The dynamism of the Greek diaspora of South Australia is still holding strong as the baton of the community organisations passes from the migrants to their children and grandchildren.
What began as a means of keeping alive the culture and traditions of the migrants’ place of origin has turned into a means of connection between parents and their children/grandchildren.
It is the fundamental sense of family that has seen many children of migrants now step up to the plate to lead the community associations their ancestors helped establish.
South Australia, like eastern states, is filled with region-specific associations all created by the Greek migrants of the 20th century.
There is no denying that the passage of time has meant that many members are no longer necessarily attached because of their original past in Greece, but rather of the community they have created here.
That is what the numerous associations are striving to protect, which various leaders told to Neos Kosmos, all of whom took up their post because their parents were heavily involved in decades past.
The topic of their future was one that inspired lots of discussion, with each president stressing it is a major concern for them to try engage the youth.
Vrinian Association of SA (St John the Theologian)
One organisation thriving it seems in attracting the young people is the Vrinian Association under the leadership of Harry Tsekouras, who has been President of the Vrinians since late 2010. Tsekouras spoke on the history of their association which was formed for the migrants who came from the town of Vrinia near Olympia (predominantly in the 50s and 60s).
The association, officially founded in 1984, was quite healthy until around 2010, with discontent and talk at an AGM of potentially closing down, which led to Tsekouras and many other second-generation Greek Australians putting their hand up to help save it.
They have held regular lunches, taverna nights, wine appreciation sessions and even a photographic exhibition, and the association is in the unique position of having an active youth presence.
“We are fortunate in that we are bursting at the seams with younger generations as they get involved,” Tsekouras told Neos Kosmos.
“We have now got a youth committee and one of its members, Sotiris Fotopoulos, has also joined the executive committee.”
The association’s President explained they are using their youth to guide their decision-making moving forward, which has already led to the idea for starting cooking classes to pass on the older generation’s knowledge of dishes and recipes.
“We now have the great problem of trying to cater to our growing base. For me, the future looks really rosy.”
Tsekouras is not new to community. He began his involvement with the Greek community as a board leader in the Flinders University Greek Association (FUGA) in the 1980s, he was a former youth worker for the Greek Orthodox Community of SA (GOCSA) and is board member of the St George Orthodox College.
Messinian Association of South Australia
The Messinian Association was founded in 1959 under the then name of the Messinian Brotherhood, pioneered by three friends, Vasilis Plemenos, George Mantis and Angelos Bouzalas, to unite and assist Messinian migrants in settling and integrating into the larger Australian community.
The association keeps alive their culture, traditions and history of Messinia through regular luncheons with live Greek music and dancing, celebrating important dates like March 25th, its Messinian Dance School (est. 2007), and its football team, MA Hawks (est.1987).
Martha Ioannides, the association’s president since 2014, expressed that the association has fostered a continuing community built on the roots of their ancestors, which is why she is optimistic it can stay relevant for future generations to come.
“The association provides a sense of identity and belonging and serves as a bridge between past and present…This connection enriches our lives and fosters a strong sense of community among members,” Ioannides told Neos Kosmos.
“As long as we continue to provide meaningful and enriching experiences for our members, we believe the association will thrive and evolve with the times.”
Panarcadian Association of SA “O Kolokotronis”
The Panarcadian Association has served as a unifying body for Greek Australians with Arcadian roots since 1963, with the organisation keeping active with monthly taverna nights as a way of keeping the community intact.
Eleni Mermingis, who became its President this year, stressed that the association, like her peers from the other groups, holds personal significance as a link to her parents (whom both migrated here in the 1950s and were involved with the organisation from its inception).
“Because of my parents, I have been involved basically my whole life in the sense of attending the lunches, the dances, the events that they hosted, and I want to continue that legacy,” she told Neos Kosmos.
The association’s president mentioned that engaging the youth is a challenge, but they are interested in bringing them in to keep alive their Arcadian roots.
“It is really important we value our heritage and where we come from. We value our Hellenic identity greatly but appreciating the specific origins of our ancestors’ specific ancestral home is another dimension of connection for us to Greece.”
Pan Rhodian Society – Colossus of SA
The Pan Rhodian Society – Colossus of South Australia is celebrating this its 80th anniversary since foundation in 1944, an association which its current President, Steve Mandalios, explained has engaged in dances, music, and now holds lunches every second Wednesday for its pensioners.
Mandalios took over as President in late 2021-early 2022, committed to ensuring the association his father was part of would live on.
“That was my childhood playground and a lot of people put a lot of effort to set this association up,” he told Neos Kosmos.
Mandalios stated they are in the process of bringing in the youth to help them understand why their association still holds importance today.
“Associations like ours are important ways to ensure our children and our children’s children never forget the heritage of our ancestors…It allows them to learn how to dance Greek, engage with Greek music, Greek food, all aspects of the culture.”
