The owner of supermarket Betros Bros in Toowoomba, Queensland has been left frustrated as repeat shoplifters allegedly assault his staff and customers, A Current Affairs(ACA) has reported.
Bevan Betros released CCTV footage to ACA showing two young females entering his store and helping themselves to confectionary items and hiding them in their clothing. A staff member can be seen asking the pair what they’re hiding and taking a photo.
When the manager attempted to stop the pair from leaving, one of the girls appeared to throw a punch before a scuffle breaks out. Customers stepped in to try and restrain the girls, while the manager called police.
Both teenagers eventually escaped the store, but not before one of the girls threw some more punches at a customer who had helped restrain her.
Mr Betros told ACAhe wanted to bring this alleged attack to the public’s attention because of his frustration that the same offenders keep returning.
“Customers assaulted while they’re waiting at the checkout? That’s disgusting,” Mr Betros told the Channel 9 program.
“These same offenders keep coming into the store and doing what they like thinking they can just walk out with the goods.”
Mr Betros stressed that despite this, the Betros Bros continues to be a safe space to shop.
Queensland Police have confirmed a 13-year-old and 17 year-old girl were arrested and charged with public nuisance and stealing offences.
The Evzones Collection first went on display at the War Museum in Athens, Greece in March this year. The exhibition was the first time photographs of Greece’s Presidential Guard taken by a Greek from the diaspora went on display at the museum.
The exhibition was under the patronage of Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and included photographs of the Evzones’ visits to the Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide for commemoration events such as ANZAC Day and OXI Day.
The Evzones Collection on display at the Athens War Museum earlier this year. Photo copyright: The Greek Herald / Kostas Mastorakis.
Mr Bourdaniotis’ donation of the Athens exhibition was announced during a viewing ceremony on Tuesday, December 19 at the Greek Presidential Guard Headquarters in Athens, Greece.
President Sakellaropoulou was present at the viewing ceremony and was taken on a guided tour of The Evzones Collection by Mr Bourdaniotis.
The collection will now be on permanent display in the Presidential Palace and the headquarters of the Presidential Guard (Evzones). It will embark on tours and prestigious events of the presidency across Greece and the world.
European Union countries and lawmakers reached an agreement on Wednesday to overhaul the bloc’s laws on handling asylum-seekers and migrants, euronews reported.
The reform includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, creating border detention centres, accelerated deportation for rejected asylum applicants and a solidarity mechanism to take pressure off southern countries experiencing big migrant inflows such as Greece, Italy and Spain.
These countries will now expect other EU states to contribute either by accepting migrants or paying into an EU fund, whose proceeds will be mostly directed to the “front-line” states to help them deal with migrant arrivals.
Αντιπρόεδρος @MargSchinas : Οι προτάσεις οι οποίες εγκρίθηκαν σήμερα, αναγνωρίζουν ότι το κάθε κράτος μέλος έχει ζητήματα τα οποία πρέπει να αντιμετωπιστούν στο πλαίσιο μιας σφαιρικής, ολιστικής συμφωνίας για τη Μετανάστευση & το Άσυλο
Following the announcement, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said: “It’s been a long road to get here. But we made it. Europe is finally delivering on migration.”
The agreement comes after years of talks and debates on the EU’s migration policy.
The accord, known as the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, still needs to be formally approved by the European Council, representing the 27 EU member countries, and the European Parliament before it enters the bloc’s lawbooks.
A new exhibition titled “Chaeronea, 2 August 338 BC: A day that changed the world” has opened at the Museum of Cycladic Art (MCA) in Athens.
According to amna.gr, the exhibition, which was presented at a press conference by the museum’s antiquity curators Panagiotis Iossif and Ioannis Fappas, features 240 ancient items from 27 museums in Greece and abroad, as well as 4 private collections.
It focuses on the significance of the battle of Chaeronea during the shift from the Classical to the Hellenistic period. This battle marked the emergence of the Macedonian army, led by Philip II, against the allied Greek cities, including the Sacred Band of Thebes and the army of Athens. The conflict introduced eighteen-year-old Alexander to history, who later became known for conquering the world with campaigns in Asia.
