Greek Festival of Sydney – was curated by renowned historian Jim Claven OAM for the Imvrians’ Society of Melbourne.
The exhibition commemorates the role of the Northern Aegean island of Imbros (Imvros) in the Gallipoli campaign during World War I. Imbros’ role and the island’s connection to Australia and the ANZAC story is told through photographs from the time, from archives in Australia and the United Kingdom, placed in historical context and further illustrated by photographic material from Claven’s personal archives of the island.
“I was making my way to the Greek island of Lemnos for the centenary of ANZAC Day and I decided to use the opportunity to visit Imbros and Tenedos. It was a fantastic trip. I got to meet a lot of the local Greek community and I was also able to identify a lot of sites that are in the exhibition and it’s sort of exciting because there’s a story to be told here,” Claven said.
Claven passionately recounted the transformation of parts of Imbros to cater to the requirements of the Allied Forces. Kephalos Bay became a major anchorage point for vessels, and there was the establishment of military and navy bases, as well as the campaign headquarters and hospitals. Wounded and sick soldiers were brought to Imbros either to receive treatment or to be transported onwards.
The historian also detailed the creation of the Australian Bakery on Imbros and how, despite many challenges, thousands of fresh loaves were transported to the ANZAC troops on a daily basis. For a period of time, a staggering 60,000 daily bread rations were produced on Imbros.
All this, and more, was part of the photographic exhibition.
Claven said these initiatives are important to remember the little-known ANZAC history of Imbros.
“When people go to Gallipoli, they go to the Peninsula, they go where all the main graves are and where the fighting was. This is a different story. It’s about rest and recreation, hospitals, it’s about the tragedy of wars,” he said.
“The other thing that’s really important is for the younger Greek Australian generation, people who aren’t born in Greece, maybe even their parents weren’t born in Greece. This story connects Greece and Australia so it’s part of their heritage. It’s got the potential to bring a whole other generation into the ANZAC story.”
George Xinos, Project Officer of the photographic exhibition and member of the Imvrians’ Society of Melbourne, couldn’t agree more with Claven. He said it’s important to share the ANZAC history of Imbros.
“From a selfish perspective, as an Imvrian Australian, we’ve got a shared bit of history. Imbros had a sizeable role in this particular campaign [Gallipoli]. The campaign is possibly one of the most significant events in Australian history and here’s this incredible shared story so it’s kind of incumbent on us to tell it, isn’t it? If we don’t, no one else will,” Mr Xinos said.
After speaking with Claven and Mr Xinos, everyone moved indoors for an official lecture by the historian.
Emcee Themis Kallos introduced a number of people to the stage to speak including the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Yannis Mallikourtis; Randwick City Councillor Alexandra Luxford; the Chair of the Greek Festival of Sydney, Nia Karteris; Mr Xinos and finally, Claven.
Yannis Mallikourtis.Nia Karteris.
Alexandra Luxford.George Xinos.
Jim Claven.
The large audience watched and listened in amazement as the historian spoke proudly of Imbros, referencing numerous letters and other sources written by the troops and other Allied service personnel which poignantly describe not only the local Greek people, but also the flora and fauna of the island, the architecture and the food.
The event concluded with gifts being presented on behalf of the Greek Festival of Sydney to Claven and Mr Xinos. The event was enjoyed by all who attended.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Held at The Centreway in Preston from 10 am to 3 pm, the market featured a variety of events on the day to mark the occasion.
These included plenty of Greek dancing performances, free kids activities and a large array of delicious food and great pop-up stores.
Photos: Little Big Marketing.
Events such as pot decorating and seed planting were available for kids to participate in, and some of the best pop-up food stalls that were worth the visit included St.Gerry’s Greek Donuts and Twista Bros’ Potato Twists.
After being established in 1970, the traditional European precinct, Preston Market has evolved into a thriving multicultural community.
The Greek Day at Preston Market celebrated cultural diversity, providing an opportunity for everyone to come together and experience Hellenic culture in all its glory. It also welcomed everyone from far and wide to join in the day of Greek celebration.
The Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on Saturday, April 6 from 3pm at St Basil’s Conference Room in Randwick in front of more than 60 members.
In attendance were representatives from the Castellorizian Association of NSW, the Kytherian Association of Australia, the Laconian Association of NSW, Arcadian ELKA, Vice President of AHEPA NSW, Nia Gitsas, photographer Effy Alexakis and Dr Panagioti Diamadis.
Guest speaker Vivian Spanos spoke on the day about her involvement with teaching refugee children and teenagers from war torn countries such as Ukraine and Syria and the trauma that these children faced.
Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney President Liana Vertzayias gave a detailed report of the Lyceum’s recent activities including:
The usual Mother’s Day and Melbourne Cup events.
An exhibition of Hellenic Lyceum costumes, jewellery, embroideries and artifacts coupled with a three-day Greek Paniyiri at Chau Chak Museum at Sydney University.
The unboxing of the Greek Government’s donation of three costumes to the Hellenic Lyceum which took place at the Greek Consulate in Sydney, followed by afternoon tea.
Book club on Maria Callas to pay tribute to the 100th anniversary since her birth.
Mrs Vertzayias mentioned how throughout the year, the young women and men of the Hellenic Lyceum dressed in national costume, figured prominently as guards of honour and performed at various community events.
The President also stressed that she had meetings with the Greek Foreign Ministry and the Australian Ambassador in Greece, Alison Duncan. She also visited the Lyceum’s of Athens, Kos and Castellorizo and met up with the respective presidents.
Mrs Vertzayias thanked the St Basils management for supplying them with an office to house their costumes. She also thanked her members for supporting the Lyceum’s functions, and thanked her committee and subcommittee for their support. She said it was an honour and privilege to lead the Hellenic Lyceum despite the burden and responsibility that goes with the job.
Mrs Vertzayias then turned to future events including:
Book club commemorating the bicentenary of the death of Lord Byron on April 20 at The Grove, St Basil’s in Randwick.
Mother’s Day Luncheon at Le Montage on May 14.
The Lyceum World Conference in Kavala in September.
The Melbourne Cup in November.
She said the highlight of the year will be the Hellenic Lyceum’s own artistic production of “Women of Byzantium” on November 24. This will be held for the Centenary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA), in collaboration with the universities and under the auspices of the Greek government and the Australian Ambassador to Greece, Alison Duncan.
