The “Golden Greeks” from “Diggers” to Settlers: Greek Migration and Settlement during the Australian Gold Rush Era, 1850s–1890s

All rights reserved © 2017, Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand. Reproduced with permission of the publisher.Between the 1850s and 1890s, the gentle ripples of Australia’s early Greek presence surrendered to the first real wave of Greek migration. Gold was the initial stimulus. Greek seaman — particularly those on British vessels — jumped ship and left for the diggings with other “new chums”. Greeks dug, panned and sweated for the precious metal amongst bustling hopefuls from across the globe — the road to a multicultural Australia had been unintentionally initiated. Greek migration to, and settlement in Australia, reached a point of change during the gold rush era: the first collective Greek settlements appeared, family groups increased, occupational diversity began to emerge — together with what was to become the Greek café phenomenon — chain migration was stimulated, and eventually formal Greek communities were established. Gold encouraged and shaped the Australian colonies’ progress towards nationhood, it also secured, as this paper evidences, the Greek diaspora’s presence as part of the nation’s future

Greek currents in Australian waters: Greek-Australians and the sea, 1810s–2013

The sea has been an important element in the history of both the ancient and modern Greeks, providing passage, local livelihoods and access to international trade. In the modern era, Antipodean waters have been part of this ongoing relationship. The sea brought the earliest Greek settlers to Australia, together with the majority of post-World War II Greek migrants, offering them employment opportunities, adventure, recreation and sport. This paper provides evidence of the significance of the Greek contribution to Australia’s maritime activities — a contribution that has helped to mould modern Australia’s connection with the sea

'In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians' National Project Past, Present and Potential Future.

Since 1982 the 'In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians' National Project has been researching the historical and contemporary Greek-Australian presence in both Australia and overseas. It has gathered a considerable oral, literary and visual archive, produced various publications, created major socio-cultural history exhibitions that have toured nationally and internationally, undertaken film documentaries and multimedia presentations, and assisted in nourishing the next generation of Australian historians and sociologists by providing resources for both university teaching and research

Shakin’ the World Over: The Greek-Australian Milk Bar

In Sydney, late in 1932, Joachim Tavlaridis — known as Mick Adams — opened Australia’s first modern “American-style” milk bar: the Black & White 4d. Milk Bar. Indeed, Adams’ milk bar was the world’s first. Within five years, there were some four thousand milk bars operating in Australia. Most were Greek-run. By the mid-1930s, Greeks had taken the concept to New Zealand. At the same time, Great Britain also quickly imported the idea, and attempts were made to introduce it to the United States; although influenced by food-catering enterprises in America, “milk bars” did not exist there. Milk bars even appear to have reached Fiji not long after their initial success in Australia. Adams’ refreshment revolution became both an Australian and international food-catering icon. This paper provides an insight into the milk bar’s international cross-cultural origins, its development within Australia, its subsequent distribution overseas, and its role as a vehicle for Americanisation

Harnessing the intangible: a Greek-Australian experience

Historia ludzkiego życia w jakimkolwiek społeczeństwie nie może być ograniczona wyłącznie do ewidencjonowania dokumentów pisanych lub też do zbierania przedmiotów i materialnych pozostałości życia codziennego. Jednakże pewne zawężenie jest charakterystyczne dla licznych socjokulturowych muzeów historycznych. Bogate w przedmioty dotykalne, w większości organizują wystawy i badania oraz nawiązują interakcję z publicznością. Czy elementy nietrwałe, nieuchwytne, mogą być siłą napędową wspomagającą rozwój ekspozycji muzealnych? Powstanie dwóch objazdowych wystaw na temat Australijczyków greckiego pochodzenia w Muzeum Historycznym Uniwersytetu Macquarie świadczy o tym, że „tak". W wystawach pt. „Pokolenia" oraz „Jej własny wizerunek: Australijki greckiego pochodzenia", nieuchwytne dziedzictwo staje się ważnym wątkiem. Bogata złożoność grecko-australijskiej identyfikacji kulturowej jest ukazana poprzez szeroki wachlarz wierzeń i praktyk oraz silną, wzajemną zależność podań ustnych z badaniami archiwalnymi, które dopełnione zostały historycznymi i współczesnymi fotografiami. Socjologia z historią zostały połączone poprzez selektywny wybór osób udzielających wywiadów – wywiadów pochodzących z różnych generacji i różnych okresów migracji oraz osadnictwa. Głosy, wygłaszane poglądy, doświadczenia i twarze tworzą to, co niedotykalne. Planowane są dalsze wystawy, gdzie to, co namacalne, ukryte jest w nieuchwytnym

White Gold, Deep Blue: Greeks in the Australian pearling industry, 1880s-2007

Since the late 1880s, Greeks have been involved in Australian pearling — initially in the pearl shell industry and then in pearl cultivation. The significant strength of the Greek contribution to Australian pearling far outweighed the actual numbers involved. Key Greek individuals, families and regional groups who are featured include: Mary Dakas (nee Paspalis), most probably Australia’s only Greek female pearl lugger operator; her brothers Michael and Nicholas, of whom the latter went on to establish the internationally renowned Paspaley Pearling Company; Denis George, whose research and experiments were pivotal to the development of pearl cultivation in Australia; Michael G. Kailis, who established Broome’s first successful pearl farm; the Haritos brothers, George, Jack and Nicholas, who were part of the attempt to revive Australian pearling after World War II; and the pioneering early Kastellorizian pearlers who were later followed in the 1950s by crews from another Dodecanese island, Kalymnos

In Her Own Image: Greek-Australian Women Beyond the Stereotypes

Stereotypes of Greek-Australian women continue to bombard the public consciousness. Black-clad Greek-Australian women, those at festivals and celebrations in traditional costume, and the comedian/public personality, 'Effie', tend to dominate

Greasy spoon dagoes: Sydney's Greek food-catering phenomenon, 1870s-1952

© 2019 the authorsOver the first-half of the twentieth century, Sydney’s Greeks became numerically prominent as food caterers and radically transformed the character of the city’s popular eating-houses. They introduced new American commercial food-catering ideas, technology and products and influenced the development of cinema, architectural style, and popular music along American lines. Greek-run oyster saloons, soda/sundae parlours, cafés and milk bars became powerful vehicles for socio-cultural change. Initially radiating out from within the city’s central business district to the east and south, by the early 1920s, Greek food-catering establishments were operating in the western suburbs, including Parramatta, and as far north as Hornsby. The profound changes that Sydney’s Greek food caterers engendered are explored, together with the personal vicissitudes of the food caterer’s themselves. Despite their commercial food-catering popularity, Sydney’s Greeks experienced racist attitudes that perhaps reinforced the safety of transferring aspects of modern American culture, rather than their own traditional cultural elements

Beyond the breakers [exhibition curatorship]

This exhibition utilizes marine photography as both a scientific tool and as a means of articulating a visual aesthetic that exists beyond the mere objective recording of specimens - scientific research and artistic perspectives have been merged. Vibrantly luminous images of whales breaching, streamlined dolphins gliding, sudden underwater encounters with seals and vast Antarctic landscapes peppered with penguin colonies, are sharply contrasted against current environmental challenges. Exhibition held at Macquarie University Art Gallery, 22 October 2008-10 January 2009. The exhibition also toured to other venues during 2009. An exhibition catalogue was produced.Photographs, detailed captions and video installation

Berowra visions : Margaret Preston and beyond

Photographic artwork shown as part of the exhibition 'Berowra Visions: Margaret Preston and Beyond', held at Macquarie University Art Gallery 5 September-14 October 2005