The MCA emphasized that the Hellenistic period played a crucial role in shaping Greek civilization, influencing the Western world’s foundations. The exhibition showcases items from excavations of the Polyandrion of the Thebans and the Tumulus of the Macedonians, both burial sites. Some objects are displayed to the public for the first time.
One of the exhibitions that stand out is that of a warrior from Igoumenitsa, displaying unique battle gear, a historical Macedonian shield with King Alexander’s name, golden staters (coins) issued by Philip, Alexander, and successors, as well as the bones of Sacred Band of Thebes soldiers.
The display also includes Andy Warhol’s ‘Alexander the Great’ portrait (1981) from the MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art, commissioned by Greek collector Alexandros Iolas.
Thirty Greek antiquities, worth a total of $3.7 million, are being returned to Greece from the United States, according to Ekathimerini.
The items being returned include:
Marble Aphrodite: Recovered from a storage unit that belonged to the convicted trafficker Robin Symes, where it had been hidden since at least 1999.
A 4,000-year-old Cycladic marble figure: Seized from a storage unit belonging to a New York-based private collector by the ATU earlier this year.
A bronze Corinthian helmet: Smuggled out of Greece, given false provenance in Germany, and put on consignment with the New York-based art dealer Michael Ward who pled guilty to Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree and admitted to purchasing stolen antiquities on consignment through his gallery as part of money-laundering scheme allegedly orchestrated by Eugene Alexander.
Another 30 Hellenic antiquities are being repatriated to their home, Greece, thanks to @ManhattanDA, @DHSgov & Ass. District Attorney, Matthew Bogdanos! Protocol Ceremony between the District Attorney of NY & the Consul General in NY, on behalf of the Hellenic Republic, Dec. 15 pic.twitter.com/0k5D5mhm4h
— Consulate General of Greece in New York (@GreeceinNewYork) December 15, 2023
Greece’s Consul General in New York, Konstantinos Konstantinou, Secretary General of Culture, Georgios Didaskalou, and US Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Thomas Acocella attended the repatriation ceremony.
Mr Konstantinou said he was “truly grateful” for the efforts of the Manhattan District Attorney Office.
“Their monetary value amounts to millions of dollars but their actual value goes far beyond that. They are priceless for the Greek people,” Konstantinou said.
Festivals have been a part of human life since antiquity. Traces of our past Christmas customs and celebrations are found everywhere, from decorations, habits, to culinary creations. The past is diffuse in the Christmas celebrations of today, and it is more than exciting to relive the customs established by our ancestors.
Folk spirit is present in many more events and habits of the Nativity than we imagine. The reason why folklore persists through time and space is because the things people traditionally make with their words, hands and actions, continue to give pleasure, and satisfy artistic impulses common to the species. Folklore persists also because it continues to meet basic human needs.
In the calendar, the period stretching from Christmas Eve to the Epiphany, is the “Twelve Days of Christmas” and it includes most of the Christmas customs. While some Christmas customs came to us from other places, for example Mexico, where from comes the turkey, and others from Europe, such as the Christmas tree, or the American Santa Claus, most customs celebrated in Greece are native.
Pourpouris, Thrace:
Pourpouris is a performative custom, with its main characters, the goatish Pourpouris and his beloved wife, Kortopoula. This is part of the Ragoutsaria rituals, the masquerades moving about and singing the festive, traditional “kollianta”, the Christimas carols. Pourpouris has a rich history, tracing back to the Asia Minor refugees. It is mainly honoured in Isaakio, the lowlander village of Thrace. Pourpouris arrived with the 1922 Sakpasiotes refugees, from the seven villages opposite Eastern Thrace, during their relocation there.
Pourpouris is the name of the goblin-looking, horn-carrying creature, who is vested in sheepskin and goes around the village homes, singing the kalanta. His sheepskin is elaborately embroidered with traditional patterns, protecting him from the notoriously bitter winter of Thrace. Traditional, instrumental music of Thrace, with the indispensable bagpipe melody (gkaida), accompanies the adventurous performance. Pourpouris wears large, loud bells, and his fearsome disguise is meant to scare the evil spirits away from the village, forcing them to disappearance during this holy celebration.
