Peter and Iris Lucas attended the Ithacan Dinner Dance in 1979 when this photograph was taken. Peter was a staunch supporter of the club and in 1984 was made an Honorary Life member for his contribution to the Society.A black and white photograph of a couple at a social function.ithacan dances

The Ithacan dance group, taught by Olga Black, were performing at the annual Greek Community Antipodes Festival in Lonsdale Street Melbourne some time in thein the late 1990s. The dancers are wearing the traditional Ithacan costume. Pictured from L-R: Andrianna Bisas, Nicoletta ?, Emilia Calinikos, Eleni Tsalikis, Yianni Callinikos, unknown, Kristina Tsalikis. Olga who is of Ithacan descent, danced for a number of years in Athens for the Dora Stratou Dance Group which is renown for its traditional dance performances and costumes representing the various regions of Greece. Olga also taught Greek dance in Melbourne across the Greek and Australian community. The Ithacan Philanthropic Society has supported the teaching of traditional Greek dancing over the years and the Ithacan dance ensembles have performed at a variety of functions. A coloured photograph of seven young people dressed in traditional Ithacan costume dancing on an open air stage in a street.

The children were members of the Ithacan and Kastellorizian dance groups which performed at many functions in the 1990s. Olga Black photographed with the group was their dance teacher.The teaching of Greek dance to second and third generations of Australian born children of Greek background is one way of ensuring that the culture will be passed on. Together with Ithacans, the Kastellorizian community is one of the oldest Greek communities in Melbourne. A coloured photograph of a large group of children and dressed in Greek national costumes. There is one adult with the group. The names of the participants are written on the back of the photograph.

The photograph of Jack and Eula Collins (Kallinikos) at an Ithacan Philanthropic Society dinner dance in 1967.A black and white photograph of a couple on a dance floor at a social function.

The young people were attending an Ithacan Dinner Dance at 9 Darling Street, South Yarra in 1985. Standing L-R: Christina Doubaras, Kaylene Lucas, Nicholas Anagnostou, Aphrodite Metaxas, Dean Lucas, Anastasia Raftopoulos, John Raftopoulos. Seated L-R: Nick Spartels, Evelyn Spartels, Geremy Lucas, Julieanne Black, Robert Kellner.Dating back to its earliest years, the Ithacan Philanthropic Society has included a dinner dance or ball on its annual calendar attended, by members and friends from across the generations.A coloured photograph of six couples at a dinner dance. Five people are seated at the table while the remaining seven are standing behind them.

A group of family and friends at an Ithacan dinner dance function held on 12 October 1960 at the Rex function centre which was on the top floor of Ithaca House in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Seated around the table from left to right: ...?... Evangelos Drakopoulos, Loula Anagnostatou, Kassiani Raftopoulos, Mihali Kostopoulos, ....?... , Antoni Servos, Poppy Kostopoulos, Andreas Anagnostatos, Stathis Raftopoulos, ....?... Katina Kostopulos, Omiros Dellaportas. Black & white photograph of a group of 9 men and 5 women seated around a table at a function, dressed in formal wear. Photo has white border.Written in Greek on the back; AFTER 46 YEARS.

IPS committee members and special guest Spiros Arion (seated with his partner) at an Ithacan dinner dance held a The Acropol. Spiros was a well known wrestler in Australia. The Acropol was a reception business located on the top of floor of Ithaca House (level 2). The IPS club rooms were located on the first floor. Dinner dances were held at the Acropol. From L-R: Jim Kandiliotis, Stathi Raftopoulos, Alkinos Paizis (IPS president), Anastasia (Sia) Fatouros-Beasley (president of the social committee), Evangelos Metaxas?, Kiki Razos, Dennis Lourantos. Spiros arrived in Australia in July 1964 and was know in the wrestling scene under the name of 'The Golden Greek'. He joined f World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled until its end in 1978. He was a favorite among Greek wrestling fans.A black and white photograph with a crinkled edge of seven men and two ladies at a social gathering. A couple are seated at a table and the others are standing behind.

