The Archive explores how Greek migrants faced the challenges of building a new home in Australia. Through oral histories and photographs, it documents how Sydney’s Greeks contributed to the city’s social and cultural remaking and forged their own unique identities. It shows how this generation created a community in a faraway land and remade themselves as hardworking business owners, factory workers, sports people and homemakers with distinct regional, familial and Australian influences.
Created in partnership with the University of New South Wales, the State Library of NSW, the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW and the Australian Research Council, the Archive is a rich collection of publicly accessible primary resources that document this extraordinary time in the history of the Greek community in Sydney.
The State Library of New South Wales is one of Australia’s oldest and most important public institutions. Actively collecting since 1826, the Library preserves and presents the social, cultural and scientific history of NSW and Australia for the benefit of all. Its rich collections, both physical and digital, alongside partnerships with the public library network across NSW and other vibrant collaborations enable Australians to examine their past and imagine their future.
The Library’s vast collections reflects the variety of formats which people have used to record experiences. They comprise books, magazines, and newspapers, manuscripts, photographs, artworks, maps, objects, ephemera, oral histories and increasingly digital material. In recent years oral histories have become an indispensable format for documenting people’s stories because of their immediacy and directness. They are also critical for documenting communities who have little access to traditional documentary formats.
The Library’s collection has been – and continues to be – developed through purchases, legal deposit and donation, bequests and transfers from other organisations. Importantly, the Greek-Australian Archive project has added significant new oral histories and images to the Library’s collections that shine a light on Sydney's rich multicultural history.
The Greek-Australian Archive website is a collaboration between the State Library of NSW and the University of NSW.
George Kouvaros
Project Leader
George Kouvaros is Professor of Film Studies in the School of the Arts and Media, UNSW. He is the author of six books and numerous articles on various aspects of film and visual culture. In 2020, along with Professor Nicholas Doumanis, he was awarded an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant for the project ‘Remembering Sydney’s Post-war Greek Neighbourhoods, 1949-1972.’
Nick Doumanis
Nick Doumanis is Professor and Illinois Chair in Hellenic Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He was previously Associate Professor in History at the University of NSW. Although trained in 20th century European history, his teaching focuses on World History and the ancient Mediterranean.
Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis
Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis is an academic, teacher of Modern Greek, author, lyricist and musician.
Kathy Kallos
Kathy Kallos began her career as a secondary school teacher in English and Modern Greek before moving into journalism to work for the ABC and SBS as a reporter, researcher, producer and subeditor. Kathy is a member of Oral History NSW, and is now pursuing her passion in gathering, preserving and interpreting life stories.
Sophia Lekkas
Sophia Lekkas is an International and Global Studies graduate with Honours in History from the University of Sydney. Born in Greece and based in Sydney, her research interests focus on photography and migration, with a particular interest in social and personal narratives.
Leah Varvaressos
Leah Varvaressos is a recent graduate of a combined Arts (Hons. I)/Law degree from the University of Sydney. She is an avid researcher of the language, literature and history of Greece and Byzantium and has been involved with the archive since 2019.
Samuel Vatsaklis
Samuel Vatsaklis began his career in electronics and then moved to finance, working in senior roles for the major banks. After running a Greek restaurant for ten years, he is now retired. Samuel has been involved with the Greek-Australian Archive since early 2023 and is passionate about migrants sharing their life stories.
Yiannoula Vatsaklis
Yiannoula Vatsaklis graduated from the University of Newcastle and is a retired secondary school teacher. She has taught Modern Greek for 35 years, preparing students for the HSC, in various high schools in Sydney. Yiannoula has been involved with the Greek-Australian Archive since 2023 and has a keen interest in the migrant experience.
The Archive was made possible by the generosity of the Onisforou family who provided significant funding to support the gathering of the oral histories and photographs. In recognition of this support, the collection has been named in memory of Gregorios and Stavrini Onisforou.
Funding was also provided by the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales as well as the following individuals and organisations: Aftron Pty Ltd, Jon Paparsenos, Patricia Manolas, Irene Passaris, Dion C. Vertzayias, Peter Kostopoulos, Panipirotiki Enosis of NSW, J Giallussi Pty Ltd, Jilin Holdings Pty Ltd, Rasko Holdings Pty Ltd, Grass Roots Company Pty Ltd, Estate of the Late Nicholas Anthony Aroney, Vertzayas Lawyers Pty Limited, Eddie Rossides, Centennial Dry Cleaners & Laundry, Nick Skagias, Greek Bilingual Bookshop, Anna Mitsios, Nick G. Andriotakis, Daphne Doumanis, Arthur Koumoukelis, Helen Stevens, Metty Cassimatis, Bilias & Associates, Helen Tzikas, Angelo Alifierakis, Angelo G. Hatsatouris, OAM, Christina Kanellakis, Angelo Crones, Kalymnian Association Sydney NSW Limited, Paul Shahinian, Nick G. Andriotakis, Grass Roots Company Pty Ltd, Costa Vrisakis.