Sydney Olympic FC may be forced to change its new logo after it was found to breach protections over official Olympic symbols, including the rings and torch.
The club unveiled the design on Sunday, October 19 before its first home game in the Australian Championship but later removed the rings from its social media accounts after the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) confirmed the symbols are protected intellectual property.
While Sydney Olympic is permitted to use its name – as it predates the Olympic Insignia Protection Act 1987 – it cannot use “Olympic properties” such as the rings or torch without a licence.
“These are protected Olympic IP reserved exclusively for official Olympic sponsors and licensees,” an AOC spokesperson said in a statement.
“Sydney Olympic FC did not approach the AOC about this logo specifically, but we will give them a call and talk through Olympic IP permissions, requesting them to remove the rings and torch given they are protected Olympic properties.”
The Greek Herald contacted club chairman Damon Hanlin for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
The Victorian Senior of the Year Awards took place at Government House on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt MP, along with Robert Caulfield, President of the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoriaand Seniors Rights Victoria, joined the Governor of Victoria, Margaret Gardner AC, to present the prestigious awards.
Greek Australian Nola Radiotis, nominated by Mary Lalios, received the COTA VictoriaSenior Achiever Award, recognising her outstanding contributions to positive ageing and her dedication to supporting older multicultural women through movement, culture, and community connection.
For the past 14 years, Nola has served as President of the Greek Women of Northern Suburbs “Anemones”,a volunteer group that provides a warm and inclusive space for older women.
She runs weekly dance and exercise classes, organises cultural events and excursions, and even established a group chat to ensure members stay connected – often providing the highlight of the day for many.
A tireless advocate for older people, Nola also applies for grants to keep community programs low-cost or free. As a skilled interpreter, she helps multicultural women access essential information and services.
Beyond her work with the Anemones, Nola also serves on the committees of the Hellenic Women’s Federation Victoria and the Northern Federation of Ethnic Senior Clubs. Over the years, she has dedicated close to 10,000 hours of volunteer service, uplifting and empowering seniors across Victoria.
Speaking about the award, Nola told The Greek Herald, “This recognition is not just for me, but for every woman who finds strength, joy, and friendship in our community. When we move together, share stories, and support one another, we remind ourselves that ageing can be full of purpose, laughter, and love.”
The award announcement followed the Anemones’ 25-year celebration on the preceding Sunday, where Ms Lalios proudly shared news of Nola’s nomination with the community.
The 2025 Victorian Senior of the Year Award recipients exemplify the spirit of giving, advocacy, and leadership that strengthens Victoria’s diverse communities. Their generosity and dedication continue to inspire people of all ages to live with purpose and connection.
A warm Sunday afternoon in Melbourne saw many attend the launch of the Greek Australian Cultural League’s (GACL) periodical magazine Antipodes.
First published in 1974, it is the longest published bi-lingual Australian periodical. The 2025 Antipodes is the 71st volume and features stories about post-war Greek migration to Australia.
Approaching the Panarcadian Association for the launch, I was greeted by a delicately crafted window display of 1950s teacups, magazine covers, suitcases and other household items.
Launch attendees were transported back to the era of post-war migration when entering the foyer and seeing an ‘immigration department’ registration table where they could write on a name tag the year they arrived in Australia and the name of their ship. Many elderly Greeks in the line for this registration were fondly and emotionally sharing their stories of migrating to Australia.
Walls of the room were also covered in old photographs of Greek migrants in Australia.
Celebrating the 71st volume of Antipodes, GACL President Cathy Alexopoulos presented an extremely well-organised afternoon of speeches, a screening of the short film Two Migrant Boys and an entertaining fashion runway of 1950s-1970s clothes which was curated by the talented Ourania Papageorgiou.
Closing the launch with the fashion show had attendees buzzing, especially when boubounieres were handed out as a bride and groom walked the runway.
Photo: Jim Claven.
The launch was hosted by Anthea Sidiropoulos and opened with footage of the Patris ship arriving in Melbourne.
Speeches were delivered by Ms Alexopoulos, Secretary for the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) Marinis Pirpiris, and Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission Vivienne Nguyen. Migration is something all speakers connected to on a personal level and shared their own journeys.
Former Calwell MP Maria Vamvakinou officially launched the 2025 Antipodes. She made a particularly interesting point when she noted that the migrant stories in Antipodes don’t have a sense of victimhood, but are rather recounts of resilience in a time of uncertainty. Post-war Greek migrants established themselves in an unknown country with little understanding of the language and culture, and managed to build their lives from scratch.
