St Kilda Town Hall was packed to witness the return of Melbourne’s Pammessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas (Papaflessas) to a suburb with a historic connection to both the Brotherhood and the wider Greek community.
It has been over 60 years since the Papaflessas held their inaugural 23rd March dinner dance in St Kilda. In 1959 the event took place at Earls Court, with the 2024 event taking place in the iconic St Kilda Town Hall. In 1960s Papaflessas held a number of their dinner dances at this Town Hall. The inner Melbourne suburbs that now make up the Port Phillip Municipality had become the new home for thousands of new arrivals from Greece, part of the great wave of post-war migration to Australia from Greece.
The occasion for the renewal of the connection between the Town Hall and the Brotherhood was of course the celebration of the 203rd anniversary of the Greek rising in Messinia and liberation of Kalamata on 23 March 1821, a rising that began the successful Greek war of independence from Ottoman rule and the establishment of the modern Greek nation state a few years later.
The event was attended by a number of dignitaries, including the Consul General of Greece Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Lee Tarlamis OAM MP representing the Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan MP and John Pesutto MP, Leader of the Opposition in the Victorian Parliament. Former MP Jenny Mikakos was also in attendance. The Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria was represented by Spiz Demetriou and Vicki Kyritsis. Terry Kanelos OAM and Steve Kyritsis OAM of Melbourne’s Hellenic RSL as well as Dr John Martino, author of the novel Olympia, were also in attendance.
The over 300 attendees included many members of the wider Hellenic community as well as many with connections to the Messinia region of Greece. The event was honoured by the presence of one of the founders of the Brotherhood Mr Katsambanis.
The formal proceedings began with the President of Papaflessas Anastasios Dimitrakopoulos, who welcomed everyone to the event and introduced Bishop Evmenious of Kerasounta who blessed the gathering.
The Consul of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, then addressed the assembly. He congratulated the Papaflessas for honouring the heroes of the past and for ensuring that the memory of the fight for Greece’s freedom was not forgotten. He spoke of the importance of the Hellenic diaspora in supporting Greece, both in playing a crucial role in the fight for independence itself but also today as the Hellenic community in Australia plays a great role in promoting an awareness of Greece and its culture.
Lee Tarlamis OAM MP began his address by conveying congratulations to Papaflessas from the Premier of Victoria on this celebration of Greek independence. He stressed that the Victorian Government is a strong supporter of the Greek community and recognises its contribution to the development of Victoria.
Mr Tarlamis pointed out one of the lesser known connections between Victoria and the Greek war of impendence, with the fact that a number of veterans of the war came to settle here after the gaining of independence. One of those was the British veteran of the battle of Navarino of 1827 – Naval Lieutenant Alfred Aubrey who is buried in Bendigo.
As one of Hellenic heritage himself – his family hailing from Lemnos – Mr Tarlamis expressed the common appreciation all migrant families have for their forebears who left their homelands to make a new life in Australia. Many Hellenes – including those from your own region – made their way here after the terrible impacts of the Second World War.
Mr Taralamis praised one of Papaflessas’ members – Denise Zapantis and her family – for recently donating to the people of Victoria a treasured family possession, a book printed after the war detailing its terrible impact on Greece.
“And look what these new arrivals in Australia achieved. Through their sacrifices and hard work your parents raised their families and created vibrant community organisations, like your own. Papaflessas has a lot to be proud of”, he said.
He recounted some of the great work of Papaflessas over the years which he had been proud to be part of – from welcoming the Mayor of Kalamata and the renowned late Professor Themelis to Victoria’s Parliament, through the recreation at the Shrine of Damien Parer’s famous WW2 image of Anzacs and Evzones on the Acropolis, to its work with historian Jim Claven to honour the Anzacs who served in Greece – like Private Syd Grant – through sponsoring his publication Grecian Adventure as well as the new commemorative plaques erected at Pylos, Methone, Kalamata and Trahila.
“I was particular glad to attend last year’s unveiling of your impressive new wall mural and the naming of Kalamata Lane at Papaflessas’ Thornbury Club in recognition of their forebears who settled in the area in the 1950s. A great legacy for Papaflessas”, he said. Mr Tarlamis concluded his address by again congratulating Papaflessas on its achievements and his hope to be able to work with you all on your future endeavours.
Finally, John Pesutto, Leader of the Victorian Opposition spoke, congratulating Papaflessas for continuing to commemorate Greece’s successful fight for freedom and in organising such a successful event.
As part of the function attendees were also shown specially recorded video messages from the Mayor of Kalamata, Athanasios Vassilopoulos, and the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Messinia Chrysostomos.
You can’t have a Hellenic celebration without great music and dancing. Thankfully Papaflessas had organised one of Melbourne’s top Greek bands – Omados – to entertain the crowd and lift their spirits. Soon the dance floor was full and pumping.
The event confirms the survival of yet another of Melbourne’s great Hellenic community organisations. I wish them well and look forward to working with them into the future. Congratulations to all involved in organising the event.
Jim Claven is a trained historian, freelance writer and published author who has researched aspects of the Hellenic link to Australia’s Anzac story over many years. He is the author of Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed and From Imbros Over The Sea. He has worked with Melbourne’s Pammessinian Brotherhood on a range of commemorative projects both in Greece and Australia. He is also the author of Grecian Adventure, which was published by the Brotherhood in 2019. Jim Claven can be contact via email – jimclaven@yahoo.com.au