Historical information

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.

Significance

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.

Physical description

A black and white photograph of four young boys standing in a street in a shopping strip.