Peter Capsanis - From, Images of Home, Muvri Xenetia
Peter Capsanis - From, Images of Home, Muvri Xenetia
Peter Capsanis
"Old Peoples' Home", Potamos, Kythera, 1990.
Born in 1906, Peter left Kythera for Australia at the age of fifteen. After undertaking cafe work in such towns as Uralla and Woodstock in western NSW, and even turning his hand to seasonal fruit picking, in 1935 he settled in Oberon (near Bathurst), where he established a cafe.
[Oberon is a town on the outskirts of the Blue Mountains, which is west of Sydney.
For maps of the town of Oberon, its position in NSW, and its position in Australia, go to
http://www.oberonweb.com/tourist/area/maps.htm
For information about Oberon go to the website of Oberon Plateau Tourism Association,
http://www.oberonweb.com/
and, the website of Oberon Council,
http://www.oberon.nsw.gov.au/ ]
In 1947, he decided to return to Greece, just for a holiday, to see his family. Marrying Anna Souris in 1948, the couples future in Australia had been solidily laid by Peter's early efforts.
After his wife's death, Peter returned to Kythera to spend the remaining years of his life.
Surrounded by memorabilia of his life in Australia, a fragile press clipping from The Western Times (Bathurst newspaper) of 1947, is his pride and joy. The clipping, titled, 'Striking Tributes at Oberon Farewell', details not only the occasion of Peter's public send off on his initial return to Greece, but more importantly, his feelings about his two countries: '..Our countries have always been allies, and have fought together in the struggle for the existence of peace loving nations. The bond of freindship has been strengthened through the undaunted spirit of the Australians in Greece. Greece will never forget the Australians, who from 10,000 miles away came to her assistance in the dark hours when she was being overrun by the enemy. That action will be honoured by Greeks for generations to come'.
Otan pethane i yineka tou, o Peter epestrepse sta Kythera yia na perasi eki ta teleftea tou hronia.
This is the "famous" photograph mention in the State Parliament of New South Wales during the visit of the Greek President in 2002 - (see entry under History, sub-section, General History - NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard, (Part) Day Transcript for 7 June 2002. - ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY CONSTANTINOS STEPHANOPOULOS, PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC)
"..in 1999 an exhibition at our State Library, next door, celebrated the venerable spirit of Greek Australians with a range of photographic works. (*Exhibition by Effie Alexakis & Leonard Janiszewski - In their own image: Greeks Australians.
(Go to: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/media/1998/greeksmr.cfm ) That exhibition included a photograph of Peter Capsanis, aged 84, taken at an old people's home in Kythera.)
Numerous references have already been made to the work of Effie Alexakis & Leonard Janiszewski, at kythera-island.net - and no doubt the number of references to this dynamic pair of researchers will proliferate over the years.
Use the kythera-island search engine - top right hand corner to search "Effie Alexakis" and "Leonard Janiszewski".
See also,
http://www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/greek/intro.htm
It would be invaluable if relatives and descendants of the late Peter Capsanis, could further elaborate on his life and achievements, by posting additional information, reminiscences, and photographs onto kythera-island.net.
