Historical information

Stathi Raftopoulos and his son Spiros are pictured outside shops in Merbein which were once owned by Stathi's family.
The Merbein shops were owned by Efstathios Raftopoulos (Levendi) and his son Spiros Raftopoulos, grandfather and father of Stathi Raftopoulos. The family were from the village of Kolieri on the Island of Ithaca, Greece and migrated for Australia at different stages. Efstathios arrivied in 1895, son Spiros in 1922, and the younger Stathi (accompanied by his father Spiro who had returned to Ithaca to see his family) in 1933. Stathis' mother Hariklia and siblings Nakis and Loula arrived soon after. The family settled in Merbein, west of Mildura, where they ran a business until the late 1930s prior to settling in Melbourne.

Physical description

A coloured photograph of the exterior of a corner shop.

Inscriptions & markings

Written on the back of the photograph: MY FATHER'S SHOPS/ IN MERBEIN VIC/ 15.4.93/ STATHI & SPIRO RAFTOPOULOS