Vathi is the main town of Ithaca where the municipal offices, local high school, medical centre and other services are located. It is one of the most natural ports in Greece. Ferries from the mainland used to dock at Vathi however, now arrive at the port of Piso Aetos. In middle of the harbour is the tiny islet of Lazaretos where the church of Ag Sotiros (the Saviour) stands. During the period of English rule, Lazaretos functioned as a quarantine station. The buildings erected by the British later served as a prison. However these were destroyed during the earthquakes of 1953 and later demolished. Lazaratos is now popular with young couples who chose to marry in the church. A coloured photograph overlooking the harbour of Vathi, the main town and port on Ithaca. Houses are built around the water's edge and along the lower slopes of the mountains. A small islet, known as Lazaretos, is visible in the middle of the harbour. harbours, vathi

View of the Ithaca's capital town Vathi and its harbour, located in south of the island.A discoloured photograph and aerial view of the port of Vathi and surrounding settlement, with the mountains in the background.ports, harbours

The reproduction print is of artwork depicting 'old' Vathi. Vathi is the main town and the largest settlement on the island of Ithaca in Greece, possibly established during the period of Venetian rule. The town resembles an amphitheatre, built around the coastline of one of the most natural ports of Greece. Many of the old buildings were destroyed in the catastrophic earthquakes of 1953. The length of the port is 926 m. with an entrance of 300 m. in width. It was once the main port for ferries transporting goods and people to and from the mainland. Ferries now dock at Piso Aetos. In the summer the harbour of Vathi is filled with sailing boats and yachts. During the periods of Venetian (c1500 - 1797) and English (1809 - 1864) rule, the population of Vathi grew significantly, reaching a total of 5,000 residents. During this period Vathi became an important centre for trade and commerce, political activities and legal proceedings.A black and white drawing of the harbour of Vathi . The drawing has a white surround. Printed in Italian across the top of the drawing: LUDRO LITTORICO Printed in Italian underneath the drawing: VISTA DE VATHI IN ITACAlittoricio, luadro

A view of Vathi taken in the 1970s. Vathi is the main town of Ithaca and is located in the south of the island. A coloured photograph taken in the 1970s overlooking the harbour of Vathi, the main village of Ithaca. The buildings are spread out from the water's edge to the lower slopes of the mountains, which form a backdrop to the town. Some boats are moored in the harbour.harbour, ports

Vathi is the main town on the Island of Ithaca, built around the natural harbour. The architecture of the town shows the influence of Venetians who ruled the island from c1500 till 1797, following which the island was ruled briefly by the French and then became a British Protectorate until unification with Greece in 1864. The original venetian style buildings were mainly destroyed in the devastating earthquakes of 1953. However, the style of building has been retained and building regulations on the island require all new buildings to adhere to the traditional architecture of the island. A coloured panoramic view of the port of Vathi. The buildings have been built along a narrow strip of coastal land at the foot of the mountain range.

"Town and Harbour Bathi. Ithaca" (Vathi) engraved by J. Tingle from artwork by C.Bentley, was published in The Shores and Islands of The Mediterranean ..., about 1840. A reproduction of a black and white etching of the Ithacan port of Vathi. A fishing boat is being brought in to the port and the crew are preparing to unload the catch. There are some buildings around the harbour's edge and smaller boats are also in the harbour.In Italian: Citta e porto di Bathi (Itaca)

The school photograph was taken in 1932 in Vathi which is the main town and port on the island of Ithaca.A black and white photocopy of a school photograph of thirty two boys and girls who are arranged into four tiered rows. The boys are standing on the two back raised tiers withy a row of girls standing in front of them while another row of girls are seated on the ground in the front. The group are standing outside a building.schools, school photographs, education

The print, a reproduction of an etching of the port of Vathi in Ithaca as it would have appeared in the nineteenth century, when the island was a British protectorate. A variety of sea vessels are depicted in the print, including the large sailing ship. The smaller boat could be a caique used for fishing or transporting people and goods between the islands. The soldiers appear to be in the British uniform worn during the 1800s.A reproduction print of a black and white etching of a harbour scene. Four larger sailing ships are in a bay with a smaller craft in the foreground near the shore. At the water's edge there are soldiers and other people looking out to the ships in the harbour. Mountains loom up in the background.

