A photo of Rine (Ekaterini) Varvarigos (Sikiotis) and her younger sister Olga Varvarigos (Andrews). Rine was born in Ithaca in 1910. In 1914 her parents Ioannis and Giannoula Varvarigos departed for Rhodesia with their baby son Dimitrios (Jim), leaving Rene and older brother Nicholas on Ithaca in care of their maternal grandmother. Her parents' journey to Rhodesia encountered delays at the Port Said so they eventually boarded a boat headed to Australia from where they thought they would get passage to Africa. However with the outbreak of WW1 they eventually settled in Melbourne where three more children were born, Constantinos 1916, Menelaos (Dennis) 1918 and Olga in 1925. Nicholas joined his parents in Melbourne in 1923 aged 14; and Ekaterini arrive in 1916 aged 16. Family separations were not uncommon for early Ithacan immigrants. Typically the intention was the they would only be away for a short time or that other family members, usually spouses and children, would follow later, once the men were more established. A black and white photograph of a young woman in a garden with a little child.Written on the back and translated from the Greek: Olga with Renee.

The picture is Olga Varvarigos. Olga married Hector Anagnostatos (Andrews) who was president of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society 1953-55. They had two sons, Ross and Peter Andrews.A black and white photograph of child standing in a garden.

Pictured are Ekaterini Varvarigos and her younger sister Olga. Ekaterini was born in in Ithaca in 1910 and came to Australia in 1926 to reunite with her parents. Her younger sister Olga was born in Melbourne in 1925.A black and white photograph with a white border of a young girl wearing school uniform and a little child. They are sitting on a seat in a garden.

The photograph is of Phillipos Varvarigos (Regos), taken in the 1920s. He arrived in Australia from Ithaca during the early decades of the twentieth century. He was married to Olympia and they had two sons, Nick and Nonda Regos. Many of the early Greek immigrants anglicized their surnames after settling Australia. 'Varvarigos' was often changed to 'Regos', 'Rigos' or 'Varigos'. A sepia studio photograph of a head and shoulders view of well-dressed man wearing a tweed suit and bows tie. The photograph is in post card format.rigos, varvarigos

The photograph features many prominent members of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society during the early 1920s a number of whom were founding members of the Society, including A. J. Lucas (Lekatsas) the founding president and Angelos Lekatsas (Lucas) who was the second president. Archimandrite Irineos Kassimatis is pictured with the group. Most of the group are wearing a buttonhole pin on their jacket lapels which indicates the photo was taken at gathering to celebrate a baptism. It was traditional that following the baptismal service a small icon or cross was pinned on each of the guests to symbolise they were witnesses to the baptism. This pin is called a 'martiriki' derived from the Greek word 'martiras', which translated means a witness. A black and white photograph of eighteen men gathered together in a garden and posing in front of a weatherboard building. Three of the men are sitting on the ground in front of the group. Hand written signature - ? Varvarigos - written in Greek in the bottom left hand corner. Written on the back: STRONG MEN OF THE ITHACAN COMMUNITY

The photo is of toddler Olga Varvarigos and possibly her mother Giannoula Varvarigos. A black and white photograph of a lady and a little child sitting on a seat in a garden.

The family group photographed in July 1983.at Tullamarine Airport where they were gathered to farewel Nick and Elsie Varigos who were travelling to Greece. The members of the group are from L-R: Euana Evans nee Varigos, Robert Evans, Elsie Varigos, Nick Varigos, Leah Kandiliotis nee Sikiotis, John Sikiotis, and Gerry Rigos. Elsie and Nick made several trips to Ithaca in the late 70s and early 80s, staying for extended periods. Nick was born in 1909 in Rhodesia where his parents had initially migrated prior to coming to Australia. Elsie was born in Melbourne in 1925. She travelled to Greece with her parents and siblings in 1939 just prior to the outbreak of war and as a result spent almost seven years on Ithaca and experienced the occupation by the Italians and the Germans, and the hardship endured by the locals.. A coloured photograph with rounded corners of three ladies and four men standing in a room. regos, varvarigos

