The Board of the Greek Community of Melbourne expresses its sincere condolences to the families who have recently lost beloved family members as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hearts are with you.

Dr Sebastiana Nervegna will present online a lecture entitled Performing Greek Tragedy around the Mediterranean, on Thursday 23 July 2020, as a part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars, offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

It appears that normality as we once knew it is still a long way away. So therefore we have to adapt and accept what is now the new norm as the Covid pandemic continues.

The Greek Community of Melbourne wholeheartedly welcomes the appointment of a teacher that will allow the Greek language program at Coburg West Primary School to recommence in term three. The Greek Community of Melbourne, in conjunction with a large group of school parents, has campaigned strongly over the past two years to ensure the return of the Greek program.

Catering to the needs of students in year 7 and 8 who wish to increase their cultural literacy, investigate the origins of philosophy, science, politics, rhetoric, history and literature, be inspired from the moral insight and virtue of the classical world, read the architects of western civilization in their own words and finally select it next year as a subject of their study program which will allow them to participate in the VCE Classical Greek examinations and be benefited from its high score scaling.

This course provides students with the opportunity to develop their communication skills in Modern Greek and their knowledge and understanding of the Greek language and culture. This elementary level will introduce the Greek alphabet, greetings and introductions, and how to describe various daily activities. No prior knowledge of Greek is required.

The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne & Victoria strongly condemns the Turkish Republic’s decision to reinstate the World Heritage listed cultural icon - Hagia Sofia (Αγία Σοφία) - back into a Mosque.

This course provides students with the opportunity to develop their communication skills in Modern Greek and their knowledge and understanding of the Greek language and culture. This elementary level will introduce the Greek alphabet, greetings and introductions, and how to describe various daily activities. No prior knowledge of Greek is required.

Dr Antonios Meimaris will present online a lecture entitled A Brief History of Randomness: From divination and gambling to modern Probability Theory & Statistics, from the Greek Centre on Thursday 9 July 2020, as a part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars, offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

Melbourne's not-for-profit community television station Channel 31 is set to be taken off air after more than 25 years of broadcasting. Channel 31 now believes that extension to its license will not be granted and the station will cease to broadcast on June 30, 2020.

An interesting discussion on strengthening the relations between Greece and Diaspora took place online on Thursday 18 June, as part of the 5th Delphi Economic Forum, with the participation of the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Director of the law firm Moray and Agnew, Mr. Bill Papastergiadis.

A discussion held in English, with:

• George Prevelakis, Professor emeritus, Sorbonne University (Paris 1), Permanent Representative of Greece at the OECD
• Bill Papastergiadis, Managing Partner, Moray & Agnew Lawyers, Australia
• Endy Zemenides, Executive Director, Hellenic-American Leadership Council, USA
• Moderator: Antonis Papayannides, Managing Director, Economia Publishing, Greece

Register here:

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/defoe28/register

Australians of Greek background, who historically can be considered as recent arrivals to this great country have prospered from opportunities afforded to them.

***THIS IS A VIRTUAL SEMINAR, PARTICIPATION DETAILS WILL BE POSTED ON THE GCM’s WEBPAGE NEXT WEEK*** Louise Hitchcock, Professor of Aegean Bronze Age Archaeology in the Classics and Archaeology Program at the University of Melbourne, will present a lecture entitled What the Covid-19 Pandemic Can Tell Us About the Bronze Age (12th cent) Collapse in Greece, on Thursday 25 June 2020, as a part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars, offered for ten consecutive years by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

The weekly Greek History and Culture Public Seminar Series organized by the Greek Community of Melbourne has been affected by Covid events just like other elements of the Community’s educational and cultural event programming. Due to the on-going nature of the Covid pandemic, it was deemed necessary to suspend the series in mid-March.

This Wednesday marks the beginning National Reconciliation Week for 2020. This year’s theme is ‘In this Together’, which allows us as to assess what role we can play, as Greek Australians , on the journey towards reconciliation.

Στο κόκκινο χρώμα φωταγωγήθηκε την Τρίτη το βράδυ το Ελληνικό Κέντρο, το κτήριο της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας Μελβορνης, που βρίσκεται στην καρδιά της πόλης, στο πλαίσιο μιας πρωτοβουλίας της Συντονιστικής Επιτροπής για τις Εκδηλώσεις Μνήμης της Γενοκτονίας του Ποντιακού Ελληνισμού και των Ποντιακών Σωματείων της Μελβούρνης.

“Theatrical children’s/teens groups perform roles in front of a microphone"

Children and teenagers now have the opportunity to perform audio roles in plays, myths and fairy-tales in the Greek language, in front of a microphone and instead of having audiences they will have listeners.