In attendance at the launch were Dr Mary Elizabeth Calwell, daughter of Arthur and Elizabeth Calwell, former chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission George Lekakis AO, and Moira Triantafyllou, Education Officer for the Greek Consulate.
Sponsors of the event were Andronas Conservation Architecture, Toorak Law, ADK Insurance Brokers and the Ithacan Philanthropic Society.
Ms Alexopoulos told The Greek Herald, “We are at a point in our society that these sort of events which honour or are dedicated to that first mass migration… should be do[ne] in a different light… We need to pull our resources together and get that second and third generation involved… to do something that is outside the square.”
Regarding the future of GACL, Ms Alexopoulos said they hope to grow their team with new people and they will continue with their 2026 plans to produce another periodical, host their bi-annual book award and annual literary competition.
It was heartwarming to see smiles in the crowd when they heard memories shared by the launch speakers. Mr Pirpiris shared a memory of sitting around the fireplace when he was little and listening to his family’s stories. Later, excited whispers flowed through the crowd when they saw familiar streets of 1960s Melbourne in Two Migrant Boys.
Georgia Tragas attended the event with her family and was touched to relive her experience migrating to Australia.
She said the evening brought back many memories for her of “how we came to Australia in ’65… how we raised our children, how we worked hard. How we sent our children to English school and of course also to Greek school so they could learn the Greek language, our tradition, our culture.”
It was especially touching for Georgia to see footage of the Patris screened at the launch, a reminder of how she had arrived on that ship to Melbourne where her new life began.
97-year-old Anastasios ‘Tasos’ Kolokotronis’ story was one of the many featured in Antipodes. His story follows his first months arriving in Australia, attempting to find work in Sydney before moving to Melbourne.
He said, “we started our life here… it was difficult, without the language, without money, but we managed and tried different jobs. Finally, I found a good job… as an automotive and aircraft engineer.”
In his piece, Tasos speaks about his experiences in Australia and impressions of the country. He shares light-hearted stories alongside the darker aspects of migration. Attending the launch with pride, Tasos reflected on the event saying, “It brought back memories of the old days [and] I saw some friends here.”
The launch of this year’s Antipodes was a heartfelt tribute to Australia’s Greek migrants. The volume was thoughtfully compiled by the GACL team who understand that at the crux of Greek Australian culture is a story of a migrant who was just trying their best to create a better life.
South Australia’s Attorney-General has requested a review of the decision to grant parole to Snowtown killer James Vlassakis, the ABC has revealed.
The South Australian Parole Board announced in August that Vlassakis would be released after serving 26 years of his life sentence.
Parole Administrative Review Commissioner Michael David KC confirmed that an appeal against the decision has been lodged, with a directions hearing expected in the coming weeks.
Parole Board chair Frances Nelson KC previously said she considered Vlassakis “genuinely remorseful” and a suitable candidate for release.
Now in his mid-40s, Vlassakis was the youngest of the four men involved in the infamous “bodies-in-the-barrels” murders committed between 1992 and 1999.
He pleaded guilty to four murders and received a life sentence with a 26-year non-parole period.
Vlassakis later became a key witness for the prosecution in the trials of John Bunting and Robert Wagner, who were convicted of 11 and 10 murders respectively and are serving life sentences without parole.
The 30th Greek Film Festival of Sydney, proudly presented by Benchmark Greek Law, paid tribute to the efforts of Hellenic-background filmmakers from its city in an in-depth conversation event with three local talents in Alex Lykos, Kay Pavlou and Billy Cotsis.
The event titled ‘Sydney Silver Screen: A Tribute to Local Legends’, that took place on Monday 20th October, saw the three Sydney-based filmmakers engage in a Q&A session at Steki Taverna led by Ouzo Talk host Tom Skolarikis.
The trio shared keen insights into various subjects regarding their respective journeys, while also discussing larger topics centred around the film industry, including some of the harsh realities the industry itself faces and its impact on creators.
They noted the Greek Film Festival provides critical support for Greek Australian filmmakers, a sentiment shared when visiting director from Greece, Kostas Macheras, appeared towards the end and remarked that it is also an important vehicle for providing an insight into modern Greece.
All the aforementioned filmmakers have had works of theirs included as part of this year’s Film Festival program, with Cotsis highlighting it as an immense privilege to have been included in that list.
“We (himself and his collaborators) created a film specifically for this year’s Festival. That’s how much this Festival means to us,” Cotsis said.
Pavlou added her pleasure that the festival spotlights documentaries such as hers (‘Two Homelands’), while stating: “It’s a beautiful, inclusive experience for us as Greek Australian filmmakers. It’s embracing of us and of our audiences.”
