Constantinos (Con) and Helen (née Zannetides) Papadopoulos recently marked an extraordinary milestone—their 70th wedding anniversary. Surrounded by their immediate family, the couple reflected on a lifetime of love, community service, and educational contributions.
Their journey together began on 30 January 1955, when they were married at the Church of the Annunciation in East Melbourne. Con had arrived in Melbourne from Cyprus in March 1950 aboard the liner Orion. He pursued his studies at the University of Melbourne, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma in Education. Helen followed in December 1954, and after their wedding, the couple lived in North Carlton and Thornbury before settling in Oakleigh in 1956. Together, they raised four children: Angelos (Ivan), Mary, Rita, and Stella.

A life of service and community building
Con dedicated his career to education and community service. He worked at the Department of Immigration, assisting fellow migrants, and played a pivotal role in founding the Orthodox Christian Young Men’s Association of Australia (OHENA). Their home became a hub for community activities, with Helen often hosting meetings and offering support to compatriots in need.
A passionate advocate for the Greek Orthodox Church, Con served as General Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Church of St John the Forerunner in North Carlton. Upon moving to Oakleigh, he was instrumental in establishing the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Anargiri, ensuring that services could be conducted in the Mechanics Institute Hall before a church was built. Helen played an active role, setting up icons for services and teaching at the Greek school held in the RSL Club building nearby. Many of the icons were sourced from her friend and iconographer, Anikitos Anikitou, whom she had known from Cyprus.

Contributions to education
Con was a teacher at a number of State Secondary Schools and served as Principal of Prahran High School until 1986. In the 1970s, he took the initiative to have Modern Greek introduced as a language taught at the Saturday School of Modern Languages (now known as the Victorian School of Languages) and to have Modern Greek recognised as a subject at the year 11 and 12 levels. He also initiated the Modern Greek Teachers Association of Victoria, the Greek Education Committee, and served on the Prahran Migrant Education Resource Centre. Con subsequently campaigned for the introduction of Modern Greek at the university level and for the establishment of the Chair of Modern Greek at the University of Melbourne. Additionally, he was involved in the establishment of the bilingual day school of St John’s Greek Orthodox College and, in its formative years, was a member of its School Council.
Con’s leadership continued when he became Principal of Saints Anargiri Greek Orthodox College (now Oakleigh Grammar) in 1986. Under his tenure, enrolments surged, leading to significant expansion. He retired in 1996, concluding a distinguished career in education.

Recognition and legacy
Con’s dedication earned him numerous accolades. He was appointed to the Order of Australia (OA) in 2001 and received the Centenary Medal in 2002. In 2013, he was made an Honorary Principal and Life Member of the Saints Anargiri Community of Oakleigh. In 2019, the Government of Cyprus recognised his contributions to the Greek and Cypriot communities in Australia. A year later, Archbishop Makarios awarded him the Silver Cross of Saint Andrew for his service to the Greek Orthodox Church in Victoria.
Through it all, Helen was Con’s steadfast partner. While raising their four children and later assisting with their seven grandchildren—Christopher, Rebecca, Connie, Elena, Nicolas, Katherine, and Heleena—she also pursued university studies and taught Modern Greek. Now, the family’s legacy continues with a great-grandson, Jake Noah.

Their 70th wedding anniversary was a joyous occasion, with almost all of their children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, and extended family gathering to celebrate their remarkable journey together.
Their story is one of devotion—not only to each other but to their family, faith, and community—a testament to the enduring strength of love and service.