Για πρώτη φορά στην ιστορία της Κοινότητας και λόγω των ειδικών συνθηκών με την κρίση του κοροναϊού, η Ετήσια Γενική Συνέλευση της Κοινότητας για το έτος 2019 πραγματοποιήθηκε εξ' αποστάσεως, λόγω των περιοριστικών μέτρων που έχουν θέσει σε εφαρμογή οι αρμόδιες αρχές.

Η Ελληνική Κοινότητα Μελβούρνης στηρίζει ένα σημαντικό πρόγραμμα ψυχολογικής υποστήριξης του Ινστιτούτου Cairnmillar, που προσφέρει δωρεάν υπηρεσίες συμβουλευτικής και ψυχικής υγείας στα Ελληνικά, μέσω τηλεφώνου ή τηλεδιάσκεψης, για τους Έλληνες νεομετανάστες και για όσους έχουν μητρική γλώσσα τα Ελληνικά.

Επιστολή στον Έλληνα πρωθυπουργό Κυριάκο Μητσοτάκη έστειλε η Ελληνική Κοινότητα Μελβούρνης σχετικά με τη Γενική Γραμματεία Απόδημου Ελληνισμού και τις συζητήσεις για τη συγχώνευσή της με τη Γενική Γραμματεία Δημόσιας Διπλωματίας, Προξενικών και Θρησκευτικών Υποθέσεων.

The Greek Community of Melbourne was founded in 1897 and is one of the oldest ethnic communities in Australia. The Chinese community were here before us.

The Australian Government has announced a new Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package, aimed at supporting services to remain open to ensure quality early childhood education

and care continues to be available to essential workers and disadvantaged and vulnerable children and families.

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) has over the past few weeks focussed on developing a coordinated response for Greek citizens without Australian rights navigating the COVID19 pandemic alongside the response to its own affairs.

The President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Mr. Bill Papastergiadis, and the General Secretary, Mr. Costas Markos, had a meeting with the Acting Minister of Immigration, Mr. Alan Tudge, on Monday, to discuss issues faced by Greek citizens who are in the country with temporary visas as a result of the coronavirus.

Συνάντηση με τον αναπληρωτή υπουργό Μετανάστευσης της Αυστραλίας κ. Αλαν Τατζ πρόκειται να έχουν τη Δευτέρα ο Πρόεδρος και ο Γενικός Γραμματέας της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας Μελβούρνης κ. Βασίλης Παπαστεργιάδης και κ. Κώστας Μάρκου, για να εξεταστεί το πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζουν οι Έλληνες πολίτες που βρίσκονται στη χώρα με προσωρινή άδεια παραμονής, και λόγω του κορωναϊού και των περιοριστικών μέτρων αντιμετωπίζουν πολλά προβλήματα, ενώ δεν έχουν τη δυνατότητα να επιστρέψουν στην Ελλάδα.

Άμεσα έδρασε η Ελληνική Κοινότητα Μελβούρνης (ΕΚΜ) στη νέα κατάσταση που έχει διαμορφωθεί με την πανδημία του κορονοϊού που έχει ενσκήψει και τις παράπλευρες επιπτώσεις που αυτή έχει επιφέρει στη μαθητική κοινότητα.

Greek Independence Day is usually a significant occasion for people of Greek heritage to recall a defining moment in history and to celebrate Greek culture.

I have often prepared for this most important of days on the Greek calendar, full of pride and often introspection. I have thought of the heroes of that revolution and the odds that they faced and I prepared in the knowledge that we celebrate today because of the sacrifice that those heroes made.

The "Greek History and Culture Seminars" are organised and hosted by The Greek Community of Melbourne and provide the opportunity for everyone to experience the long and fascinating history of Greece and Greek culture in its various forms and stages, aspects of which have formed the foundation of Western civilisation.

This year all our seminars are free and open to the general public, and unless otherwise noted presented in English.

Most seminars take place on Thursdays at Greek Centre, Mezzanine Floor, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

All seminars are scheduled to start at 7:00pm. For details relating to each seminar please see the website calendar close to the day of the event.

Enrol to our seminars for free and be kept up to date with details of each Seminar and all events of the Greek Community.

 2020 Greek History and Culture Seminars Program 
Online Delivery Only

Opportunity for donations/sponsorships: Donate or sponsor one or more seminars and (optionally) let your name or brand be known as a patron of culture to our members, visitors and followers, as well as the broader artistic and cultural community of Melbourne. Individual, Corporate/Organisations and Naming Rights are available. If you find the seminars of value please consider contributing to help us keep the seminars free and open to the public.

Subscribe to our email newsletter and be kept up to date with the next Seminar and all events of the Greek Community.

In light of recent developments and on-going monitoring of the COVID-19 situation, the Greek Community of Melbourne has decided to suspend its seminar series for the next month and re-evaluate the situation after the Easter Break.

We believe that this is the responsible thing to do, there will be no seminars over the course of the next four-five weeks, however all cancelled events will be rescheduled for some future date.

