Property valuer John Katsis was having coffee with a friend one day when he reminisced over the early days of migration. Driven by the memory of a community where language and solidarity fuelled mutual support, Katsis co-founded the Hellenic Networking Association Inc (HNAI). This fledgling group, with just 15 members, taps into a timeless tradition: Greeks helping Greeks.
Lawyer Paul Antippa welcomes new members. Photo: Supplied.Its not all shop talk as bonds are forged over social networking.PhotoL Supplied.
At their recent Chadstone function at Citifields, the experience resonated deeply. Memories flooded back of my Sydney childhood where Dr Giallousis was our family GP, Harry Mavrolefterou handled our finances, Voula Sourlangos styled our hair, and the Andreou family from next door built our home. These were just the first of denizens of Greek Australian tradies, butchers and other professions that catered to my family’s needs growing up.
The HNAI is taking a slow and steady approach to bringing back that sense of community, carefully curating its membership to prevent any one profession from dominating. Members are also cherry-picked for their good character.
Harry Pavlou from The Block is eager to build connections. Photo: Supplied.
“We also actively encourage women to join… and we prioritise them in professions where we have reached our quota,” lawyer Peter Antippa says.
New member Dr Kathryn Theodosis, a chiropracter from Oakleigh, found herself drawn to the group after networking with Katsis on LinkedIn.
Dr Kathryn Theodosis is excited to be part of the HNAI. Photo: Supplied.
“Connecting with other Hellenic business owners and professionals across different fields is invaluable,” she says. “While traditional meeting points like churches once served this purpose, their influence has waned.”
Psychologist Kathryn Astrinakis bookkeeper Effie Frangopoulos chiropracter Dr Kathryn Theodosis and HNAI treasurera Lee-Mitropoulos who is also an accountant. Photo: Supplied.
Building trust is paramount, with the goal of serving the network’s collective interests.
Katsis shares a recent example: “My insurance renewal wasn’t ideal, so I reached out to a network broker and secured a better deal.”
Relaxing moments on the terrace. Photo: Supplied. Social Selling Warrior- Con Sotidis chats with optometrist Leonidas Vlahakis. Photo: Supplied.
These “little things” happen frequently within this grassroots group, contrasting it with larger, corporate-focused national business chambers.
Con Sotidis, social selling warrior (social media/marketing), highlights the geographically diverse yet tightly knit nature of the network, united by their shared Greek heritage and community spirit.
There’s always something new to learn as professions get together. Photo: Supplied.
HNAI Treasurer Lee Mitropoulos and John Katsis who thought of the network over coffee with a friend. Photo: Supplied.
“The HNAI is more than just a business network; it’s a revival of a cherished tradition, weaving a new tapestry of support and opportunity for the next generation of Hellenic professionals,” he says.
Twin YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou took out eight gongs at this year’s 2024 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.
According to The Australian, the brothers’ horror film ‘Talk To Me‘ won awards for best film and best director, and Sophie Wilde beat out Cate Blanchett for the best lead actress trophy.
After debuting internationally at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023, ‘Talk to Me,’ which was made on a $7 million budget in 2022, caught the eye of the cool kid distributor A24 and was picked for a “high seven figures” sum.
The film then raked in more than $140 million worldwide.
This success not only claimed the spot as A24’s top-grossing horror film, but also secured its rank as the second-highest-grossing film in the studio’s history.
On Friday, February 9, Oakleigh Grammar in Victoria inducted its 2024 school leaders from the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools.
Attended by students, staff, parents and the Board, the assembly opened with an Acknowledgement of Country and the National Anthems of both Australia and Greece.
Photo: Supplied.
Father Stavros conducted an Opening Prayer and Bible reading before Principal Mark Robertson took to the stage to welcome those in attendance. He spoke of the important role our School leaders’ will play in inspiring students to make a positive impact on their peers, their teachers, their community and their environment.
Photo: Supplied.
Students were formally presented with 15 Senior School students, 13 Middle School and 14 Junior School students accepting their badges from Mr Robertson.
Photo: Supplied.
The following students were appointed to leadership roles:
Senior School Leaders
School Captains: Sotiris Bakalis, Jessica Peraic
Vice Captains: Victoria Khatchmanian, George Zikas
Life and Culture: Georgia Christofi, Ruby Dewar-German
Student Wellbeing: Daniel Carmody, Zoe Karkanis, Jordan Keramidas
Bradman House Captains: Vasileios (Bill) Delichristos, Rahnia Siachos
Fraser House Captains: Arietta Apostolopoulos, Ella Whyte
Rose House Captains: Joanna Tsoulakos, Eleftheria (Ellie) Tziotzis
Photo: Supplied.
