Federal MP Steve Georganas has put the issue of Greek migration records to Australia on the national agenda by highlighting the importance of saving the migration records in a speech made in the House of Representatives.
The Save the Archives initiative, launched to save the 200,000 plus records of migration exit cards from Greece, is important to future Australians and we should be doing all we can to help the fundraising campaign, Mr Georganas told Neos Kosmos.
“I have spoken with Minister Simon Crean, who is the minster in charge of archives here in Australia, as it’s not just a Greek issue, it’s an Australian issue because it will be the history of many Australians in the future,” explains Mr Georganas.
“It’s okay now for my generation because we talk directly with out parents and grandparents but in years to come these will be a crucial tool for people searching their family histories.”
Due to the economic crisis, the migration exit cards are currently “rotting away” in a room in Athens, and even though Greece has other priorities at the moment, Mr Georganas is imploring Greek Australians to do their bit to help in the fundraising campaign.
“Because of the way the Greek economy currently is – and they have other issues which they are dealing with – these cards haven’t been maintained and are starting to deteriorate. If we allow it go on any longer we will lose the entire history of people who have migrated to Australia from 1950 to 1975.
“There’s an estimated 200,000 records there, what are called exit cards which tells the name, the birth date, the place of exit, where they were born; so it’s important history for us in Australia, and more important for the generations to come who will be searching their family trees and can use these documents as a real research tool. So I think it’s really important we do all we can to save these archives. It’s important for our cultural heritage in Australia.”
On a recent visit to Greece, Mr Georganas spoke with Australian ambassador to Greece Jenny Bloomfield about the Save the Archives campaign. He said the Greek government has been contacted about this issue, but have not responded due to other priorities.