The photo was taken at a Grecian Ball at which the Olympic Club Dancing Group dressed in national costumes performed Greek traditional dances. The couple on the left is Madelaine Cosmas and Spiro Paizis; the on right in the foreground are Irini Pappas and Nick Lappas.The maintenance of traditional Greek dancing has been an important in retaining traditional culture within expatriate Greek communities.A print of a black and white photograph of two ladies and two menders in Greek traditional costume and dancing. Two musicians, a violinist and a piano accordion player are providing the music for the dancers.

Tasia Paizis pictured at a Grecian ball dressed in a Greek national costume was part of the Olympic Club Greek dancing group which performed at the ball. Spiro Paizis is partially hidden on the right. A black and white photograph of a young lady wearing national costume.

Sisters, Desma and Sophia Paizis are photographed dressed in Greek traditional costumes. They are attending the Grecian Ball which was held at Melbourne's Exhibition Building and were part of a dance group preforming Greek traditional dance. Desma and Sophia were the daughters of Menio and Penelope Paizis, early Ithacan immigrants who settled in Melbourne.A black and white photograph of two young women wearing traditional dress and holding baskets of flowers.

The photograph was taken during the ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage when the wedding party, led by the priest circles the ceremony table. Known as the Dance of Isaiah, it forms part of the rich and symbolic Greek Orthodox wedding. The circling represents a dance for the joy of God’s presence and the couple is lead by the priest who holds the Holy Gospel. The wedding crowns (stefana), which represent the couple being king and queen of their home, are joined by a ribbon symbolizing the couple's unity. Father Voyatzoglou is the priest officiating at the wedding service. A black and white photograph of a Greek wedding ceremony taken during the time of the ritual 'procession'. The wedding party at the altar includes the priest, the bride and groom, four bridesmaids, a flower girl and a candle bearer. A large chandelier hangs above the altar and there is a partial view of a religious icon which is part of the iconostasis, a wall which separates the nave from the sanctuary.wedding ceremony

The Ithacan Philanthropic Society, 'The Ulysses' celebrated its 80th Anniversary at the Debutante Ball on Saturday 21 September 1996 at the Carlton Crest Hotel Grand Waldorf Ballroom. Much loved Ithacan actress Irini Papas was MC for the evening and guest of honour was the Consul of Greece, Mr. George Veis. Dance instructor and coordinator of the debutante group was Olga Black who worked with the fourteen debutantes and their escorts and the young flower girl to prepare for the memorable night. Pictured (above left) are debutantes Faye Baker and Angela Thomas. For the Ithacan Philanthropic Society to endure as an active organisation for eighty years was a memorable achievement. Debutante balls was an Anglo tradition that was taken up by the Ithacan Philanthropic Society and were particularly popular in the period 1940 - 1960. There was a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s - 2000. A black and white newspaper photograph of five debutants and one flower girl on the dance floor. The photograph has been backed onto white cardboard and laminated. The photograph is one of a pair which was published in the 'Neos Kosmos' newspaper.

Greek folk dance group in traditional Ithacan costume.A black and white photograph of group dressed in Greek traditional costume. There are four men and six women as well as a little girl and boy who are on the right hand side of the photograph.

An advertising poster for the 1955 All Nations Festival which was presented by the Australia Red Cross Society, Victorian Branch. Nina and Olga Black participated in the festival and were featured on the poster (seated at front first and second from left) wearing Greek traditional costumes. Other recognisable national costumes are Scottish Piper and Dutch.The event held in 1955 by the Australian Red Cross promoted multicultural Australia and members of the Ithacan Philanthropic Club participated. It was the period of post WW2 mass migration which saw many nationalities making Australia their home.Photocopy of a poster for the 1955 All Nations Festival. Consisting of a group 3 men and 6 women dressed in different national traditional dress. There is a Red Cross symbol either side of the group.THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY / VICTORIAN DIVISION/PRESENTS THE / 1955 ALL NATIONS FESTIVAL / ST. KILDA CRICKET GROUND - SUNDAY, 27TH FEBRUARY 1955folk dancing, national costimes

The function was a cabaret dance held on the 11th May 1954 and organised by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society. Initially men could only join the society so the women formed an auxiliary committee. They organised the social functions for the society. Seated around the table are from L-R: Nina Black, Athanasi Moraitis (Morris) and Jim Kandiliotis.A scanned black and white photograph of a lady and two men dressed in semi- formal attire and seated at a table at a dance. The photograph has been printed on A4 copy paper. Handwritten details about the photograph are written underneath the image.

