Beckom. In the Coolamon Shire, Riverina area of New South Wales.

Map from:

http://www.totaltravel.com.au/travel/nsw/riverina/map

Beckom is located in the Riverina area of NSW in the Coolamon shire. The town is very small with a population of just 80 people. (2005).

Beckom is not represented on this map. It lies in the lower right centre of the map -near the towns of Coolamon and Marrar.

Brochure on Beckom

The town is of interest because Nikos Petrochilos's father - Kosmas - bought a shop in Beckom during the 1930's.

"I know more about Nikos's father in Australia, than anyone else, as Kosmas Petrochilos bought a shop in Beckom from Vic, Manuel's "brother-in-law".

I, Manuel Cassimatis, (father of Steve, Gerald and Anna), "was on the same ship with Kosmas Petrochilos coming to Australia."

Nikos Petrochilos - "...my father went to Australia when he was 14 years of age. He remained there up to the age of 36, when he came back to Greece. And, a little later, he got married to my mother. His life in Australia was not prosperous, in other words he didn't make money. Why, I don't know. May be because he spent more than he earned. Anyway... As far as I know, he didn't have specific "paratsoukli". In our village he was called "o Afstralezos" (the man from Australia)"