Feature article by George Sentas

From Zeus and Aphrodite, and from Christ to Today, Greek Culture is one which has spanned many millennia’s. Greek culture brought us the foundations of science, mathematics and philosophy, but more importantly it taught us how to party. This year is the 10th annual Townsville X-strata Greek Festival to be held on the 10th and 11th of October 2009 at Riverway, Kirwan ,Townsville. 

 In an interview with one of the Founding figures Bill Malandris and the Coordinator of the Greek Festival and president of the Greek Committee, I  obtained a lot of good information about the Greek Festival in Townsville for the Greeks in Sydney who might like to come up North for a holiday or want to get an insight into the Greek lifestyle in Townsville and the region.   The festival’s popularity is based on the Food ,Music and dancing and attracts around 2000 people of the 2 day event. The Sydney bouzouki band, the George Doukas band (a five piece band) and also featuring the featuring the artist  Maria Maroulis.  

You might think that we perhaps a bit backward in the north, but we’ve been moving with the times since 1999 when the First Greek Festival took place. “Well, George we decided in 1999 well I was up here a bit earlier than that there were successful other festival  I sought of looked around t and I saw there were a lot of successful Italian and German festivals in those days we obviously looked around, we thought well there’s Greek culture going back  around 2000 years and yet there was no Greek festival/ and at various time we used to look out into flinders street  from the steps of the Greek community hall and though that this would be a great place to have a Greek festival.....and we had our first one in march 1999. Mr Malandris said. Furthermore the Festival ‘s naming sponsors is X-Strata a big mining company and Mr Malandris said that “ they have secured sponsorship with them for the next three years.” In a recent survey the Food Tops the list for the visitor’s desire’s in the Greek Festival. ‘’ Food well food you’ve got everything from spanakopita, yeros  souvokia too name a few and then there’s the sweets such as Loukamathes(honey puffs), baklava, kourabethes.”’ Mr Malandris said. He highlighted the fact that the food had to be really good because it is the main reason people come to the Greek Festival.  Australians of non-Greek heritage always have fantastic comments to make about Greek food.  Townsville has a few Greek cafes and restaurants, however very small in comparison to Cairns and Brisbane. Often the Greek lifestyle is limited to the Greek Festival and parties held by the Greek Community.  This is obviously due to lack of infrastructure and size of the Greek Population in Townsville On the topic of Greek lifestyle in Townsville Mr Malandris said “There are obviously services missing compared to the bigger cities.”   Although he mentioned that there are Greek afterschool English teaching services available to the community.  Mr Malandris said that the obviously in Townsville some of the Language is lost from generation to generation” however we try to keep our language culture and heritage alive by holding the Greek Fest and encourage people to get involved the Greek community. It is good to see the Dionysian lifestyle, of  eat, drink and be merry carries on through Greek and western culture , in a world when we sometimes need to forget about the past and present news like Afghanistan , Palestine and Iraq and look optimistically to the future, The Festival also highlights some static displays of old memorabilia and often seminars are given on significant philosophers and writers.  Contemporary art is also shown in the Gallery as well as  many classic’s artefacts or replicas. Some of the greatest philosophies ever told by the like of Plato and Aristotle and mythologies about the Ancient Greek Gods and origins of the Olympics etc

The Dances come second in the recent survey done for Greek Festival according to Mr Malandris. The Dances highlight some  styles such as. ‘The dances are they do Tradional dances like the Kalamtiana, Chiamika  Krititka, Pontoon dancing, and then of course there’s  modern dancing it’s too using Greek music “but a few different moves just to give it that little bit a flair.’ Mr Malandris said that “ for the kids there will be ‘Dora the Venturer’ for entertainment and last year they had ‘Bob the Builder.’’   

Although Greek lifestyle in terms of Greek ethnic socialising may be limited compared to the bigger cities he said the Greek Committee was seeking to address this slight deficiency. However for a population in the Townsville and surrounds of only 2000 Greeks Townsville appears to be making some big progress particularly in terms of the Greek Festival.  

The Greek dancing forms an important part of the festival with young dancers getting taught by Peter Giannoulis how to do the dances in intensive dancing class in the lead up to the Greek festival. In the north and especially the Greek Festival non-Greeks are also encouraged to join in the dancing as a Greek/Australian tradition of this has developed in the north. 

