An article on the Diamond Valley Greek Senior Citizens Club from Watsonia's Whisper, the newspaper of the Watsonia Traders Association. Article and photographs by Rosie Bray. Caption on photos "Greek Seniors Club 2003".Clipping from Watsonia's Whisper, black text on cream background, colour illus., plus 2 colour photographsdiamond valley greek senior citizens club, watsonia community centre, watsonia's whisper

The Passages exhibition looked back to Port Melbourne in the 1970s when the make-up of the Council changed and the Greek community became even more a part of life in Port. This CD covers the valuable contribution made by the members of the Greek community who came from Greece to make Port Melbourne their home.CD-ROM containing information relating to the Passages Exhibition launched at Port Melbourne Town Hall, 28 Aug 2017. The disc includes family stories, working documents, photographs of display items, photographs taken during the launch, Powerpoint presentation prepared by John Kirby and display panels prepared by Pat Grainger.pat grainger, jill dawson, john kirby, greek community, celebrations fetes and exhibitions

Pictured is Stathi Raftopoulos at Raft's Cafe which was located at 301 Swanston Street, Melbourne and was typical of many such businesses owned and operated by Greek migrants from Ithaca who had arrived in Australia before World War II. Stathi's family owned a business in Merbein in north-west Victoria before moving to Melbourne. Stathi eventually went into partnership and established the Cosmopolitan Picture Company which brought Greek films to Melbourne's Greek community during the 1960s through to the early 1980s. Ithacan Greeks who arrived in Australia during the first half of the twentieth century honed their entrepreneurial skills and found employment opportunities in various areas of the food service industry. Before the end of the Second World War many of the eating places in Melbourne, which included fish and grill rooms, tea rooms and milk bars, were owned by Ithacan Greeks. A black and white photograph with a white surround. A young man is standing behind a counter in a milk bar. There is a poster advertising a Greek film as well as crates of coca cola stacked in the background. The counter is finished in wood veneer. Boxes of assorted lollies are on the shelves behind. On the counter there is a container of straws .

Stathi Raftopoulos had an interest in magic and developed an act which he performed as 'Rafto the Magician'. He worked with the Glad Eye Review Company and National Follies which performed in various Melbourne venues including the Tivoli and Kings Theatres. He also regularly entertained children at the annual Ithacan children's Christmas Tree party.A coloured photograph of a man dressed as a magician in a black suit with tails and wearing a top hat. He is on the stage at the Melbourne Town Hall performing magic tricks. He is holding a wine bottle in one hand and a glass in the other.melbourne town hall, entertainment

Stathi Raftopoulos as a young man developed an interest in performing magic tricks. He performed, under the name of Rafto the Magician, with the Glad Eye Review Company and the National Follies. The companies performed in venues around Melbourne including the Tivoli and Kings Theatres. He also regularly entertained children at the annual Ithacan Christmas tree party.A coloured photograph featuring a magician on the stage at the Melbourne Town Hall performing tricks for an audience. He is holding a top hat in his hand and is standing in front of a small table which is covered with a patterned cloth.melbourne town hall, entertainment

The photo was taken on 'Oxi' Day 28 October 1951 which is commemorated throughout Greece and Cyprus and world-wide Greek communities. The day commemorates the rejection by the Greek prime minister, Ioannis Metaxas of the ultimatum presented to him by the Italian ambassador on the 28 October 1940 to allow the Axis forces, namely Italy, Germany and Bulgaria to occupy strategic locations of Greece or face war. A black and white photograph of a crowd of people - men, women and children - gathered around a Greek flag in an open area. A church is visible in the background. High mountains are also visible across the skyline.The original is handwritten across the bottom of the photo in Greek which translated reads: PLATRITHIA. ITHACA 28 OCTOBER 1951.world war 2

Pictured is Archimandrite, Daniel Maravelis with members of the Greek community in Mildura. He was born in Smyrna and was the Archimandrite of the Greek in Melbourne from 1915 to 1922. He presided over the official opening of the first IPS clubrooms located at Michael's Building, Cnr Elizabeth and Lonsdale Streets Melbourne on Sunday 23rd September 1917. Similar vehicles were used between the years 1915-1925 to travel to picnics.A black and white photograph of a vintage bus parked outside a weatherboard building which is partly hidden with vines. A two storey hotel building is on the LHS of the photograph. A priest is standing in the bus and two men and a lady are standing in front of the vehicle. Two other people are standing on the far RHS. A tent is visible in the middle distance.In Greek: Sigalis and Rita Nicolaidisgreek orthodox community