Lykos expressed that the festival’s biggest asset is how it cultivates and celebrates Hellenism through its honouring the film exploits of talented creators.
“Tonight was about community, coming together and celebrating our Greekness, and I always see that as a very, very big privilege,” Lykos said.
Nia Karteris, Chair of the Greek Film Festival of Sydney and Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW), stressed events such as these are critical in achieving one of the key goals of the Film Festival.
“The Greek Film Festival of Sydney has always wanted to showcase not only international Greek films, but also the works in our Greek Australian film industry from talented directors, writers, producers, and all other types of creators,” Ms Karteris said.
Among the guests in attendance at the event included the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, George Skemperis, and Vice President of the GOCNSW Con Apoifis.
The Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen’s Associationheld a significant commemorative event on Saturday, October 19, at the Shepparton War Memorial, unveiling a bronze plaque that symbolically links ancient Greek valour with Australia’s ANZAC legacy.
The plaque is a replica of an ancient funerary stele honouring Athenian hoplites who fought and fell in battle in 447 B.C. near the Hellespont (modern-day Gallipoli).
A historic connection between Athens and Gallipoli
The original stele, housed at the National Epigraphic Museum in Athens since 1881, was once located in the ancient Athenian military cemetery known as the Demosion Sema in Kerameikos.
Its inscription commemorates the soldiers’ sacrifice: “Fighting beside the Hellespont, these men lost their shining youth. They brought honour to their fatherland, so that the enemy groaned as he bore the harvest of war, and for themselves they set up an immortal memorial of their courage.”
A plaster cast of the stele is also preserved at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, where it was first displayed in the 1930s following efforts by C.E.W. Bean, Christopher Brennan, and Robert Innes Kay – three Australians who recognised the inscription’s deep resonance with the ANZAC spirit.
The replica unveiled in Shepparton is the first plaque in Victoria to bear both the original ancient Greek text and an English translation.
Ceremony and Participants
The day began with a memorial service at St George Greek Orthodox Church, Shepparton, officiated by Father Platon Derlis. Following the service, members of the Association proceeded to the War Memorial for the unveiling, conducted by Dr Panagiotis Diamadis.
Dr Diamadis, a Sydney-based historian and genocide scholar, spoke briefly about the inscription’s historical context and its connection to the ANZAC legacy. His research focuses on Australia’s humanitarian efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean during and after the genocides of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in the early 20th century.
Wreaths were then laid by representatives of community organisations and local authorities, including: Konstantinos Antoniadis, on behalf of Consul General Dimitra Georgantzoglou; Melissa Crosby, representing Kim O’Keeffe MP, Member for Shepparton; Mayor Shane Sali, City of Greater Shepparton; and a number of representatives from local Greek community organisations.
Honouring history and legacy
Following the ceremony, attendees gathered at the Sherburne Terrace Wyndham Hotel for the main lecture, where Dr Diamadis spoke in detail about the ancient inscription’s connection to both World Wars and his co-authored book From Genocide to Rebirth, which documents the photographic collection of George Devine Treloar – a Ballarat-born soldier turned humanitarian for the League of Nations who aided refugees in post-war Greece.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Nikolaos Makridis, President of the Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen’s Association, who thanked all dignitaries, guests, and members for their attendance and ongoing support.
The Hellenic Club of Canberra held its 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, 19 October 2025, at its Matilda Street premises in Woden, marking another milestone year for one of the ACT’s most prominent cultural and community institutions.
During the meeting, members reviewed the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2025, and discussed key agenda items, including a special resolution to amend the Club’s Memorandum and Articles of Association concerning gold membership fees.
The proposed amendment was passed and allows the Board to determine membership fees for former Gold Members who reapply.
Newly elected Board of Directors
The Club also announced the results of its Board of Directors election for 2025/26, with the following members elected to serve:
Directors: George Alex Diamond, Nikos Kalogeropoulos, Angelo Konstantinou, Stef Pashalidis
Outgoing Director Jim Andriopoulos was acknowledged for his 12 consecutive years of service on the Board, during which he contributed significantly to the Club’s governance and community programs.
Commitment to growth and community
The meeting reaffirmed the Club’s ongoing commitment to serving Canberra’s Hellenic community through events, hospitality, and cultural engagement, while advancing major projects such as the Woden Village development – a future mixed-use precinct aimed at revitalising the local area.
With its new Board in place, the Hellenic Club of Canberra enters the 2025/26 financial year with renewed focus on sustainability, member engagement, and strengthening ties with the broader ACT community.
