The Greeks in Australia

By Anastasios Myrodis Tamis, Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 2005, 206 pages, paperback, $39.95. Reviewed by John Yiannakis in the August 2005 issue.

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This relatively easy to read book by Professor Anastasios Tamis, Director of the National Centre for Hellenic Studies at La Trobe University, should be treated for what it is; a generalist, popular account of the Greek presence in, and contribution to, Australia. It is a wide ranging work in that it attempts to deal with Greeks in Australia since colonial times across all states, covering events from migrant arrival to Australia, through to the setting up of clubs, associations, media outlets and kafenia, and to Greeks entering parliament. The focus is however, the post-war period and the eastern seaboard. Work similar to this has been produced before, albeit many years ago, such as G. Bottomley's, After the Odyssey, in 1979. For the general reader it holds much that is of interest, but for the scholar or researcher there is nothing much new here.

The book follows the somewhat standard approach, with a chapter discussing the Greeks in the diaspora since ancient times, then a chapter on Greek arrival to Australia, followed by chapters discussing the character and experiences of Greeks and their communities in Australia. The focus, as to be expected, is on the Eastern states communities and the significant role Greeks have played in Australian society. The map of Greece on page 30 fails to show the three islands from where the bulk of pre-war Greek migrants came, ie. Ithaca, Kythera and Castellorizo. This is indicative that the emphasis of the book is post 1945.

The work is somewhat myopic and falls into the trap of so many ethnic accounts of their presence in Australia of identifying the 'first'. Not just the first settler, but also the first theatre group, first Greek newspaper in Canberra, etc. Important as these events/developments may be, the filio-pietist tendency of some writers has worn thin in the twenty-first Century. The natural development that tends to follow is to highlight Greek achievements in Australia. Tamis proceeds to record Greek 'successes', as if needing to justify the Greek presence in Australia. This approach is however, central to the author's purpose. Interesting data are included such as rates of exogamy, internal workings of some associations, etc, helping to give the book substance, but it is fundamentally a narrow, ethno-centric history, which talks in generalities, unable to delve into the complexities of Greek migrants and their communities, which are far from homogenous. The 'schism' which has impacted so much on the community affairs in many Australian states receives considerable attention. By going through to 2004 Tamis does add to the writing of the Greek presence by providing some contemporary discussion, such as useful detail about Greek Cypriots and South Africans. It has to be also said that the putting together of such information in one concise text is a credible achievement.

Some sections are done particularly well by Tamis, a linguist of acclaim rather than a historian, while others parts are more cursory in their treatment. There are errors in this work, notably when discussing developments away from Sydney and Melbourne. For instance, such as identifying A G Falangas as a Castellorizian, or calling the Hellenic Community of Western Australia the Hellenic Orthodox Community, and that it was only in the colonies of Queensland and Western Australia that newcomers arrived to hostile environments. Labelling of some images such as those on pages 34 and 35 could be more accurate as could the referencing. Use of footnotes or endnotes is very limited. Yet, there are some very pertinent images such as those on pages 50, 108, 112 and 118. There is also a tendency to repeat some points to stress the contribution of Greeks in Australia such as Michael Diamond and his success in the Olympic Games.

The Greeks in Australia is a popular history that is easy to read providing the reader with a good understanding of the broad patterns and trends of Greek migration to Australia. What Greeks and their descendants have achieved since early in the twentieth Century is also emphasised, but the context in which Greeks were operating and living doesn't receive sufficient attention. Though it is easy for some to be critical of this style of work it does have its place and worth. Tamis' book is a good read, but not one that will contribute too much that is new to scholarly pursuits.

Citation

• John Yiannakis. 'Review: The Greeks in Australia by Anastasios Myrodis Tamis' [online]. Network Review of Books (Perth, Australian Public Intellectual Network), August 2005. Availability: <please cite the web address here> ISSN 1833-0932. [accessed 20 May 2013].

Back Cover Blurb

• The Greeks have made an enormous contribution to Australian cultural and social life, and this book tells their story. Beginning with an examination of the conditions in Europe that led to migration, it details the role of the Greek people in Australian settlement, the two large waves of Greek migration in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the ways in which the Greeks have maintained a solid sense of Greek cultural expression. Numbering approximately half a million, the Greek community in Australia comprises the second-largest ethnic minority after the Italians. The contribution of Greek settlers to the large industrial cities and other major urban centres modernised them by injecting new ideas into the economic, social and political life of their new environment. The role of Greek settlers has been vital in building the nation we have today.

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