It was a preseason friendly but with friends in every sense of the word. That was my experience last Friday, March 15, on a warm balmy night in Melbourne’s west. Westvale Olympic FC, proudly Hellenic but with a distinct multicultural flavour, was hosting Malvern FC in a pre-season friendly match.
I first visited this ground in Melbourne’s west last year. It was for football but not for the immediate reason one might think. Westvale Olympic was not playing that day nor was my son (Lee) involved in a match, albeit that was the reason for my visit the other night. But more on that shortly.
My visit last year to this great club was to present a trophy as a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission to the winner of the Nepalese football tournament. Living in the east of Melbourne, it was somewhat of a discovery journey for me.
On arrival last year I met Westvale president, George Loulakis. George was pale and looked tired. The reason for this as I later found out was because only weeks earlier he had suffered a major heart attack. Nevertheless George was at the Club that day working tirelessly as he was hosting this tournament. He had opened the doors of the club at no cost to support other communities. The Nepalese loved George. He was generous and avoided the limelight. He was genuinely interested in assisting this community as well as many others as he understood the significance of how sport unites us and provides a safe home.
Westvale Olympic team. Photo: Facebook.
Covid has been tough on Westvale Olympic. It had lost a lot of players and teams but George was ambitious to rebuild it. Its social club proudly displayed its Hellenic history along with its trophies and many achievements.
Last week my son (who is undertaking VCE) played for Malvern FC’s reserves in a friendly match against Westvale Olympic.
As I entered the Cub last week I could smell the Greek food and I could hear the Greek language spoken in different pockets of the ground by various elderly gentlemen. As I walked to the sidelines of the pitch I heard a gentleman say to me “Ela Vasili welcome back.” I didn’t recognise him. The gentleman continued and said to me “it’s me, George.”
I looked at him and said “President, is that you? You are a different person. You look amazingly fit and well. You’ve had a great recovery from last year.”
And so we restarted our conversation from last year. George spoke about the 50 year celebrations for the Club. George proudly pointed to the trophies and to the fact that this Club was one large family. He said “we look after one another and I have a board of 14 hardworking people helping me.”
I said to George “you have some great players particularly some of the African lads.”
George replied “they are all local people and they feel at home here. And for the first time I have a women’s team. We are happy with what we have and I am confident about our success.”
George then introduced me to Spiros who said to me “my son too plays at Westvale Olympic but for the wheelchairs team.” I was unaware of that. I thought South Melbourne Hellas had the only wheelchair team in Victoria. Spiros said to me with pride, “I hope my son plays for Australia. He scored a great goal for Westvale the other day.”
My son’s game ended in a draw. We finished equals with Westvale Olympic which ironically was the message inherent in George’s ethos about the Club. We are all equals with the Hellenic spirit of filoxenia ever present.
Greek communities across Australia are gearing up to celebrate Greek Independence Day on Monday, March 25th.
This special day commemorates the start of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821 and is a time for Greeks to come together and represent their culture and heritage through various festivities.
With a wide variety of events planned for this special day in Greek history, The Greek Herald has a rundown of what’s happening around Australia.
New South Wales:
In New South Wales, there are several celebrations taking place.
On Sunday, March 24, the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales (GOCNSW) in conjunction with the Parishes-Communities of NSW of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, will be holding a Greek Independence Day march to the Sydney Opera House.
This event is a crowd favourite in the Greek community of Sydney and is being held for the first time since 2020, when it was first cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An event will be held at the Sydney Opera House.
The event on March 24 will begin with a memorial service and wreath laying ceremony at 1pm at the Martin Place Cenotaph in Sydney. The march to the Opera House will then follow at 2:30 pm, with formalities and entertainment.
Amongst council celebrations in Burwood, Canterbury-Bankstown and Marrickville, AHEPA NSW will also be holding its annual Greek Independence Day event on Wednesday, March 27. The event will be held at AHEPA NSW Hall in Rockdale from 7pm.
Victoria:
To celebrate Greek Independence Day in Victoria, the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) is hosting its annual 25thMarch Dinner Dance. Held on Friday, March 22 at 6:30 pm at the Panarcadian Association Hall, attendees will be given the opportunity to enjoy a sit-down meal with friends and family before hitting the dance floor. The Greek band ‘Anagennisi’ band will be performing laiko-style Greek songs everyone knows and loves to dance to.
