Greek community of Melbourne

Greek Australians during a parade for Australia Day in Melbourne (2014).

Stele representing the sister cities of Melbourne and Thessaloniki located at Lonsdale Street's Greek Precinct.

The Greek community of Melbourne (Greek: Έλληνες της Μελβούρνης) is one of the largest Greek diaspora communities in the world and Melbourne hosts the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Greece and Cyprus. According to the 2016 Australian census, Melbourne has the largest Greek population in Australia with 173,598 Greeks, making up 3.87% of Greater Melbourne's population.^[1] Globally, Hellenic identity and values are passed down from one generation to the next and do not depend upon one's location in the world. As such, 88% of Greek Australians (regardless of country of birth) speak Greek and 91% are members of the Greek Orthodox Church.^[2]

As a result of the extensive historical and cultural ties between the Greek community of Melbourne and their Greek homeland, Melbourne is a sister city to Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city and one of Europe's most important cultural centres.^[3] The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade estimates that economic activity (including tourism) between Greece and Australia generates more than $800 million annually with an additional $700 million in investment between the two nations annually.^[4]

Melbourne makes up one of the seven important Greek population centres worldwide. The others are Sydney, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Toronto and London. In the 21st century, most Greeks outside of Greece and Cyprus live in one of these seven cities.

Modern Greek civilisation in Melbourne[]

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Modern Greek civilisation in Melbourne is perpetuated by three Greek Australian day schools, dozens of after-hours 'Greek schools', a network of aged care and welfare societies, many community and cultural organisations, brotherhoods, youth groups, and sporting clubs. The Neos Kosmos newspaper serves the community.^[5] The Hellenic Museum located in Melbourne's CBD tells the ongoing story of the Greeks in Melbourne and houses the Hellenic Foundation for Culture's centre.^[6] Furthermore, the World Council of Hellenes Abroad maintains a presence in the city.^{[citation needed]}

Hellenic student organisations are present at all seven universities located in Melbourne and maintain a high participation rate by Greek students. The National Union of Greek Australian Students (NUGAS) is based in Melbourne. Additionally, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, dedicated to Hellenic ideals of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family and individual excellence, possesses a chapter in Melbourne.^[7]

The Greeks of Melbourne have made a rich contribution to Victorian society through achieving a high level of educational attainment and business ownership. Melbourne's physical landscape has been shaped by Hellenic influence: the Eureka Tower, the tallest building in Melbourne's skyline, was designed by Greek Australian Nonda Katsalidis. Additionally, many of Melbourne's landmarks feature prominent Greek designs including Parliament House, the Shrine of Remembrance and the State Library.^[8]

Australia's democratic and multicultural atmosphere has allowed Greek culture and community life to flourish in Melbourne. Over the years, various events have been held in Melbourne to remember the state-sponsored destruction of Greek communities in various parts of the world as a result of the Greek genocide and Greek Operation of the NKVD. In March 2021, Melbourne's Greek community received $200,000 from the Victorian Government to fund events commemorating the 200th anniversary of Greek Independence.^[9]

Culture[]

Year round, there are many cultural, arts and sporting events run by and catering to the Greek Australians in Melbourne.^[10]

Every year, the Greek community of Melbourne holds the Antipodes Festival at Lonsdale Street's Greek Precinct. ^[11] The Festival features over 90 food, retail and community stalls, as well as free live entertainment, children’s rides and attractions. In 2020, the Antipodes Festival attracted more than 100,000 visitors.^[12]

Melbourne began hosting the Greek Film Festival in 1993 which has continued every year since. The Festival offers "a variety of entertaining and informative films from some of the most gifted Greek storytellers in the film industry, with something on offer for everyone" according to Festival Co-Chairs Jim Bossinakis and Leonidas Vlahakis.^[13] The Greek Australian Short Film Festival founded in 2010 is also held in Melbourne to showcase local Greek Australian cinema.^[14] The festival showcases short films in three categories: International Shorts, Australian Documentary Shorts, and Australian Shorts. Films are judged by a panel of prominent Greek figures in entertainment.^[15]

Many singers from Greece and Cyprus travel to Melbourne to perform their own music concerts. Among those who have performed in Melbourne are Michalis Hatzigiannis, Elena Tsagrinou, Eleni Foureira, Greek American Kalomira and Greek British George Michael.^[16]

A variety of sporting events harbour a large Greek following in Melbourne including the Australian Open which brings Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios, Maria Sakkari, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Michail Pervolarakis among others to Melbourne.^[17] During the World Cup, Greek restaurants and taverns tend to run watch-party events with extended outdoor seating and large screens.^[18]

As soccer is popular among many Europeans, the Greek community of Melbourne established many soccer clubs in the areas that they reside including Oakleigh Cannons FC, Malvern City FC, Brunswick City SC, Kingston City FC, South Melbourne FC, Northcote City FC, Bentleigh Greens SC, Altona East Phoenix SC, Port Melbourne SC, Western Suburbs SC and Heidelberg United FC.^[19] Annually, the teams compete in the Hellenic Cup.^{[citation needed]}

Philanthropy to Greece[]

In response to the Greek government-debt crisis which officially ended in 2018, the The Hellenic Initiative (https://www.thehellenicinitiative.org/) was established in 2012 by the Greek diaspora in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. The Initiative delivers economic revitalisation and strong leadership to Greece through job creation and education from Greeks in the diaspora.^[20] The Hellenic Initiative continues to operate despite the Greek economic crisis having ended with the continued aim of promoting all forms of development, economic or otherwise, to Greece.^[21] The global Greek diaspora has been praised for their unity and collaboration in the face of the economic challenges that Greece faced in 2012. The Greek model serves as an example of how a connected diaspora can benefit their home country, although it is worth noting that there is a strong collective consciousness held by Greeks around the world that is not necessarily observed in all post-migratory cultures.

Notable Greek Melburnians[]

• Christos Tsiolkas, author
• George Calombaris, chef
• Mary Coustas, comedian
• Nick Giannopoulos, comedian
• George Megalogenis, journalist
• Ana Kokkinos, director
• Alex Papps, actor
• Olympia Valance, actress
• Patricia Karvelas, actress
• Jenny Mikakos, Labor politician
• Steve Dimopoulos, Labor politician
• Maria Vamvakinou, Labor politician
• Luke Beveridge, AFL coach
• David Zaharakis, AFL player
• Athas Hrysoulakis, former AFL player
• Ange Postecoglou, soccer manager
• Peter Hatzoglou, cricketer
• Nick Kyrgios, tennis player

Greek Cypriots[]

The 2016 census recorded 7,575 Cyprus-born people in Victoria, the majority of them being Greek Cypriots.^[22] There are many more Australian-born Greek Cypriots. The largest waves of Cypriots to Melbourne came as a result of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, however Cypriots have been emigrating to Victoria since the Gold Rush. There are significant numbers of Cypriots particularly in the Northern and South Eastern suburbs. Intermarriage of Greek Cypriots with other Greek Australians is common. The Bentleigh Greens Soccer Club (based in Cheltenham, in Melbourne's southeast) was formed in 1986 by the local Greek Cypriot community.

Notable Greek-Cypriot Melbournians

• Andrew Demetriou, former CEO of AFL
• Anthony Koutoufides, former AFL player
• Andrew Theophanous, Labor politician
• Theo Theophanous, Labor politician
• Kat Theophanous, Labor politician
• Harry Nicolaides, writer

See also[]

• Greek Australians
• Greek Precinct, Melbourne
• Greek diaspora
• Hellenic Cup
• Demographics of Melbourne

References[]