Castellorizian Migration Stories
28 March - 2 April 2017
Opening Night Tuesday 28 March 2017, 6-8pm
Short Film of Migration Story Interviews to be shown at 1pm daily.
Castellorizians migrated to Australia from the late 19th century up to the conclusion of WWII.
Castellorizians began migrating to Australia from the late 19th Century, when Athanasios Augustis, escaped from the Ottomans to Port Said Egypt where he was joined by his cousins, Dimitris and Athanasios Manolas and together they came to Australia. Between 1910 and 1930, Castellorizians migrated to Australia, for a number of reasons, including the imposition of conscription by the Ottomans on Christian citizens, a war between Italy and Turkey where the vast Castellorizian merchant fleet became a target to the Italian onslaught and the Great War broke out in 1914 when Turkey targeted the island. The population of Castellorizo reduced from 10,000 at the turn of the 20th century to 2,230 by 1931. Since 1930 migration continued, sponsored by the Castellorizian families in Australia and was interrupted by WW2 and in 1946, the first ship arrived in Australia with migrants, including Castellorizians, under the Commonwealth governments initiated migration program.
Image: Christina Athanassiades arriving at Pyrmont Wharf October 1946
Castellorizian Migration Stories Photo Exhibition is presented in association with the 2017 Greek Festival of Sydney
