Greek Australians

Not to be confused with Australians in Greece.

Greek Australians

Ελληνοαυστραλοί
Greek christening party, Bondi Beach, Sydney, September 1946
Total population
397,431 (by ancestry, 2016) 600,000+ (higher estimate)
Regions with significant populations
Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra, Wollongong, Darwin
Languages
Australian English · Greek
Religion
Predominantly Greek Orthodox
Related ethnic groups
Cypriot Australians · Greek New Zealanders · Other Greek diaspora groups

Greek Australians (Template:Lang-el, Ellinoafstrali) are Australians who have full or partial Greek heritage or people who sought asylum as refugees after the Greek Civil War or emigrated from Greece and reside in Australia. The 2016 census recorded 397,431 people of Hellenic/ Greek ancestry, and 93,740 born in Greece, making Australia home to one of the largest Greek communities in the world.

Greeks are the seventh largest ethnic group in Australia. The 2011 census reported 378,270 people have Greek ancestry, either exclusively or in combination with another ethnic group, up from 365,147. The 2006 census recorded 125,849 people were born in Greece. The 2016 census recorded 16,929 people were born in Cyprus and 28,991 people with Cypriot ancestry (many of whom are Greek Cypriots). The 2011 census recorded 18,070 people were born in Cyprus and 22,680 people had Cypriot ancestry. The 2006 census recorded 18,369 people born in Cyprus and 29,005 people of Cypriot ancestry. Greeks and Cypriots in Australia collectively total 422,234 people.

Greek immigration to Australia has been one of the largest migratory flows in the history of Australia, especially after World War II and Greek Civil War. As of 2015 the flow of migrants from Greece has in fact increased due to the economic crisis in Greece, with Australia as one of the main destinations, mainly to Melbourne where the Greek Australian community is most established.

Australia and Greece have a close bilateral relationship based on historical ties and the rich contribution of Greek Australians to Australian society. In 2019, the export of Australian services to Greece was valued at $92 million, while services imports from Greece totalled $750 million. Australia's stock of investment in Greece in 2019 totalled $481 million. Investment in Australia from Greece was $192 million.

History

Early Greek immigration

Greek immigration to Australia began in the early colonial period in the 19th century. The first known Greeks arrived in 1829. These Greeks were seven sailors, convicted of piracy by a British naval court, and were sentenced to transportation to New South Wales. Though eventually pardoned, two of those seven Greeks stayed and settled in the country. One settled on the Monaro Plains in Southern New South Wales and one at Picton near Sydney. Their names were Ghikas Bulgaris known as Jigger Bulgari, and Andonis Manolis. Jigger Bulgari married an Irish woman, and they had many children. Jigger was buried at Nimmitabel Pioneer Cemetery. The Hellenic Club of Canberra laid a commemorative marble plaque over his resting place around 2000. Andonis Manolis' grave is in the old cemetery at Mittagong. The first known free Greek migrant to Australia was Katerina Georgia Plessos (1809–1907), who arrived in Sydney with her husband Major James Crummer in 1835. They married in 1827 on the island of Kalamos where Crummer, the island's commandant met the young refugee from the Greek independence wars. In her youth she must have been one of the last living people to speak to Lord Byron. They lived in Sydney, Newcastle and Port Macquarie. They had 11 children. The first wave of free Hellenic migrants commenced in the 1850s, and continued through the end of the 19th century, prompted in part by the recent discovery of gold in the country. A young Greek immigrant born in Athens, Greece named Georgios Tramountanas (1822 – 29 January 1911) and anglicised as George North in 1858, was the first settler of Greek origin in South Australia in 1842. The Greek community of South Australia regards North (Tramountanas) as their Pioneering Grandfather. In 1901, the year of federation, the Australian census recorded 878 native Greeks that were born there (In Greece), now living in Australia. Many of these Greeks were owners of or were employed in shops and restaurants. Some were also cane-cutters in Queensland.

20th century Greek Immigration to Australia

Orpheus Arfaras, Greek ceramicist, Sydney, 1952

From the last decade of the 19th century until WWI the number of Greeks immigrating to Australia increased steadily and Hellenic communities were reasonably well established in Melbourne and Sydney at this time. The Greek language press had begun in Australia and in 1913, Australia had the first Greek weekly newspaper that was published in Melbourne. During WWI Greece remained neutral, eventually joining the side of the Allies. In 1916 the Australian government responded to this by placing a special prohibition on the entry of Greeks and Maltese people to Australia that was not lifted until 1920. There were a number of anti-Greek outbursts as a result of the neutrality stance by Greece, often instigated by Australian soldiers on leave. During these outbursts Greek shops and Greek cafés were badly damaged or destroyed, with the worst rioting occurring in Kalgoorlie and Boulder.

