He shed tears when he saw Greece again after 30 years

Achilleas Amiridis, a descendant of Pontic Greek refugees, was born in 1942 in Armenochori, Florina, at a time when Greece was still struggling with the wounds of war and displacement. In 1954, at just 12 years old, he found himself bidding farewell to his village and embarking on a long journey into the unknown: Australia. Together with his family, he boarded the ship “Fairsea”, leaving behind friends, relatives, and the familiar soil of Macedonia. On the fifth continent, he studied civil engineering and went on to work for decades in Victoria’s water authority. It was there, in this distant land, that he married, built a family, and offered significant voluntary service to the local community. Though Achilleas made his life far from home, the echoes of his Pontic and Greek roots never faded from his heart.