After years of making property investments and an ill-fated attempt to run a licensed social club in Regent Street Chippendale, the Kytherian Association of Australia (as it is now known) has finally established a magnificent cultural resource centre, library and meeting room at its premises at 24 King Street, Rockdale.
On February 17, 2012 the realisation of a dream to establish a spiritual home for Kytherians in the diaspora was finally celebrated with the official opening of the New Kythera House. In the presence of the Consul-General of Greece, Mr. Vassilios Tolios, as well as invited guests and dignitaries, Father Sophronios Konidaris and Father Constantinides Varipatis, performed the agiasmos – blessing of the new cultural space.
The President of the Kytherian Association, Victor Kepreotis, opened the proceedings by reminding everyone that this new cultural and historical resource centre was a result of the combined efforts of successive committees over the years and represented the centrepiece of the Association. He paid tribute to the inspired architectural design by architect Eva-Marie Prineas and the work of builder Stan Giaouris in helping to complete the extensive refurbishment.
The new resource centre has an excellent library which is not just Kythera-specific but covers many themes relating to Hellenism and the general migration experience. Other subject areas include the Greek War of Independence; Byzantium and Greek Orthodoxy; archaeology and the Minoan colonisation of Kythera; Classical Greece and the history of the Parthenon; Greek folkloric costumes and dancing; Hellenic cuisine; photography; the Smyrna catastrophe and Greece during World War II; modern Greek history and much more. The cultural centre also features computers, scanners, printers and a large drop-down screen and projector to enable lectures and presentations to be made. The centre will comfortably seat up to about 80 visitors.
On the Saturday and Sunday following the official opening, the doors also opened for members and their guests to visit the library and view the facilities. Over 150 people took up this opportunity and the general consensus was that the Kytherian Association has succeeded in establishing a state of the art meeting room, library and conference facility.
The new Kythera House library and research centre is a welcome addition to the Greek-Australian cultural landscape.
(Source:Kytherian Association of Australia,media release)
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