The photograph is of members of the Governing Council of Greek Women in Melbourne in 1917. A number of the women were from Ithaca. The organisation was created to offer social interaction for Greek women who had settled in Australia in the early years of the twentieth century and was part of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria. Back row L-R: Mrs. A Raftopoulou, Miss Sigala, Mrs. E. Peppa. Middle row L-R: Miss E. Nomikou, Mrs. K. Kyriazopoulou, (President), Mrs. K Mavrokefalou (Vice-president), Mrs. N. Mari. Front: Mrs. B. Zografou. A black and white portrait style photograph of eight young women. The translated caption is printed below the photograph in Greek: THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF GREEK WOMEN, MELBOURNE 1917 gocv, committee, auxilliary

The photograph was taken at arrival of the champion Greek wrestler, Jim Londros at Moorabin Airport on 26 November 1946. He was welcomed by members of the Greek community in Melbourne which included Stathi Raftopoulos, B. Dervenis, Spiro Raftopoulo -President of Greek Returned Soldierss, Mr Hatzis, Dr. Haralambos Paroulakis and Ioannis Panagiotopoulos. Jim Londros visited Australia after his retirement from wrestling in 1946. In retirement he worked for various charitable organizations especially for the Greek orphans of World War II. The photograph was published in the Greek newspaper 'Fos'.Greeks have enjoyed the sport of wrestling since ancient times. So the visit to Australia of a former Greek wrestling champion, and one who also devoted his time to helping others, would have been an important event for members of Melbourne's Greek community in 1946. Mr Ioannis Panagiotopoulos was publisher of the 'Fos' newspaper, the only Greek newspaper at the time. Dr Paroulakis arrived in Australia late 1930s and practised 55 Collins Street till 1987. He was Head of Outpatients and Physician at St, Vincent's Hospital for 22 years. Born in Crete he also served as President of Melbourne's Cretan Brotherhood, A black and white photograph of six men standing outdoors. All the men are dressed in suits. One is also wearing a tweed coat and four are wearing hats. Written under the photograph in Greek: MEMBERS OF THE GREEK COMMUNITY AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF JIM LONDROS/ WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPION/ AT MOORABIN AIRPORT IN 1946. (PH. BY THE AUTHOR)wrestling, jim londros

The picture is of Angelos Lekatsas (Lucas), his wife and three sons. Angelos was the second president of the Society between 1924.-1926. He was also president of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria for three terms, from 1930-32, 1934-40 and 1949-52. Angelos arrived in Australia around the turn of century shortly after his brothers, Ioannis and Andreas. They owned the Lucas Cafe under the clocks of Flinders Street Station and the business remained in the family till the 1960s. A black and white photograph of a family outdoors. The three boys are sitting on a fallen tree trunk and the parents are standing behind them.

The children in the picture were students at the Greek language school which was run by the Greek Community of Melbourne and were attending the '28th October' Greek national day celebration at the Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church in East Melbourne. The two women, Alexandra Vrachna and Nina Black were teachers at the school. The Evangelismos Church was the first Greek orthodox Church to be established in Melbourne. The foundation stone was laid in December 1900 and church services commenced in August 1902. The 28th October is known as 'OHI' DAY', translated meaning NO DAY. It is an important national day celebrated in Greece and the Greek diaspora and commemorates the anniversary when in 1940 the then Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas said “NO” to an ultimatum made by Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini to allow Italian forces to occupy Greece. It marked the beginning of Greece's entry into WW2. The day symbolises values important to the Greek people - freedom, courage and 'filotimo'. The establishment of the Orthodox church in Melbourne in the early years of the twentieth century was was indicative of the number of Greek migrants who came to Australia in those early years of settlement in this country and the desire maintain their religious and cultural traditions. The early Greek migrants were anxious that their Australian born children maintain their language and religion in their adopted country. A black and white photograph of children with three adults standing outside Evangelismos Church in East Melbourne. Three children in the back row are displaying the Greek and Australian flags.Written in red underneath the photograph: 28th OCTOBER 1948. OUTSUDE THE GREEK CHURCH IN EAST MELBOURNE/PHOTO PROPERTY OF STATHI RAFTOPOULOS.wwii