The Doukas Band has also played at the Sydney Greek Fest in 2002 and 2005 and this extract comes from the Sydney Greek Fest Website’ the music is also very important to Greeks and Greek Culture for without music there can be no dancing. The George Doukas Band has been to Townsville before and will feature a sixth member, Maria Maroulis. This Bouzouki Band.”  Leading Sydney Greek musician/ maestro, George Doukas, presents his new band The Doukas Band, at one of Sydney's hottest new nightclubs, Mancini's Restaurant/ Nightclub. The Doukas band has broken boundaries by presenting a new, unique repertoire - rock with a Greek punch!!!’’ 

‘’In the past, George Doukas has worked with such artists as Sakelleriou, Doukissa, Floriniotis and supported Dallaras at his Sydney concerts in '91'. His band consists of some of the finest musicians in the Greek music scene in Sydney - Spyros Arcoudis, George Ganakas.’’ source. Greek Fest Sydney. The Doukas band will also have a feature artist of Maria Maroulis. Maria Mourilis has been singing since age 8 and has been a backup vocalist for the likes of Vanessa Amorisi in the past. For the past three years she has been performing at Kinsi Live Nightclub and the at Sydney’s Greek Club Notes in 2007.  For such big name artist’s to come to Townsville so far north means that the Townsville X-strata Greek Festival is getting bigger and better every year.

Xρήστος, Νίκος, Γιώργος και ο Σταύρος Ιωάννου επί τω  έργω στο περσινό Ελληνικό Φεστιβάλ του Τάουνσβιλ

The Greek festival is also endorsed by the Greek Government and has  sponsors of the X-strata, Townsville City council, and the Townsville Airport.  When asked about how could the current economic downturn affect the  X-strata Greek Festival, Mr Malandris said ‘’.... we’ve secured 3 year funding from X-strata, and we also secured 3 year funding from the Townsville City Council, and we’ve also secured a 3 year funding from Townsville Airport. And we’ve got an option after another 3 years to extend it for each of them.” Obviously the Greek Community must take some reassurance from this fact. “There are approximately 2000 Greeks in Townsville and the region” Mr Malandris said.  When asked about the experiences of the early immigrants to Townsville. Mr Malandris said “ Well, like all immigration in those days coming to a different country was somewhat of an unknown..... They have  successfully assimilated into the Australian way of life.  Establishing themselves within a community and within a Greek community.’’ Here is some background information on Townsville to inform the Sydney readership about the Greek lifestyle in context. The population of Townsville is around 200,000 people. Townsville is a predominately industrial area, it’s has a major Army Base of about 25,000 soldiers, called Lavarack Barracks. It has a particularly hot climate for many months of the year. As a tourist destination it attracts many tourist’s and backpackers mainly for the attraction of Magnetic Island, Townsville’s local Island which is takes around 20 minutes to get to by Ferry from the Townsville. In this context it is a credit to Mr Malandris that the Greek Fest has won the north Queensland tourism awards on various occasions and the Australia day awards from 2002-2003.   It is no mystery that Townsville has been quoted by surveys in major newspapers including the Townsville Bulletin as being the one of the most racist places in Australia.  The Lavarack Barracks Army base had a few of its soldiers promote a pro-KKK stance against foreigners of predominately Asian descent on an Internet Website. political seats coming from the nearby Townsville Region.  It is a credit to the Greek Community to promote such a multi-cultural approach to setting up the Greek Festival in the midst of this. Townsville has a rich history of Festival’s and many minority groups now hold their own festival’s to promote their own culture and history.   The Greek International  Diaspora of cultural and ethnic identity will never fade as long as we promote  dialogue and educational mediums such as the Greek Festival.  The whole World carries the flame for the Olympics, so we owe it to our World to also teach its citizens how to dance, drink and be merry George Sentas

Thomas Pitiris, Matthew Gianoulis, Peter Gianoulis and Margarita Karpathios performing a Cretan Dance.  

Evan Hatzithomas, Alana Hutton, Peter Gianoulis, Margarita Karpathios, Matthew Gianoulis and Anna Hatzithomas performing a modern routine at Greek Fest Townsville.  

Bill Malandris  

Yiana Cambetis   

 Eleni  Bogiatzi &Stathis Mihalis 

  Hellenic Dancers in  Modern dance

 Children of Greeks
You owe something to your ancestors
To their great history, language and civilization
Together with your very own existence!
Don’t forget that 
If you don’t want your children to forget YOU!
MILTOS FROM MARRICKVILLE