South Australian Greeks. Nick Ganzis's Research.

Driven from their homelands by political upheaval, commercial diruption, technological revolution, declining agricultural productivity and a rapidly expanding population, Greek migrants first arrived in South Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century, settling in Adelaide and Port Pirie in the Mid North.

Before World War II many worked in the smelters at Port Pirie, where the first officially organised and incorporated Greek Community and Greek Orthodox Church were established in 1924.

By 1938 the incorporated Adelaide community (1930) had established its own Greek Orthodox Church in Franklin Street. The Asia Minor Disaster (1922), when more than a million Greeks were driven from Asia Minor by Turkish nationalist forces, gave a slight impetus to migration to South AAustralia, but the Great Depression restricted this dramatically.

The rapidly growing Greek community in Adelaide prospered with full employment and increased involvement in business enterprises during and after World War II.

The Greek-born population more than doubled from 1029 to 2089 between 1947 and 1954, peaking at 14, 717 in 1971. This dramatic increase was due to radical policy changes by the Australian government, and to the devastation of World War II and Çivil'War in Greece (1944-49). The Turkish invasion of Cyprus (1974) drove many Greek Cypriots into exile here. Most Greeks resided initially in the west of Adelaide and and nearby suburbs, as well as Norwood and Unley. THey also spread westward and to the north, with key setlements at Berri and Renmark in the Murray Region.

Greeks established communities and after-hours schools to maintain their faith, language, culture and identity. After State schools introduced modern Greek in 1974, a teacher shortage led to the establishment of Modern Greek Studies at the Adelaide College of Advanced Education and Flinders University. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia established the primary and secondary College of St George with a strong Greek Orthodox focus.

Regional brotherhoods originally founded by migrants to maintain their native customs, now seldom attract the young, and many Greek-born are concerned at the integratiom of their children into the broader Australian community. Mixed marriages are increasing and the preferred language of communicaion is English. About 29,000 people claim to be Greek Orthodox today, with more than 40,000 having links to some aspects of Greek heritage.

The archdiocese initiated organisational changes in the late 1950's that provoked violent opposition. Resistance was particularly strong from the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GAC), whose leadership resented apparent attempts by the archdiocese to control its property. This split was deepened by political and ideological differences : GAC was identified with the political left in Greece and in Australia, was the archdiocese was identified with the political right. The Cyprus upheaval in the 1950's and the unrest in Greece culminating in the authoritarian right-wing Colonels' Junta (1967-74) intensified divisions. The GAC identified the archdiocese was the junta's anti-democratic practices and its pro-American foreign policy. These bitter divisions remain.

Initially most Greek migrants in South Australia were unskilled process workers and government or municipal employees. MAny have run small family businesses, especially in the catering and retail food sectors. THere have also been some outstandingly successful Greek ventures in fishing, the wine and olive industries, wholesale food importing, fast food, real estate and property development.

Greek migrants were and are ambitious for their children, many of whom have become prominent in the professions. Increasing numbers have shown an interest in politics. Nick Bolkus has been a Labor senator for South Australia since the 1970's, while in State politics, Steve Condous, a former lord mayor of Adelaide, is a Liberal MHA. Tom Koutsantonis a Labor MHA and Nick Xenophon an independent MLC.

There are two Greek readio stations in South Australia (Radio Ena and Doryforos) and Greek programs on 5EBI. The Glendi, the Greek Cultural Month and the Demetria are the best-known public expressions of Greek culture. While generally seeking to maintain their Hellenic culture, Greek migrants are well integrated into the South Australia Community.


N. Ganzis, 'The Politics and Purpose of Language Maintenance: the case of Modern Greek at Tertiary Level in South Australia', in Greeks in English Speaking Countries (Melbourne. 1993);

'The Structural Imperatives of Ethnic Identity: Greek Ethnic identity and the Greek Community in South Australia', Journal Of Modern Hellenism, 12-13, 1995-96, 115-154;

'Greek Education: the Saviour of Hellenism in South Australia?' Hellenic Studies, 7 (2), 1999, 137-168;

'Hellenism in South Australia: Decline or Survival?' Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia, 27, 1999, 76-102;

M. Tsounis, The Story of a Community (?1990).


http://www.arts.adelaide.edu.au/history/staff/postgradcontacts.html


Adelaide University, Australia
Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of History

Mr Nick Ganzis

Visiting Research Fellow.