The very first minutes written in 1897 by members of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) have been released digitally for the community to see in a historical way to make the 114th anniversary of the GOCMV on 27 August.
General Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) Costas Marcos took on the auspicious task of digitising the very first minutes of the GOCMV. for the past six months. He did this because he felt the minuters were the “most important part of the history of GOCMV but not only that but the broader Greek community”.
” Looking at the minutes time after time I realised the incredible details that excised within the minutes,” Marcos told Neos Kosmos.
Through the minutes, the community is able to find their ancestors, see the various philanthropic contributions the community made and also the contributions members made to the war efforts in Greece. The minutes also give you a clear understanding in the establishment of the GOCMV. These rare and historic documents encapsulate the very essence of the Greek cutlural heritage and the history of Greek migration to Victoria. By digitising these minutes, the GOCMV is able to preserve and promote them for benefit of today’s and future generations.
“From an aesthetic point of view it’s an amazing piece of work they are hand-written by fountain pen,” said Marcos. “I don’t know of any particular documents like that from the early period of Greek migration.”
As part of this project, Marcos aims to find out detailed information of the first 100 contributors to the churt that are documents in the minutes. “There are about 120 members I have identified and I have found at least 85 per cent of their background – where they came from and what year they came to Australia.”
To view the minutes visit greekcommunity.com.au