Now more than ever, celebrations around the country recognise the contributions of the great migrant community that makes up Australia. Australia Day Ambassadors are notable Australians who are picked by a panel and have the responsibility to be guests of honour at celebrations and events all around the state. No field is overlooked with Ambassadors coming from areas like the arts, sport, science, business, government and entertainment.

This year, five notable Greek Australians have made the list. Newsreader George Donikian, former opera singer Stella Axarlis, Greek community figure Mike Zarifopoulos, prestige car salesmen Nick Theodossi and Fronditha CEO George Lekakis are all Australia Day Ambassadors and spoke to Neos Kosmos on why Australia Day is important to them.

George Donikian

For various reasons, many of them nationalistic, many of them political, we conspire to create differences amongst us, we try and break ourselves into little tribes. But for me Australia day is a time when you put your tribalism to one side, and you actually become a citizen of Australia – and you might be telling me that is a pretty nationalistic way to think – yes, but I think of it in a broader family.

People ask me what I am, and I say I’m Australian, but I’m a very proud boy of Greek Armenian heritage. If you bag the Greeks I’ll come after you, if you bag the Armenians I’ll come after you. If you tell me Australia is playing Armenia I’ll be barracking for Australia, if Australia is playing Greece, I’m barracking for Australia, if Greece plays Armenia, I shut up. I just sit there and sit on my hands.

My father made it very clear for both my brother and myself, that we not only had to be pillars of the Greek community, but also the Armenian community, because of our surname being Armenian, we had to stand above. He didn’t want us to be just Joe Blow, just go with the flow, he wanted us to stand up and make an impact.
So we had an understanding of what it meant to really try and chase and be the best citizens we could be and for me again, Australia day is that day for all of us to pool our resources and all our collective energy to come together as one, and put aside our very small differences. Because when you think about it, at the end of the day, our DNA is the same, whether we’re white black, green, yellow, whatever you want to call it, at the end of it, we are human beings.
And for me, every citizenship ceremony, every Australia Day means we can extend the hand of friendship to people that have come to this country to seek a future life and opportunity to breathe from persecution. And it means a awful lot.
I think we still are the lucky country.

We’re in a very privileged position. We didn’t too many of our lands decimated by war, and we haven’t had to endure a civil war, to prove our worth, or to prove our being.
Australia Day is a day of light, it a day of pride and to be one big member of a great family. It’s a pity we don’t have Australia Day every day.

George Donikian’s television and radio career has always had a multicultural route. Bruce Gyngell installed him as the face of multiculturalism, on what was to become Australia’s revolutionary Channel O/28 that evolved into SBS and is probably most known for his work as a newsreader for Channel 10.

Stella Axarlis

I thought it was an honour. I’m always delighted to say not only what it means to be Australian but also talk about my heritage, my Greek heritage.
It was very different in those days, when I arrived as a little girl in 1950, it was a very difficult time… identifying with our Greek identity, in those days if you did, it was difficult. But I did, and got a lot of flack for it, but I was able to get over it. I identified totally, as I’ve said many times, in my thinking. I’m very Anglo Celtic, but in my emotions and in my heart and soul I am very much a Greek.

They’ve all been memorable (Australia Days) in the sense that I’ve been happy to go out into the regions and to regional Victoria and they’ve all been incredibly different, but very much, in a way, it sounds very strange, in a way they’ve all been the same.

Australians don’t put their patriotism on their sleeve like Americans and others do, but on the other hand they’re proud to be Australians and I find, particularly in the regions, an incredible community spirit, which not only acknowledges people on that day who have been part of the community and contributed to the community, but also acknowledges the essence of each community in their own way. I find that always pleasing, particularly if it’s combined with a citizenship ceremony because I remember how when I was a little girl I stood with my parents and we got our Australian Citizenship. So I think it’s always a very emotional time.

Stella Axarlis has had probably one of the broadest careers imaginable, yet has succeeded in all areas she went into. From mathematics teacher to internationally acclaimed opera singer, managing director of an engineering company and now a board member in various organisations and community advocate. In 2002 she was recognised in Victoria’s Awards for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs and in 2003 she received a Centenary Medal.

Mike Zarifopoulos

Australia Day for me has always been a very important occasion. It’s been important because I came here as a teenager, and I have embraced Australia and Australia embraced me and gave me opportunities for me to succeed both in life and in my career.
So on Australia Day, on an individual basis I celebrate, both my personal successes, but also the fact we live in a country that we can be proud of.

We Greeks are familiar with the strong sense we feel on our national days, so it is not hard for us to replicate those emotions, those feelings. Of course it’s a bit different, for us a national day means liberation, freedom from wars, sacrifices, that sort of thing.
But even in Australia… slowly and gradually, the celebration has shifted both in meaning, and in nuance and importance to celebrate what’s great about Australia. The freedom we enjoy, the friendliness, the mateship, the lifestyle of Australia. The great country that we’ve got here.