Pourpouris.
Kortopoula is his wife and, in the custom, the balancing element of the male. This is despite the fact that, Kortopoula is actually a man in disguise. She stands for the fertility of the land and, in consequence, the anticipated springtime and the blossoming of the nature. Pourpouris will furiously chase away any man who attempts to approach Kortopoula. Pourpouris is usually revived on the second, sometimes the third day of Christmas, as it was established by the original residents of Isaakio village.
The Camel, Macedonia:
It is another performative custom, originating from Eastern Romilia and it is relived either on the Christmas, or the New Year’s Eve. It is celebrated in Giannitsa, Galatista of Chalkidiki and Thermi, the eastern district of Thessaloniki. The young people of the village gather and construct a wooden frame, which they vest using relics and pieces of leather. Once the camel frame is ready, two young men carry it and “give” their legs to the camel. The camel is driven by the camel jockey, accompanied by the traditional sounds of the baidouska dance. The camel goes around the village and people offer as a gift, sausages, and money. The camel then, in expression of gratitude, kneels to the ground. During the procession, the camel would go astray, making the people chase after her and beat her; this is an allusion to the hardships and the adversities anyone is doomed to withstand in the course of a lifetime. The bibliography on the exact origins of the custom might be fragmentary, but the similarity to the Trojan horse is inevitable.
The Decorated Christmas Ships, Aegean Sea, Chios Island:
Greece has always been a marine force, proud of its ancient naval history. Hence, the reference to the sea and its people is part of the Christmas custom of the ships, honoured in Chios. They are called the ships of Saint Nicholas.
The custom is performed on New Year’s Eve, taking place at the central square, where children and young people from every neighbourhood gather, bringing their ships. Grouped in teams, they have the mission to construct a ship that is strikingly similar to a real one, be it a cargo or a warship.
Apart from the replicas, the children also create the appraisals (painemata), that is, poems recited as carols, expressing wishes for the families of the marine professionals, and, occasionally, contemporary satire, parodying political events.
The Decorated Christmas Ships, Aegean Sea, Chios Island.
The competing craftspeople need roughly three months to complete the construction of the Christmas ships. There is a prize for the best ship, and the decorated vessels sails around, accompanied by festive melodies. Regarding the origins of the custom, one theory suggests that it traces back to the Anthesteria, during which, God Dionysus entered Athens and other Ionian cities.
Since the Balkan Wars (1912-13), the custom has been crystallised to its present state. New, sturdier materials started being used, and the constructions were obtaining more characteristics of the real ship, like their funnels. The arrival of 1922 Asia Minor refugees renewed and enriched the symbolic value of the performance.
Feeding the water spring, Thessaly:
In the villages of Thessaly, at midnight on Christmas Eve, people enliven the custom called “the feeding of the water spring”. Young village girls spread butter and honey on the water springs of the village, wishing for abundance and prosperity, like the running water, and for a sweet new year, like the honey. Then, they take the so-called “silent” water home. The transition and the return to the source is silent, hence the water they carry is called “silent”, and they use it to spray their homes to bring health, fortune and good luck.
To establish healthy and abundant crops, the young ladies go back to the source to lay butter, cheese, or roasted wheat grains. Alternatively, they bring an olive branch, or legume, all of them as an offer for rich crop. They perform a race on their way to the spring, and the first to arrive there is considered the lucky one for the anticipated year.
Feasts and festivals are viewed as “acts which reproduce the great systems of beliefs and mythologies”, and they are “understood as celebrations of social and religious rites and consolidating basic social groups”. Their celebration reinforces established society and social convention.
Surprisingly, most of the traditional Christmas customs are celebrated and preserved through time. They are vastly different, adding to the endless interest and richness of this country. The co-existence of the modern and the traditional, combine to an unparalleled festive scenery, making everyone look forward to this family holiday. Christmas and the New Year’s Eve have always been highly celebrated as they represent the arrival of the new, the pure and the divine, and herald the onset of a better and brighter future.
