Readers of The Greek Herald in Australia perhaps don’t realise, nor give much thought to, the fact that The Greek Herald in Australia is also sought out and read by people abroad.
I spoke with two, 2nd generation Greek Australians who live outside of Australia: Nicole in Germany and Lee in Greece who read and savour The Greek Herald! Here’s what they had to say:
Nicole:
“Reflecting on the past, almost like time-travelling and recognising the historical value of such a centennial newspaper like The Greek Herald, I’d say it was a haven for all Hellenes in Australia back then – just as it remains one for those around the globe today.
As a vast archive it acts as a bridge through history; documenting triumphs, wars, sports, religion, folk dances, art and cuisine- keeping Greeks tethered to their heritage and traditions.
So many sacred lines. So far but yet, so close.
Growing up in Sydney during the ´70s, I remember my parents purchasing the newspaper as a way to stay connected to news from home in Greece. Sadly, after moving to Greece just before the ´80s, we barely had the chance to stay in touch with the Greek community and our relatives and friends in Australia, and as a result, the distance between our two worlds only increased.
Despite having lived in Athens for 14 years, my maintenance of close ties to Greece still persists through family and friends there. So, since relocating to Germany, I have not felt conflicted because travelling to Greece is just a step away compared to the distance Greek Australians face.
Fortunately, now in my 50s and having lived in Germany for three decades, I have a profound appreciation for maintaining one’s dual identity, tradition and language and for staying informed no matter where one resides.
On both my husband’´’s side and my own, our families share a similar history: we, along with our daughter, come from Greek parents who spent decades living far from their homeland. Even so, we’re all great fans of The Greek Herald!
The Greek Herald holds a historical treasure; where editors once used simple tools to press ink to paper, they now transcribe the world onto glowing screens. Back then, Greeks would read the newspaper in a kafeneio or at home over coffee and galaktoboureko.
The physical sensation of ink-printed pages and the nostalgia of its scent, offer richness that digital screens can never replicate. Yet, living in digital ages, the core spirit, passion and craftsmanship of the written word endure.
We hope and wish that The Greek Herald will continue its storytelling for many, many decades to come.”
Lee:
“My parents immigrated to Melbourne in 1961, so while I was born in Australia and lived in Melbourne during my primary years, my family then returned to Greece in 1979.
I lived in Greece until I completed my military service at 21 and eventually returned to Australia as an adult in the 90s to raise my family. Thirty years later, I’ve returned to Greece once again to set myself up for what I like to call ‘Act Three’ of life. I have relocated with my 92-year-old father and my non-Greek-partner to the family village near Aigio, where we have now been settled happily for close to a year.
My Greekness has been an anchor in my life, despite having sometimes rebelled against my origins in my youth. Everything has a season, and when I became a father to two beautiful girls something in me clicked: I decided emphatically to and did, become extremely involved with the Greek community in Melbourne… but that and more is for another interview perhaps!
I was variously involved in Melbourne’s Greek Australian community through clubs, events and festivals, as well as hosting a long-running weekly radio show ‘Lee Savato Proi’. The Greek Herald seems to have been, figuratively speaking, by my side in appealing to and connecting the younger generation of Greek Australians.
I like that it’s run by a younger generation now, and is accessible online, as well as in its original ‘paper’ form that has served our first-generation parents for so many years.
I really like that The Greek Herald hasn’t fossilised. The Greek Orthodox Church and Greek community organisations have been robust pillars and torch-bearers of our Greek culture, however it’s great to see articles that cover so much more than that.
There is so much value in The Greek Herald keeping up with the times. I appreciate the inclusion of topics that appeal to younger Greek Australian readers, such as lifestyle type articles and other contemporary or progressive reading.
After the hard work of the first and second generation of Greek Australians, the path has been paved for the third, fourth and ensuing generations. It’s great to see that our kids, and beyond, seem to, simply put, really love Greek culture in all its aspects, as we all join the ride in its evolving future.”
