The Kastellorizian Association of Victoria (KAV) has named Lilliane Gomatos AM as 2022’s Kastollorizian of the Year and her selection will be celebrated at the KOY Gala Dinner on Saturday, 15 October.
The association said on social media that Ms Gomatos “epitomises the importance of grassroots welfare of Kastellorizians and Greeks in Darwin, personifying the spirit of the original Kazzie philotimo – brotherhood”.
The association said Ms Gomatos who was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2019 for her contribution to Australia’s vibrant multicultural society.
“She has been instrumental in preserving and embedding Greek heritage in Darwin,” the association noted.
Ms Gomatos became the first female president of a Greek community in Australia when she took on the role as president of the Greek Orthodox Community of North Australia (GOCNA) in 1987,
“Her work and values thus live on through younger generations in their support of the welfare of the wider Greek community, representing the KAV’s ethos of ‘Faith, Hope and Charity’.”
By acknowledging Lilliane and her contributions to society, we show that we value those who continue to work at the grassroots level, devoting time and hard work to their communities.”
Ms Gomatos arrived in Darwin with her husband, Theofilis, in 1967. She became a strong advocate for community support and welfare and in 1974 as a member of the Greek Women’s Philanthropic Society she raised money for the Northern Territory’s elderly, the Greek Orthodox Church and its school.
As president of GOCNA from 1987, she oversaw the completion of the third stage of the Greek Orthodox school, an upgrade of the church and she was a co-founder of Darwin’s iconic Greek Glenti in 1988.
