Recently the Richmond and Burnley Historical Society received an interesting donation of scales that were used at a Greek owned fruit shop on 80 Bridge Road in Richmond, Melbourne last century.
The scales were donated by Nick Elias, whose father Emanuele Socrates Elias was a fruiterer and owned the shop as well as another fruit shop in Brighton.
Along with the scales, Nick and his wife Joanna also donated the original receipts from the Hobart Manufacturing Company in 1941, who Emanuele bought them from.
Emanuele was born in 1903 in Siana, Rhodes, Greece and left for Australia in November of 1927 at 24 years old.
He arrived in Melbourne in January 1928 and would live through the 1930’s Great Depression.
Like many migrants he embraced Australian culture and was known as Mick, which his family think was given to him by Aussie locals.
He would go on to own his own fruit shop circa 1940 and married Maria Sarris in January of 1953.
Maria was from the same village as Emanuele and arrived in Port Melbourne with her cousin George Sarris on November 21, 1952 on the passenger vessel ‘San Giorgio’.
“I believe it is important to share our personal history our past experiences and why it is important to assimilate into the country that has accepted you as an immigrant,” Nick Elias told Neos Kosmos.”To quote Mark Twain: ‘The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why’.
“History helps us realise how different our lived experience is from that of our ancestors yet how similar we are in our goals and values.”
President of the Richmond and Burnley Historical Society David Langdon told Neos Kosmos that this is a great example of Greek contribution to growing communities in Australia.
“It is great to share his story. Running a successful business, raising a family and expanding to other areas takes a lot of effort,” he said.
“It is a wonderful example of the Greek community and through hard work achieving success.”
