The Thessaloniki Association “The White Tower” has celebrated the enduring relationship between Melbourne and Thessaloniki by congratulating Nicholas Reece on his election as Melbourne’s new Mayor.
This gesture follows a message from Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis, commemorating 40 years of the sister city relationship. In his letter, Mayor Angeloudis emphasised the importance of this milestone and expressed gratitude for the strong cultural and historical ties shared between the two cities.
Mayor Reece, facilitated by Northcote MP Kat Theophanous, responded with heartfelt appreciation for the bonds between Melbourne and Thessaloniki.
“With one of the largest Greek communities in the world outside of Greece residing in Melbourne, indeed my wife and daughters are of proud Greek heritage. I am deeply admiring of the resilience and contributions of the Greek community, which have helped shape modern Melbourne in so many ways, and paved the way for future migrants from countries all around the world,” he wrote.
Mayor Reece also highlighted key community events, such as the Antipodes Festival, as pivotal to maintaining the connection.
“Held in the heart of our city in Lonsdale Street’s Greek Quarter, the Festival continues to serve as a beacon of Greek culture with performers, artists, foods, crafts, and history entertaining the 100,000-strong crowd,” he noted.
A cornerstone of Mayor Reece’s election platform was his commitment to lead a delegation to Greece, including Thessaloniki.
In his letter to Mayor Angeloudis, he welcomed the opportunity to collaborate on developing an itinerary for this visit and explore ways to deepen the sister city relationship.
As part of these efforts, the Thessaloniki Association, in partnership with the Municipality of Thessaloniki, has named a space on Anagenisseos Street “Melbourne Square.”
The Association has also raised funds for a monument or a children’s playground at the site, which they hope to formalise during Mayor Reece’s future visit.
“We hope that with the Mayor of Melbourne’s visit to Thessaloniki, we will be able to organise the formal recognition of Melbourne Square by the Municipality of Melbourne, paving the way for a reciprocal initiative honouring Thessaloniki in Melbourne,” said Iakovos Garivaldis OAM, President of the Thessaloniki Association.
