Friends, family, and supporters gathered at Café Patris in Brunswick on 23 September to farewell Maria Vamvakinou from her long parliamentary career.

Vamvakinou delivered her valedictory speech in Parliament on 10/02/25.

Though she is stepping down from federal politics, the evening made it clear that her community role is only beginning.

The dinner was facilitated by community advocate Maria Dimopoulos, who opened with a tribute that captured the significance of Vamvakinou’s journey.

“The deepest of respect to honour you, Maria, a woman whose name and work has become synonymous with courage, conviction, and community,” Dimopoulos said.

“When you entered Parliament 23 years ago as the first Greek-born woman to do so, you broke the silence — a silence that had endured for far too long. And it could not have been easy to stand where you stood all those years ago.”

Dimopoulos reflected on the barriers Vamvakinou faced as a migrant woman in politics.

“Even now, the halls of Parliament are not exactly built for women like Maria, and certainly not for migrant and refugee women. But Maria carried the weight of great responsibility, not just to do the job of a parliamentarian, but to show that women like us belonged in those halls of power.”

She also spoke of the pride many felt watching Vamvakinou navigate Parliament House: “I can’t tell you the pride I felt seeing a Greek-born woman walk those corridors like she owned them. Go sister.”

“Maria’s legacy isn’t just one of representation. She didn’t just get there, she made sure we all came with her. Time and again, she defended multiculturalism, even when it wasn’t popular. She championed social justice when others fell silent. She became the voice of our collective strength, especially for migrant and refugee women.”

Her work, Dimopoulos said, was instrumental for organisations across the settlement sector like the Settlement Council of Australia.

She helped launch the Harmony Alliance, was there through many campaigns, inquiries, and crises, and led reports into migration.

From Greece, Varvara Ioannou of the Food for Thought Network described Vamvakinou as “a woman of substance and a trailblazer… her career a masterclass in meaningful representation.”

She recalled achievements from securing Medicare rebates for cancer prostheses to advocating childcare reforms, multiculturalism, and inclusion.

But more than policy, she said, her legacy was personal: “She was never a distant figure. She listened. She joined our conversations, even on Zoom during COVID, not as a VIP but as one of us.”

Former senator Kim Carr also gave praise, speaking on her courage and consistency.

One refugee woman recalled Vamvakinou joining a graduation ceremony at Parliament House for women who had survived family violence.

“Maybe we don’t have a lot of connection and we never met before — but two years ago we had a graduation ceremony at Parliament House for refugee women, the most disadvantaged, victims of family violence. We were celebrating, and Maria didn’t need to be at Parliament House that day. But when she saw us walking through, she came and celebrated with us. She sat down, she listened to us, she encouraged us. She showed us the respect and the love that, in 36 years in this country, I had never seen. Thank you so much for that, Maria. Thank you,” she said.

Vamvakinou’s husband Dr Michális S. Michael also spoke, sharing memories from their shared journey in public life and offering his own gratitude for the recognition of Maria’s decades of service.

The evening ended with singer and composer Anthea Sidiropoulos leading the room in her song “I Am a Woman,” a fitting song.

As the applause rang out, one thing was clear: though Maria Vamvakinou’s parliamentary chapter has closed, her story in the community is far from over.