THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN The oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside VEMA Greece FEBRUARY 2011 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: [email protected] CCAALLLLEEDD TTOO BBEE SSAAIINNTTSS!! THE ROLES OF THE LIVES OF SAINTS IN NURTURING CHILDREN PAGE 3/21 BISHOP IAKOVOS ORDAINED Opening of the Law IN SYDNEY Term Service in NSW His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos First Australian-born Bishop conducted the Service for the Opening of the Law Term 2011 in NSW, on Tuesday 8 February, at the Cathedral of the ‘Annunciation of our Lady’. of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese PAGE 5/23 Greek Culture, Why? Why do most Greek Australians want their children to learn Greek? What is the reason? PAGE 14/32 $216,640.80 for the flood victims of Queensland through the Special Collection of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia for the “Queensland Flood Appeal” FULL STORY ON PAGE 12/30 PAGE 17/35 The Greek Australian VEMA FEBRUARY 2011 2/20 TO BHMA Larrikin’s future is packed for success By Bianca Martins he wanted to do when he grew up. And without hesitation Houvardas “Wadda Wadda Wincha”. That’s the replied “an actor”. saying that made former Belmore All Houvardas graduated from high Saints Grammar student and Packed school in 2000 and spent four years to the Rafters star George Houvar- studying construction at Ultimo TAFE das famous. before working as a builder for five But the 29 year-old, who plays years. Nick “Carbo” Karandonis on the During that time he also continued show, is more that just a larrikin. to help out with the family business, Popular for his contagious sense Piano Café in McMahons Point, which of humour, which brings out his he and his two brothers Steven and The Allied Forces cemetery in Souda, Crete Greek nature, Houvardas is proud of Anthony run. He said during his his heritage. schooling and construction days, he He attended All Saints Grammar was there every weekend. Major turnout School in Belmore, despite living on But at the age of 25, he decided to the North Shore. pursue his dream and attend film George Houvardas “My parents wanted me to learn school Screenwise at Surry Hills. anticipated more Greek so they sent me there “It did not have one drama course “I was there for one year, doing a because it was Greek Orthodox,” he at all. We did a couple of plays but part-time course, while I was still for Battle of Crete said. that was it, he said. doing building and was offered a “I had a lot of good times there”. His school principal at the time role in Packed to the Rafters,” he 70th anniversary Despite being part of the first year and year 2 and 3 teacher, Anthony said. 12 class to graduate, drama was not Tsoutsa, said when Houvardas ar- Canterbury Bankstown Express commemoration part of the school curriculum. rived in year 2, he asked him what (8/2/2011) A large number of Greek Australians and Australians plan to visit Greece in May to attend events commem- Ancient warship at the ready orating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Crete. According to reports, the Cretans of Australia are She is described as the fastest human-powered sea planning a “mass incursion” on Crete to attend the 70th vessel ever constructed, and yet today the Olympias is anniversary commemorations, as well as a large num- going nowhere fast - unless, that is, a group of Greek ber of Australians whose ancestors fought in the stra- American business leaders has something to say about tegic battle during WWII. it. A series of commemorative events will be held on The wooden vessel, known as a trireme, is a full-scale Crete in May with the customary participation of war replica of a 5th century BC Athenian warship. Powered veterans from Greece, Australia, New Zealand and by 170 oarsmen, the trireme features three tiers of row- Britain. ers. It was this type of galley that was instrumental in The Battle of Crete began on the morning of May 20, saving Athens in the Battle of Salamis in 480BC. 1941 when German forces launched an unprecedented Currently unseaworthy, the Olympias is collecting dust airborne invasion of Crete, code-named “Merkur”. The in a dry dock at the naval park at Trocadero in Neo operation was successful in that it wrested control of Faliro. This is where a group of Greek American mar- the island from Allied forces, although the victory was itime enthusiasts steps in by raising money for repairs so costly in terms of paratrooper casualties that the to the galley and recruiting 170 oarsmen and women This is the trireme, a full-scale replica Wehrmacht