Dances were important social events which the Ithacan Philanthropic Society regularly held in the club rooms on Tuesday evenings. Picture dancing in the foreground are Poppy Kostos and Tony Servos.In the 1960s dances were held at the clubrooms on Tuesday evenings as the Victoria Market was closed on Wednesdays. As many of the Ithacan Greeks were either stall holders or had fruit shops the late wholesale trading morning on these days allowed them to have a sleep in.A black and white photograph with a white border of many couples on a dance floor at a social function.

Social functions were organised by the Ithacan Philanthropic Society at their club rooms from the early days of the club's inception. These functions were well attended and gave Ithacans a chance to relax and socialise away from their businesses and workplaces. During the 50s and 60s 'Tuesday night dances' were a regular event . They were held on Tuesday evenings as there was no market for fruiterers on Wednesday mornings. The couple on the dance floor are Arthur Papanikolaou and Mary Bouris. A glossy black and white photograph of a couple smartly dressed on a dance floor. The photograph has a white border.On the back in pencil: A Too98/ 5T80/6X

The two men dancing at an Ithacan ball are Bill Benias and John Tsalikis. TThe men are dancing a 'Zembekiko' traditionally danced by men, although now danced by men and women. It is often danced solo, has no formal steps and is an improvised movement that expresses the feelings of the individual dancing. Its origin is in Asia Minor, the former home of displaced Greeks. Greek dancing is an important part of Greek culture with various traditional dances from the different regions of Greece. Traditional Greek dancing is enjoyed by young and old at social functions.A coloured photograph of two men doing Greek dancing at a social.

The picture is of a Greek dance group, possible organised by the Olympic Club. Nina Black pictured in the middle row was an Australian born Ithacan who was very active in a variety of Greek community activities, including the performing arts and education. She was passionate about fostering Greek culture and language within the Ithacan, Greek and wider Australian community in Melbourne. She went on to establish her Greek dancing classes which were popular with both the Greek and broader Australian community. Her Greek dance group performed Greek dances at many social functions and dressed in traditional Greek costumes, the performances added colour to the events and were widely appreciated. Pictured, back row L-R: . . ? . ., Olympia Cecil, . . ? . . , ...... Green. Middle row L-R: ...... Green, . . . ? . . . , Michael Black, Nina Black, Marguerita Black. Front row L-R: Spiro Polites, Eleni Vrachna, Effie Cecil, Ellie Black, Harry NicholadesThe teaching of Greek dancing to the children of Greek immigrants ensured the maintenance of Greek cultural traditions in their adopted country. A black and white photograph of ten ladies and three men dressed in Greek national costume and posing on a staircase.

Dennis and Rita Viragos on the dance floor at a club dance.The Ithacan Philanthropic Society held regular dances in their clubrooms. They were held on Tuesday nights because the it was not a busy day on the following Wednesday morning as fruiterers and stall holders had a chance to relax on that night. A black and white photograph of a couple on a dance floor.

Rita Varigos and Parry Gabriel are the couple on the dance floor. A black and white photograph of a couple on a dance floor.

Nina Black , standing at the back in the middle of the group, taught Greek dancing to many young Australian-born Ithacans. She also taught Greek language and English to adult migrants. Nina worked tirelessly with migrant community in the post mass migration period. Learning traditional Greek dancing has been one way that Ithacans who settled here were able to maintain their culture. Traditional Greek dancing is always popular at Ithacan social events. A black and white photograph of six ladies and four men dressed in Greek national costume.

The group pictured are young Ithacan girls who were taught by Olga Black and they are wearing the traditional Ithacan dress. The group performed at various IPS events including the annual ball, Christmas parties. Both Olga and her sister Nina, taught Greek dancing to many people over the years, both Greek and non Greek. Many young Australian born people of Ithacan descent develop a greater appreciation and awareness of the Greek and Ithacan culture through learning traditional dances.A coloured photograph of a dancing group dressed in a Greek costumes. In the group there are five older girls and a younger girl as well as one boy.

