In his New Year’s message, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged the significant role played by the Greek diaspora, describing it as an “invaluable contribution” to the nation’s progress.
Mitsotakis, speaking on behalf of the government, expressed steadfast support for the diaspora and highlighted key developments enhancing their involvement in Greek affairs.
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis reflected on how the diaspora played a significant role. Photo: PrimeMinisters.gr.
Addressing Greeks around the world, Mitsotakis emphasised the government’s ongoing commitment to prioritise relations with the diaspora.
He noted recent positive changes, including the removal of obstacles to overseas voters’ participation in Greek elections and the introduction of mail-in voting, providing an accessible means for expressing opinions on matters concerning the homeland.
“The National Strategy for Hellenism Abroad is evolving, with a key focus on preserving the Greek language, our rich cultural heritage, and advancing education,” Mitsotakis stated in his message.
Acknowledging technological advancements, the Prime Minister also pointed out the dedicated section on the gov.gr website exclusively catering to requests from the diaspora.
Mitsotakis expressed confidence in the continued collaboration between the government and the Greek diaspora, recognising its vital role in shaping the nation’s global identity.
We’re coming to the end of another year and there have been some fantastic community, lifestyle and crime stories which have captured the attention of The Greek Herald’s readers in 2023.
From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia’s funeral certificate investigation, to a Greek-owned fish and chip shop being named the best in South Australia, here’s our list of the 12 most-read The Greek Herald stories for this year.
12. O Thanasis in Athens named among top restaurants in the world
O Thanasis in Athens named among top restaurants in the world.
Well known for its juicy souvlakia, O Thanasis, located in the heart of Athens, Greece, has been ranked at number 42 on the Taste Atlas List.
Eating under the radiant white lights and reading from a laminated bilingual menu, the restaurant serves flawless meals ranging from insanely rich tzatziki, succulent grilled meats and homemade moussaka.
11. Greek-owned fish and chip shop named the best in South Australia
Stunned Mullet owners Dino and Amanda Papadopoulos. Photo: The Western Australian.
The Stunned Mullet was one of the top food offerings in South Australia’s delicious 100 list this year, welcoming every customer with a broad range of local and sustainable seafood while ensuring that the tradition of fish and chips remains a beloved element of the Aussie summer.
10. Community take action to save iconic Paragon cafe in NSW
Friends of the Paragon cafe in Katoomba, New South Wales called on people to take action this year to save the iconic 102-year-old state heritage listed building from disrepair.
The Paragon closed in May 2018 due to a maintenance dispute between the owner and the tenant. A planning panel approved a $360,000 repair and restoration development application in July 2020 but work has not yet started.
9. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia suspends Father Leslie from Leichhardt
Father Leslie from Leichhardt.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia placed Father Leslie Kostoglou from St Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church in Leichhardt, Sydney on “ecclesiastical suspension” in May this year.
In a statement, the Archdiocese said the ecclesiastical suspension would be reviewed once Father Leslie “returns to the treasury of the Parish of St Gerasimos in Sydney, the money he has embezzled or there is a relevant settlement with the Board of Directors of the Parish.”
Father Leslie later apologised for his behaviour and he is now parish priest at St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in St Marys.
8. Father John Christodoulos in SA to be investigated amid sordid double life allegations
Father John Christodoulos in SA to be investigated amid sordid double life allegations.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia launched an “internal investigation” into Archimandrite John Christodoulos from South Australia after a report by The Advertiser was released alleging the priest led a sordid double life.
Father John allegedly obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from devout elderly parishioners, while flouting church teachings by regularly meeting other men at night via gay dating and chat app, Grindr.
7. Tsindos: The legendary Greek tavern of Lonsdale Street in Melbourne
Cypriot Neofytos Tsindos came to Australia at the end of 1965.
As almost every Greek place in central Melbourne, Tsindos tavern comes with a migrant story. The Greek Herald paid a visit to the restaurant to hear about this history and found people sitting at tables and enjoying Greek food in a place that, for the last 40 years, continues to promote Greek tradition.
6. Family story behind Melbourne’s iconic Stalactites restaurant
In an interview with The Greek Herald, Nicole Papasavas speaks about the iconic Stalactites Greek restaurant in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, which she now owns. Nicole’s grandfather, Konstantinos Tsoutouras, opened the restaurant in 1978, running it with her father, mother, aunt and uncle.
