George C Protopsaltis

Parachoukli - Ntessis

Born, 1914, Mitata, Kythera.

[There is an interesting photograph posted to kythera-family at Photography Island, subsection, Vintage Portraits, by Arthur Sklavos, (11.10.2004) of 6 young boys leaving Kythera in 1927, which includes a "George C Protopsaltis" - almost certainly "Mosman" George.(?)]

George Psaltis, had a shop in Barraba from 1938-1947. Barraba is situated in the far North West of the State of New South Wales.

In 1947 George moved to Sydney, where he established two milk bars - the latter being the "famous" Milk Bar at Spit Junction, in Sydney, which he owned and operated for many years.

George has 2 sons and 2 daughters. Eldest son, Cosma, owns the Centennial Hotel in Woolhrara, Sydney.

The derivation of the "Ntessis" parachoukli is most amusing.

150 years ago, George C Proposaltis's pro-pappou - Cosmas Protopsaltis, was the first person in his village to own a mule.

Older Kytherians will tell you that there was a language developed on Kythera by which the villagers "spoke to the animals" in order to get them to perform certain functions and tasks.

To make a donkey "go" - you would say "ha - ha - ha...".
To make a mule "go" - a different word was used - "nte - nte - nte...".

"Nte..nte..nte.." was converted into "ntessis" - someone who first used the "go" word for mules - "nte".

Which probably goes to prove that if we could research far enough back into Kytherian family history - the derivation of all "parachouklia" would become known to us.