During the 1920s, as a result of the Greco-Turkish War there was a significant amount of Greek migration to Darwin and across the Top End. Greeks often worked in the canefields in North Queensland and move to Darwin during the dry season to work in the pearling industry. One famous family of Greek Australians, the Paspaley family from the island of Kastellorizo, excelled in the Pearling industry and have stores across Australia with their main store in Darwin. It is noted that the first major flow of Greek immigrants to Australia began in the mid 1920s, where a large number of Greek people from Kastellorizo migrated to Australia to escape the Ottoman repression. A large number of these people from Greece's easternmost island spent time in Egypt's second largest city, Alexandria, before being offered migration to Australia by British authorities. Those of Kastellorizian descent living in Australia now refer to themselves as 'Kazzies,' and have maintained a strong and unique community.

During the interwar period, the number of Greeks migrating to Australia increased substantially. Some Greeks who settled in Australia were expelled from Asia Minor after the Greek military defeat and the genocide committed by Turkey between 1913 and 1922, while other Greeks sought entry after the USA established restrictive immigration quotas in the early 1920s. From 1924 until 1936 a series of regulations operating in Australia severely restricted the number of Greeks permitted to immigrate to and settle in Australia.

Greece entered WWII with the Allies when she was invaded by German and Italian forces who remained in Greece until 1944. Many ANZACs went to the nation and tried to help the population to defeat the Axis enemy only to be saved themselves by the locals, building a relationship between Australians and Greeks that stands strong to this day. When troops withdrew a struggle broke out between pro and anti-communist factions which resulted in civil war between 1946 and 1949, ending with the defeat of the communists, but at a cost of many Greek lives and the uprooting of children who were kidnapped and taken from their families.

The Greek government, devastated by the destruction of infrastructure and the mass looting of their banks by the Germans, encouraged post-war migration as a way of solving poverty and unemployment problems. Post WWII in the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, Greeks were one of the main European races picked by the Australian government's "Populate or perish" immigration scheme and due to this, thousands of Greeks migrated to Australia to gain a better life and future for themselves and their families. The main destinations where these "Hellenes" immigrated were cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. During these decades, Greeks began to establish their own restaurants, Hellenic Community Clubs, and Greek-Australian soccer clubs. Greeks along with Italians, Croatians, Maltese, Serbians, Jews, Hungarians, Czechs, etc. marked a milestone on Australian sport in general by forming many successful Association football clubs. The most successful Australian clubs with Greek heritage and culture are South Melbourne Hellas (South Melbourne FC) founded in 1959, Alexander the Great (Heidelberg United FC) founded in 1958, Pan-Hellenic (Sydney Olympic FC) founded in 1957, West Adelaide Hellas (West Adelaide SC) founded in 1962 and Brisbane Pan Rhodian (Olympic FC) founded in 1967. All five clubs were founded by Greek immigrants that immigrated to those respective cities.

After the changes in Greece from the mid 1970s, including the fall of the Papadopoulos regime in 1974 and the formal inclusion of Greece into the European Union, Greek immigration to Australia has slowed since the 1971 peak of 160,200 arrivals. Within Australia, the Greek immigrants have been "extremely well organised socially and politically", with approximately 600 Greek organisations in the country by 1973, and immigrants have strived to maintain their faith and cultural identity.

By comparison the Greek Cypriot community in Australia doubled following the Invasion of Cyprus by Turkey following a campaign of ethnic cleansing in 1974.

21st century Greek Immigration to Australia

Greek Australians during a parade for Australia Day in Melbourne (2014)

Since the year 2000, Greek immigration to Australia has slowed down. However, in the years 2000–2009, many Greek-Australians both native Greek and Australian-born, returned to Greece to discover their homeland and reconnect with their ancestral roots. Yet, as the economic crisis in Greece grew, the opportunities for temporary resident Greek Australians abroad were limited. For this reason many Greek Australians have shortened their planned long term stays in Greece and have returned home to Australia.