5. Melbourne community leader Tony Tsourdalakis slapped with restraining order
The President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand (CFANZ), Tony Tsourdalakis, was slapped with a personal safety intervention order by a Victorian magistrate on Thursday, November 16.
The President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand (CFANZ), Tony Tsourdalakis, was slapped with a personal safety intervention order by a Victorian magistrate on Thursday, November 16.
Mr Tsourdalakis, who is also a Director at St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Victoria and Board Member at AGAPI Care, allegedly threatened to incite violence on former President of the Pancretan Association of Melbourne, Emanuel Starakis.
4. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia’s funeral certificate under scrutiny
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia’s funeral certificate under scrutiny.
The Greek Herald’s exposé found families were expected to pay $250 for a funeral certificate that was not officially recognised in Australia nor Greece. The cost of the certificate was also found to be five times the amount compared to a government-issued death certificate in Australia and Greece.
3. Steph and Gian: The Greek-Italian Australians on The Block 2023
Steph and Gian are the youngest couple on this season of The Block. Photo: Nine.
Stephanie Ottavio, an architect and third generation Greek Australian, and Gianpietro Ottavio, a tech startup worker and third generation Italian Australian, were not only crowned this year’s winners but made a record-breaking profit of $1.75 million – the most any contestant has ever made on the show.
2. George Sioris celebrates wedding day with 101-year-old yiayia by his side
George Sioris with his 101-year-old yiayia. Photo supplied.
After having such a huge influence on his life, it’s no surprise George Sioris couldn’t wait to celebrate his marriage to Lenyia with his 101-year-old yiayia by his side.
On Saturday, June 24 this year, George, his yiayia and family gathered outside their home to take photographs before the wedding ceremony at St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Kingsford, Sydney.
In one photograph, yiayia Georgia can be seen standing next to her grandson, holding a black-and-white photo of her late husband George Sioris.
1. Five miscarriages and a baby after an Orthodox convert’s pilgrimage to Tinos
Will and Artemis Greenwood.
After several miscarriages, Will and Artemis Greenwood visited the Greek island of Tinos to worship at the Holy Church of Panagia Evangelistria (Our Lady of Tinos). Will crawled on his hands and knees from the ferry up the Avenue of Megalohari, the slope leading to the entrance of the church where the icon of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is held. Beside him, Artemis walked solemnly.
The crawl took 45 minutes to complete, though Will said it felt much longer as he lost sense of time. While crawling, he thought of the miscarriages his wife had and prayed for her. He also prayed for a child.
It’s that time of the year again where Greeks across Sydney, Australia will turn up in droves to the Ken Rosewall Arena to witness as Team Greece play against other countries in a bid to be crowned champions of the United Cup.
The new-look United Cup is an innovative mixed team event in Perth and Sydney from 29 December to 7 January 2024.
All photos copyright: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos / Takis Triadafillou.
This year’s Team Greece will be captained by World No.110 Petros Tsitsipas and world No.6 Maria Sakkari. The team also consists of World No.7 Stefanos Tsitsipas, Stefanos Sakellaridis, Despina Papamichail and Valentini Grammatikopoulou.
Ahead of the team’s first match against Chile on Tuesday, January 2 at 10.30am, the Tsitsipas brothers, Sakellaridis, Papamichail and Grammatikopoulou all attended a media conference on Friday afternoon. Sakkari was not present at the time due to a delay with her international travel.
At the media conference, the Greek players all said they’re looking forward to the tournament.
“The United Cup is one of the most exciting competitions that tennis has at the moment and to be representing the Greek colours is something that you don’t see that often in tennis,” Stefanos Tsitsipas said.
“We’re here to do better, bigger, bolder things this year. We were very close last year in the semi-finals and it is important for us to get back together, unite again and make it work the way we did last year.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas added that he can’t wait to play in front of loyal Greek fans.
“Same Greeks, different city,” he said.
“All the Greeks that are here support us at any given moment I feel like and we have a great relationship with them.
“We’ve witnessed it in Melbourne, even in Brisbane and now we’re in Sydney. I feel like regardless of the player, regardless of who is on the court playing, the support is the same. The support is intense on every occasion and that for us, means a lot. It gives us a psychological advantage.”
Jim Koutsougeras and Eleni Lambropoulos are celebrating a year of success after securing five industry awards in 2023 for Romsey’s Macedon Distillery.
