GO LIVE
Time, a relentless adversary of an individual’s memory, drags in its path, sometimes irreversibly, precious pieces of the mosaic of our collective history.
Given this irrefutable context, the idea was born to systematically and methodically record the personal stories of people of the Greek community in Australia, one of the largest and most active “cells” of the Greek Diaspora. The idea was carefully considered and formulated, and has taken shape through the present website, “Our People, Their Stories”.
The initiative is His Eminence’s Archbishop Makarios of Australia and has as its ultimate aim the preserving of the small and large treasures stored in the memory of our parents and grandparents; first and second-generation immigrants.
An important feature of the project is that it encourages the active participation of the younger members of the community in all the stages of the initiative.
It is the duty of all of us to steadfastly oppose oblivion and, in a race against time, to strive to save every precious story that outlines the journey of Hellenism in the Antipodes.
I feel great emotion and joy as today I admire the flourishing Hellenism of the fifth continent, thriving thousands of kilometres away from the ancestral land, and honouring earnestly the hardships of our brave compatriots—those who once, with soulful pain, left their homes, parted from their families and friends, and found the courage to cross the boundless ocean, setting the Antipodes as their destination. They, who not only dared to travel far to another continent but also fought with indescribable determination against countless difficulties and trials, to survive, stand on their own feet, progress, and secure a prosperous future for their children in their new homeland.
These people, beyond their few belongings, brought here to Australia their faith, language, values, and the traditions of Greece. We owe them gratitude for this significant heritage which they zealously preserved and passed down to younger generations. But we also owe them gratitude for an additional reason: because their struggle, their anxieties, and each person’s personal story, each part of the collective history of Hellenism in Australia, constitute a distinct and equally precious heritage for the current members of our community.
This very heritage, outlined by the bearers themselves of the historical memory, is what the current initiative of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia aspires to highlight and augment.
May God bless the efforts of its contributors and all those who will play a part in the successful achievement of its noble purpose.
Equipped with zeal and passion, and fortified with the valuable provisions of experience and technical know-how, a team consisting of university professors, cinematographers, journalists, historians, researchers, cameramen, sound engineers and editors, undertakes to locate members of the Greek community who carry cherished memories in order to record their personal stories and make them part of the collective history of Hellenism in the Antipodes.
In this exciting journey, they participate and show the way to the younger ones, to the members of the youth of the Greek community.
Are you interested in becoming a member of our team,
to research and record personal stories of fellow Greeks and
to piece together parts of our collective history puzzle?
If yes, then fill out the form below and an exciting experience will soon begin!
Would you like to share your personal story with us?
Do you know someone whose story you believe deserves to be shared and to enrich our collective memory?
If yes, then fill out the form below and an exciting experience will soon begin!