Greek Australian Information
Greeks are the seventh-largest ethnic group in Australia, after those declaring their ancestry simply as "Australian". In the 2006 census, 365,147 persons declared having Greek ancestry, either alone or in conjunction with another ethnicity.[1] The 2006 census recorded 97,218 people of Greek ancestry born in Greece and 18,381 in Cyprus,[2][3][4] though it is uncertain how many of the latter are Greek Cypriots. There are also a large number of Greek-Australians that come from the regions of Crete, Macedonia, Mani Peninsula, Messenia, Thessaly, Cyprus, the Greek islands, Pontus and Ionia.
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Early migration
The first Greek migrants to Australia were seven convict sailors convicted of piracy by a British naval court in 1829 and sent to serve out their terms in New South Wales.[5] Though eventually pardoned, two of the seven settled in the country. The first known free Greek immigrant to Australia was Katerina Georgia Plessos (1809–1907), who arrived in Sydney with her husband Major James Crummer in 1835. They married in 1827 on the island of Kalamos where Crummer, the island's commandant met the young refugee from the Greek independence wars. She is thought to be one of the last people to speak to Lord Byron. They lived in Sydney, Newcastle and Port Macquarie where she is buried. They had 11 children.[6] The first free Greek settler to South Australia was George Tramountanas who arrived in Pt. Adelaide in 1842. He was a Pastoralist on the West Coast of South Australia and eventually became a well-respected sheep farmer and prominent member of the Elliston District. He is revered by the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia as their Pioneering Grandfather. Groups of Greeks then settled in significant numbers during the gold rushes of the 1850s.
20th Century migration
The 1901 census recorded 878 Greek-born, but this must surely omit a few hundred other ethnic Greek migrants from the Ottoman Empire and elsewhere. The expulsion of Greeks from Asia Minor in 1922-23 led to further Greek migration to Australia, primarily to New South Wales. These Greeks are difficult to trace but the number of Greeks from Greece proper had risen to 12,291 by the time of the 1947 census.
Each dot denotes 100 Greek-born Sydney residents Each dot denotes 100 Greek-born Melbourne residentsGreeks – alongside Italians – were one of the main groups targeted by Australian Government migration schemes in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1971 there were 160,200 Greek-born persons in Australia, and smaller numbers from Cyprus and Egypt. Today, just under half of the Greek-born (49.6%) live in Victoria, with a further third in New South Wales (31.7%). In comparison, only 24.7% of Australians as a whole live in Victoria, underlining the density of the Greek presence there.
Melbourne has been known as one of the largest Greek cities in the world, although it is difficult to confirm this fact given the different methods countries use to conceptualise and measure people of particular backgrounds. In 2006, 149,195 persons in the Melbourne Statistical District claimed Greek ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry.[7] Four Greek cities had larger populations in 2007. In addition 224,500 persons reside in the Greek part of Nicosia, and 159,763 Greek Americans reside in New York State.
Return migration
Greek Australians have an exceptionally high rate of return migration to Greece. In December 2001, the Department of Foreign Affairs estimated that there were 135,000 Australian citizens resident in Greece. It is assumed that these are mostly returned Greek emigrants with Australian citizenship, and their Greek Australian children.
