When, 117 years ago yesterday, 57 Greeks of Melbourne decided to establish the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV), they could never have imagined that their initiative would lead to the creation of the largest Hellenic diaspora organisation in Australia. An organisation that next month will be officially launching its new 15-storey building in the heart of Melbourne.
The new building will house the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture, which aims to become the largest of its kind in the Hellenic diaspora worldwide.
The building was completed on time and already most of its space has been rented.
One of its floors, housing the National Bank of Greece and law firms, is already in operation.
“We still have space available for rent and anyone interested can contact us,” said the president of the Community, Bill Papastergiadis, to Neos Kosmos.
Mr Papastergiadis is excited that the Community was able to complete the building on time and within budget.
“It was built in 16 months and costed us approximately 13.8 million dollars,” he said , stating that an amount of approximately $5 million is now in need, if the organisation is to pay off all of its expenses for the building.
“We will make every possible effort to collect as much money as we can,” he said, adding that the Greek Cultural Centre is here to meet the needs not only of the Victorian Greek Community but of the entire Hellenic population of Australia.
According to Australian diplomat and author Hugh Gilchrist, the first confirmed presence of Greeks in Australia can be traced back in August 1829, with the arrival of seven sailors from the island of Hydra, who were originally convicted to death for piracy. Later on, after the mediation of the newly independent Greece, their conviction turned to life imprisonment and exile to Australia.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria was formed on August 22, 1897.