References
Archailogia.gr. (2016). H «Μπάμπω» και ο «Πουρπούρης». Θράκη: Δώδεκα Μέρες Γιορτής. Η «Μπάμπω» και ο «Πουρπούρης» (archaiologia.gr).
Cudny, W. (2014). The Phenomenon of Festivals: Their Origins, Evolution, and Classifications. Anthropos, 2014, Bd 109, H2 (2014), p.p. 640-656, Nomos Verlagsgesellsschaft mbH, https://www.jstor/stable/43861801.
Wilson, W. A. (2006). Documenting Folklore. In J. T. Rudy & D. Call (Eds.), Marrow of Human Experience, The: Essays on Folklore by William A. Wilson (pp. 81–104). University Press of Colorado. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt4cgkmk.10.
A dolphin with unusual, hook-shaped “thumbs” on its flippers has been discovered in the Gulf of Corinth.
According to livescience, researchers from the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute found the dolphin during boat surveys off the coast of Greece this summer. Despite its unique flippers, the dolphin kept up with its group and engaged in typical dolphin activities like swimming and playing.
This is the first time such flipper features have been observed in 30 years of studying dolphins in the open sea and along the Greek coasts.
The Gulf of Corinth, located between the Greek mainland and the Peloponnese peninsula, is home to a diverse community of dolphins. The unusual dolphin is a striped dolphin, and there are approximately 1,300 of them in the Gulf of Corinth, separated from the rest of the Mediterranean population.
Photo: Alexandros Frantzis/Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute
The strange flipper does not seem to be a sign of illness but may be a result of rare and irregular genes caused by continuous interbreeding in the isolated population.
“Normally, dolphins develop their fingers within the flipper and no cells between the fingers die off,” Lisa Noelle Cooper, an associate professor of mammalian anatomy and neurobiology at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, said.
However, the photographed dolphin seems to be missing some fingers and the accompanying tissue.
“I’ve never seen a flipper of a cetacean that had this shape,” Cooper told Live Science in an email. “Given that the defect is in both the left and right flippers, it is probably the result of an altered genetic program that sculpts the flipper during development as a calf.”
A market, for many, is their trusted source of fresh fruit and vegetables, local produce, and a familiar sense of culture and community.
For some, their local market is home.
This is certainly the case for the community of Preston in Melbourne, Victoria, where the local 53-year-old market has long been recognised as the heartbeat of the surrounding suburb.
The Save the Preston Market Action Group, a community-based organisation, has long fought to prevent the redevelopment of Preston’s cherished ‘people’s market’ as threats of closure continue.
The group met on Saturday, December 16 ahead of Christmas to reflect on what has been a year filled with progress for their campaign.
Action group member Kathy handed out badges, while fellow member Jenny rolled out the group’s main banner to prepare everyone for a photo.
Melbourne’s Preston Market heroes celebrate keeping community fight alive.
Australian landscape architect and television presenter Costa Georgiadis also stopped by to encourage the group to “keep going” with their campaign.
Australian landscape architect and television presenter, Costa Georgiadis and Member and spokesperson for the action group, Con Lambros. Photo: Save the Preston Market Action Group.
The warm and inviting ambience of Preston Market sprinkled all over the gathering as talks of next steps in preserving what the group describe as the “pillar of Preston” took centre stage.
Closure concerns
Concerns around the Preston Market’s closure began in 2021, when the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) had declared that a $1 billion fast-tracked project would ensure that 80 per cent of the market would be bulldozed for 20-storey high rise towers, consisting of 2,200 apartments.
This proposal was also put forward by Preston Market owners, Salta Properties and Medich Corporation.
The Save the Preston Market Action Group, which at the time had few members, responded by releasing a community petition started by Darebin Councillor Lina Messina. The petition aimed to stop redevelopment, garnering over 15,000 signatures.
Darebin Cr Greco and Save the Preston Market Action Group member, Jenny, hosting a petition stall.