Oakleigh Grammar welcomed Ioannis Loverdos, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greeks Abroad, as part of his official tour of Australia and New Zealand.
The visit formed part of the Greek Government’s broader initiative to strengthen ties with the Greek diaspora across the Southern Hemisphere, recognising the enduring cultural, educational, and community contributions of Hellenic communities abroad.
Loverdos was accompanied by a distinguished delegation of officials, including Stavros Venizelos, Ambassador of Greece to Australia and New Zealand; Athanasios Balermpas, Secretary-General for Interior and Organisation, Ministry of the Interior; Dimitrios Karnavos, Secretary-General for Citizenship; Aikaterini Ouli, Director-General for Citizenship; Zoi Tsirakopoulou-Gklinou, Secretary of Embassy, Deputy Minister’s Diplomatic Cabinet; and Dimitra Georgantzoglou, Consul General of Greece in Melbourne.
The delegation was warmly received by Oakleigh Grammar Board Chairman Chris Damatopoulos and Principal Mark Robertson, who shared the School’s rich 42-year history and its role in nurturing a vibrant, multicultural student body with strong Hellenic roots, as well as the School’s future masterplan.
During the visit, the dignitaries engaged with students in the School Library, toured the campus facilities, and visited the adjacent Sts Anargiri Greek Orthodox Church, a spiritual and cultural cornerstone of the local Greek Australian community.
The visit concluded with a shared meal at Vanilla, a beloved local Oakleigh establishment, further celebrating the deep bonds between Greece and the Greek diaspora in Melbourne.
“We are deeply honoured by the visit of Deputy Minister Loverdos and the esteemed delegation,” said Principal Robertson. “Their presence underscores the importance of cultural heritage and the enduring bonds between Greece and our school community.”
Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greeks Abroad Ioannis Loverdos met with South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis in Adelaide on Tuesday, October 21.
During the meeting, both leaders discussed the significant role of the Greek community in SA and initiatives by the Greek government to strengthen connections with the diaspora.
Loverdos also visited SmartSat CRC, where he met CEO Professor Andy Koronios and his team to discuss collaboration in advanced telecommunications, satellite systems, and data technologies.
Photo: Consulate-General of Greece, Adelaide / Facebook.
SmartSat CRC, a consortium of universities, research bodies, and industry partners funded by the Australian government, works on innovations in space and Earth observation technologies.
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Veterans David Harris today announced Greece and Crete as destinations for the 2026 Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship school study tour exploring Australia’s military history of the Second World War.
The announcement comes a week after students from schools across NSW returned from the 2025 study tour to the Republic of Korea and Singapore.
The students visited the site of the Battle of Kapyong, the Demilitarised Zone and the UN First Battle Memorial in the Republic of Korea. In Singapore, the tour included visits to the Kranji War Memorial, Changi Prison Chapel and Museum, and the Fort Siloso and Surrender Chambers.
Sixteen students from across NSW will be selected to participate in next year’s study tour to Greece and Crete, with 2026 marking the 85th anniversary of the Greek and Crete campaigns of 1941.
Key locations on the tour include Athens, war cemeteries at Phaleron and Suda Bay, and the historic site of the Battle of Rethymno, where Australian and Greek troops faced a fierce German paratrooper assault. Of the more than 17,000 Australians who served in the campaigns, nearly 600 died and over 1,000 were wounded. Each site holds deep significance in the nation’s involvement in the Second World War.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said: “The Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship is a wonderful opportunity for high school History students to further develop their understanding of the history of Australians at war.
“The 85th anniversary of the Greek and Crete campaigns of 1941 provides a unique opportunity to offer NSW high school students passionate about history a chance to commemorate and better understand the experience of Australian men and women who served in this important theatre of the Second World War.”
Minister for Veterans David Harris said: “The PAMS tour presents a unique opportunity for teachers and students from all over New South Wales, and I highly recommend that history teachers consider applying.
“The 2026 tour will explore Australia’s military history during the Second World War, visiting locations that experienced the war’s impact firsthand. Students and teachers will hear the stories of those who served and sacrificed their lives in these campaigns that defined our nation’s involvement in the Second World War.
“The study tour is an important initiative in ensuring the legacy of our Second World War veterans is preserved. By connecting young Australians with the places where our veterans served, we honour their courage, service and sacrifice, while strengthening our commitment to remembrance.”
Applications opened today for Accompanying Teachers for the 2026 tour that will take place in the Term 3 school holidays.
NSW teachers of Stage 5 History and/or Stage 6 Modern History are encouraged to apply for this unique professional development opportunity to enrich their understanding and teaching of Australian war time history.
