It is estimated that in ten years’ time, there won’t be more than a few thousand Greek Australians who were born in Greece, still alive.
For this reason, according to Prof. Tamis, the need to put in use their insights is now more relevant than ever.
Acting on this, he says, will help set the Greek Australian community up for success in its future trajectory.
Highlights
- Professor Anastasios Tamis makes a case for the need to urgently use the potential inherited by the first generation of Greek migrants in Australia.
- Facing depleting numbers, this cohort, he claims, can assist in laying solid foundations for the Greek community’s evolution Down Under.
- Prof. Tamis’ recently released book sheds light into the community’s successes and failures between 1975-2016, a period that came to define its current status.
“93% of first-generation Greek migrants who came to Australia were born in Greece between 1921 and 1950. Today, the median age of those still alive is 82 years of age,” explains Professor Tamis, President of the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies and Director of the Australian Institute for Hellenic Research.
He argues it is essential to invest in education initiatives and the creation of new cohesion hubs, based on the guidance by this cohort of older migrants.
The expectation is these processes can better facilitate the preservation of Greek language and culture, as well as pave the way for a continuing growth of the Greek community, in line with the proven success of organised efforts from the recent past.
Prof. Tamis points to 1974 onwards, as the defining timeframe for the community’s current shape, with descendants of first-generation Greek Australians taking a leading role in the cultural, economic and political scene, as well as the community’s institutions and governing bodies.
“This contributed greatly into the process of distancing from a church-centric focus for Greeks who migrated and settled here[…] sparked the birth of organisations dealing with welfare provision, sports, cultural entities […] and of courses paved the way for Greek Australians to be considered an essential part of wider Australia’s social fibre,” he points out.
Prof. Anastasios Tamis Source: Supplied/SBS Greek
The third and final volume of his book “The history of Hellenes in Australia”, which has just been released, covers the years 1974 – 2016.
The study is the culmination of a four-year-long research project in Australia, Greece and Cyprus.
Being no short than 650 pages, the book also contains 400 rare photos depicting daily life and major events in the recent history of the Greek Australian community which shaped its current features.
Its thematic focus, he says, tracks down the evolution of a wide range of groups including associations and parishes, but also institutions in the media and arts realms among others.
“It’s a book encompassing the different organised structures within the Hellenic community, and inevitably describes some of our biggest achievements and shortcomings.”
Press play on the main image to listen to the podcast with the full interview in Greek.