After much debate from the action group and public concerns, the VPA adjusted the initial plan, stating in March 2022 that building heights would reduce from 20-storeys to 14.
Later, in October 2022, the revised draft Amendment was sent to the VPA Standing Advisory Committee, with the Victorian Minister for Planning, Sonia Kilkenny MP, only releasing findings in March 2023.
This response and the revised amendments by the VPA were still not enough to stop further activism from the action group as the 80 per cent demolition plan was not yet off the table.
Community and Governance
The action group conducted its first public meeting in May 2023 at the Preston Town Hall, with local MP Nathan Lambert in attendance, as well as Darebin Councillors Lina Messina, Gaetano Greco and Julie Williams.
Hundreds gathered to witness the magnitude of community support for the action group’s campaign, while cases for public acquisition of the market were presented.
First public meeting organised by the Save the Preston Market Action Group in May of this year at the Preston Town Hall. Photo: Save the Preston Market Action Group.First public meeting organised by the Save the Preston Market Action Group in May of this year at the Preston Town Hall. Photo: Save the Preston Market Action Group.
Cr Greco, a well-regarded supporter of preserving the authenticity of the market, closed his statements (via video link) with a reminder to those gathered in the hall.
“The most important thing to remember is… it’s about keeping community life,” Cr Greco said.
Members of the group then met with Planning Minister Kilkenny and Mr Lambert in July, to make their case further known on a state government level.
Members of the group then met with the Victorian Planning Minister, Sonia Kilkenny and local MP, Nathan Lambert in July, to make their case further known on a state government level. Photo: Save the Preston Market Action Group.
Co-owner of Preston Market’s ‘Athina’s Deli,’ Dimitris (Jim) Katsaros, who has been running his business for almost 13 years, said that whatever happens could all depend on the next election.
“If the government changes, the whole picture changes,” Mr Katsaros said. “There will be developments whatever the case, it’s just a matter of saving the community feel.”
Hands Around Preston Market
Multiple rallies followed the group’s meeting in July, yielding constructive results, with new planning controls released in August involving ‘Development Plan Overlays’ and heritage protection proposed by the Planning Minister.
The action group took this as a sign of progress and organised the ‘Hands Around Preston Market’ event in August. Hundreds of people linked hands around the market’s borders in an attempt to display their continued loyalty to its protection.
Multiple news crews also attended to witness the grit and unyielding faith of many Preston market traders and hundreds of supporters.
The greater community attends the ‘Hands Around Preston Market’ event organised by the Save the Preston Market Action Group. Photo: Save the Preston Market Action Group.The greater community attends the ‘Hands Around Preston Market’ event organised by the Save the Preston Market Action Group. Photo: 7 News Melbourne.The greater community attends the ‘Hands Around Preston Market’ event organised by the Save the Preston Market Action Group. Photo: Save the Preston Market Action Group.Hundreds of people linked hands around the market’s borders in an attempt to display their continued loyalty to its protection. Photo: Save the Preston Market Action Group.
Since then, the group has continued their efforts to attain the most important goal of their campaign – public acquisition, or, a compromise with owners.
5-year leases
On Monday, November 14, Preston Market Developments issued a statement to all tenants advising them that business stall leases would be extended for five years.
“The lease extensions will provide our current traders, and the community, with security, while the masterplan for the redevelopment of the Preston Market precinct is finalised,” the company management said in the statement.
Commenting on the promising news, Save the Preston Market Action Group leader, George Kanjere said even though the 5-year leases are a step in the right direction, there is still more work to do.
“We have to keep public consultation at the forefront. We’re still waiting for owners’ response to the new plans,” George said.
Member and spokesperson for the action group, Con Lambros also expressed his commitment to staying cautiously optimistic for now.
“We have to be careful. We don’t even know the details of these leases yet… battles have been won but the war isn’t over,” Con stressed.
Traders are yet to see the physical copy of the lease, with more information set to be revealed in January.
Despite the continued wait, George said the action group’s hard work has all been worth it.
