Melbourne’s ‘Kalamata Lane’, which was officially launched in the presence of the Mayor of Kalamata, Athanasios Vasilopoulos, in October 2022, has finally had its signage installed.
It’s the piece de resistance in the transformation of the previously unnamed laneway, located adjacent to the headquarters of the Pammessinian Brotherhood of Melbourne ‘Papaflessas’ in Thornbury.
The sign’s installation came just in time for the celebration of Greek independence on 25 March, which this year marked 202 years of freedom from Ottoman rule.
At the same time ‘Papaflessas’ celebrated the anniversary of the liberation of Kalamata.
Kalamata Lane is named in recognition of the Greek community who emigrated to the suburb of Thornbury since the 1950s from the eponymous Greek coastal city.
“We’re so happy about it, many people worked hard to make this happen,” Mary Tsaganas told Neos Kosmos.
In a photo posted to Facebook by the Pammessinian Brotherhood to mark the occasion, Irini Tsianaka proudly showcased the newly situated signage.
Mary Tsaganas pointed out to Neos Kosmos that Irini’s father was one of the founding members of ‘Papaflessas’.
“He died young… it would have been his 83rd birthday the day the sign went up,” she said.
