The Australia Day 2025 Honours List has been announced, with at least three Greeks included among the 732 Australians awarded with an Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the honours system.

Kleoniki Matziaris-Garay has received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to the Greek community of Victoria.

For over three decades she has worked and volunteered for various Greek organisations including the Australian Greek Welfare Society (PRONIA), AHEPA, ESTIA Greek Cultural Association and the Hellenic Women’s Cultural Association.

She has also worked for the Ecumenical Migration Centre, is the president and co-founder of Hellenic Women’s Network VIC (Heliades) and the president of Nafskia Unit 13.

Kleoniki Matziaris-Garay. Photo: Supplied

She told Neos Kosmos it’s a great honour to receive the award and she wasn’t expecting it.

“I enjoy all the community work I’ve done, through my work and through my volunteer work,” she said.

“I don’t see it as work really, I see it as a mission.

“Especially with PRONIA, I was there for 30 years, for me it was like a second family. Not only PRONIA but the whole Greek community actually, so I felt very privileged to work for these organisations.

Her work with the Hellenic Women’s Network came about after years of seeing the issues women face. So she said it was one of her goals or dreams to do something for them when she retired.

Hellenic Women’s Network Vic HELIADES Christmas Celebration 2024. Photo: Supplied

Dr James Markos in Tasmania is being recognised with an Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to medical education and research, particularly respiratory and sleep disorders.

Markos has worked in various roles, as physician, head of department, chairman and more, at the Launceston General Hospital from the mid-90s to 2021.

He’s also been a member of the Lung Foundation Australia and Clifford Craig Foundation, and co-authored over 30 papers and articles.

Previous recognition and awards include him having the distinction of being the inaugural winner of the George Vidor Memorial Award, Tasmania Branch at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2006.

Dr James Markos. Photo: Supplied

He told Neos Kosmos the AM is a great honour.

“I think I’m always in awe of Australians who receive an Order of Australia and when you read about what they’ve done, it’s usually very inspiring,” he said.

“So it’s not something which I thought I would be part of but I’m very pleased to be part of this. I’m very honoured.”

Markos said he chose this profession because he naturally likes to help people and it’s been rewarding to see the effects and impact he’s had on people’s lives.

His work in educating, including as a Senior Clinical Lecturer for the School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania, has also been fulfilling.

“Assisting the people who follow you, the medical students and junior doctors and the more senior hospital doctors, imparting upon them some of the knowledge that you have acquired over the years, that’s also been very pleasing,” Markos said.

“To be able to give back to get people to reach a high standard faster, is good for the community.”

Dr James Markos spent two years researching in Vancouver, Canada, returning to Australia in 1990. Photo: Supplied

Markos, who was born in Greece and moved to Australia when he was three, first to Adelaide before spending half of his life in Sydney, is the secretary of his local Greek community in Launceston, part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.

While it is a small Greek contingent there, they host events and activities to celebrate Greek culture.

Panagiotis (Peter) Tsokas in South Australia has been honoured with a Public Service Medal (PSM) for his outstanding public service in local government leading the City of Unley in strategic and environmental planning and reform.

Tsokas has an extensive career within state and local government. He was appointed as the chief executive officer in 2011 at the City of Unley and has delivered programs and strategies to assist the city’s council.

This includes some world first work to identify and monitor tree canopy changes with the goal of incentivising residents to plant and retain trees.

The environmental work in Unley led to Tsokas and the Mayor being invited to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai to represent local council.

Over the years Tsokas has contributed to numerous organisations and initiatives, including as board member and chairperson at Australia Day Council of South Australia, KESAB Environmental Solutions, advisory committee member for NDIS provider I Can Jump Puddles and Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) Frailty and Healthy Ageing.

Panagiotis (Peter) Tsokas. Photo: Supplied

He has also been part of programs supporting university students, creating social hubs in South Australia and served with the Australia China Business Council.

“It’s an incredible honour and privilege to be awarded the Public Service Medal,” he told Neos Kosmos.

“This recognition is truly special to me because public service is more than just my profession; it’s my passion.

“To be acknowledged for something that I care so deeply about is not only a personal milestone but also a testament to the importance of serving our community with dedication and integrity.”

On a personal note, he said it also recognises his parents.

“My parents (like many other Greek migrants) sacrificed a lot to give me a good start in life and education and this has influenced my desire to achieve something meaningful in my professional career.”

As for his work in Unley, Tsokas said community engagement has been the cornerstone of their approach.

The award-winning Shaping Unley Community Engagement process, which has been used to solve complex city-wide issues, was actually modelled of a similar process Tsokas brought back to Unley from Trikala, Greece.

Greece is one of the top five countries of birth of Unley residents, and the Greek community there is a vital part of the city’s identity.

They have supported major Greek festivals and Easter processions held by St. Spyridon in Unley and St. Constantine & Helen in Goodwood.

They also facilitate weekly meetings of Greek pensioners and lunches organised by the Greek Women’s Association at the Goodwood Community Centre.

“Through various services, we aim to ensure that our older Greek residents can live independently and age well within the community they’ve helped shape,” Tsokas said.

“In particular, we have introduced a number of Community Transport initiatives for our elderly Greek residents where they receive assistance in shopping, attending church and organised day trips.”

From 2018-2023, Tsokas was a board member for St. Basil’s and is now serving as Deputy Chair.

The city’s connection to Greece is also memorialised at the Soldiers Memorial Gardens, where a tribute honours the Greek soldiers who lost their lives in World War II.