In the early 2010s there has been an increase of Greek immigration flows to Australia due to unemployment, among other issues, because of the economic crisis in Greece. This has led to the return of many Greek Australians which had gone to Greece before the crisis and also the arrival of newcomers from Greece, who have been received by the large Greek Australian community mainly in Melbourne.

Demographics

Greeks by state or territory

See also: Greek community of Melbourne

The largest concentration of Greeks in Australia is in the state of Victoria, which is often regarded as the heartland of the Greek Australian community. The latest Census in 2016 recorded 93,740 Greece-born people in Australia, a fall of 6.2 per cent from the 2011 Census. The 2011 distribution by state and territory showed Victoria had the largest number of Greek-born people with 47,236 followed by New South Wales (29,479), South Australia (8,681), Queensland (3,304) and Western Australia (2,308).

With regards to the total number of people with Greek, Cypriot or Vlach ancestry, either exclusively or in combination with a non-Greek ethnic group, there are 422,234 Greeks according to the 2016 census. 316,351 (74.9%) recorded Greek, Cypriot or Vlach as their first ancestral response, and 105,883 (25.1%) as their second ancestry. Of the 422,234 people with Greek, Cypriot and Vlach ancestry, 42.9% live in Victoria, 33.6% live in New South Wales, 9.56% in South Australia, 7.46% in Queensland, 3.7% in Western Australia, 1.2% in the Australian Capital Territory, 1.01% in the Northern Territory, and 0.59% in Tasmania. Nearly two-thirds (32.8%) of these were born in Australia, and one-third overseas, mostly in Greece and Cyprus. The cities with the largest populations with Greek ancestry are Melbourne with 173,598, Sydney at 127,274, and Adelaide with 37,768 people of Greek descent.

Culture

Religion

According to census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2016, Australians with Greek ancestry are mainly Christian (91.4%) mostly Eastern Orthodox (with minorities who belong to different christian denominations like Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals etc) with smaller religious groups (0.4%) represented. 5.6% identified as spiritual, secular or irreligious, and 2.6% did not answer the census question on religion. Greek Australians are predominantly Greek Orthodox. The largest religious body of Greek Orthodox Australians is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, with its headquarters at the Cathedral of The Annunciation of Our Lady in the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern. According to Special Broadcasting Service Greeks in Australia have got higher weekly church attendance and higher levels of religiosity from Greeks in Greece.

Greek language

In 2016, the Greek language was spoken at home by 237,588 Australian residents, a 5.8% decrease from the 2011 census data. Greek is the seventh most commonly spoken language in Australia after English, Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Italian. The remainder of the ethnic Greek population in Australia mainly use English as their first language.

Media

The Greek language press had begun in Australia in 1913 when the first Greek weekly newspaper was published in Melbourne. In South Australia, the local Greek community published a short-lived newspaper called Okeanis (Oceania), around 1914 before it moved to Sydney. On 16 November 1926, George Marsellos and John Stilson published a broadsheet under the name Panellenios Keryx (Panhellenic Herald or The Greek Herald), becoming the second national Greek newspaper in Australia. In 1935 and 1936 a third newspaper, Pharos (Lighthouse), was published, and a number of short-lived titles were issued in the late 1960s, with the longest of these being Tachydromos (Mailman), founded in September 1968. Since 1994, a publication called Paroikiako Vema (Steps in the adopted Country) and printed in Renmark, has served the Greek community in rural South Australia. In 1957, Hellenic/Greek language newspaper Neos Kosmos was founded by Dimitri Gogos, Bill Stefanou and Alekos Doukas, the latter also being an exceptionally well known author.

Notable individuals

Famous Greek Australians
  

Academic

• Nikos Athanasou – Professor of Musculoskeletal Pathology at Oxford University and Greek-Australian novelist.
• Nick (Νικήτας) Birbilis - Professor of Engineering at the Australian National University.
• Adrian David Cheok – Professor of Pervasive Computing at City University London & Director of the Mixed Reality Lab
• Nicholas Doumanis – Assoc. Professor of History, at the University of New South Wales
• Nikolas Kompridis – Professorial Fellow at the University of Western Sydney in the School of Humanities & Communication Arts
• Maria Skyllas-Kazacos - Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales, chemical engineer best known for her pioneering work of the vanadium redox battery
• John Tasioulas – Director of Institute for Ethics in AI and Professor of Ethics and Legal Philosophy at University of Oxford and first Greek-Australian Rhodes Scholar
• William John Louis - medical pharmacologist, and professor emeritus

