The Kastellorizian Council of Australia (KCA) is currently holding its first national convention in Brisbane.

While the community’s past events have centred on a specific celebration, this time, says Yvonne Panagacos, president of the KCA, the event will focus on the association itself.

“This convention is a celebration of all that is Kazzie here in Australia,” she says, adding that its purpose is to “bring Kastellorizians from all over Australia to promote our history in this country, celebrate our heritage, promote communication between the states, give the youth an opportunity to meet, and map out our plans for the next few years”.

Over 100 state participants from across the country are expected to attend the convention, with a number of events already booked out with waiting lists.
In the lead-up, Ms Panagacos says she has been thrilled by the positive response from well-established Kastellorizians across a variety of sectors, including head of Dow Chemicals Andrew Liveris.

Mr Liveris will be making a presentation via satellite from the United States on Sunday evening.

Also taking part is Perth-based Emeritus Professor Byron Kukulas, who is a world authority on vitamin D, motor neurone disease and Alzheimer’s.

“We’ve also got about eight young people who asked if they could be part of it, so we’ve fitted them in the program. We’ve attempted to embrace all the offers of assistance and support that we’ve been given,” says the president.

The impressive line-up of guest speakers the event has managed to garner is not entirely surprising; Kastellorizians have long been an influential part of the Greek and wider Australian communities, involved in all sectors of society for over 100 years.

“Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers came to Australia at a time when they had no English skills and had to register as ‘aliens’. Every time they moved house they had to inform the local police station of the move and provide their ongoing address. Work was scarce and they had limited skills. [But] they demonstrated tenacity, hard work and a determination to make a go of it,” says Ms Panagacos.

Despite the small size of the island (Kastellorizo is just over 11 km²) the commitment of its diaspora across the globe, both and young and old, has continued to grow.

After much reflection, Ms Panagacos says she attributes this commitment to the shared passion and devotion to the island’s turbulent past.

“The people who have come from this island are the children of people who have experienced enormous disasters – earthquakes, fires, invasions. We had Romans, Byzantines, Turks, French, it was burnt by the Germans, bombed by the English, it was Italian until 1948 when it joined Greece.

“Yet these people very proudly uphold their Greek traditions – they are Greeks. So I’ve come to the conclusion that a little bit of that rock is in all of us. We’re made of tough stuff; we’ve survived, we’ve gone ahead, we’ve thrived and no matter what’s been thrown at us, we’ve retained our Greek heritage and proudly so,” she says.

But for the association, a big part of maintaining its cultural heritage is to be able to pass it on to the youth, many of whom are now fourth and fifth generation.

“The young ones are coming along and they are curious, they’re interested, they appreciate the story, and I think we’re basically showing them who they are, giving them a taste of their background, their families and so on,” explains Ms Panagacos.

While the president expects the convention has the potential to become a regular event on the Kastellorizian calendar, it has to yet to be confirmed.

“We’re very proud that the Queenslanders have kindly agreed to host this; we’re spread around the country, so it’s good to have the opportunity to catch up,” she says.

“What you see will be the tip of the iceberg, and I think it will set the benchmark for future similar conventions.”

The KCA Convention will take place from 22-26 January, 2016 in various locations across Brisbane.