“They have all done a fantastic job… we’ve come so far in terms of progress… we’ve created a whole other community,” he said.
To join the fight in keeping the “community feel” at Preston Market you can sign the petition here. Follow the campaign progress via the Save The Market Action Group website and on socials.
Greek Consul General in Melbourne Emmanuel Kakavelakis took the Greek Centre’s stage and addressed Year 12 students present to receive VCE awards on Tuesday, December 19. Rather than focus on achievements, he touched on the significance of values and the importance of honouring our heritage and language.
“For Greeks growing up here, it is necessary to love both your countries. Love Greece, love Australia, and love the entire world; all the places where you will become what you are,” Mr Kakavelakis said, addressing third and fourth generation Greek Australians in the Greek language.
“By improving your Greek, you will understand more and more, and you will become fluent. And don’t forget the more you know how to speak Greek, the easier it will be to speak more Greek.”
Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Greek Consul General of Melbourne, encouraged students to find meaning in what they do. All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.Official guests.Maria Bakalidou, Principal of the schools of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria
Intermingled amidst his meaningful message were doses of humour about the ‘coolness’ of being Greek and an invitation for boys to join the Greek army.
The intensity of his speech may have been lost on speakers with just a rudimentary knowledge of the language. Mr Kakavelakis told The Greek Herald he understands they may not have caught all the words but is certain they managed to get the gist. At least, they laughed in all the right places.
He added that he sees more young people than ever before embracing their culture.
“Unfortunately, it comes at a time when Greece isn’t at its most robust,” he laments, hoping that this flicker of interest can somehow be fanned.
Greek Consul General to Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, presented awards to some of the state’s highest achieving Greek Australian students.
For the young students present, understanding an orator of such eloquence was a success unto itself. Cousins Cherie and Anna Katsoulis told The Greek Herald that having studied VCE Greek, they understood most of the speech.
“I did wonder if others did,” Cherrie pondered.
Cherie and Anna Katsoulis, cousins and top scorers in the VCEMore awards and accolades
The GCM President, Bill Papastergiadis, OAM, also spoke and encouraged students to continue pursuing excellence and emphasising the importance of education in shaping a brighter future.
“You are the ambassadors of Hellenic excellence, our future educators, you are the future of the Greek community. You are the people that will drive change and continue to regenerate our community, and contribute to this great multicultural city that we live in. Become a citizen of the world,” Mr Papastergiadis said.
Students listen to sage advice by GCM President Bill Papastergiadis.
Starting, stopping and starting again
Arthur Georgakakis, who hopes to do an undergraduate degree on cybersecurity (amongst other dreams), said he valued Mr Kakavelakis’ advice on protecting our digital privacy. The fact that he even picked up on that point was due to his efforts to learn the language at the eleventh hour of his student life.
“I hated Greek when I was younger. I couldn’t see the point of it as we live in Australia. My friends would make fun of me for going to Greek school,” he told The Greek Herald.
Arthur (Thanassis) Georgakakis and Nektaria Toscas both intermittently stopped and started their Greek language education before falling in love with the language afresh in senior high school.
He went to bed one night praying for God’s guidance to choose the right VCE subjects and woke up with an epiphany – he would study Modern Greek.
“I got a raw score of 41 which is good bearing in mind that I only got back into it in Year 11. But thanks to the help of the Community Schools and their facilities, I managed to get this great result,” he said.
Like Arthur, Nektaria Toscas kept starting and stopping Greek lessons. It was her love for history that eventually fuelled her desire to learn.
Theodore Limberis, Chris Aravatzis, Angeliki Katahiotis and Nektaria Toscas.
“The more I study Greek, there comes another layer of my history that I want to look into,” she said, adding that it is “a very personal subject that gives you a feeling that you wouldn’t get doing your other VCE subjects.”
Engineering hopeful Timothy Karalis and Michael Scopis, who wants to study Law, said that their grandparents played a major role in their choice to take VCE Greek.
