Dimitri George (Tzortzo)Poulos. (Hlihlis).

Dimitri George Poulos, (Tzortzopoulos), Hlihlis, Karavas, Greece, and Goulburn, New South Wales, on 16th June 1926, on his wedding day.

The history of Dimitri's (James) parents, George and Olympia, of Karavas, Kythera, has been recounted in some detail in Photography Island, subsection, Vintage Portraits/People.

Dimitri was my father, Con George (Tzortzo)Poulos's, oldest brother. My father was 6 years old when Dimitri emigrated to Australia.

Dimitri left Karavas, Kythera in 1922(?).

In 1926, Dimitri married, Athena Connell. Athena was from Attika, Greece, and Goulburn NSW. Athena was a Kanellakopoulos. The family anglaicised their name to Connell. The wedding took place in Sydney.

Photograph of the wedding of Dimitri and Athena

Athena on her wedding day

The circumstances of his life were tragic.

He established himself in Goulburn, where he owned a Refreshment Room in the main street, the Goulburn Cafe.

Dimitri died as a result of injuries sustained in car accident in 1936. He was travelling by taxi to go to see another business he was wanting to purchase, in a neighbouring town, (West Wylong?). My father recalls that a fellow Greek in the car with him was severely injured - but recovered. This person later established a shop in Dubbo, NSW. Mrs Anastasia (Tassia) Varvaressos (nee, Zervis), later to "adopt" second eldest son Haralambos (Harry)- recalls that 2-3 persons were killed in this accident. Goulburn newspaper reports would establish the exact toll of the car accident.

James is buried in Goulburn Cemetery.

Photograph of Dimitri's headstone

Photograph of Dimitri's gravesite

A year later, wife Athena Connel died from cancer.

Leaving 4 young children under 6 years of age - George, Harry, Con and Olympia (Ollie) - without a parent.

No immediate Tzortzopoulos family support was available.

Panayoti was recently arrived (1928) and only 22 years of age. And James's other 6 brothers and sisters were in Karavas, Kythera, or Pireaus.

Athena's brother's Jack and Angelo, adopted two of the children, George and Con, who were raised in Goulburn.

Does anyone have more knowledge of the Connell family from Goulburn, from the 1920's, to date?

An oral history told by Con Dimitri Tzortzo(Poulos), about brothers and sister, George, Harry, and Ollie