Retaining history was one of the main aims when renovating the Collingwood Town Hall.
Keeping the old building looking as magnificent as it once did was one of the aspects, but also paying tribute to those figures that spent so much of their lives there was another.
Near the entrance of the building, close to the reception is a public room, now inducted as the Theo Sidiropoulos room in honour of its Greek migrant mayor.
Mr Sidiropoulos was elected as mayor in 1977, and served the council for 10 years.
On Tuesday, the room was officially opened by Mr Sidiropoulos’ wife, Popi and his daughter Anthea.
Both were given a tour of the room and the new building by Greek Australian councillor Phillip Vlahogiannis.
Inscribed outside the room a plaque explains the legacy of Theo Sidiropoulos.
“A leader both locally and in the Greek community, with a strong belief in social justice, Theo Sidiropoulos stood up and spoke out for migrants and minorities,” the plaque reads.
Mr Sidiropoulos was the first mayor of Collingwood who spoke English as a second language, and was the first Greek person elected in the Victorian state parliament.