1950s Annual Ithacan picnic at Bacchus Marsh. Standing Nicholas Stratos, foreground L- R seated Zacharoula Mavrokefalos, Anna Stratos and Royal Stratos; back l-r: Nicholas Stratos, Mary Mavrokefalos, Stathoula (surname unknown), Denis Black, Gery Rigos, Agapi (Connie) Rigos. The annual Ithacan picnic is one of the oldest and most enduring social events for Melbourne's Ithacan community. First, second, even up to fifth generation Australian Ithacans reunite at this event. In the early days people travelled to the picnic grounds in furniture vans. A black and white photograph with a thin white border of a family group sitting on the ground around a picnic meal spread out in front of them. A partial view of a sedan car is visible on the LHS of the photograph. The names of the people in the photograph have been written on the back.varvarigos, rigos, varvaregos

The wedding of Eleni Kostopoulos-Kolivas and Iraklis Varvarigos in Melbourne in 1931. The best man seated on the left is Telemachos Varvarigos; the page boys, brothers Mike (left) and Leo Kostos; and flower girl Maria KostopoulosA sepia copy of a studio photograph of a wedding group. The groom and best man are seated with the bride standing in between therm. Two page boys and a flower girl make up the rest of the group.

Attending an Ithacan social function, the lady standing, dressed in blue, is Sia Athanitis-Andrews and to her left is Irini Varvarigos-Sikiotis. Sia and Irini were first cousins; their mothers, Ekaterini Athanitis and Giannoula Varvarigos (nee Lekatsas) were sisters. In 1991 Sia was the first woman to be elected as President of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society. A coloured photograph of people seated at tables at a reception where there is a curtained backdrop in the room.

Mimi Elbas (nee Paxinos), John Paxinos, Loulou Manolitsas (nee Varvarigos) and Kali Paxinos (Varvarigos) at a function held at MacRobertson's in honour of the late Loula Rodopoulos, which was organised by the Victorian Women's Trust. Kali Paxinos and Loulou Monolitas are sisters and John and Mimi are Kali's children. They are all of Ithacan Greek heritage, second and third generations.A coloured photograph of a man and three ladies at a function.

Theodora Lucas (Lekatsas) was the mother of Giannoula Varvarigos, grandmother of Rene Sikiotis and great grandmother of Leah and John Sikiotis. A small square black and white photograph with a white border of an elderly lady sitting in a room next to a stand which has a vase of flowers on it.Written on the back: Great grandmother Theodora Lucas.

Theodora Lucas (Lekatsas) was the mother of Giannoula Varvarigos, grandmother of Rene Sikiotis, and great grandmother of Leah and John Sikiotis.A sepia photograph with a white border of an elderly lady standing in front of an iron fence in an inner suburb.Written on the back: Great grandma Theodora Lucas

A family group photograph of Rene (Ekaterini) nee Varvarigos and Constantinos Sikiotis. The wedding took place some time in1931.A studio sepia photograph of a wedding group of a bride and groom with four groomsmen, four younger men, three flower girls with a page boy and an older lady and man seated either side of the bride and groom.

Taken at the Ithacan Ball held at Earls Court, St. Kilda in 1948, the photograph is of members of the then Ladies Auxiliary. Pictured are from L-R: Loula Sikiotis-Kostos , Loulou Varvarigos, Ekaterini Sofianos (Pres.) Nancy Paxinos (Vice-president), Nina Varvarigos, Athanasia (Sia) Andrews, Effie Cominos-Raftopoulos. In 1991 Sia Andrews was the first woman to be elected president of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society. Although women were not permitted to become “Active Members” of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society until 1985, they played an important role in maintaining the social cohesion of the Ithacan community. Through organising social events such as the annual ball they also helped to connect the various generations of Ithacans to the Society.A black and white photograph of seven ladies dressed in evening attire and standing in front of a curtain. Stamped on the back : PHOTO CRAFT LABORATORIES PTY.LTD/ 99 NICHOLSON STREET/FOOTSCRAY, W.11./ Previous numbers have been hand written W254/1 S15

Three generations of the Regos family are featured in this studio photograph which was taken in 1949: Philippa Regos (Varvarigos), wife Olympia and sons Nonda and Nick.A black and white studio photograph of a family group of an older and younger man, a lady and a boy. The lady is standing behind the three males who are all seated. There is a curtain behind them. It is a photographer's proof copy.