2024 Middle School Leaders
Middle School Captains: John Aivaliotis, Constantina (Connie) Lekkas
Middle School Life and Culture Leaders: Eliyah Mawal, Vasia Kosmas
Student Wellbeing Leader: Olivia Frank
Social Justice Leaders: Mary Khatchmanian, Irene Koutsovasilis
Bradman House Captains: Santosh Upadhyaya, Issam Alaeddine
Fraser House Captains: Ilya Umarov, Elly Alexopoulos
Rose House Captains: Eleftherios Makarios, Ellie Woodhams
Photo: Supplied.
2024 Junior School Leaders
Junior School Captains: Athina Giannou, Alexander Rasin
Junior School Vice Captains: Olympia Milonas, Thomas Jolley
In just 11 days, the festival will unveil 90 pop-up stalls, an array of delectable Greek food vendors, exhilarating competitions, thrilling rides, and three stages showcasing the talents of over 700 performers.
Over 700 performers are expected at this year’s festival. Photo: Constantly Flashing.
The festival’s stages include the Main Stage, the A&A Holdings Stage, and the #LoveLonsdale Stage, each offering a unique lineup of performances to delight attendees.
They will range from traditional to contemporary dancing. Photo: Constantly Flashing.
From traditional dances to contemporary beats, the Antipodes Festival promises a feast for the senses that has become a cherished cornerstone of Melbourne’s cultural calendar.
This event invites all Greeks and philhellenes to come along. Photo: Constantly Flashing.
Central to the success of the Antipodes Festival are its valued partners and sponsors, whose unwavering support has been instrumental in bringing this spectacular event to life.
From presenting sponsors to Festival partners, media sponsors, and beyond, the Greek Community of Melbourne is truly grateful for the continued support.
It’s set to be an unforgettable weekend. Photo: Constantly Flashing.
Stay tuned for more exciting announcements as people gear up for an unforgettable weekend of festivities at the 2024 Antipodes Festival!
CEO of the state-owned workers’ compensation insurer, icare, Richard Harding, earned $1,053,000 in 2022-23 and was the highest-paid person in the NSW bureaucracy.
John Hatzistergos. Photo: Renee Nowytarger.
The Minns government passed legislation in 2023 to freeze pay for the top executives for two years, but it is now under pressure to deliver on a key election pledge to cut the number of public sector senior executives by 15 per cent.
A spokesman for the NSW Government said agencies are “currently in the process of implementing this policy.”
The plan to freeze pay and reduce executive numbers was predicted to save $745 million over four years.
Jurors in the court trial involving construction boss George Alex and five others who were charged with embezzling over $13 million in unpaid taxes, have received a warning that any information found beyond the courts could have “disastrous” consequences.
On Monday, February 12, eighty prospective jurors were transported by bus to the NSW Supreme Court in Darlinghurst, Sydney for the commencement of the fraud trial.
According toThe Sydney Morning Herald, the trial is expected to span across six months or longer, as suggested by Justice Desmond Fagan.
Prosecutors claim that George Alex, along with his son Arthur Alex, Mark Ronald Bryers, Gordon McAndrew, Lindsay John Kirschberg, and Pasquale Loccisano, worked together to take millions of dollars in pay-as-you-go (PAYG) withholding tax from the wages and salaries of labour hire workers.
They allegedly used a complicated network of businesses, causing the Australian Taxation Office to lose money.
File photo: Arthur Alex (left) and his father George Alex (right) outside the NSW Supreme Court. Photo: Kate Geraghty.
On Monday, the Judge told the 15 jurors selected to preside over the trial, which will eventually become 12, that they were “absolutely forbidden” to research the matter online.
The Judge made reference to the sexual assault trial of Bruce Lehrmann in the ACT, where a juror was found to have researched “crimes of a nature that were alleged against the accused.”
“The consequence was that trial was aborted, and for other reasons, it’s never been resumed,” Judge Fagan told the jury of 11 men and four women.
The judge described the potential consequence of the juror’s researching information for the George Alex trial as “disastrous.”
Judge Fagan said the accused men of the case were each entitled to the presumption of innocence, and it was for the Crown to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The trial is set to continue, with the Crown prosecutor’s opening address is expected to run for four days.
Angelo Tsirekas, the former mayor of Canada Bay Council in Sydney, has formally launched a legal challenge in the NSW Supreme Court against findings of corruption by the Independence Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) last year.
In November 2023, the ICAC found that Mr Tsirekas had engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” with planning decisions.
