A journey for a better Life

George Poulos
on 21.11.2004

John Prineas, Accountant, and former President, Kytherian Association of Australia, informs me that: Panogiotis Prineas was (Ntamias) Father of Katy Masselos and Effie Cssimaty and was for years in Condobolin.(Not Balarat). Demetrios Ioan. Frilingos was a brother of Mrs Matina Psalida and my late Mother in law Maria Psaltis and and Athina Pascalis. Sonn after his arrival in Australia he was unfortunately accidentally drowned in a river in country NSW. Of course Xenofon Stathis lived for many years in Wagga Wagga. [George Poulos] George C.Protopsaltis. I am almost certain think is Barraba - and later Balmoral George Psaltis, father of Cosma of Centennial Hotel fame, who this year celebrated his 90th birthday.

George Poulos
on 15.12.2004

A larger entry on Xenofon (spelt Xenophon) Stathis, Wagga Wagga, [in later life], can be found in Photography Disapora, subsection, Vintage Portraits/Landscapes section. Xenophon Stathis, 1989, in later life

George Poulos
on 15.12.2004

Bill Psaltis's father, Cosmas, or Charles as he was known, (parachoukli - "Ntessi") - recently married to Maria Frelingos, acted as the guardian to these 6 boys, as well as Maria's sister Matina, and his young son, Basil (Bill), born 3 months's prior to departure. Charles had prospered in Australia, particularly through ownership of one of the most sophisticcated restaurants in Sydney at the time - the Cumberland Cafe, in Parramatta. "While in Kythera relatives and friends begged Charles to take their children to the country where he had established himself so well. ..the generous Charles agreed.." - (Bill Psaltis). George Sklavos and Xenophon Stathis, were Charles's nephews, and George Cosmas Psaltis (Balmoral) a cousin. [Bill and George C's granfathers' were brothers.] The trip back to Sydney was initially to Egypt, on the "Katarini". According to "Balmoral" George Psaltis, the trip to Port Said took 10 days. At Port Said, "Charles and his entourage boarded another P&O liner the "Orsova". This trip took 30 days. They arrived in Sydney, in August 1928.

Peter Makarthis
on 14.03.2007

These arrivals are recorded as arriving Sydney on the SS Osterley 24 July 1928 Peter M Inverell

George Poulos
on 06.08.2008

George P Sklavos is still active and alive, and aged 93 (as of 3rd August 2008), when I met him at the Feast Day celebration for Ayia Elesa, Kogarah Church, Sydney. He informs me that as the entourage sailed a group of 17 Kytherians - (15 of whose names he remembered) - formed a fairly tight knit group on the ship. They were, 1. Kosmas Protopsaltis, 2. Maria Protopsaltis (nee Frilingos), 3. Basil C Psaltis, 4. Stamatina Frilingos (sister of Maria)[their brother was subsequently drowned in Cooma, and is buried in Rookwood cemetery, Sydney), 5. George Yeoryopoulos, 6. Adonis Samios (older than the boys, about 23 years of age), 7. Jim Frilingos, 8. George P Psaltis (Gilgandra/Earlwood, Sydney), 9. Xenofon Stathis, 10. George K Psaltis (Balmoral), 11. Panayotis Feros (who returned to Kythera after 5 years), 12. Peter Prineas, 13. Sophia Prineas, (who had a brother in Junee), 14. Eleni Haniotis (who married a Feros, who owned a Hotel in Dorrigo, and 15. himself, George P Sklavos. The group included two other "twenty-something year olds", whose names he couldn't remember. (He did remember that they derived from a "southern part of the island"). He remembers that the SS Osterley was owned by the ORIENT Line, and that the ship berthed in Circular Quay Sydney, adjacent to where the Opera House now stands. He distinctly remembers the ship arriving on the 2nd August 1928, making the day before our discussion at the Church, the 80th anniversary of the ships arrival. [This contradicts Peter Makarthis entry above]. He recalls that the ship took 8 days to travel from its previous port of call, Adelaide(?). He also advised that he has a large group photo taken in Adelaide, and numerous other photo's taken during the course of the "pilgrimage".