Rini Sikiotis (nee Varvarigos) and her daughter Leah at a formal function, most likely an Ithacan ball, which was an annual event on the club's social calendar. A black and white photograph with a white border of two ladies in evening dress standing in front of a double doorway.

Eftalia (Leah) Sikiotis, the daughter of Kosta and Ekaterini (nee Varvarigos) Sikiotis. She married Jim Kandiliotis and together they operated a dry cleaning business in Trentwood, North Balwyn.A black and white photograph of a young woman standing in a garden in front of a building.

The group were gathered together for a Varigos family reunion some time in the 1980s. The families are all descendants of Ioannis and Giannoula Varvarigos who migrated to Melbourne from Ithaca in 1914. Family ties are very important in Ithacan culture and the links across the generations are very strong.A coloured photograph of a large group of people gathered in a large garden. Most of the group are gathered around two older menthe are seated on chairs in front of the group.

The family of Ioannis Varvarigos together with Andreas, Varvara and Nikolaos Kavadias at an early Ithacan picnic in the 1920s. Although most travelled to the picnic in large vans, it appears that this group arrived in their own cars.A black and white photograph of a group of people sitting on the grass at a picnic. There are three men, two ladies, five boys and two girls in the group.Two cars are parked behind them.

The wedding of Anna (Black / Mavrokefalos) and Nicholas Stratos in Melbourne in 1936. Pictured is the bride Anna together with her attendants: bridesmaids Evgenia Raftopulos and Fifi Krizos, page boy John Kostos, and flower girl Kaliope Varvarigos.A copy of a studio wedding photograph of a bride, a bridesmaid, two flower girls and an page boy.kostos, kostopulos

The photo taken in 1926 on board ship is of family members welcoming their maternal grandmother and great grandmother, Theodora Lekatsas (Lucas) on her arrival from Ithaca Greece. Theodora was the mother of Giannoula Varvarigos, Nick Lucas, Tom Lucas, Joyia Sikiotis and Ekaterini Athanitis. It was common for family members to be able to board ships to greet family on the arrival or farewell them prior to the departure. Up until the 1950s very few Ithacans departed travelled back to Greece. A black and white photograph with o white border of four women and a boy and a girl standing on a ship's deck.

The following information was written on the back in Greek and translated into English: Johannesburg 28 April 1940: My dear cousin Rene, hello. I am well and wish the same to you. I am pleased to send you a photo as a memento. I wish you a Happy Easter, regards to your husband, my cousin Kosta. With much love I send regards, your cousin Spyros Mavromatis. The portrait style photograph was sent to Rene (Ekaterini) Sikiotis (nee Varvarigos). Rene in Australia in 1926 at the age of 16 to join her parents Ioannis and Giannoula Varvarigos who had migrated in 1914. Rene married Kosta Sikiotis and had two children, Efthalia (Leah) and John. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries many Ithacan Greeks migrated to the British colonies of Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Canada, as well as the United States of America. A studio photograph of two men. One is seated on a chair and the younger one is standing beside him.

A wedding group photographed outside a cottage in the village of the ‘Kokkoseika’ area of Ag Saranta in 1928. Although unconfirmed, the bride and groom have been identified as possibly Vasiliki Vlassopoulou (Kokkosi) and Panourgo Varvarigos. Kokkosi is the 'paratsoukli' (nickname) of Vlassopoulos families from the village of Ag Saranta. This is a typical early village wedding group photograph in Ithaca where the entire village A black and white photograph of a large group of people photographed outside a house at a village wedding.

The bride and groom are Leah and Jim Kandiliotis who celebrated their wedding at the Greek Orthodox Church, Evangelismos, in Victoria Parade. They were photographed with their immediate family and friends outside the church after the ceremony, including Leah's mother Irini Sikiotis (nee Varvarigos), and her uncle Nick Sikiotis and wife Chrysoula. A black and white photograph of a wedding party posing outside a church with family and friends.The bride's attendants were a bridesmaid, three flower girls and two page boys. The groom had two attendants.

