Mina Kapitan Tzortzopoulos, Molong Refreshment Rooms 1920s

Minas Tzorzopoulos is standing on the right. Person on the left is unknown to me. Can anyone identify this person?

CASSIMATY/POULOS

Mr. Minas Tzorzopoulos (Poulos) purchased the Molong refreshment rooms some time in the early 1920’s. He had purchased all the properties from the corner of Bank Street down to the Te1egraph Hotel (Historical Records). Mr. Poulos was a generous supporter of the hospital and other charities but had found special favour with the local football club when becoming their sponsor - a cup was named the Poulos Cup, in his honor. In 1927 he offered to pay the whole team’s expenses plus refund the Club’s rental if they won the Cup back from Orange - they did!

In 1928 he sold his business to Nicholas and Spiro Cassimaty and in 1929 returned to Greece to rejoin his family with intentions of remaining there. But in 1932 he returned to Australia for a 10-month period and sold the Pantheon Café building to the Cassimaty brothers before returning to Greece.

Due to economic reasons and conditions at the time he decided to return to Australia with his family and in 1935 he purchased a business at Cobra. Frank Clune, in his book “Roaming Down the Darling” makes a fleeting reference to him having a meal at Mick Poulos’ Cafe and that Mick had recently returned back from Greece. By the late 40’s Mr. and Mrs. Poulos had returned to Molong for their retirement. However he was still active in helping the Cassimaty brothers and after they left Molong he followed soon after to Sydney.

Mick and Maria Poulos had three children, two sons and a daughter, the sons both passed away at a very young age with daughter Meti Venardos having two children – Stella and George all living in Sydney.

Spiro, the first and the eldest of the Cassimaty family to migrate to Australia, arrived in 1912. Emmanuel arrived shortly afterwards around 1913, and Nicholas in 1922. A sister Stavroula followed in 1929, and another brother Peter in the mid 1930’s. A nephew Peter Callegeros attended Molong Central School in 1938. His sister, Coula arrived after the war.

Nicholas and Spiro purchased the refreshment rooms with the financial backing of their brother Emmanuel who was in business in Sydney, they changed the name to The Pantheon Café after the name of a champion thoroughbred race horse at that time which in 1928, was a favorite for the Melbourne Cup. The first week’s takings from the cafe were donated to the Molong Hospital; this being goodwill gesture, quite common among Greek cafe owners embarking on new business ventures.

Spiro left Molong in 1929, Emmanuel sold his share the Sydney business, formed a partnership with Nicholas which lasted 39 years. Nicholas at that time, firmly believed Molong would be the town of the future, pivotal in their decisions to purchase properties in Molong. Influencing their decision to invest in Molong was the opening of the railway branch line from Molong to Dubbo in 1925. With the line already through to Parkes and Broken Hill it further boosted Molong’s potential. Nicholas later remarked ". What Orange is today, Molong should have been”.

During their stay in Molong, Cassimaty Brothers built a sound business based on providing quality and service, whether you had a pound or a penny to spend. Nicholas often said to his son Peter (Pedro); “If you have a spare ‘bob’or two in your pocket and can help somebody in need do it”.

Emmanuel Cassimaty purchased a vineyard from Mr. Forrester in 1942, which was used to supplement the supply of fruit to the Pantheon Cafe. Emmanuel retired from Molong in 1964 and his son George formed a partnership with his Uncle Nick. In 1967 the business was sold and the families moved to Sydney.

Spiro the eldest passed away in 1990 aged between 97 and 100 years. He never married.
Emmanuel passed away in 1979, aged 79 years, was survived by his wife, Christina (now deceased) and children.
Issue:
1. Coula m. Emmanuel Macarounas, a Pharmacist who passed away in 1966. Their only son, Mark is a Financial Analyst.
2.Peter is a Pharmacist. He married Effie Prineas.
Issue: Christina, also Pharmacist, and son, Emmanuel, a dental specialist.
3.George and his wife Lexi had a small coffee lounge in the beautifully restored Strand Arcade in Sydney, providing friendly, courteous service the family have been noted for. They have since gone into retirement.
4.John (deceased) and his wife Michelle were proprietors in a Real Estate Business. Their issue; Michael and Paul.
Nicholas passed away in 1983, aged 79 years survived by his wife, Chrysoula and children a sister, Stavroula Samios who lived in Barmedman and was the mother-in-law of Nick Peters, licensee of the Freemasons Hotel in Molong during the 1950’s. Nick married the second daughter of Gregory and Stavroula Samios, left Molong in the late 50’s and bought the Post Office Hotel in Bourke. In 1964, Nick, his wife, Coula and sister-in-law Regina, were tragically killed in a car accident on the Molong Road just out of Orange, survived by their son Peter Peters who lives in Canberra with his wife and family.
In addition to Regina and Coula there were two other daughter Georgie Summers (deceased) and Maria Matis living in Sydney.
Nicholas and Chysoula’s issue;
l. Petro (Pedro) married Panayiota Tikellis.
Petro is employed in the Technical Project Supervisor of ABC Radio in Sydney.
Petro and Yiota’s issue; Nicholas and Stefanos.
2. Jim married Helen Psaltis from Uralla. Jim is also in the electronics profession with the
RTA in Sydney. Their issue; Nicholas, Chrissie. and Anthony.
Peter Cassimaty, (deceased) the youngest brothers to migrate to Australia returned to his birthplace Kythera, 1952 where he married and produced three children.


In 1985,Tas Psarakis, Petro Cassimaty,George Venardos-Mick Poulos’ grandson and the late Nick Damianakis established the Australian Hellenic Historical Society (AHHS) to research the history and role of Greeks in Australia.

INFORMATION BY: Petro Cassimaty.

Above are extracts from the book Families of Molong and District Authored by Aileen Roberson and published in 1993. The original article has been modified to reflect the current family status.