Melbourne Cup Eve dances were a regular event in the 1950s and 1960s The young women are photographed at the 1954 Cup Eve dance at which an 'Ithacan Cup' event was held. The young women, wearing sashes representing the different Ithacan villages, raced up and down the hall to find the winner. Pictured L-R back row: Nina Kallinikos, Angelica Raftopoulos, June Megalos, Kalliope Kallinikos, Kiki Zaverdinos, Leah Sikiotis; middle row: Mary Metaxas, Eula Flocas, Nina Paxinos, Marina Deftereos; front row Olga Black , Nina Black At that time the IPS Constitution prevented women from becoming members of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society, however, there was a Ladies Auxiliary which organised social events such as the Cup Eve events. A sepia photograph of twelve young women wearing sashes and standing in three rows on a platform in front of a banner on which the words 1954 ITHACA CUP are written. Two of the women are kneeling in front of the group.

Ithaca House, the home of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society, is located at 329 - 335 Elizabeth Street. The site was purchased in the mid 1950s to build the club rooms. The money for the venture was raised by the issue of non-redeemable 10 and 50 pound debentures to members. Nicholas Sofarnos, a young Ithacan architecture graduate, designed the building. Construction was completed in 1958. Up until 2020 Yamaha were long standing ground floor tenants. Prior to the building of Ithaca House, from 1917 up until 1958, the club rooms were located on the top floor of Michael's Building on the corner of Lonsdale and Elizabeth Streets. The Ithacan Philanthropic Society has been a focal point initially for expatriate Ithacans and as the years have passed it holds many happy memories for Australian born Ithacans through the generations.A coloured photograph of a three storey grey building in a city street with two cars being driven along the road. The Yamaha Motor Bicycle company occupies the ground floor, and in the adjacent building Honda motorbikes are sold. There are curtained windows across the width of the second floor and signage on the top floor windows indicates this level is used for social events such as receptions and dances.

The first official dance was held on April 23 1918, two years after the establishment of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society. The celebration depicted may have been a New Years Eve function. New Year's Eve celebrations were a very popular event through to the 1990s. Dances were popular social events for the Ithacan community and an opportunity for Ithacans to socialise and enjoy Greek music and dancing. A mounted sepia photograph of a crowd of people gathered for a celebration in a dance hall which has balloons hanging from the decorative ceiling.

There couple on the dance floor are Aspasia (Sia) Raftopoulos and Arthur Koutsouvelis. They married in 1954 and had two sons Harry and George Koutsouvelis. Both their families were from Ithaca. Aspasia's parents were from the village of Frikes and settled in Melbourne in the early years of the twentieth century. Arthur's family were from Kioni and Arthur arrived in Australia in 1952.A black and white photograph of a coupler on a dance floor.

The photograph of the large social gathering was at a dance at the St. Kilda Town Hall on 27 September 1915. A sepia photograph mounted on a brown board of a crowd of people in a large dance hall. The people in the front row are holding balloons.

Michael's Building was the club rooms for the Ithacan Philanthropic Society from its inception in 1916 until 1958 when the society acquired its own building at 329 Elizabeth Street.The Ithacan Club occupied the first and second floors of Michael's Building. A 'kafeneo' was located on the first floor and social activities such as dances, children's parties and Christmas and New Year's celebrations were held on the second floor. For many of the early Ithacan migrants to Melbourne, the Ithacan Philanthropic Society was like a home away from home. It gave them a sense of belonging and security within their community.A coloured photograph of a three storey building in Melbourne. It is a photographic retail shop as there are boards over the verandah advertising various photograph icx items.

The leaflet encouraging members to re-elect Ithacan Konstantinos Raftopoulos (Ravinos) to the committee of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, describing him as a proven and experienced committee member. The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne was established in 1897 by some of the first Greek residents of Melbourne, including a number of Ithacans. It is the oldest Greek organisation in Australia and the second oldest Greek organisation of the diaspora after the Greek Community of Alexandria-Egypt. It has supported the Greeks who had settled in Melbourne and established many programs such as a Greek Language School and dance classes which has helped maintain Greek culture amongst Australians of Greek descent. A photograph of a leaflet for a candidate seeking election onto the committee of the Greek Community in Melbourne.