Thalia was the wife of Angelos Lucas (Lekatsas) who was very active in the Greek and Ithacan communities. Angelos was president of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society from 1924 - 1926 and president of Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria for three terms from 1930-32, 1934-40 and 1949-52. A black and white photograph of a head and shoulders photograph of Mrs.Thalia Lucas (Lekatsas) wife of Angelos Lekatsas, hatless with short bobbed hair. She is wearing a fur coat and around her neck is a cross on a chain.

This a photo is taken in the early 1980s at the baptism of Anastasi (Stasi) Trikaliotis, the son of Lea and Con Trikaliotis. Stasi, pictured held by his godfather, is the grandson of the Naki and Golfa Raftopoulos. The baptism of a child into the Greek Orthodox Church is a very important important family, cultural and religious event within the Greek community. A coloured photograph with rounded corners of a priest blessing a baby during baptism ceremony. A man is holding the baby.baptisms, religious ceremonies

The Greek Community from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne established a scout group in Box Hill. The group functioned until the late 1980s. The photograph was taken when the Governor came to inspect the group. Sotiri Sikiotis, former Treasurer and Honorary Life Member of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society was actively involved in Melbourne's Greek scout movement and was on the committee of the first Melbourne 1st Greek Scout Group.A coloured photograph of a guard-of-honour comprising of a scout group being inspected by a visiting dignitary .

Archbishop Ezekeil of Australia is featured in the photo and on his right Stathi (Efstathios) Vlassopoulos. At the time of this photo Stathi was secretary of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria. Stathis Vlassopoulos was very active in Greek community affairs. In 1962 he established the first daily Greek newspaper 'Ta Nea', in Melbourne. Stathi was president of the IPS 1957-1959 and was a key driver behind the building of the 'Ithaca House', the clubrooms of the IPS. Archbishop Ezekeil was the first Archbishop of Australia in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, appointed in 1959, a period which saw the schism between the Greek Orthodox Community and the Greek Archdiocese of Australia.A black and white photograph of Greek Archbishop with other members of the Greek community standing in the background. The edges of the photograph are crimped.

The photograph was taken at a gathering held at the Victoria Theatre in Victoria Street Richmond in 1961. The function was held to celebrate 25th March Greek National Day. Seated in the front row second from the left with other dignitaries is Stathi Vlass who was Secretary of Melbourne's Greek Community during the 60s. He was also president of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society 1957 - 1959. Fifth from the left is Stathi's uncle, Spiros Raftopoulos who was the President of the Greek Returned Soldiers. Important national days for the Greek community are the 25 March and 28 October. 25 March commemorates the start of the Greek Revolution of 1821; it honors the Greeks' fight for freedom after being occupied by the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years. The 28th of October, known as OXI day (NO day) commemorates the rejection by Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on 28 October 1940 with a resounding NO. Subsequently Italy invaded Greece but were successfully repelled by the Greeks, delivering one of the first allied victories. However, this was met with a forceful and immediate response when In April 1941 Germany invaded Greece. Greek resistance fighters — a combination of right and left wing partisan groups — mounted a sustained guerrilla war throughout the 4 year occupation. Greece suffered 400,000 casualties during the occupation.A copied black and white photograph of a group of people seated in a large auditorium. CELEBRATION OF THE GREEK NATIONAL DAY HELD IN THE VICTORIA THEATRE/ VICTORIA ST. RICHMOND IN 1661(incorrect date) vlassopoulos

The photograph is of members of a local soccer team on the Greek island of Ithaca in 1951. Stathi Raftopoulos is pictured on the left to the right of the young children. Soccer is a very popular game both in Greece and amongst the Greek community in Australia.A scanned black and white photograph of men and boys posing for a soccer team photograph. Thirteen people are standing and five are kneeling in the front with the soccer ball.