An annual parade will also be held by the Victorian Council for Greek National Day on Sunday, April 14, at Lakeside Stadium. This event invites members of the community to come together and march for the national Greek holiday. Archbishop Makarios of Australia is expected to make an appearance, along with representatives from state and federal governments.
Kids dressed in traditional costumes holding Greek flags. Photo copyright The Greek Herald / Giorgos Psomiadis.
The Pammessinian Brotherhood of Melbourne – “Papaflessas” is also hosting a Greek Independence Day gala in St Kilda, Victoria. The 65th Annual Independence Day Greek Dance will be held on Saturday, March 23 at the St Kilda’s Town Hall ballroom, and will feature a live Greek music performance by Omados, a Melbourne band who perform traditional dance music from all over Greece.
South Australia:
In South Australia, the Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc (GOSCA) is also hosting a special event to commemorate the Greek national day – The Greek Independence Day Memorial Service and Celebration. It will takeplace on Sunday, March 24.
The Greek community in South Australia is invited to attend the Liturgy and Doxology at the Cathedral of Archangels Michael & Gabriel from 8 am, and following this, at 11 am, there will be a memorial service and wreath laying ceremony held at the courtyard of the Cathedral.
The celebration will then continue from 12pm at Olympic Hall, where people will be able to attend a special lunch and students from GOCSA’s Greek Schools will perform poems and songs. There will also be traditional dance performances by GOCSA Dance Academy too.
Australian Capital Territory:
In honour of Greek Independence Day, the nation’s capital is also putting on a series of events to celebrate.
For the first time, the Hellenic Club of Canberra at Woden is holding ‘Greek Week’ from Monday, March 19 to Monday, March 25. Members of the community are invited to enjoy all things Greek from food, wine, music, performances and more.
On each day of the week-long celebrations there will be Greek food specials at the Hellenic Club, a $5 Ouzotini, Greek café sweets on offer and free koulourakia with coffee purchases.
Throughout this event, there will also be a Greek Themed Trivia on Tuesday, March 19, Greek Wine Tasting on Wednesday, March 20, a Greek Night with DJ Stav at Fillos on Thursday, March 21, Greek Wine Tasting on Friday, March 22, the ENDOURO Fight Series with two headlining Greek fighters on Saturday, March 23, a screening of the Greek theatre show – Omorfi Poli (with English subtitles) on the Sunday, March 24, and finally, on Monday, March 25, there will be performances by the Hellenic Dancers and Kefi Band.
Another event taking place will be on Sunday, March 30, where the Greek community in Canberra will host their formal festivities. The day will start with a church service at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Kingston, then a presentation of poems and a song from students of the Greek School of Canberra. To follow will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Greek War memorial at 12 pm.
On Saturday, March 16, the Panachaian Philanthropical Association (PPA) hosted a special event to mark the end of Apokries.
The event ‘Patrino Karnavali’ was held for its 46th year at The Grand Roxy in Brighton-Le-Sands, Sydney and featured plenty of fun and entertainment for all to enjoy.
This year’s event highlights included performances by a Brazilian dance group and a sit-down dinner. Children and adults were dressed up in colourful costumes, whilst there was a dance competition for little kids and an awards ceremony for the most creative costumes.
People of all ages attended the Patrino Karnavali.
The Brazilian dancers.
Katerina Vetsikas, the President of the PPA, gave a speech on the night, welcoming and thanking everyone for attending the annual event.
“Thank you to all who contributed to us hosting this unforgettable, colourful, and spectacular Patras Carnival night in Sydney,” Ms Vetsikas said.
“Congratulations to all the people who dressed up… and congratulations to all the winners.”
Manasis Dance Group in Melbourne held a vibrant Apokries celebration at Vanila Café in Oakleigh, showcasing the spirit of the Greek Carnival.
Dimosthenis Manasis told The Greek Herald that Apokries have the opportunity to engage students of all levels “by introducing them to dances that don’t require complex choreography.”
Apokries in Melbourne. All photos: The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
It isn’t just the students that were engaged by the festivities, but also the diners around Eaton Mall who were treated to some shenanigans from Greek villages like Ampelia and Kleidonia, as well as Shahino, north of Thessaloniki.
Manasis believes that understanding the origins and symbolism of these customs fosters a deeper connection to Greek culture.