We appreciate your understanding on this matter.

Are you a Victorian business interested in selling your product or setting up a business in Greece? You’re invited to an information session to hear from experts about opportunities in Greece with a focus on:

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) would like to express its support for Greece and by extension the European Union in their joint position on the forced expulsion of refugees and economic migrants by Turkey towards Greece and Europe.

The GCM remains concerned about the fate of these refugees and economic migrants that Turkey is forcefully expelling from its borders armed with false hopes and in clear contravention of its agreement with the European Union. Greece faces a crisis on its borders not of its own making.

European leaders have promised unequivocal support and now must deliver on that commitment as Greece’s efforts in managing this latest wave is not only a task it undertakes for its own sovereignty, but the sovereignty of the whole of Europe.

Dr Antonios Meimaris will present a lecture entitled A Brief History of Randomness: From divination and gambling to modern Probability Theory & Statistics, at the Greek Centre on Monday 16 March 2020, as a part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars, offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

On Sunday 15 March 2020 the English version of the book “A Greek Folk Journey: Travel, Culture and Gastronomy” authored by Terina Armenakis will be launched in Melbourne at the Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale St Melbourne , Mezzanine level at 6.30pm.

Mια ενδιαφέρουσα διάλεξη με θέμα «Νύφες με προξενιό: Βιώματα και μαρτυρίες Ελληνίδων στην Αυστραλία (1950-1975)» πρόκειται να δώσει η Δρ Παναγιώτα Νάζου, την Πέμπτη 12 Μαρτίου, στο Ελληνικό Κέντρο, στο πλαίσιο των Σεμιναρίων Ελληνικής Ιστορίας και Πολιτισμού, που προσφέρει η Ελληνική Κοινότητα Μελβούρνης για δέκατη συνεχή χρονιά.

Professor Tim Parkin at the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne will launch the 2020 Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne, with a lecture entitles “The Briefest of Wonders: the Colossus of Rhodes’ on Thursday 5 March 2020, at the Greek Centre.

The Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne enter their tenth year. The success and appeal of the Seminars in the Greek and Australian communities exceeded all expectations and precedents.

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) hosted a significant Youth forum on Tuesday night that was organised by two passionate young Greek Australians Dean Kotsianis and Vasilios Berbatakis. An intergenerational audience of 100 people including young, inspiring Hellenes from all walks of life came together to discuss the relevance and evolving role of Greek Youth in the community. The key segments discussed were battling Stigmas, ensuring continuity, connecting inter-generationally and creatively enacting change.

In front of an audience of 120, the Greek Community of Melbourne presented its second instalment of Hellenic discourse with Mark Bouris as the main speaker.

Mετά την μεγάλη επιτυχία που σημείωσε η παράσταση «Λίγη Αλήθεια» του τμήματος ενηλίκων του Δημιουργικού Κέντρου Δράματος και Τεχνών της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας Μελβούρνης, το περασμένο Σάββατο, διοργανώνεται νέα παράσταση το Σάββατο 22 Φεβρουαρίου.

In 1995 during the economic crisis, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis attempt to re-negotiate the country's relationship with the EU sparked immerse controversy.

The Greek Community of Melbourne is delighted to announce that the next evening of its Dialogues series, features none other than the successful businessman and prominent Greek Australian, Mark Bouris AO.

The Greek Community of Melbourne’s Antipodes Festival will take over the historic Lonsdale St Greek Precinct on Saturday 29 February and Sunday 1 March.

The Greek Community of Melbourne is proud to present Mauthausen and Other Songs of Humanity to be performed at Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday 29 April by two of the world’s greatest voices, Maria Farantouri from Greece and the Israeli tenor Assaf Kacholi.

Το Δημιουργικό Κέντρο Δράματος & Τεχνών (Τμήμα Ενηλίκων) της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας Μελβούρνης, παρουσιάζει το θεατρικό δρώμενο «Λίγη Αλήθεια» σε σκηνοθεσία της Ελένης Μπουκουβάλα.

Πολύ ικανοποιητικά αποτέλεσματα είχαν φέτος οι μαθητές των σχολείων της Κοινότητας που διαγωνίστηκαν στις εξετάσεις του VCE στο μάθημα των Ελληνικών και των Αρχαίων Ελληνικών, καθώς και οι μαθητές του ημερήσιου Κολλεγίου της Κοινότητας Alphington Grammar.

Our Courses in 2021

Learn Modern Greek by attending our courses offered in 2021 and planned according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages *

*In the document above summarised information about the levels of language knowledge is found on pages 24, 26-29, 58-62, 64-84, 86-87, 96, 110, 112, 114, 117-118, 122, 124-125, 129).

Learn Ancient Greek by attending our courses offered in 2021 - see below for commencement dates and other relevant details on our Ancient Greek classes for Adults.