Art and design

• Esther (Stathia) Anatolitis – arts leader
• Con Chrisoulis – comic book creator
• Olga Cironis – artist
• Nonda Katsalidis – architect
• Marc Newson – industrial designer
• Nikos Pantazopoulos – artist
• Arhonda Orestia Papadopoulos – artist/sculptor
• The late Polixeni Papapetrou – artist
• Paul Pholeros – architect
• Tony Rafty – caricaturist
• Stelarc (Stelios Arkadiou) – artist
• Nella Themelios – curator
• Christos Tsiolkas – writer
• Michael Zavros – artist/painter
• William John Louis - Professor Emeritus, Univ of Melbourne and medical pharmacologist
• Christos Pantelis - Professor of Psychiatry, Univ of Melbourne

Business

• Emil Parthenides - Managing Director EP Advisors
• Theo Maras – property magnate
• Harry Katsiabanis
• Theo Morris
• Mark Bouris – managing director of Wizard
• George Calombaris – chef, former judge MasterChef Australia
• Con Christopoulos – restaurant magnate
• Con Constantine – former chairman, Newcastle United Jets
• Andrew Demetriou – chief executive, Australian Football League

Andrew Demetriou, chief executive Australian Football League

• George Giovas - Banking, Finance & Funds Management
• Lee Hagipantelis - chairman of the Wests Tigers
• Greg Kaias - steel industry
• Herakles Kenos and Nick Kenos – founders of the Hellas Cake Shop and Kenman Kandy
• Nick S Kenos - wine industry; ex MD Normans Wines, Langwarra Wines and more
• Andrew N. Liveris – CEO of Dow Chemical Company

Andrew N. Liveris, CEO of Dow Chemical Company

• Kostas Makris – the richest Greek in Australia (in the top 30 of the richest residents in Australia)
• Nick Pappas – chairman, South Sydney Rabbitohs
• Nicholas Paspaley Senior and Paspaley family (Paspalis) – Paspaley dominate the pearling industry; large property holdings in Darwin CBD and properties in Sydney
• George Peponis – chairman, Canterbury Bulldogs
• Geoff Polites – chief executive officer of Australian Jaguar Land RoverFPV President / Tickford managing director
• Nick Politis – car retailer and chairman of the Sydney Roosters rugby league club
• James Samios – Hon. MBE Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay, Sydney
• Manuel Manias - chief executive officer of industry leading commercial finance provider Yarra Finance
• Peter V'landys - chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission

Fashion

• Christopher Chronis – fashion designer
• Harry Goles - founder of Ojay Fashions
• Napoleon Perdis – make-up artist
• Alex Perry – fashion designer
• Teena Varigos - fashion designer

Film, theatre, and television

• Peter Andrikidis – director, Underbelly
• Alex Andreas - actor
• Alex Blias – actor
• Alex Papps - actor, Play School (Australian TV series)
• Elena Carapetis – actress
• Gia Carides – actress
• Zoe Carides – actress
• Wayne Coles-Janess – director and producer
• Chantal Contouri – actress
• Mary Coustas – comedian
• Alex Dimitriades – actor
• Rebekah Elmaloglou – actress, Home and Away and Neighbours
• Sebastian Elmaloglou – actor, Home and Away, brother of Rebekah
• Damien Fotiou – actor
• Nick Giannopoulos – actor and director
• Diana Glenn – actress
• George Houvardas – actor, Packed to the Rafters
• Hugh Jackman – Actor

Hugh Jackman, actor

• George Kapiniaris – actor and comedian
• Peter Kelamis – comedian
• Costas Kilias - actor
• Ana Kokkinos – director
• Nico Lathouris – actor
• Costas Mandylor – actor
• Louis Mandylor – actor
• Lex Marinos – actor, director, writer and broadcaster
• Harry Michaels – actor (TV series: Number 96) producer (Exercise Video: Aerobics Oz Style), Sports TV Director
• Bill Miller – director and producer
• George Miller – Academy Award-winning director and producer, Babe, Happy Feet, Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller, director of Babe (1995), Happy Feet (2006), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