“Many of these customs adapted to Christianity and that is how they survived,” he said.
He hopes the same rings true through dances like Apokries, where the focus is less on learning the choreography and more about fun.
The event catered to people of all ages.
“The celebratory atmosphere and educational component create a sense of belonging and cultural connection for young participants,” he said, admiring the enthusiasm of his attendees and joking they were like his “personal rent-a-crowd.”
“Going to Greece to see Apokries from up close, especially in Naoussa, is a dream for me… But I don’t want to leave them. And the dances have become a tradition for our school.”
He may never have had the opportunity to visit Greece during carnival time but the vibrancy of his Apokries party transported those present to the birthplace of these traditions.
On Sunday, March 17 at the Verbrugghen Hall of the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, the acclaimed Greek musician and composer Manolis Androulidakis performed.
He took to the stage to perform ‘Greek Music On Six Strings‘, a special show as part of the Greek Festival of Sydney.
Androulidakis, who is renowned for his talent of playing classical guitar, delivered an acoustic music recital concert that transported the audience to Greece. He performed classic songs from the Zorba dance, to hits from Greek cinema that many know and love.
Another performance which took Androulidakis to the stage was the ‘Echoes of Freedom: A Tribute to the Songs of the Struggle.’ This took place on Friday, March 15, and was a concert dedicated to legendary Greek composers and musicians whose works resonate with themes of freedom, democracy, and social justice.
He performed hits from Greek composers including Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Stavros Xarhakos, Yannis Markopoulos, Christos Leontis, Dionysis Savvopoulos, and Manos Loizos.
As well as playing classical guitar, Androulidakis also sung many of these classics.
The Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen‘s Association held an event for Greek National Day on Sunday, March 17 at the Holy Monastery of “Axion Esti” in Northcote, Victoria.
The event included a church service and wreath laying ceremony which was attended by a number of official guests including the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis; Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta; and Member for Northcote, Kat Theophanous MP; as well as a number of Presidents of local Greek and Cypriot communities, and school delegations.
The church service. Photos: Supplied.
After the wreath laying ceremony, officials and members of the Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen’s Association attended a function in the church hall.
Bishop Evmenios kicked off the luncheon with a blessing of the food, and this was followed by a speech from the Consul General.
Speeches were made at the church hall. Photo: Supplied.
Speeches were recited in the church hall. Photo: Supplied.
The Consul General referred to the Greek Revolution from a different perspective and approach. He was followed by Anthi Sidiropoulos, representing the Greek Community of Melbourne, who delivered a brief greeting and made a small reference to the Greek Revolution.
Lastly, after the outgoing President Mr Dourios thanked the attendees and the new board, new President Nikolaos Makridis spoke and provided a more detailed account of some of the 123 attempts at revolution by Greeks during the 400 years of slavery.
Uber has agreed to pay $271.8 million to Australian taxi and hire car drivers, operators and licence holders to compensate them for losing income and licence values when the rideshare giant moved into the Australian market.
More than 8,000 taxi and hire car owners are part of the class action suit, which was filed in 2019. The lawsuit alleges that Uber Australia and its parent companies knowingly operated illegally and therefore had an unfair advantage over taxi and hire car drivers who were complying with the law.
Lead plaintiff, Nick Andrianakis, described the settlement as a win for small businesses, taxi drivers, and operators within the taxi and hire car industry.
Uber is set to pay more than $200 million. Photo: Britannica.
“I’ve lost my passion for work,” Mr Andrianakis said.
“I lost my [taxi licence] plates that were half a million dollars each. And I lost my income that provided food on the table for my family.”
Mr Andrianakis said he was previously forced out of the taxi business when Uber was introduced in Australia. He revealed he had lost more than $1 million in total.
“My family has always been into taxis, my father drove taxis… my son drove taxis while he was at uni,” he said.
“But when Uber came to our shores illegally, like pirates, they broke every law, every regulation.”
The trial continues on Monday in the Supreme Court of Victoria but is expected to be abandoned.
The Cyprus Diaspora Forum held in Limassol from 6-9 March 2024, brought together Cypriot diaspora communities, prominent figures from Cyprus’ public and private sectors, media, academia, and civic society with the goal of recognising and promoting the importance of Cyprus’ diaspora while strengthening relations through entrepreneurship, innovation, philanthropy, cultural and social engagement.