According to Midland Express, it was their largely grape-based Australian take on Greece’s favourite tipple, ouzo, that brought home the awards for Jim and Eleni, making the past year unforgettable for them both.
“We’re proud of the spirits we produce at Macedon Distillery, and it’s exciting to be recognised by a group of leading industry experts,” Jim said.
Macedon Distillery is making cocktail-ready ouzo ‘Anison’. Photo: barsandclubs.com.au.
Jim persistently worked to create his own version of the Greek iconic spirit over the past three years, but it wasn’t until the passing of his Father in early 2022 that he decided to quit his corporate job to pursue refining the business more than ever before.
The unwavering focus on flavour is inspired by the fulfillment both Jim and Eleni have experienced while learning at the foot of their Greek fathers, who worked tirelessly to make the greatest home brews.
“It’s great to know that all our hard work has paid off”, Jim added.
Since the release of their two variants, an original and a triple-distilled limited edition, the distillery has received gold in both the 2023 Royal Australian Distilled Spirits Awards and the 2023 Tasting Australia Spirit Awards – Alternative Spirits.
18-year-old Greek Australian football star, Emali Goulas has received an athletic scholarship for the University of Oklahoma to study Business in the Department of Sciences and Arts for three years. The Alamein FC player will also participate in the women’s team of the University in the coming year.
Emali was born on December 28, 2004 in Melbourne, Victoria. She lives in Camberwell with her father Jim, mother Roula, and her 17-year-old sister Anna. She attended Primary School at Camberwell South Primary School, and High School at Siena College.
Emali’s parents were born in Australia, with Greek roots tied to Kalamata, Lesvos, Thessaloniki and Karditsa. Her grandparents migrated to Australia in the early 1960s, like all Greeks of that immigrant era.
Emali and her Grandparents.
Recently, Emali was interviewed by The Greek Herald, sharing all of her successes so far and how she first came to love the sport.
How did you first get into football?
I started playing football at the age of seven with a local team, Ashburton United. In 2015, I competed in the NPL National Championship. I also competed in a Gothia Cup tournament. Now I play in the NPLW A team for Alamein FC.
I was attracted to football and the way a team develops in the sport, it’s based on talent, intelligence and proper guidance from the coach. Even though my parents play tennis, football won me over.
Emali, in which position do you play and how many goals have you scored?
I play the midfielder position, number 88, and I have scored quite a few goals.
What is your ultimate dream with the sport?
My dream since I was young has been to play abroad, and now I have the opportunity to study while representing the University with its team. My dream is coming true.
Would you like to play as part of a team in Greece in the future?
I would like to play for Olympiacos and of course, represent Australia at a national level.
I believe you have visited Greece [before]?
Yes, I have been to quite a few places [in Greece] including the areas where my grandparents come from – Kalamata, Thessaloniki, Lesvos and Karditsa, all great places. They all have an amazing legacy.
Emali and her family at the Acropolis in Greece.
How good is your Greek?
I attended Greek lessons at school and of course, I had the best teachers in my grandparents from both sides. I have always been fascinated by Greece, with its cultural history, with its natural beauties and of course, I am fascinated by my parents’ cultural roots.
To what extent did you have support [to pursue soccer] from your family?
My family supports me in all my endeavours. They have strengthened my self-belief with everything I try. I believe that family support can also help an athlete to maintain a balanced diet and provide the necessary support for the development of their skills.
How will you continue to help your team here until you have to go and commit to studies?
I will try to improve as much as possible as a player before leaving. I am assistant technical director for the club’s youth teams, alongside coaching and helping develop other young football talents.
The Advertiser has released its annual Power 50 rankings list for South Australia’s most powerful and influential people. Amongst the list are at least six Australians of Greek heritage.
#48:Theo Maras
Theo Maras. Photo: The Advertiser.
Theo Maras, the founder and Chairman of Maras Group is most known in the property market in South Australia, as well as for his involvement within the community. He is also the director of the Adelaide Central market board and is also known as the ‘king of Rundle Street’, as he is a passionate man who loves to keep his community vibrant and energised. He has won numerous honours and awards over the years.
#39: Danny and Michael Philippou
Michael and Danny Philippou.
The South Australian twins, Danny and Michael Philippou are most known for their horror thriller film, Talk To Me, currently on Netflix, which was shot in the Adelaide suburbs. With a huge following on YouTube where they gained millions of views, they are now working on a Street Fighter adaptation.
