George & Alexandra (Proto)Psaltis's Olive trees. 70 years hence. Gilgandra, NSW.

Still (2005) in the backyard of the their then Gilgandra home, 7 Morris Street, Gilgandra.

A member of the Jehovah's Witnesses now lives in the house, and he kindly allowed me into the backyard to take photographs.

The configuration of the backyard is very different to the one that prevailed from the 1950-1975 when the Psaltis family lived there.

A very large almond tree which dominated the front centre of the backyard, is no longer there. Nor is George and Alexandra's vegetable garden, with its various demarcated areas.

However I do remember a number of olive trees - some towards the rear fence - 2 of which are still there.

These are depicted in this photograph.

My guess is that these two olive trees were planted by George (Proto)Psaltis when he first moved into 7 Morris Street.

They are, like those of Jack Pentes gigantic by Kythera, Greek, and European standards.

In another entry about the Monterey Cafe in Gilgandra, I revealed that "...I was born in Gilgandra, in 1952, and left after completing my schooling in 1969.

The Kytherian presence in Gilgandra began in 1910, with the Baveas family establishing the ABC Cafe in the town.

A comprehensive history of the Kytherian presence in Gilgandra

From about the end of WWII, until mid-1975 - Gilgandra, population, 2,900 - became a very Kytherian town.

5 families - the Pentes, Sklavos, Kelly (Yiannakellis), Psaltis (Protopsaltis), and Poulos (Tzortzopoulos) - lived in close proximity to each other - culturally, residentially, and commercially.

In the main, Kytherians embraced Kytherians - Gilgandra embraced Kytherians - and Kytherians embraced Gilgandra".

During the middle of the year 2004, I took my father, now 88 years old, on a nostalgia tour, back to Gilgandra, and through other towns in the Central and North West of New South Wales.

Not a single person of Kytherian origin now lives in Gilgandra.

Elsewhere I have also spoken about the olive-ization of Australia. This is part of that same phenomenon.

Olive-ization. Hot off the press

Olive-ization of Australia. Swan Valley, Western Australia

Jack Pentes, who ran a store on the intersection of the main street, opposite the Royal Hotel, and lived one street further back, had planted a number of olive trees.

I have outlined the history of Jack's trees in another submission.

Olive trees. Living Memorials to Jack Pentes

The trees on the footpath outside this house in Morris Street, Gilgandra, were planted by Yarni Logothetis, from Logothetyianika, Kythera.

His son, Harry, and daughter-in-law Voula, had purchased the Gilgandra Fruit Shop from their "buzunaki" and brother-in-law Con George Poulos in the early 1970's.

For a few years he came to Australia, and lived in the house with the Logus family.

In a sense you could say that the 2 olive trees are a living memorial to Yarni Logothetis.

Olive trees. Living Memorials to Yarni Logothetis, and other Kytherians in Gilgandra

Similarly, these two gigantic olive trees are are a living memorials to George and Alexandra (Proto)Psaltis and family.