Religion
According to census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2006, Greek Australians are mainly Christian by religion, with 95.3% of Greece-born persons identifying with that religion. 1.6% identified with no religion or atheism, and a further 1.1% identified with other religions, while 1.9% did not answer the census question on religion.[8]
Greek language
In 2006, the Greek language was spoken at home by 252,222 Australian residents, a 4.125% decrease from the 2001 census data. Greek is the fourth most commonly spoken language in Australia after English, Chinese and Italian.[9]
Notable Greek Australians
Art and design
- Stelios Arkadiou (Stelarc) – artist
- Nonda Katsalidis – architect
- Marc Newson – industrial designer
- Tony Rafty – caricaturist
Business
- Mark Bouris – managing director of Wizard
- George Calombaris – chef, judge, MasterChef Australia
- Con Constantine – chairman, Newcastle United Jets
- Andrew Demetriou – chief executive, Australian Football League
- Andrew N. Liveris – CEO of Dow Chemical Company
- Nick Pappas – chairman, South Sydney Rabbitohs
- Nicholas Paspaley Senior and Paspaley family (Paspalis) – Paspaley dominate the pearling industry; large property holdings in Darwin CBD and properties in Sydney
- George Peponis – chairman, Canterbury Bulldogs
- James Samios – Hon. MBE Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay, Sydney
- Con Saristavros - founder and managing Director, Black Swan Dips
Fashion
- Christopher Chronis – fashion designer
- Napoleon Perdis – make-up artist
- Alex Perry – fashion designer
Film, theatre and television
- Peter Andrikidis – director, Underbelly
- Alex Blias – actor
- Elena Carapetis – actress
- Gia Carides – actress
- Zoe Carides – actress
- Chantal Contouri – actress
- Mary Coustas – comedian
- Alex Dimitriades – actor
- Rebekah Elmaloglou – actress, Home and Away
- Sebastian Elmaloglou – actor, Home and Away
- Damien Fotiou – actor
- Nick Giannopoulos – actor and director
- Diana Glenn – actress
- George Houvardas – actor, Packed to the Rafters
- George Kapiniaris – actor and comedian
- Peter Kelamis – comedian
- Ana Kokkinos – director
- Nico Lathouris – actor
- Panda Likoudis – actor
- Costas Mandylor – actor
- Louis Mandylor – actor
- Lex Marinos – actor, director, writer and broadcaster
- Harry Michaels – actor (TV series: Number 96) producer (Exercise Video: Aerobics Oz Style), Sports TV Director
- Bill Miller (II) – director and producer
- George Miller – Academy-Award winning director and producer, Mad Max, Babe, Happy Feet
- Ada Nicodemou – actress, Home and Away
- Phaedra Nicolaidis – actress
- Irini Pappas – actress
- Alex Papps – actor and TV host
- Thaao Penghlis – actor (Nicholas Black in TV series Mission Impossible)
- Alex Proyas – director, I, Robot, Dark City, The Crow, Knowing
- Gina Riley – actress, Kath & Kim, comedian and singer
- George Spartels – actor
- Nadia Tass – director
- John Tatoulis – director and producer
- Maria Theodorakis – actress
- Alkinos Tsilimidos – director
- Zoe Ventoura – actress
- Helen Zerefos – actress and cabaret singer
Journalism
- Georgia Cassimatis – journalist, Australian Cosmopolitan magazine
- George Donikian – news presenter, Ten Network
- Peter Frilingos (dec.) – sports journalist with the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, and broadcaster and commentator with the Continuous Call Team.
- Helen Kapalos – news presenter, Ten Network
- Mary Kostakidis – journalist, SBS
- John Mangos – news presenter and journalist, Sky News Australia, Foxtel
- George Megalogenis – author and The Australian newspaper columnist
- Harry Nicolaides – novelist – incarcerated in Thailand on charges of 'lese majeste' (the crime of insulting the Thai monarchy) in his novel Verisimilitude.
- Andy Pasquelidis – sports commentator
- Peter Peters – sports broadcaster and commentator (also Manly Sea-Eagles general manager)
Justice
- Emilios Kyrou – Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Music
- Peter Andre – singer
- Alex Carapetis – drummer
- Chris Joannou – musician (Silverchair)
- James Kannis – singer (Australian Idol)
- Vasilliki Karagiorgos (Vassy) – singer and songwriter
- Orianthi Panagaris – guitarist/musician
- Sally Polihronas – singer (Bardot)
- Costas Tsicaderis – singer-songwriter
Politics
- Nick Bolkus – federal politician
- Michael Costa – former Finance Minister, New South Wales
- Jim Fouras – politician, Queensland
- Steve Georganas – federal politician
- Petro Georgiou – federal politician