• Ada Nicodemou – actress, Home and Away
• Phaedra Nicolaidis – actress
• Tony Nikolakopoulos – actor and director
• Socratis Otto actor, best known for his roles in television series Young Lions as Justin Carmody and Wentworth as Maxine Conway
• Alex Papps – actor and Play School host
• Thaao Penghlis – actor (has played Tony DiMera and André DiMera on American soap opera Days of Our Lives)
• Alex Proyas – director, I, Robot, Dark City, The Crow, Knowing

Alex Proyas, director of The Crow (1994) and I, Robot (2004)

• Gina Riley – actress, Kath & Kim, comedienne, entertainer and singer
• Nathan Saidden – comedian
• George Spartels – actor
• Nadia Tass – director
• John Tatoulis – director and producer
• Maria Theodorakis – actress
• Alkinos Tsilimidos – director
• Antonis Tsonis - writer and director
• Olympia Valance – model and actress, Neighbours
• Zoe Ventoura – actress
• Helen Zerefos – actress and cabaret singer

Journalism

• Dimitri Gogos – late editor, Neos Kosmos
• Georgia Cassimatis – journalist, Australian Cosmopolitan magazine
• Kristina Costalos — TV Journalist, Ten Network
• Alekos Doukas - co founder of Neos Kosmos and freelance journalist
• George Donikian – news presenter, Ten Network
• Peter Frilingos (dec.) – sports journalist with the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, and broadcaster and commentator with the Continuous Call Team
• Helen Kapalos – journalist, reporter Sunday Night, Seven Network
• Patricia Karvelas - Journalist, ABC
• Mary Kostakidis – journalist, SBS
• Nickos Loupos - journalist; radio presenter
• John Mangos – news presenter and journalist, Sky News Australia, Foxtel
• George Megalogenis – author and formerThe Australian newspaper journalist
• Harry Nicolaides – novelist – incarcerated in Thailand on charges of lese majeste (the crime of insulting the Thai monarchy) in his novel Verisimilitude
• Peter Oglos – Journalist, The Greek Herald
• Peter Peters – sports broadcaster and commentator (also Manly Sea-Eagles general manager)
• Theo Skalkos – late head publisher, The Greek Herald

Justice

• Dean Kalymniou – Lawyer, writer, advocate
• Chris Kourakis – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia
• Emilios Kyrou – Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria
• Nicholas Pappas QC – former Chief Magistrate of Victoria
• Ange Kenos - [Senior] Justice of the Peace

Music

• Peter Andre – singer, entertainer
• Alex Carapetis – drummer
• Hector Cosmas - violinist, multi-instrumentalist / ref https://www.smh.com.au/national/violinist-became-great-of-greek-blues-20120327-1vwv8.html
• Kaz James – singer and DJ
• James Kannis – singer (Australian Idol)
• Chris Karan – jazz drummer (Dudley Moore Trio) and studio percussionist (Bob Marley & the Wailers)
• Vasilliki Karagiorgos (Vassy) – singer and songwriter
• John Lemmone – flute player and composer
• Orianthi Panagaris – guitarist/musician
• Orpheus Arfaras - artist/classical guitarist
• Sally Polihronas – singer (Bardot)
• Nick Skitz – deejay-producer
• Costas Tsicaderis – singer-songwriter
• Peter Volaris - musician, composer
• George Xanthos - pedal steel-guitarist (The Hawking Brothers)

Politics

• Nick Bolkus – federal politician
• Michael Costa – former Finance Minister, New South Wales
• Steve Dimopoulos – politician, Victoria
• Jim Fouras – politician, Queensland
• Steve Georganas – federal politician
• Petro Georgiou – federal politician
• John Hatzistergos – Attorney General, New South Wales
• Peter Katsambanis – former politician, Victoria
• Steve Kons – Deputy Premier, Tasmania
• Nicholas Kotsiras – Minister, Victoria
• Tom Koutsantonis – Minister for Trade, South Australia
• Michael McCormack - current Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
• Ken Michael – politician
• Jenny Mikakos – former Health Minister, Victoria
• John Pandazopoulos – politician, Victoria
• Drew Pavlou - student activist at the University of Queensland
• Nick Staikos – politician, Victoria
• Andrew Theophanous – federal politician, Victoria (born Cyprus)
• Theo Theophanous – politician, Victoria (born Cyprus)
• Kat Theophanous - politician, Victoria
• Arthur Sinodinos – former Chief of Staff, PM John Howard
• Maria Vamvakinou – federal politician, Victoria
• Kon Vatskalis – politician, Northern Territory
• Nick Xenophon – politician, South Australia
• Sophie Mirabella - federal politician, Victoria

