Many of the Greeks who arrived before the post World War II chain-migration from Greece, who settled in Victoria, originated from Odysseus’ island of Ithaca.

Ithacans arrive in Victoria during the colonial period and especially during the 1850s Victorian Gold Rush.

Pioneers at the Goldfields

As Neos Kosmos had reported in the past Andreas Lekatsas from the village of Exogi arrived in Melbourne in 1851, and soon moved to the Ballarat goldfields.

“His first venture was successful. In fact its thought, though not verified, that Lekatsas was present at the digger’s stand, the defining moment of Australian history, the Eureka Stockade, in Ballarat in 1854.”

Foundations of the Greek Community in Victoria

Ithacans were prominent in Greek community affairs and played a key role in the establishment of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria in 1897, and the building of the first Greek Orthodox Church in Victoria, the Evangelismos in 1901.

A number of Ithacans served as Presidents of the Greek Community from 1906 to 1942. Sharing stories – past and present – about the ties between Australia and Ithaca, are at the heart of two community events on the Ionian island.

Diplomatic ties strengthened through culture

Hosted by the Ithacan Historical Society, community garden parties will take place in early September, one at the Ithaca Regional Unit, Eparcheio, in the capital Vathy, followed by a restaurant gathering in Stavros, the main village of North Ithaca.

Open to the public, these gatherings will celebrate the shared history of Ithaca and Australia.

Locals, and the visiting Australian-Ithacians will meet the Australian Ambassador to Greece, Alison Duncan, and representatives of the Ithacan Historical Society (IHS).

The IHS will organise the cultural part of Ambassador Duncan’s itinerary.

“The director of the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens (AAIA) Professor Tamar Hodos introduced the Ambassador [Duncan] to the Ithacan Historical Society in order to help plan the cultural side of her visit to the island,” an IHS spokesperson told Neos Kosmos.

Projects preserving the island’s heritage

The ambassador’s visit to Ithaca is part of a range of visits organised by the Australian embassy, to regions from where large numbers of Australians emanate and include Kastellorizo, Kythera and Kalymnos.

“I try to get out to see the Australian [Greek] community, especially in summer, because that’s when a lot of people come back.

“But there’s also permanent Australian [ex-patriot] communities in quite a few places. The more we can get our heads around where they are, it helps us target where we might visit and do outreach,” Ambassador Duncan told Neos Kosmos in a recent interview.

The community events initiative follows a meeting between Ambassador Duncan and the IHS Vice President Kyriaco Nikias earlier in April at the Australian Embassy in Athens.

During the meeting, the Ambassador was briefed on the work of the Society in promoting the history of Ithaca and Ithacans in Australia and in Greece.

“We were particularly delighted to see that the wonderful portrait of the much-loved Ithacan Bill Florence arriving in Australia in 1922, hanging in a corridor of the Embassy,” Nikias said.

And added it was recognition of Ithaca’s key role in Greek Australian migration history.

Australians of Ithacan heritage have supported many causes on the island, from archaeological digs in the 1930s, to the recent work of the Ithacan Archive Fund, spearheaded by the IHS. That raised more than $27,000 for conservation and research at the historical archive through the fund.

Currently, the IHS are collaborating with the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens on a plan to help promote research on Ithaca.

Other projects include oral history interviews, a genealogy project where members can trace their family trees with the Society’s guidance, and a project working to record the stories of textiles and women’s work in Ithacan social history.

Community members are welcome to attend both events honouring the Australian Ambassador’s visit to Ithaca.

Community garden parties

1 September 2025 @ 8pm–10pm — Eparcheio, Vathy, Ithaca

2 September 2025 @ 6.30pm–8pm — Myrtia Restaurant, Stavros, Ithaca

Entrance free. Register here.