Timothy Karalis hopes to study Engineering and Michael Scopis hopes to study Law at Monash. Both studied VCE Greek to make their grandparents proud
“Every Monday night, I went to the Community’s Balwyn campus to study Greek. It was a tough year, but I improved the most because I put in the most effort,” Timothy said.
Michael said, “I wanted to make my yiayiades and my community proud, and to be part of this great community. I love their support.”
Entire families accompanied the award winners. Year 11 student George Vasiliadis, who got a 50 in Biology and 40 in Greek, was there with his parents and sister. George’s father told The Greek Herald he and his wife made a conscious effort to speak Greek at home.
“When George went to English school, he didn’t know a word of English. We shared what we knew as much as we could,” he said.
The Vasiliadis family came to celebrate George’s success with a perfect 50 in Biology.Students received awards and celebrated each others successes, creating memories.They came to support their younger siblings.
New-found motivation
Victoria’s top scorer Alexander Petro Georgiou achieved a remarkable 99.95 and was offered a ticket to Greece. He said the first thing he will do upon setting foot at the University of Melbourne is to join the Greek Club.
“It [the VCE Award] has motivated me to learn the Greek language and get more in touch with my heritage and the Greek community,” he said, adding that the last time he studied Greek was when he was aged five.
Melbourne Grammar Student Alexander Petro Georgiou received an ATAR of 99.95 and a ticket to Greece. His parents could not be prouder.Alexander Petro Georgiou thanked all those who supported him.Alexander Petro Georgiou holds his ticket to Greece, offered by GCM board member Michael Karamitos’ family.
Like Alexander, Sam Mirvis said he did not take up Greek as a VCE subject.
“It is not worth the scaling. For instance, Latin scales 17, French scales 11 and Greek scales 1. As a VCE subject, it is not a strategic choice and it is also very competitive,” he said.
High achieving Haleybury students Oscar Kalogeropoulos, Archie Antonopoulos and Sam Mirvis with their families.
Chris Aravatzis, who stopped studying Greek at the age of 10, agrees with this.
“I didn’t pick it up as a VCE subject because I was worried it would bring my marks down. But I hope to learn it,” he said.
Tara Metaxas learnt German and Indonesian at school, simply because it was offered.
“Greek language was not offered at my school and so I didn’t have the opportunity to learn it, otherwise I would have selected it,” she said, adding she neither speaks Greek nor North Macedonian, the language of her parents.
High achiever Tara Metaxas (middle) with her mum and younger sister Isabel.
George Stergiopoulos attended the awards with Ping, his Chinese mother.
“I could not understand the Consul General’s speech because I was raised speaking and studying Chinese,” he said.
George Stergiopoulos, a high achiever in Physics, and his mother Ping.
Thankfully, George Emmanuel had his mother translating the Consul General’s speech in his ear.
“I was just going along with it and laughing at the jokes. Mum told me about the army,” he said.
Doncaster Secondary student George Emmanuel and his teacher, Tass Sgardelis, who is also a GCM board member.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sofia Linardou has only been in Australia for three years and matriculated with 99.2.
“My parents said I didn’t have to study Greek as I could already speak it, but I still wanted to study it because I felt it was important to stay connected,” she said, adding that she found the Australian education system more relaxed and enjoyed the opportunity to select some of her subjects in Year 10.
Georgia and Sofia Linardou, both sisters excelled in this year’s VCE.
Despite the opportunities here, she misses Greece and hopes to return.
“Greece is still my final destination,” she said. Her Year 11 sister Georgia, also holding a Certificate of Excellence, agrees.
Regardless of whether the awards were for top grades in the sciences, humanities or languages other than Greek, the desire to visit Greece, to strengthen the connection were palpable in the room.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
The 2023 Christmas Markets were the community’s biggest yet, with 30 stalls selling varying products including candles, fashion products, Christmas goods, arts and accessories, and of course, plenty of food.
Photos supplied.Santa attended the Christmas markets.
Music, rides and plenty of entertainment for both kids and their families were shared.
Santa even made a special appearance with the Marrickville Fire Brigade, giving all the perfect opportunity to take plenty of photos.
Santa’s helper was also there to capture all the precious festive moments.
