Australia Day in Greek colours

Australia Day this year will have a greek flavor. It will bring together Greeks and others in a fun atmosphere at Mornington Park, on Sunday 24th January.
Thousands of Greeks are expected to take part in the event on Sunday organized by the Union of Greek Elderly Associations, to celebrate Australia Day (commemorating the arrival of the first white settlers).
The preparations for the event have started long before in every detail, in order to ensure the successful outcome and to attract as many as possible, the Union coordinator Giorgos Katsourakis says.
“The fact that we chose for it to happen on Australia Day is not accidental. We considered that it is a chance to say a “thank you” to this country which accepted us and offered us so much”, stated the president of the Union mr. Theodosis Nomikos.
Greeks have been going on excursions on Mornington shore for …100 years now. At the beginning of last century it was an opportunity to see each other, to have fun but also put on their best clothes. The ladies with the hats and long dresses, the men with their suits and hats, and the children also with their party clothes.
“One time I remember we had 56 buses”, says the former president of the organization , Peter Gialouris , noting: “The elderly excursion always took place on the second Thursday of January, before the Community events took place. We always had great success. The Australians couldn’t believe their eyes. During the first years journalists would come and ask me what we were celebrating. They considered it unbelieveable that excursions could happen with so many elderly people. The big surprise would come when all would join the dance, having fun and enjoying themselves like they were young children.”
“This year we are not enjoying ourselves alone”, the current president, Theodosis Nomikos says and adds: “We thought of inviting all the community, young and old, in addition to people from all nationalities to have a good time together. Immigrants, old or new, we all have the same life experiences. We came to this country without provisions, with the same dreams and the same expectations. Australia gave us opportunities we would never have had in our country. What better opportunity than this to show our appreciation all together. The most important thing is that all generations are invited to participate. The elderly can bring their children and grandchildren to this happening. This is the idea we promoted and, as it seems, it found fertile ground, as many have stated that they are coming with their families.”
“It’s a wonderful idea”, expat Angeliki Birbili says. She is enthusiastic about the fact that Australia Day is being celebrated there, saying: “We have lived, almost all our lives, in this country. We worked hard, but we were rewarded for our efforts. We had a family, had the opportunity to send our children to school, to university. We started from nothing; With a suitcase, and in most cases… not a full one. We are a part of this country. We, the immigrants, made Australia what it is today. We contributed with our labour and our ideas towards her development. Such a national holiday, is also about us”.
“ The enthusiasm is so apparent this year because of the new form that this annual excursion of the Union is taking”, says Mr Giorgos Katsourakis, also mentioning: “the idea of everyone participating, Greeks of all ages, Australians, immigrants from all over the world living in this country, is of great importance and has motivated interest in the highest degree. On our side, we try to be perfectly organized, so everything turns out as planned. There will be a special tent for the VIPs, amongst which the governor of Victoria, John Bramby, the leader of the opposition Tedd Baillieu, ministers of the state and federal governments, the mayor David Gip and other personalities.
Of course, there will be greek music groups and greek food for a big greek festival to take place.