Vathi is the main town and port in Ithaca.A coloured photograph mounted on cream cardboard of the main centre of Vathi. Information about the photograph is written in Greek on the back of the photograph.

Pictured in a traditional costume is Kassiani Raftopoulos (nee Stamelatos) when she was a young student in Ithaca. Kassiani migrated to Australia in 1953 following her marriage to Stathi Raftopoulos. A sepia photograph of a young girl dressed in traditional Greek costume standing in front of a fenced building. Written on the back in Greek: Ενθμιο σχοληκος ετως εν Ιθακη, Βαθυ. Εμπρος το σχολαρχειο. Translated: Memento from school year 1939 in Ithaca, Vathi. In front of the school.

The photograph was taken during a procession, possibly a religious feast day or national celebration, which took place in Vathi, the main town and port on the Greek island of Ithaca. A coloured photograph of a procession of people including four men who are holding a holy icon.

The photograph was taken at a conference of expatriate Ithacan Greeks which took place in Vathi, Ithaca on 17 July 1976. Stathi Raftopoulos attended the conference and is seated at the table, second from the right.A conference of expatriate Ithacan Greeks indicates the close ties which remained between the Ithacans who remained in Greece and those who had settled in other countries. Many Greeks who settled in Melbourne in the early years of last century were from Ithaca. A black and white photograph of seven men and a lady sitting around a table at a meeting in a hall. There is an audience of fourteen people sitting on chairs. The speaker is barely visible in the extreme LHS of the photographThe details of the photographer and the event have been stamped on the back of the photograph in Greek.

Prior to the advent of the ferry service Ithacans who wished to travel to the mainland sailed by ship. The 'Angelika', photographed in Ithaca's port harbour of Vathi, transported most of the post WWII Ithacan migrants to the main Greek port of Piraeus to embark for their journey to Australia. Migration from Ithaca to Australia ceased during the second world war years. A second wave commenced in the post war years, particular following the 1953 earthquakes which caused catastrophic damage to the island. Today travel between Ithaca and the mainland is by ferry boats. Ships and ferry boats no longer enter the harbour at Vathi, but rather dock at Piso Aetos. A black and white photograph with a thin white border of a ship steaming out of a harbour with smaller craft in the water. People are standing on the wharf watching the boat depart; behind them are buildings and mountains across the skyline.

The photo is taken in Vathi Ithaca at the Apokries carnival. It is the tradition to dress up and have fun. The Agios Prebezis and Papadia signs on the back of the two people in the foreground are satirising the church and relate to a scandal during the 1970s involving the Metropolitan of Prebesa (Prevesa) and a local priest's wife. The Apokries festival period traditionally begins ten weeks before Greek Orthodox Easter and culminates with fancy dress and masquerade parties on the weekend before Ash Monday, the first day of Lent. The name Apokries means abstention from meat, as during lent no meat is eaten. The Apokries festival dates back to Dionysos, the ancient Greek god of wine, fun and fertility. A coloured photograph of a crowd celebrating at a carnival. Two people with their backs to the camera are in fancy dress and are wearing hand written signs on their backs. The corners of the photograph are rounded.

The local 'philharmonic orchestra/band' playing at a civic/national day function in the 1950s in Vathi, Ithaca. Music plays an important role in many aspects of life, both civic and social, on the island. During the summer months locals and tourists enjoy a variety of musical and cultural events.Founded in 1904, the Ithaki Philharmonic Orchestra is the oldest musical group on the island. The band is a private, non-profit entity and its goal is to offer free musical training to the young of the region and provide them with a broader musical education. The philharmonic orchestra performs concerts and participates in a range of educational, municipal, religious and national day events. A black & white photograph of a brass band of men dressed in dark uniforms and flat hats and women wearing dark skirts and white blouses. In the second row are males in civilian suits. The conductor is standing in the front on the extreme right hand side holding a baton.

