The Castellorizian Association of NSW held a special Gala event to honour its 100th anniversary after being formed by a group of Castellorizian migrants way back in January 1924.
The special celebration was held at Doltone House in Hyde Park, Sydney on Saturday January 27, with roughly 400 people in attendance (including a number of people who had travelled interstate for the event).
It served as a celebration of the community group’s history while also looking to its future, aiming to preserve the Castellorizian legacy for years to come.
The event featured addresses from Margaret Beazley, Governor of NSW, Mr Ioannis Malikourtis, Consul-General of Greece, Matt Thistlethwaite MP, Member for Kingsford Smith, Philippa Veitch, Mayor of Randwick City Council, and His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis, Hierarch, Greek Orthodox Church of Australia representing Archbishop Makarios.
The Gala also included many dance performances from Castellorizian children as well as from the Aristotelian Academy of Greek Traditional Dance.
The night ended with general dancing from all guests with live music from a bouzouki and violin player.
Other notable guests in attendance included: Alexandra Luxford, Deputy Mayor, and Councillor Dylan Parker, both from Randwick City Council, the Very Reverend Father Steven Scoutas of St Spyridon Parish Kingsford, and Dr Marjorie O’Neill, Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Member for Coogee representing the Premier of NSW, Chris Minns.
The event was emceed by siblings Rebecca Mangos (the recent winner of the inaugural national Kastellorizian Young Achiever Award) and Jack Mangos (president of Cazzie Youth, the Association’s sub-committee for 18-35 year olds).
The group has had many highlights over the years since its foundation in January 1924, then called the Castellorizian Brotherhood.
The group, like many other associations of its kind, acted as a means for migrants from their area to settle in Australia and congregate with peers that had gone through the same experience, and it notably helped sponsor many new arrivals from their home island as well.
By the early 1940s, over five and a half thousand Castellorizians had settled into Sydney while still maintaining their ties with the island they had emigrated from.
A major highlight from this timeframe came in October 1940 when the Castellorizian Association held a dance at Sargent’s in Market Street that was attended by over 500 people.
The proceeds of the dance went towards the Naval War Fund of New South Wales, thus raising money for the Greek War Fund.
This gala is considered the first of many events to come throughout 2024 as the association celebrates its centenary year.