He was found to have accepted overseas flights, trips and accommodation – to the tune of almost $20,000 – from developer I-Prosperity and its agent Joseph Chidiac, as a “reward” for favouring the group’s property interests in the Local Government Area.
In response to these findings, NSW Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig dismissed Mr Tsirekas from Council and he was disqualified from civic office for a period of five years.
ICAC revealed this image of Mr Angelo Tsirekas and Mr Joseph Chidiac in China. Photo: ICAC.
Mr Tsirekas claimed the “key adverse findings” had been based on “errors of fact and law.”
According to The Australian, Mr Tsirekas’ legal team have now officially commenced legal proceedings against ICAC in the NSW Supreme Court.
The matter is expected to be discussed in court on March 6 where parties will determine the course of action for the case.
A City of Canada Bay Council spokesman told The Australian it was not aware its former mayor had lodged legal papers against ICAC with the Supreme Court.
2024 is indeed a very special year for Alphington Grammar School. It has been 35 years since the school opened its doors in 1989.
In its initial years, Alphington Grammar was a small school catering largely for students and families of Greek Australian origin. The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) had the vision of establishing a non-denominational school not only to embrace Hellenic values alongside the teaching of the Greek language, culture and history, but also to encourage families of other cultural backgrounds, who would themselves become passionate Philhellenes.
From its modest beginnings the school was, for the GCM, a project of passion and love. Many people in the extended Greek community helped get it started. While the school hasn’t been without its establishment challenges, it has grown exponentially since its beginnings, and this has never been clearer than the growth the school has strategically undertaken in the last ten years.
President of the GCM, Bill Papastergiadis OAM said Alphington Grammar School will continue to expand.
With a newly elected School Council led at the time by the current President of the GCM, Bill Papastergiadis OAM,the desire was to build a school that could cater for the changing make up of Greek Australian families, which saw many more mixed marriages, and for families of other cultures seeking a more intimate learning environment for their children.
“Education is at the heart of the strategic direction of the Greek Community. Looking into the future, Alphington Grammar School will continue to expand and meet the community demands for a quality independent school education that sets students up for success. We are appreciative of the efforts of the previous boards which had the courage to proceed with the setup of the school, and their support at every juncture,” Mr Papastergiadis OAM said.
The school will receive major upgrades.
In 2013, the current Principal Dr Vivianne Nikou was appointed the first female Principal. This ushered in a new era of growth and development.
During Dr Nikou’s time as Principal, the school can boast major building projects such as the Lyceum Centre, a conference space and staff room; the renovation and expansion of the administration wing and student amenities block; a state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) wing; as well as additional music rooms and a dance and drama studio. Most recently, the school has built a new Library for Primary and Secondary students that provides a dynamic learning hub for students and staff to collaborate, study, undertake research and pursue academic excellence. It also houses an extensive collection of Greek texts and music resources.
The new look of Alphington Grammar School.
A wealth of learning opportunities and programs both in the school and beyond ear marks Alphington Grammar School as the “jewel in the crown” of the GCM. With its focus on lifelong learning and ensuring a legacy underpinned by Hellenic values remains for the Greek Community and multiple generations of students to come, the school is going from strength to strength.
Alphington Grammar School is one of the most successful multicultural schools in Australia.
“We embrace our rich cultural heritage in the most innovative ways,” Principal Dr Nikou said.
“We provide the students with the opportunity to explore their own cultural heritage more deeply while also opening up the world beyond our shores.
“We recently had over 115 students travel to iconic locations in London, Italy, Sicily and Greece undertaking their learning in an open classroom in Athens, Crete, Nafpilo, Lefkada, Delphi and the monasteries of Meteora… an experience and personal growth no classroom can duplicate.”
The school’s track record in achieving academic results that rivals its much larger and affluent competitor schools, now sees enrolments increase to over 650 students and many more on waiting lists. Alphington Grammar is now ready to roll out its next strategic plan.
An additional 4 purpose-built classrooms are to open in April this year. As the school grows and waiting lists expand, the School Council has also endorsed the planning stage for a custom built 6-classroom block designed by the school’s Architect, Billy Kavellaris and his team at KUD. The new facility will operate as a Wellness Centre with access to programs that support students’ social and emotional development.
Alphington Grammar School sports facilities.
The project will also include an underground car park as well as new sports facilities that embrace its idyllic setting alongside the Darebin Creek. Given the complexity of this plan, the school is rolling out the project in stages to ensure minimal disruption to classes.
“Continuing to focus on building culture and meaningful relationships while honouring our past and the unique journey of this school is an exciting period to be part of,” Co-Chair of School Council, Michael Karamitos, said.
