Our story began in October 1916 when an enterprising group of migrants from the Greek island of Ithaca, home of the legendary Odysseus, established the Ithacan Philanthropic Society. Led by its first President, A J J Lucas, the Society’s objective was to support the needs of Ithacans who remained on the island and to provide a haven for immigrant Ithacans establishing themselves in a new country.
In 1917, the Society occupied the first level of Michael’s Building (still standing) on the corner of Elizabeth and Lonsdale Streets, and in 1958, moved into purpose-built clubrooms at its current location, Ithaca House, 329 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.
Over the years the Society has organised countless cultural and social events and embraced the philanthropic mission enshrined in its name, contributing to local charitable causes including those of Greek Australian relevance – Fronditha Care, Pronia and Agapi Care – and supporting cultural and educational endeavours such as the Greek Community’s Lecture Series and our very own Tertiary Bursary Awards. Ranked high on the Society’s philanthropic agenda is its signature charity, the Royal Children’s Hospital, to which the Society made its first donation of 10 pound in 1921.
The needs of compatriots living on Ithaca have also been a priority over the years. In recent times, the Society has been resolute in its support of activities that engage the youth of Ithaca and boost morale on the island in difficult economic times.
Many early first generation Ithacan immigrants established themselves as successful small business operators. Initially, they were predominantly engaged in café businesses, and later in fruit shops and fish shops. Their businesses were located mainly in the city centre and inner suburbs of Melbourne.
The 1950s and 1960s brought a new wave of Ithacan migrants sparked by the catastrophic earthquakes in Ithaca in the early 1950s as well as Australia’s immigration program to increase its labour force. The last thirty years or so has seen the arrival of persons of Ithacan descent from places other than Greece such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and New Zealand, and in recent times a small number of arrivals from Greece seeking a more secure future.
Like many migrant groups, Ithacans placed enormous value on prosperity, financial security and gaining a good education for their children. Third, fourth and fifth generation Ithacans are represented in a wide range of professions and the achievements of many have been recognised such as the Tass Paxinos Award for Victorian Registrar Teaching (Australian Orthopaedic Association) named after Tass Paxinos who developed a method to diagnose a specific shoulder injury known as the Paxinos Sign, the Loula Rodopoulos Sub-Fund of The Victorian Women’s Trust honouring Loula Raftopoulos-Rodopoulos who led the Trust in its formative years to become a successful feminist organisation, and the George Dracoulis Endowment recognising the immense contribution by Professor George Dracoulis to Nuclear Physics at the Australian National University and internationally.
Despite challenges and hardships, the fact that the Society is still flourishing, 100 years later, is a testament to the strong sense of identity and cultural heritage that many Ithacan families have successfully passed on from generation to generation.
With the passing of time however, the Society is mindful of the need to adapt to a changing landscape and explore new ways to maintain it relevance in a diverse and dispersed community. Its bilingual newspaper Odysseus, first published in Greek in 1974, has been successful as a conduit in uniting Ithacans Australia-wide and around the world. Similarly, the website and the Ithacan Facebook Group, provide a means for people to keep connected and to re-engage with their Ithacan heritage.
To cap the year’s celebrations, we invite readers to visit our Centenary Exhibition at the Immigration Museum which will showcase the contribution of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society to the wonderful multicultural city of Melbourne. The exhibition will be opening in mid-November 2016.
Ithacans are proud to call Australia home, and, like the legendary Odysseus, Ithaca will never be forgotten. We are delighted to share our story with you in this special edition of Neos Kosmos.