Religion

• The late Archbishop Stylianos Harkianakis – former Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
• Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis - current Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
• Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis - assistant bishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
• Bishop Seraphim of Apolloniados - assistant bishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
• Bishop Nikankdros of Dorileon - assistant bishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
• Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis - assistant bishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

Science and technology

• Professor Manuel Aroney – organic chemistry
• Leon Bombotas - Founder, incites.ai (automated insights in simple natural language)
• Gerasimos Danilatos-physicist, inventor of environmental scanning electron microscope
• George North (Tramountanas) – pastoralist, sheep farmer and first Greek to settle in South Australia in 1842
• Christos Pantelis – psychiatrist
• George Paxinos – Professor of Psychology at the University of New South Wales
• Michael Kyrios - clinical psychologist

Sport

Australian Rules Football

See also: Greek Team of the Century

• Luke Beveridge – Melbourne, Footscray & St Kilda player
• Ang Christou – Carlton player
• Andrew Demetriou – North Melbourne & Hawthorn player (later League CEO)
• Josh Francou – Port Adelaide player
• Gary Frangalas – Sydney & Richmond player
• John Georgiades – Footscray player
• John Georgiou – St.Kilda player
• Con Gorozidis – St.Kilda & Footscray player
• George Stama – Forest Rangers & Football player
• Athas Hrysoulakis – Collingwood player
• Peter Kanis – Hawthorn player
• Arthur Karanicolas – North Melbourne player
• Patrick Karnezis – Brisbane & Collingwood player
• Paul Koulouriotis – Port Adelaide & Geelong player
• Spiro Kourkoumelis – Carlton & St Kilda player
• Anthony Koutoufides – Carlton player
• Angelo Lekkas – Hawthorn player
• Spiro Malakellis – Geelong player
• Tony Malakellis – Geelong & Sydney player
• Steve Malaxos – Hawthorn & West Coast player
• Daniel Metropolis – West Coast & Fremantle player
• Russell Morris (footballer) – Hawthorn & St Kilda player
• Chris Pavlou – Carlton player
• Phillip Poursanidis – Carlton player
• Lou Richards – Collingwood player
• Ron Richards (footballer, born 1928) – Collingwood player
• John Rombotis – Fitzroy, Port Adelaide & Richmond player
• Tony Spassopoulos – Fitzroy player
• Jimmy Toumpas – Melbourne & Port Adelaide player
• Jason Traianidis – St Kilda player
• Zeno Tzatzaris – Footscray player
• David Zaharakis – Essendon player

Boxing and Kickboxing

• Arthur Tsakonas – Kickboxer, former World Kickboxing Champion
• Evangelos Goussis – Kickboxer and Boxer, convicted murderer
• George Kambosos Jr – Professional boxer
• Michael Katsidis – Professional Boxer, former WBA and WBO lightweight champion
• Stan Longinidis – Kickboxer, former World Kickboxing Champion
• Tosca Petridis – Kickboxer, former World Kickboxing Champion

Cricket

• Jason Gillespie – retired Australia international cricketer.
• Marcus Stoinis – Australia international cricketer.
• Peter Hatzoglou - Melbourne Renegades bowler.