“The new building project will ensure we provide a vibrant learning environment that respects and celebrates academic excellence and personal development while catering for the increased demand for places in our school.”
For those interested in hearing more about initiatives endorsed by the GCM, the Annual General Meeting will be held at 12 noon on Sunday 17 February at Alphington Grammar School. Families interested in enrolling or finding out about Scholarships at Alphington Grammar should contact the School’s Registrar and register to attend the monthly tour mornings. The School’s Family Festival on Friday 1 March at 4.00 to 9.00pm is open to the wider community, and its Open Day will be held on Saturday 16 March from 10.00am to 1.00pm.
St George Greek Orthodox Church at Rose Bay in Sydney’s leafy Eastern Suburbs is now officially to be heritage listed after a planning proposal, which was recently endorsed by Woollahra Council’s Environmental Planning Committee following extensive public consultation, was finally approved by the full Council at its meeting held on 12 February.
By 10 votes to 4, Woollahra Councillors overwhelmingly voted to adopt the Planning Proposal to list the St George Greek Orthodox Church and war memorial complex and setting, including interiors and moveable relics at 90-92 Newcastle Street, Rose Bay, as a local heritage item in Schedule 5 and on the Heritage Maps of the Woollahra Local Environmental Plan 2014.
Woollahra Council Deputy Mayor, Councillor Sarah Swan, rises to move for adoption of the Planning Proposal (image courtesy of Woollahra Council zoom broadcast)
The motion to adopt the proposal was moved by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Sarah Swan, and seconded by Councillor Susan Wynne (the immediate past Mayor). It received strong cross-party support from some members of the Liberal Party, the Greens, the Residents First group and a local Independent.
The significance of this decision cannot be overstated. The church, which was built in 1962, has played a pivotal role in the lives of the local Greek community as a place of worship and as a war memorial complex.
This means that the church complex, including Orthodox moveable relics, will be registered as a local heritage item on the NSW State Heritage Register.
The church’s statement of heritage significance will officially read:
The St George Greek Orthodox Church and war memorial is of local heritage significance for its historical, associative, aesthetic, social, rarity and representative values. The church reflects the rapid pattern of development of Rose Bay in the post-World War I era and the growing presence of migrant communities that settled in the area during this time. Since its construction and consecration in 1962, the church building has supported the continuity and celebration of Greek customs and traditions in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs for generations of that community. Designed by prominent Inter-War architectural firm Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan, the St George Greek Orthodox Church is considered to be a fine and representative example of their ecclesiastical buildings. The church building is an interesting example of a Greek Orthodox War Memorial Church, which combines elements of the Byzantine style typically associated with ANZAC memorials with the traditional Greek Orthodox Church style. As a Greek Orthodox war memorial church, the St George Greek Orthodox Church has significance for its associations with Australia’s defence history, commemorating members of Australia’s Greek community who served and lost their lives in during World War I and World War II, and Australian soldiers who fought in Greece during World War I. There is only one other known example of this type of Greek Orthodox war memorial church remaining in Sydney.
The St George Church at Rose Bay is a “magnificent sacred edifice”, to quote Father Militiadis Chryssavgis who conducted the first ever liturgy at the church and went on to serve the parish dutifully for almost fifty years.
On Monday, February 12 in Athens, police reported that a former employee of a Greek shipping company fatally shot three people, including the company’s owner, before taking his own life.
News.com.au reported that the 70-year-old shooter allegedly broke into the company’s premises in Glyfada, where he killed two men and a woman on the first floor before barricading himself inside.
“We heard gunshots, and I hid under my desk before police officers helped us out of the building,” an employee of the company, told radio station Skai.
Additional to shooting the owner, the gunman also killed the owner’s son-in-law, a co-director of the company, European Product Carriers, which maintains an average fleet of 35 vessels, including oil tankers, as indicated on its website.
At 10:11 am, local police were notified by an employee inside the building.
Police and emergency services surrounded the area in Athens. Photo: Trade Wind News.
The gunman was later found dead in the basement with his weapon next to him, having “likely shot himself in the head”, police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou said.
Dimoglidou added that the gunman worked for the owner’s family, however further details were not provided.
According to a video shared by News247, an employee of the company confirmed that the assailant was “of Egyptian descent” and “had specifically targeted the company’s executives in an act of revenge.”
He “ordered us to leave so the employees would not be harmed”, she added.
Authorities stated that police officers had entered the building and safely evacuated two women who had been locked in the toilets by the gunman.
Nearby roads were also shut down, and many police officers surrounded the premises.