never again attempted a major airborne from rowing clubs across the United States and Canada. of a 5th century BC Athenian warship operation. The stiff resistance by ANZAC troops and local Cre- Anchors aweigh the OpSail tall ships event in New York, billed as the tans is also credited, by many historians, with delaying If all goes according to plan, the Olympias will sail yet largest gathering of vessels in peacetime and part of a the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. again, this time for New York City. spectacular Independence Day display. (ANA) Behind the ambitious project is Markos Marinakis, a The galley will also be put on display at the South Greek American from the island of Chios. The former Street Seaport in New York, where the Titanic memorial seaman now runs a marine chartering company in New lighthouse stands at the entrance. Greeks work longest York. “It’s actually the city’s maritime museum,” Marinakis “I established the non-profit organisation called says. “It’s at the lower tip of Manhattan and the foot of hours in Europe Trireme in New York City Inc,” Marinakis, the group’s Wall Street. The boat will be there to be viewed by the chairman, tells the Athens News in a telephone inter- public and schools. She will also sail up and down the view. Hudson River in preparation for Independence Day.” The replica was built in the mid-1980s and was fi- Citing Eurostat figures, the Wall Street Journal article “I decided to get involved and organise it because it’s nanced by the Hellenic Navy. Historian John Morrison noted that bailed-out Greeks in particular have the something that promotes relations between Greece and and naval architect John Coates worked on the project. longest working week in Europe at an average of 42 the United States.” In 1988, the Olympias reached a speed of nine knots, or hours, followed closely by the Spanish and Portuguese The group has obtained permission from the Greek about 17kph. with 39-hour weeks. government - the ministry of defence, he added. “I had the honour of speaking to Coates a couple of Among supposedly hard-working northerners, by “We are now trying to organise ourselves,” Marinakis times,” says Marinakis. “He told me once that this [ship] contrast, the Dutch work just 31 hours a week on aver- says. “Our organisation has a very respectable board of is unsinkable.” age while the Germans have a 36-hour week. directors. They are mostly waterfront people in America, The problem, the article claims, is not that the work- such as the chairman of the American Bureau of Ship- Remaking ancient history ers in the South don’t work hard enough but that their ping.” The trireme was damaged during her voyage to and productivity is lower in relation to those in the north. The non-profit organisation needs an estimated $3 from Britain in 1993. The Greek navy paid for repairs in Greeks produce less than 18.5 euros per work hour, million. According to Marinakis, the repairs will cost 1996. the Spanish just 24.4 euros per hour and the Por- $100,000. The purchase of the oars alone will cost about One year later, the navy decided the ship should be tuguese only 13.8 euros per hour. By contrast, the Dutch $150,000. grounded and put on public exhibit at the Naval Park in produce 39.5 euros per work hour and the Germans “We have a very well-worked budget,” he said. “We Trocadero. In 2002, the vessel was repaired again at no 38.7 euros per work hour. have a board member who owns cranes and tugboats charge by the Elefsina Shipyard. The writer of the article said the difference lies in su- who will donate his services - that’s saving us In 2004, the trireme participated in Olympic Games perior technology and infrastructure, rather than indus- $180,000.” celebrations at the port of Piraeus. After the Games, the try or even training, and suggests the solution to the navy decided that it was too expensive to repair and problems is to attract multinationals with cutting edge New York, New York maintain the ship. She was put in storage. technology. The plan is for a maiden voyage to the United States, with the Olympias setting sail in March 2012, in time for Athens News FEBRUARY 2011 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21 Editorial The silent majority By Alexis Papachelas (Kathimerini) is in charge of this country today or who will be in charge of this country tomorrow. The real question is whether this country can indeed be governed even by the most Greece has entered an extremely difficult phase. Worse still, it is constantly flirting powerful and skilled ruler. The PASOK government has issued strong-worded state- with self-destruction.