The Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia’s Synapantema 2023 came to a close after what was its largest Pontian gathering in Australia ever and the largest Pontian gathering in decades with over 600 attendees.
More than 250 interstate travellers descended to Melbourne, including 100 Pontian dancers, to join their Melburnian brothers and sisters to celebrate Pontian culture with Alexis Parharidis and Fani Kourouklidis headlining the event.
The Federation also held its annual national award ceremony during Synapantema to honour members of the community for their lifetime contribution to Pontian culture and heritage.
The Synapantema 2023 concluded with a special ceremony at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance last Sunday 19 February. Federation representatives in traditional dress stood guard around the Stone of Remembrance during the ceremony.
President Peter Stefanidis laid a single wreath on behalf of the federation and its member-associations at ” The Stone of Remembrance”, the centre of the sanctuary.
The wreath was a tribute to those Victorian women who served the shared values of Hellenism and Australia in war and peace. Especially the Anzacs who sacrificed themselves to rescue Hellenes, Armenians and Assyrians during the Genocides of those peoples between 1914 and 1924.
Following the silent ceremony, attendees moved to the lecture theatre for a brief presentation. Historian and genocide scholar Dr Panayiotis Diamadis related the stories of Australian women – anonymous and eponymous – who served Hellenism and Australia in peace and in war between 1915 and 1930.
These included the doctors, nurses and ancillary staff on Lemnos island and on the Macedonian Front (1915-1918) including celebrated author Stella Miles Franklin, Olive Kelso King, Dr Agnes Bennett, Dr Mary de Garis, Dr Elsie Jean Dalyell and many more.
Diamadis also spoke about the Australian women who dedicated themselves to organizing humanitarian aid for survivors of the Hellenic, Armenian and Assyrian Genocides. Women such as Joice Nan Kivell Loch, Hilda King and Edith Glanville to name but a few.
The presentation concluded with recommendations relating to celebrating our dual identities as Australians and Hellenes through the commemoration of Australian heritage in Hellas and Cyprus, as well as Hellenic heritage in Australia and New Zealand.
The Pontians recognised for their contribution:
1. Mr Onoufrios Gorozidis was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedicated service to the Federation.
2. The Metropolitan Chrysanthos of Trapezounta Award is a posthumous award and was introduced this year recognising the service and sacrifice to a significant person who has since passed on. The inaugural recipients were the late Christos Paschalidis (the Federation’s Founding Treasurer) and the late Konstantinos Sarrasis (the Federation’s Founding Secretary).
3. Named after renowned Pontian poet and writer Philon Ktenidis, three Ktenidis Awards recognise a lifetime of cultural contribution and were presented to Christos Parharidis, Lambis Parharidis and George Sevastopoulos.
4. Euklidis Awards recognizing strong leadership were presented to Nazareth Chisolm (President of the Pontian Brotherhood of SA) and John Theodoridis (President of SAE Australia).
5. Appreciation awards for work towards making Synapantema possible, were presented to Voula Tsarouhidis (Akrites Tou Pontou Victoria), Maria Anthony (Pontoxeniteas NSW), Myrto Makridi (Akrites tou Pontou Victoria), Peter Papoulidis (Panayia Soumela Sydney) and Harry Tsairis (Akrites Tou Pontou Victoria).
6. The Heraklides Award is a new award presented to people who were inspired to undertake a creative project that enhances the Pontian Culture. This year it was presented to three young
Pontians who coordinated the International Pontian Film Festival (IPFF): Kiriaki Kakamanoudis (Pontian Brotherhood of South Australia), Myrto Makridi (Akrites tou Pontou, Victoria), and Kosta Papoulidis (Pontoxeniteas NSW).
7. President’s Awards of Merit were presented to Myrto Makridis for her work on social media throughout the pandemic.