Soccer

• Michael Kathopoulis, former player of Everton, Queens Park Rangers, Sampdoria FC and Morewell Falcons. Founder of the On The Ball Global Application, most downloaded football training app in history
• John Anastasiadis – former player of Heidelberg United, PAOK, South Melbourne and Yarraville Glory. Represented the Socceroos at U21 level. Coached Yarraville Glory, South Melbourne, Oakleigh Cannons and is current coach of Bentleigh Greens.
• Panos Armenakas – player, Udinese Calcio
• Con Blatsis – former player of South Melbourne, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday (on loan), Colchester United, Kocaelispor and St Patrick's Athletic. Represented the Socceroos at U20, U23 and senior level.
• Con Boutsianis – former player of South Melbourne, Heidelberg United, Collingwood Warriors, Bentleigh Greens, Perth Glory, Bolton Wanderers, Bulleen Zebras, Oakleigh Cannons, Essendon United and Malvern City. He represented the Socceroos at senior level.
• Dean Bouzanis – player Melbourne City and former Liverpool FC
• Jason Davidson – player Huddersfield Town and former Socceroos
• Chris Kalantzis – player
• Evan Kostopoulos – player, Adelaide United
• Stan Lazaridis – player, Perth Glory and Socceroos
• Apostolos Stamatelopoulos – player, Adelaide United and Western United
• Michalis 'Mike' Mandalis - player, one of Australia's all-time greats South Melbourne and Melbourne Hakoah
• Lucas Pantelis – former player
• Jim Patikas – former player, first Australian participant in UEFA Champions League, former Socceroos
• Ange Postecoglou – coach Socceroos and Celtic, former player
• Nick Theodorakopoulos – coach
• Michael Theoklitos – player, Brisbane Roar
• Michael Valkanis – coach, Melbourne City and Greece national football team assistant
• Andy Vlahos – player
• Charlie Yankos – Former Socceroos captain
• Terry Antonis – player, PAOK
• Apostolos Giannou – player, Panionios
• Avraam Papadopoulos – player, Australian born Greece national football team member
• Jesse Makarounas – player, Melbourne Victory
• Dimitri Petratos – player, Brisbane Roar
• Chris Ikonomidis – player, SS Lazio
• Anthony Lesiotis – player, Melbourne City

Mixed Martial Arts

• George Sotiropoulos – former UFC mixed martial artist
• Alexander Volkanovski – UFC mixed martial artist

Rugby League

• Braith Anasta – player, Sydney Roosters
• George Gatis – player, New Zealand Warriors
• Steve Georgallis – player/coach
• Michael Korkidas – player, Salford City Reds
• Nick Kouparitsas – player, Canterbury Bulldogs
• Glenn Lazarus – player Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm
• Billy Magoulias — player, Cronulla Sharks
• George Peponis – former Australian captain
• Peter Peters - player, Manly-Warringah
• Willie Peters – player, South Sydney Rabbitohs
• Jim Serdaris – player, South Sydney, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
• John Skandalis – player, Huddersfield Giants
• Jason Stevens – player, St-George Illawarra Dragons, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
• Justin Tsoulos – player, Parramatta Eels
• Arthur Kitinas -player coach South Sydney Sydney Roosters

Sailing

• Edward Psaltis – sailor

Shooting

• Michael Diamond – shooter – Olympic gold medallist, Sydney 2000

Skateboarding

• Tas Pappas – Former World No.1

Skiing

• Lydia Lassila (née Ierodiaconou) – skier – Winter Olympian (gold medalist)

Tennis

• Mark Philippoussis – player
• Nick Kyrgios – player
• Thanasi Kokkinakis – player

Weightlifting

• Philip Christou - athlete
• Robert Kabbas - athlete
• Bill Stellios - athlete
• George Vassiliades - athlete and world champion powerlifter

Wrestling

• Tony Kontellis – professional wrestler
• Spiros Manousakis aka Spiros Arion – wrestler
• Alex Iakovidis - Professional Heavyweight Wrestler - 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

See also

• Greek community of Melbourne
• Greeks
• Greek Cypriots
• Cypriot Australians
• European Australians
• Neos Kosmos
• Australia–Greece relations
• Greek Orthodox churches in New South Wales

Bibliography

• Tamis, Anastasios (2005). The Greeks in Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54743-1
• Gilchrist, Hugh (1992), Australians and Greeks Volume I: The Early Years, Brown, Prior, Anderson Pty. Ltd., ISBN 978-1-875684-01-4
• Alexakis, Effy and Janiszewski, Leonard (1998). In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians. Hale & Iremonger Pty Limited. ISBN 0-86806-655-9
• Alexakis, Effy and Janiszewski, Leonard (1995). Images of Home: Mavri Xenitia. Hale & Iremonger Pty Limited. ISBN 0-86806-560-9
• Alexakis, Effy and Janiszewski, Leonard (2013). Selling an American Dream: Australia's Greek Cafe. Macquarie University. ISBN 9781741383959
• Alexakis, Effy and Janiszewski, Leonard (2016). Greek Cafes & Milk Bars of Australia. Halstead Press. ISBN 9781925043181

External links

• Diamadis, Panayiotis – University of Technology, Sydney (2011). "Greeks". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 4 October 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) (Greeks in Sydney) [CC-By-SA]
• A video of Peter Yiannoudes, who established Greek Cinema in Victoria in the 1950s on Culture Victoria