#36: Chris Kourakis
Chris Kourakis. Photo: The Advertiser.
Chris Kourakis has been the state’s Chief Justice for the last 11 years and is responsible for guiding the state’s judicial system. He is most recently known for expressing his displeasure at the dilapidated state of court infrastructure, which he said was “impeding our ability to deliver the standard of justice the South Australian community deserves’’.
#18:Tom Koutsantonis
Tom Koutsantonis. Photo: The Advertiser.
Tom Koutsantonis has been titled ‘the Lion of Labor’ by Premier Peter Malinauskas. The former treasurer, who holds the infrastructure, transport, energy and mining portfolios, also holds some cards in the fight to keep Santos’s headquarters in SA – the authority to approve licence transfers.
#13: Kayla Itsines
Kayla Itsines. Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald.
Kayla Itsines was found high up in the list of the most influential people in South Australia. With 16 million followers on Instagram, the fitness guru loves to post home workout videos and was known for her Sweat digital fitness app and also has a book coming out nex year. Her personal worth is estimated at $171 million.
At the 2nd Cretan Lifestyle Conference in Rethymno in November, Harvard University professor of medicine Stefanos Kales suggested that the first Hellenic Olive Network be created. Several experts agreed to invite Greek scientists working on olive trees and their products, as well as interested companies and farmers’ associations, to join such a network.
Initially, the proposal is to establish a virtual network where Greek scientists with expertise in any field related to the olive sector can register and indicate their relevant expertise, current projects, and research interests, and interested Greek companies and producers’ associations can also provide information about their activities and needs. Represented by its president, Eleni Melliou, the non-profit World Olive Center for Health has offered to host the network’s first website.
University of Athens professor Prokopis Magiatis proposed that all well-known Greek scientists working on the olive be invited to register, and that an open invitation be published for other interested scientists who have at least one scientific publication related to the olive sector. The scientists could share information about their relevant work, research, interests, and activities online. Interested companies and farmers’ associations could propose useful research subjects related to the olive sector and access information coming out of the research.
After the human resources, the needs of the industry and producers, and the offered know-how are recorded, the goal is to create a more organised institution. If the government offers the appropriate support, this could lead to the first university institution dedicated to the olive tree in Greece. There is already a proposal for the creation of a relevant department or research institute at the University of Peloponnese in Sparta, with the support of local authorities and chambers of Peloponnese.
Currently, although table olives and olive oil are the main products of the primary sector in Greece, contributing more than one billion euros to the GDP, there is no exclusively specialized educational or research institution dedicated to the olive sector. The country has two university departments and four postgraduate programs on vineyards and oenology, but no public university department that exclusively covers the subject of olive science and technology.
This is not due to a lack of interest or expertise: in Greece more than 200 research scientists deal with the subject of the olive tree in more than a dozen areas ranging from the obvious agronomics, food science, and sensory evaluation to the increasingly important medicine, pharmacology, and epidemiology/public health and the more surprising fields of engineering, geology, and archaeology. Yet these scientists’ focus has not been recorded.
Dan Flynn chairing the Hellenic Olive Network session.
“There is a strong need to bring in contact and collaboration all the Greek scientists working in the broad field of the olive,” emphasised Magiatis. “We don’t know exactly how many scientists work in this field. We don’t know the expertise of each scientist and the specific field of research. Yet the Greek scientific community has a big interest in olives, so we urgently need to do something about education and research coordination in Greece about olives, olive oil, and olive trees.”
Aris Kefalogiannis, founder of the Gaea olive oil and olive brand, entrepreneur and innovator, endorsed the proposal, pointing out that is hard for small and medium sized enterprises “to survive against multinationals without innovation.” Rather, they must “innovate or die.” Suggesting a Hellenic Olive Network could help with the necessary innovation, he presented three examples of situations in which scientific research led to successful products that helped a brand grow internationally and bring in far more income.
Award-winning olive and olive oil producer George Sakellaropoulos, who was introduced as “one of the most innovative producers in Greece,” called it “an absolute necessity” for Greek institutions to work with the private sector “to promote Greece’s most iconic and highly valuable agricultural products,” olive oil and table olives.