- John Hatzistergos – Attorney General, New South Wales
- Peter Katsambanis – former politician, Victoria
- Steve Kons – Deputy Premier, Tasmania
- Nick Kotsiras – Minister, Victoria
- Tom Koutsantonis – Minister for Trade, South Australia
- Ken Michael – politician
- Jenny Mikakos – politician, Victoria
- Sophie Mirabella – federal politician
- John Pandazopoulos – politician, Victoria
- Theo Theophanous – politician, Victoria (born Cyprus)
- Arthur Sinodinos – former Chief of Staff, PM John Howard
- Maria Vamvakinou – federal politician
- Kon Vatskalis – politician, Northern Territory
- Nick Xenophon – politician, South Australia
Religion
- Archbishop Stylianos – head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia
Science and technology
- Gerasimos Danilatos-physicist, inventor of environmental scanning electron microscope
- George North (Tramountanas) – pastoralist, sheep farmer and first Greek to settle in South Australia in 1842[10]
- Christos Pantelis – psychiatrist
Sport
Australian Rules
- Ang Christou – player
- Andrew Demetriou – CEO
- Anthony Koutoufides – player
- Angelo Lekkas – player
- Lou Richards – player
- David Zaharakis – player
- Greek Team of the Century – players
Boxing and Kickboxing
- Evangelos Goussis – kickboxer and boxer, convicted murderer
- Michael Katsidis – Professional Boxer, former WBA, WBO, The ring magazine, lightweight champion
- Stan Longinidis – kickboxer
- Tosca Petridis – kickboxer and boxer
Cricket
- Jason Gillespie – player
Football (Soccer)
- John Anastasiadis – former player and coach
- Con Boutsianis – former player
- Dean Bouzanis – player
- Chris Kalantzis – player
- Stan Lazaridis – player, Perth Glory and Socceroos
- Lucas Pantelis – player
- Ange Postecoglou – coach, former player
- Nick Theodorakopoulos – coach
- Michael Theoklitos – player, Brisbane Roar
- Michael Valkanis – player, Adelaide United
- Andy Vlahos – player
Martial Arts
Rugby League
- Braith Anasta – player, Sydney Roosters
- George Gatis – player, New Zealand Warriors
- Steve Georgallis – player/coach
- Michael Korkidas – player, Salford City Reds
- Nick Kouparitsas – player, Canterbury Bulldogs
- Glen Lazarus – player Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm
- George Peponis – former Australian captain
- Willie Peters – player, South Sydney Rabbitohs
- Jim Serdaris – player
- John Skandalis – player, Huddersfield Giants
- Jason Stevens – player, retired
- Justin Tsoulos – player, Parramatta Eels
Sailing
- Edward Psaltis – sailor
Shooting
- Michael Diamond – shooter – Olympic gold medallist, Sydney 2000
Skiing
- Lydia Lassila (née Lerodiaconou) – skier – Winter Olympian (gold medalist)
Tennis
- Mark Philippoussis – player
Wrestling
- Andres Labrakis aka Spiros Arion – wrestler
Writing
- Mary Kalantzis – writer and academic
- Dean Kalimniou – poet and journalist
- Antigone Kefala – poet
- Angelo Loukakis – novelist
- Tess Mallos – food and cooking, writer, journalist, author and commentator
- George Megalogenis – journalist, political commentator and author
- Pi O – performance poet
- Dimitris Tsaloumas – poet
- Christos Tsiolkas – novelist
- Spiro Zavos – journalist and author
See also
References
- Tamis, Anastasios (2005). The Greeks in Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54743-1
- Gilchrist, Hugh (1992). Australians and Greeks Volume I: The Early Years. Brown, Prior, Anderson Pty. Ltd.. ISBN 1-874684-01-8
Citations
- ^ 2006 Census Table: Ancestry by Country of Birth of Parents – Time Series Statistics (2001, 2006 Census Years)
- ^ 2006 Census Table: Country of Birth of Person by Sex – Time Series Statistics (1996, 2001, 2006 Census Years)
- ^ 2006 Census Table: Country of Birth of Person (full classification list) by Sex
- ^ Ethnic Media Package
- ^ de Hartog, The Greeks in Australia, p. 31.
- ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
- ^ Cat. No. 2068.0 – 2006 Census Tables 2006 Census of Population and Housing Melbourne (Statistical Division) – Vic. ANCESTRY (REGION) BY COUNTRY OF BIRTH OF PARENTS
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistic
- ^ 2006 Census Table: Language Spoken at Home by Sex – Time Series Statistics (1996, 2001, 2006 Census Years)
- ^ "The Australian People" an encyclopedia of the nation, it's people and their origins, by James Jupp – published 1988
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Categories:
- Immigration to Australia
- Ethnic groups in Australia
- Greek minorities
- Australian people of Greek descent
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