I have previously written about Nick Polites, the remarkable jazz musician who lived in Melbourne until the age of 94.
In that article, I recounted an interesting story about how the sound of a clarinet once led him into a café owned by Panos Katsaitis (Peter Katsaitis), whose family came from Charadiatika on the Greek island of Lefkada.
Panos read my article and soon contacted me, arranging for us to meet “in town”, as he affectionately referred to our hometown.
“I found you, learned about you and wanted to meet you. I wanted to know how you heard about Nick Polites and when you met my aunt,” he told me.
“I’ve come here to repair my house, and I wanted to meet you because I have another connection with you, apart from Nick Polites, whom you’ve written about.
“You dedicated one of your books to my aunt, Altani, and I thank you very much. Altani was, as you wrote, an extraordinary personality, a heroine of life!”
A meeting that brought a lifetime of stories to light
I had met Aunt Altani three years earlier.
When I asked Panos about his friendship with Nick Polites, he began recounting the story enthusiastically.
“Nick suddenly and quietly walked into the café I owned in Melbourne. It was called Degani & Ivanhoe. There was live music playing at the time, and the musicians were performing jazz.
“Nick listened carefully, realised they were good musicians and came inside. It wasn’t long before he sat down with them and began playing too.
“From that moment, we became inseparable. I listened to him with my ears wide open, and he grew very fond of me. May God rest his soul.”
Nick Polites was a second-generation Greek Australian whose family roots traced back to Kontarena on the island of Lefkada.
Born in 1927, he went on to establish his own family and had four children. One of his sons is the well-known Melbourne lawyer Peter Polites.
His father was Theodoros Polites, also known as Patsas or Bouchaliotis, while his mother was Filio Tsarouchi, originally from Alatsata in Asia Minor.
Polites became an accomplished jazz clarinettist, performing alongside some of the greatest names in jazz.
In an interview, he spoke proudly of the joy he experienced playing with legendary musicians including Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and George Lewis, as well as other distinguished jazz performers.
Despite spending his life in Australia, Polites maintained close ties with his Greek heritage.
He visited Kontarena on several occasions, with his last known visit taking place in 2015.
According to Spyros Lekatsas, who warmly welcomed him to his restaurant, the Old Plane Tree, in Kontarena, Polites spoke excellent Greek.
He was also received with great affection by Spyros and Vera Polites-Patsas in Vasiliki, who treated him as one of their own.
Polites and his siblings were among the early generations of Australian-born children of Greek heritage to attend university.
His father had emigrated from Lefkada approximately 120 years before this account was written, while his mother arrived in Australia in 1923 as a refugee from Asia Minor.
Education, music and family values
Polites often spoke with great appreciation of the values his parents instilled in him, particularly their emphasis on education.
“Both my parents wanted us to study. I enjoyed studying, and I have four degrees from the University of Melbourne, where I studied economics, history, philosophy and sociology. I also learned French and Greek,” he recalled.
Throughout his life, he sought to honour his parents’ wishes, but with one important condition: he would never give up his clarinet.
“I worked in the family business for 20 years while also playing music,” he explained, adding that he never felt burdened by his commitments.
“When you’re pursuing things you love, it isn’t work,” he would say.
He also believed strongly in encouraging children to pursue music if they showed an interest.
“It might be difficult as a profession, but playing for the love of music is a wonderful thing.”
His passion for jazz brought him extraordinary experiences, collaborations and friendships that remained with him throughout his life.
One particularly treasured memory involved the legendary Louis Armstrong.
“When Louis Armstrong came to Australia, he came to my house, and we played music together at a party. It was a great joy for me,” Polites recalled with emotion.
His favourite musical tradition was the jazz of New Orleans from the period between 1910 and 1920.
A musician devoted to community service
Nick Polites was not only an exceptional clarinettist but also a significant figure in the development of Greek Australian community welfare services.
He was a pioneer in Greek welfare initiatives in Australia and a strong advocate for broader migrant support services during a crucial period in the development of the country’s multicultural policies.
Polites played a leading role in establishing PRONIA, an organisation created to assist Greek migrants who often arrived in Australia without adequate support or access to essential services.
His contribution extended beyond the Greek community, reflecting his commitment to improving the lives of migrants and helping them establish themselves in Australian society.
In 1981, Greece formally recognised his contribution to supporting Greek migrants.
These were among the many stories I discussed with my dear friend Panos Katsaitis during our meeting.
We spoke about Greek migration, the challenges faced by earlier generations, their journeys, their struggles and the lives they built in Australia.
What began as a conversation about Nick Polites became a journey through memory, family roots, music and the history of Hellenism in Australia.
Because behind every remarkable individual are people, encounters and stories worth preserving.
For those interested in experiencing the music that brought Polites and Katsaitis together, I recommend watching the Louisiana Shakers performing “S’il vous plaît” at Katsaitis’ venue on YouTube.
It is truly worth watching.