The Cyprus Diaspora Forum gala dinner. Photos: Cyprus Diaspora Forum.
The Cyprus Diaspora Forum gala dinner. Photos: Cyprus Diaspora Forum.
The four-day B2B event, founded by Paul Lambis, was held at the Parklane Resort and Spa, and attracted prominent business professionals and talented Cypriots of the diaspora, including HNWIs and foreign investors interested in the island’s growth sectors and its unique investment opportunities.
The forum started with an exclusive Breakfast Networking Event, attended by Limassol Mayor, Nicos Nicolaides, United States Ambassador to Cyprus, H.E. Julie D. Fisher, Australian High Commissioner, H.E. Fiona McKergow, Former Commissioner for Overseas Cypriots, Photis Photiou, Secretary General of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marios Tsiakkis, CEO of Invest Cyprus, Marios Tannousis, Chairman of CySEC, Dr. George Theocharides, Managing Director, Cyprus Seeds, Maria Markidou Georgiadou, Director General RIK, Thanasis Tsokos, Real Estate Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, John Christodoulou, Founder and CEO, Meaningful Synergies, Branka van der Linden, and many more reputable organisations outlining the importance of Cyprus’ diaspora in forging connections and joining forces to support the island’s growth sectors and further enhancing its reputation as a dynamic business hub.
The breakfast networking event. Photos: Cyprus Diaspora Forum.
The Breakfast Networking Event was hosted by BBC Television and Radio Journalist, Emilia Papadopoulos, and featured entertainment by the award-winning Cyprus Choral Association, under the direction of Nikolas Therapontos, and renowned Cypriot soprano Mariza Anastasiades.
The following four days of the forum included excellently moderated panel discussions covering a wide range of topics within Cyprus’ growth sectors, such as hospitality and tourism, health and wellness, media, culture, arts, film, television, theatre, music, literature, education, sports, social and philanthropy, international relations, finance, law, energy, shipping, real estate, business, and innovation. Cypriots of the diaspora, entrepreneurs, policymakers, stakeholders, ministers and deputy ministers, government organisations, as well as business leaders from Cyprus and across the world came together to share their own perspectives, resulting in dynamic, meaningful dialogue promoting excellence through leadership.
The breakfast networking event. Photos: Cyprus Diaspora Forum.
The Cyprus Diaspora Forum also included one-on-one fireside chats with pioneering individuals such as cultural activist, Tasoula Hadjitofi, renowned psychologist, Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, chief strategy and growth officer, Peter Abraam, President of the Recording Academy/GRAMMY Awards, Panos A. Panay, Executive Chairman of Libra Group, George Logothetis, and retail magnate and entrepreneur, Theo Paphitis.
The event concluded with an impressive gala dinner and awards ceremony attended by over 350 people, who were welcomed on arrival by the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra, followed by a rich entertainment programme referencing Cyprus’ traditions through music and dance by Christos Shakallis, as well as exclusive performances by Andrew Lambrou, last year’s Eurovision representative for Cyprus, renowned Greek Cypriot singer Marilia Charalambide, Konstantinos Michaeloudes, and Vasiliki Hajiadamou, who performed with Pavlos Michaelides and his orchestra. A special guest performance included Cyprus’ 2024 Eurovision representative, Silia Kapsis, who performed the ballade version of her song ‘Liar’.
The panel discussions. Photos: Cyprus Diaspora Forum.
The highlight of the gala event were the first CYDIA Awards, which honoured Cypriots of the diaspora in sixteen categories, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was awarded to Cypriot ‘Icon Hunter’ from the diaspora, Tasoula Hadjitofi, a globally recognised activist for human rights, religious freedom, international humanitarian law, and the protection of cultural heritage.
Tasoula Hadjitofi’s efforts were applauded by hundreds of attendees at the ceremony, including businesspeople from Cyprus and abroad, as well as ministers, diplomats, and others. The award ceremony was also followed by thousands of other viewers from around the world through digital channels.
In her acceptance speech, Tasoula Hadjitofi delivered powerful messages to the audience. Addressing the present representatives of the Cyprus Government and political parties, she specifically mentioned, “the moment you realise the power Cyprus will have when you embrace the Diaspora, for Economic Diplomacy, for Security Diplomacy, and the moment we change the ‘narrative’ about what happened in Cyprus, the narrative we have been promoting for 50 years now that ‘does not sell’, then that is the moment Cyprus will be free.”