The band is wearing naval uniform. Ithaca has a strong naval tradition with many young Ithacan men becoming naval officers or sea captains. The secondary school in Vathi was formally a Naval College and still incorporates a vocational stream for those seeking to embark on a naval career. Brass bands such as this march and play at national day parades.Such ceremonious pomp is part of the Ionian tradition.A coloured photograph of members of a brass band dressed in white naval suits playing for the townspeople who are pictured on the RHS of the photograph.

In 1953 an major earthquake caused catastrophic damage across the islands of Ithaca and Cephalonia, which are part of Greece's Heptanesian group of islands located in the Ionian Sea. Many towns and villages were left uninhabitable and resulted in another wave of Ithacan migration to Australia. The Ithacan Philanthropic Society initiated an Earthquake Appeal which was generously supported by Melbourne's Ithacan community, all of whom were affected by the earthquakes in one way or another.A black and white photograph of damage caused by an earthquake. The buildings which were built along the edge of a harbour have been ruined. There are mountains in the background.

Pictured left to right are: Stathi Raftopoulos, Sotiris Sikiotis, Anthi Chilianis and Stratos Paizis all of whom are Honorary Life Member of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society. The photo is taken at the clubrooms at a New Year's Eve function and they are cutting the traditional New Year 'Vasilopita' cake. A coloured photograph of a lady and three men standing behind a table. One of the men is preparing to cut a traditional New Year's cake. Hanging on the wall behind is a large photograph of Vathi.

The building in the photograph was the post office at Stavros, the main village in the north of Ithaca. Like many small villages with declining populations, the Stavros post office no longer operates and locals must travel to main town of Vathi to access a post office and other services.The permanent population of Ithaca is approximately 3100 (2016) with the majority based in the main town of Vathi. The population in the 1940s was over 8000. Ithaca's population declined sharply after World War II as a result of immigration and movement to larger cities of Greece. This decline was further exacerbated following the earthquake of 1953 which caused widespread devastation across the island.A black and white photograph with a white crinkled edge of a white rendered house with vines growing across the front. The house has been built close to the road.

Kioni a seaside villages on the island of Ithaca. If one takes the road from Vathi, the main town on the island, and heads north, the road comes to an end at this picturesque village. Kioni is a very popular tourist destination and during the summer months many yachts sail into its harbour. Many Ithacans from the village of Kioni migrated to Melbourne. A coloured panoramic view of the harbour at Kioni showing some of the houses and small boats moored close to the water's edge.

A Neos Kosmos newspaper article based on an interview with Spiros Kallinikos aged 96 at the time. He talks of his love of Ithaca and Greece and his experiences as an early immigrant to Melbourne. Spiros was born in Ag Yianni Ithaca and arrived in Australia in 1910. He returned to Greece to fight in the Balkan wars. He married Evriklia Kolaitou who was from Vathi, Ithaca and had three daughters, Nina, Kali and Penelope.Spiros Kallinikos' story is emblematic of the story of many early Ithacan immigrants.Greek newspaper article including black and white photograph of couple seated in armchairs in lounge room. Photograph has the Greek words 'Η παροικια μας' (translated Our community) written across top left corner. The newspaper article is has the heading 'Δεκατρεις φορες πηγε στο Θιακη και ακομα δεν χορτασε' (translated: Thirteen times he has been to Thiaki and he still not sated.

The dwelling belonged to the dentist in the village of Stavros, the main village of the northern Ithaca which services the smaller surrounding villages.With the decline in population in the surrounding villages of northern Ithaca, services such as the dentist and post office are now only available in the main town of Vathi located in the south end of the island. Some services are only provided intermittently by visiting professionals from neighbouring Kefalonia or the mainland.A black and white photograph with a white crinkled border of a house with vines growing across the front. There is a metal gate in front of thew porch.