It’s our second ‘patrida’.
For me, being of a Greek background, I take advantage of highlighting the importance of cultural diversity, how migrants have contributed to make this country what it is and making sure that the concept of freedom, social cohesion, respect for cultural diversity are highlighted. One of the things we have in this country is the harmony we enjoy, we are united in our diversity and it’s great celebrating it.

Even on Australia Day it’s important to remember that even those people who may have lost the energy they used to have as young people, these days, even those people in elderly homes will be celebrating Australia Day in their own way.

Mike Zarifopoulos’ 40 year involvement in community affairs in a wide range of fields, covers the arts, sport, health, welfare, local government and philanthropy. He was the General Manager of SBS in Melbourne, chair at the Greek Festival (now Antipodes), Mayor of the City of Fitzroy, board member of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, and is a board member of Fronditha Care.

Nick Theodossi

We’ve always celebrated Australia Day, we’ve been very patriotic in the sense that we’ve always had an Australian flag up throughout the whole year in our business and in our homes.
There wasn’t one Australia Day that was better than the other, they’ve all been great.

I love seeing everybody enjoying themselves on this great day. When you’re young you don’t sort of think about it that way. You just think it’s a day off work or a day off school, but as you get older you get more patriotic and you really enjoy it.
It’s not about they day off, it’s about the achievement of others and yourself, and celebrating a great nation.
When you meet people from all around the world, how they greet Australians is just unbelievable. The acceptance of the Australian people is just unbelievable.

We have a good reputation. I think that’s a lot of hard work that we all put together.
My dad actually came to Australia on Australia Day.
I suppose the fact that I was born here in 1951, I was one of those early immigrant born Australians. We were the only Europeans in our street, it meant a lot.

As you can imagine, my grandmother lived with us so we only wrote and spoke Greek, so we didn’t do much else. Growing up, there were 36 kids in the street, we used to all play together and they were great friends and I have great memories of living and being brought up in Coburg.

I’m going to Mansfield, which is at the bottom of Mount Bulla this Australia Day. It’s a little country town. I’ve got a farm up there and my son Dion has the Holden Ford dealership. We’ve been up there for 30 years, so I thought what better place than to have Australia Day? I’ll be giving some speeches and giving out some awards.

Nick Theodossi’s prestige Car dealership has been in business since 1971, and continues to supply Australia’s rich with their luxury vehicles. Born in Melbourne to a Greek Cypriot family, Mr Theodossi has been an active member of the Greek community and supports many charities. He is also an avid sportsman, and was the VFL Chairman for 17 years.

George Lekakis

Every Australia Day is an important occasion for me. I’m a life Australia Day Ambassador, and I have been to various places across Victoria to speak at various Australia Day events. Every single event that I’ve been to has been very special. Smaller communities in particular.
It’s beautiful to watch and to acknowledge the great contributions that people make within their local community.

Australia is such a wonderful country, with strong democratic traditions. It’s evidenced everywhere, the special citizenship ceremonies that occur on the day. Also, you’re welcomed in those communities.
Australia’s the best country in the world. For those who are born here and for those who came to live here. It’s a land of opportunity, it’s a country which offers what others around the world aspire to; peace, justice and opportunity. It’s wonderful part of the world.
I was born here, but I lived in Greece for three years. I finished my primary school there. I love my ancestral home.

Australia is a multicultural nation and people have ancestral links all over the world. And the fact that we acknowledge this, and are proud of that, is what makes Australia special.
An Australia Day I remember was the ceremonial planting of the gum tree in the front yard. Mind you the front yard wasn’t very big. We did that, and of course it was just another great day to have everybody over to celebrate the occasion.
My parents loved Australia, for all that it offered. My mum would say, “the fridge was always full in Australia”. They’ve both passed away, but I remember mum taking a special consideration to Australia Day, it was like Thanksgiving Day. It was so special to her, she loved this country a lot.

And my dad loved this country because it gave working people the things workers around the world aspired to.
I also find that younger people have a great affinity with Australia Day.

We celebrate Australia Day at Fronditha too. Every opportunity to celebrate is taken on board, particularly Australia Day. We’ll have Australia Day flags, and make speeches. We’ll put the pies on that day, pies and sausage rolls and tomato sauce, which they love!
On Australia Day this year, I’ll be visiting the good residents of Casey, and I’ll be speaking at their event. They will showcase on that day, the achievements of the people in the community, and I’ll be part of their celebrations.

George Lekakis AO is the CEO of Fronditha Care, and had been appointed by the Victorian Government as the Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission. Mr Lekakis has chaired multiple multiculturalism committees and organisations and was recently awarded and officer of the Order of Australia.

* For more information on Australia Day events turn to our community section on page 19. For information on your area’s festivities, log onto http://www.australiaday.vic.gov.au/whats-on.html