Greek Flag, Opera House & Harbour Bridge. Sydney. 1984.

[Every Greek-Australian is very conscious of having to maintain a dual identity. Part Greek and part Australian.

Some images invoke that duality very powerfully. This is one such image.]


A union of symbols reflecting dual identity.


From, Images of Home, p. 159.

*There are also about 33 other Kytherian images and entries in the book, Images of Home.

Some have been re-produced at kythera-family in the Vintage Portraits section at both Photography Diaspora, and Photography Island.

Author's:Effy Alexakis & Leonard Janiszewski

When Published:1995
Publisher:Hale & Iremonger Publishers
Available:Hale & Iremonger Publishers, 02 9565 1955
Description:285x210mm, 160 pages.

Available from:

Hale & Iremonger
PO Box 205,
Alexandria, NSW. 2015.

Ph: 02 9656 2955
Fax: 02 9550 2012

Eml: [email protected]

Website: www.haleiremonger.com

Documentary photographer Effy Alexakis and social historian Leonard Janiszewski have been researching their history and contemporary presence since 1982, and have made many field trips throughout both Australia and Greece, painstakingly piecing together what has become a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Effy Alexakis:

"The idea for this project began in Greece in 1985 whilst I was staying with the parents of family friends in the village of Mitata, on the island of Kythera. Although I had already noticed many deserted homes throughout Greece, it wasn't until I saw a whole street of deserted homes and ventured inside them that I realised that many of the people had left their homes with the intention of returning. Letters, photographs and other personal documents had been left behind. Like pieces of a huge jigsaw puzzle, these items provided small clues about the life within these homes. Australia's migration history is to be found in these homes. Unfortunately, through time, much is being lost."

For a digital archive of photographs, see, also,

http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/greek/intro.htm

For other entries about Effy and Leonard, search internally, under Alexakis or Janiszewski.