Group at Ithacan picnic circa 1930's. Seated from left to right: ...?...?...Platon Varvarigos, Nikiforas Lekatsas, Andreas Razos, John Raftopoulos, Michael Raftopoulos with his son Michael sitting on his knee. Standing left to right: Andrew Papadopoulos, Angelos Lekatsas, George Chilianis, Panoyiannis Raftopoulos. The annual picnic was an important annual social event for Melbourne's Ithacan community in the early years. It continues to be a popular event where generations of Ithacans reunite. Scanned Black and white photograph with a white border of 10 men a little boy, sitting and standing in an outdoor settingpicnics

The photograph was taken at an Ithacan picnic, possibly at Bacchus Marsh Seated from left to right: Raftopoulos Spyros, Florias Harry, Kastavinos Zervos, Raftopoulos Athanasios, Karpouzis George, Varvarigos Platon, Standing from left to right: Tsilianos George, Anagnostatos Hector, Raftopoulos Panagiotis, Defteros Christos, Lekatsas Angelos, Mavrokefalos Gerasimos, Megalogenis Dennis, Razos Andreas.The annual picnic was a regular event in Melbourne amongst the Ithacan community. For many decades the picnic was held at Maddingley Park, Bacchus Marsh. In 1980 Ferny Creek became the venue for the annual picnic. A black and white photograph mounted on cardboard. A group of 16 men dressed in casual clothes and seated in 2 rows, in an outdoor setting under trees.The names of all the people in the photograph have been written in both Greek and English on the back. picnic, bacchus marsh, maddingley park

The group of friends and families are enjoying a picnic which was held at Mt Evelyn and organised by the Ithacan Philanthropic Society some time in the late 1930s. Pictured L-R Stathis Troholis, Nicholas Trohoulias, Gerry Rigos (Varvarigos), Peter Drakopoulos, Irakli Regos, Stathis Benias, Angelo Zafiris, Odyssea (Des) Kostopoulos, Spiro Troholis, Helen Regos, unknown. A sepia photograph in a white cardboard folder of nine men and two ladies sitting on the ground around a picnic meal spread out in front of them . The names of the people in the photograph have been written on the back of the folder.

The four Varigos boys, from L-R: Menelaus (Dennis), Andrew, Nikolaos and Con were photographed in the 1920s outside 38 Bourke Street, Melbourne where they lived, above the family business. Their parents, Ioannis and Ioanna-Giannoula (Lekatsas) Varigos (Varvarigos) arrived in Melbourne from Ithaca in 1914 with three children - Nikolalos (Nick), Aikaterini (Rini) and Dimitrios (Jim). A further four children were born in Melbourne - Andrew, Con, Menelaus and Olga.Like many Ithacan men, Ioannis, emigrated for work and to support his family back home. Around 1900 he travelled to Umtali, Rhodesia and worked for six years before returning to Ithaca where he married Giannoula. The couple returned to Umtali where two children were born (Nikolaos and Aikaterini) and then returned to Ithaca in 1911. In 1914 they once again departed for Rhodesia but after being stranded in Port Said Ioannis decided to take the next boat which by chance was heading for Australia. The intention of was to somehow get passage to Africa from Australia, however WWI intervened and they settled in Melbourne. Ioannis and Giannoula ran the Palace Tea Rooms at 38 Bourke Street from 1920 - 1940.A black and white photograph of four young boys standing in a street in a shopping strip.

The photograph of Dennis (Menelaos) Varigos and his son John was taken at Maxims on 5 August 1998 at a family gathering celebrating Dennis' eightieth birthday. Dennis was the son of Ioannis and Ioanna-Giannoula (Lekatsas) Varvarigos who arrived in Melbourne from Ithaca in 1914 and owned The Palace Tea Rooms, adjacent to the Palace Theatre in Bourke Street, where Dennis grew up. Dennis was a very active member of the IPS and served as president from 1960 - 1965. Family gatherings and celebrations are a very important part of Greek family life.A photograph of two men at a celebration. One is standing at the table and is making a speech while the older man is seated.