Sydney Morning Herald article - Sept 19 2004 - Reporting History Week Lecture

History Week is celebrated in Australia, in mid-September every year.

The dates for 2004 were Sept 13 to Sept 19.

During History Week 2004, Lenny Janiszewski {see other kythera-family entries for Lenny, by searching under "Janiszewski"} gave a talk on Greek migration at Macquarie University.

It was reported by Andrew Stevenson, in the Sydney Morning Herald, Sept 18-19, 2004, on page 13, under the banner

"Islands were history as Greeks sought new beginning."

Australia may regularly celebrate the rich tapestry stitched by its immigrants but the nation has rarely, if ever, looked back at the countries left behind, says the Sydney historian, Lenny Jansizewski.

Parts of Greece, in particular, were virtually abandoned by migrants heading south to Australia - a process well advanced even before World War II.

In some villages, notably pn the islands of Ithaca, Kythera and Kastellorizo, every door was locked and every home left empty.
[On Kythera, in particular - this, of course - was not true for ALL villages. {GP}]

Mr Janiszewski and his partner, Effie Alexakis, have conducted detailed research on Greek islands, finding a treasure trove of social history in abandoned homes.

"You could trace the families through the letters, photographs from Australia, strewn along the floor. They were of benefit to us as researchers, but also as an indication of what happened to the island," he said.

Emigration has a long history in Greece, Mr Janiszewski said in a talk at Maquarie University as part of History Week, which finishes tomorrow.

"From the 1880's, it was evident those islands were in rapid decline - and that's why people kept migrating. So, by the time you reach 1945, before the announcement of a new migration policy by the Labor Government [in Australia], we have three islands that have been destroyed," he said. ["Diminished", probably the more appropriate word for Kythera. {GP}]

Members of the community from those islands have made major contributions to Australia. Figures as diverse asd the film maker George Miller, the Sydney Roosters chairman, Nick Politis, and the former Supreme Court Judge, Theodore Simos trace their history to Kythera.

Tourism has helped to revive some of the once-empty islands - and some Greeks are returning or investing from Australia.

"But there's a failure of any sense of responsibility on the part of Australia - particularly in our history books. The view is they've come out here for a better life, they're reaping the benefits in our country. But no one ever asks what has happened in their country of origin," said Mr Janiszewski.

The demographer Graeme Hugo of the University of Adelaide, said Australia's current immigration policies - focused on luring high-capital, high-income and highly-educated migrants - are oriented towards the needs of the country of destination.

"But it's not an unequivocal negative impact", he said, pointing to remittances which exceed foreign aid."
"The question is, can that benefit be strengthened? Are there ways the destination countries can facilitate the sending back of money and return migration?
Are there ways they can facilitate the transfer of knowledge and a continuing involvement?"


Thank you to author Andrew Stevenson for permission to re-print.