Sakellaropoulos mentioned numerous likely benefits of a Hellenic Olive Network. For universities and other institutions, it could help secure funding, share and improve knowledge, create jobs and synergies, enable product innovation, and make research applicable to products and the market. For producers and consumers, the network could help develop innovations and spread scientific information, promote Greek olive growing, and increase the quality and value of Greek olive products as well as Greece’s share of the international market.
The conference session dedicated to the issue of the network also included session chair Dan Flynn, the founding director of the University of California – Davis Olive Center, and presenters Vasilis Vasiliou, Yale School of Public Health professor and co-founder of the proposed Yale Olive Sciences and Health Institute, and Apostolos Kyritsakis, Emeritus Professor at the International Hellenic University and Chairman of the Greek Observatory of Oxidative Stress, who all strongly endorsed the proposed network. During the session, speakers stressed the need for cooperation among scientists in Greek universities and research institutes, as well as scientists of Greek origin from abroad, with Greek industry and the productive sector in order to solve the problems faced by the olive sector.
Scientists, companies, and producers’ organisations interested in joining the Hellenic Olive Network are invited to email info@worldolivecenter.com or call 210 7010131 (in Greece).
*Originally published on Greek Liquid Gold: Authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (greekliquidgold.com). See that site for recipes with olive oil, photos from Greece, agrotourism and food tourism suggestions, and olive oil news and information.
A Greek-owned cargo ship was struck by an explosion in the Black Sea on Wednesday while on its way to Ukraine to be loaded with grain.
According to Politico, the Panamanian-flagged vessel “Vyssos” was heading toward the Ukrainian port of Izmail when it collided with an explosive device in the Danube Delta of the Black Sea.
A Panamanian cargo ship anchored on the Danube river close to the port of Izmail. Photo: Stringer / AFP via Getty Images.
According to the officials, Ukrainian authorities deployed rescuers and physicians to the ship, where they treated the injured crew.
The U.N. had previously brokered a deal with Russia in July, in which the country agreed not to strike Ukranian grain ships or port infrastructure, however, Moscow’s military have continued to attack Ukraine’s Black Sea ports with missiles and drones.
The Greek ship is now being towed to the port of Izmail, where it is due to arrive on Friday.
Greece’s Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni met withEducation Minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis this week in Athens to discuss the improvement of tourism studies and training programs.
During the discussion, Kefalogianni emphasised the critical need of modernising tourism education and expanding skill-uptraining possibilities, which she said were inextricably linked to the quality of tourism products and services on offer.
According to Greek Travel Pages, Pierrakakis stated that research will be conducted in order to identify relevant needs that can assist with formulating a strategy.
Greece’s minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni met with Education Minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis. Photo: Greek Tourism Ministry.
“We have already set the long-term goal and vision of Greek tourism [for 2023] in terms of sustainability, balance and measure,” Kefalogianni said.
“The issue is how we open up to new markets, this is one of the objectives for 2024… one continent we want to develop more is Australia.”
Pierrakakis promised to support initiatives in this direction and to reconvene to lay out a plan for implementation.
Archaeologists, led by Egyptian and French teams, discovered a temple dedicated to Aphrodite off the coast of Egypt, revealing evidence of temples and a trove of artefacts. The findings include silver ritual instruments, gold jewellery, bronze objects, and Greek weaponry, showcasing a rich historical tapestry.
According to archaeological discoveries from earlier this year, a shipwreck found on the coast of Fourka in Halkidiki, Greece was believed to be associated with the 1821 Greek Revolution. Divers found the wreck last summer, which featured two cannons and a 1.5-meter-long rifle on its wooden hull.
Researchers presented their findings at the annual archaeological meeting for the 2022 excavations in Macedonia and Thrace, showcasing their potential role in the uprising of Halkidiki during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The new discovery was made in the City of David. Photo: Kobi Harati, City of David.
A discovery was made in the City of David earlier this year which provided tangible evidence of the Greek presence in Jerusalem’s history. In the discovery, 16 pieces of ceramic roof tiles were discovered during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University. They dated back to the time of Greek Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
The oldest archaeological site of Greece. Photo: TwittercultureGR.
In June this year, in the southern part of Greece, an ancient archaeological site dating back 700,000 years was uncovered in a coal mine rich with artifacts. Tools were found from the Lower Palaeolithic period, as well as the remains of extinct species. The discovery pushes back the beginning of Greek archaeology by a quarter of a million years.