The presentation of Tasoula Hadjitofi’s work and her speech, spread waves of emotion, while the audience stood up and applauded incessantly. Throughout the evening, numerous people expressed their desire to actively contribute to her cause, including people from various other nationalities who live permanently in Cyprus, expressing their desire and intention to strengthen it.
There were special performances that took place as part of the Cyprus Diaspora Forum. Photos: Cyprus Diaspora Forum.
The complete list of winners for the CYDIA 2024:
Culture and Arts: Christina Dymioti, Director, Fashion Heritage Network Cyprus, United Kingdom
Education: Christina Shailas, Founder and CEO, Gear Education, USA, Cyprus
Film, TV, Drama and Music: Stelana Kliris, Film writer, Director, Producer, South Africa, Cyprus
Media: Emilia Papadopoulos, Television and Radio Journalist, United Kingdom, Cyprus
Movement for Change: Peter Kypri, Comedian and Video Creator, United Kingdom, Cyprus
Social and Philanthropy: Catherine Constantinides, Humanitarian and Environmental Activist, South Africa
Sports: Vladimiros Tziortzis, NASCAR Professional Racing Driver, Cyprus
Health and Wellness: Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, Renowned Psychologist, United Kingdom
Hospitality and Tourism: Miranda Tringis, Founder, Cyherbia Botanical Park, The Netherlands, Cyprus
Real Estate: Jenny Ellinas, Founder and CEO, Cypriot Realty, South Africa, Cyprus
Startups and Innovation: Tanya Romanyukha, Head of Operations, TechIsland, Cyprus
Finance and Commerce: George Moulos, Managing Director, Ecommerce Brokers, Australia, Greece, Cyprus
Entrepreneurship: Peter Abraam, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Australia
Contribution to Society: Yianis Christodoulou Foundation, Cyprus, United Kingdom, Other Countries
Diaspora Ambassador Award: Andreas Dometakis, Tailor and Patternmaker for Film, TV, and Theatre, United Kingdom
Lifetime Achievement Award: Tasoula Hadjitofi, Cultural Activist, The Netherlands, Cyprus
The Cyprus Diaspora Forum 2024 left the best impressions to all attendees and was extensively covered in local and global press. The founders of the forum are already making plans for its second year, promising an even bigger event in 2025.
The event is supported by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN Cyprus), Invest Cyprus, Cyprus Seeds, TechIsland, Cyprus Business Group, and various other credible organisations both in Cyprus and abroad.
A hearty South Melbourne FC levelled Altona Magic at Paisley Park on Saturday to record their fifth Victorian National Premier Leagues win of the season
South Melbourne’s 4-1 victory looks poor in the face of their total dominance for 90 minutes with plenty of missed opportunities.
The Blue and Whites of Esteban Quintas, who continue to be at the top of the Victorian NPL standings, were levellers.
They opened the scoring with Mikkola in the 48′, Bonana doubled the goals, while in the 66′ with a penalty Sawyer made it 3-1 and in the 80′ Archibald put the icing on the cake when he made the final 4-1.
The kitchen is operated by chef Panayiotis Giannakopoulos, who is known for serving dishes such as fish and horta vrasta and pork with lettuce and white egg lemon sauce. These are some of the resident’s favourite dishes.
The survey revealed that seven out of 10 residents at the aged care home said they “always” liked the food, while the rest liked it “most of the time.”
Residents at the Greek Community Home For The Aged love Greek food. Photo: Sam Ruttyn.
“We know if we can get the food right, then we are going to get everything else right,” Katerina Kouris, manager of The Greek Community Home For The Aged, told The Daily Telegraph.
“We don’t have weight loss here, unless someone is unwell. People actually come in and gain weight.”
Ms Kouris added that the facility aims to cater to residents’ tastes, and Greek food is highly favoured.
“It’s all very Greek and the aroma of the food in the dining room is always delicious,” Ms Kouris said.
The Greek Community Home for the Aged was among a quality list of other aged care homes with the best food in NSW, including William Beech Gardens – Bushmaster at Condobolin and the Yeoval Community Nursing Home at Yeoval.
Among the lowest ranked aged care homes for food were Catholic Healthcare The Sister Anne Court Aged Care at Darlinghurst and Columbia Aged Care Services – Willowood Centre at Chatswood.
