Greek General Information

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The people

Name of Country Greece

Population 10.6 million (July 2005 estimate)

Governement Parliamentary Republic

Ethnic Groups 98% of the people are Greek.

Religions The Greek Orthodox religion dominates the country with 98% of the population following this faith.

Languages Greek is the official language. English and French are also spoken.

Background

Although Greece did not come into being as a modern state until the 19th century, its history stretches back thousands of years. In the 1st millennium BCE, ancient Greek city-states led by Athens made tremendous advances in government, philosophy and the arts.

Ancient Greek civilisation was concentrated on the coastlines of present-day Greece and its islands, as well as the Aegean coast of what is Turkey today. The archaeological remains of many of the cities and sacred sites of ancient Greece are located in modern Greece.

Until the 1950s agriculture dominated the Greek economy, with subsistence farming predominant in many areas.

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Greece drew most of its income from the export of a few agricultural products, principally tobacco and dried fruit, from its shipping industry, and from money sent home by Greeks living abroad.

Greece became increasingly industrialised after World War II, benefiting from government policies that encouraged growth, along with foreign aid and investment. Greece's most striking economic development of the postwar period has been its emergence as a major tourist destination. Greece became a full member of the European Union (EU) in 1981, but the economy remains one of the least developed in the EU.

The Greek government has traditionally been a major employer, both directly through the large public sector - which includes state-owned banks, public utilities, schools, and mass transit - and indirectly, through businesses controlled by state-owned banks.

Economic activity is also conducted to a significant degree by the self-employed and by small family-run businesses. This characteristic has limited the growth of labour unions outside the public sector.

Since the first couple of decades after WWII, Greece has undergone some turbulent changes (several coups overthrowing either 'left-wing' or 'right-wing' regimes) but since then have had stable governments.

In 1992 Greece prevented the recognition by the European Union of Macedonia as an independent state. Difficulties with their neighbours, namely Turkey and the former Yugoslav countries, continue to have an impact on Greek relations with the European Union and the USA.

History of Migration to Australia

The first significant stream of Greek migration began in the 1850s as a result of the discovery of gold in NSW and Victoria.

From the last decade of the 19th century until WW I the number of Greeks coming to Australia increased steadily and communities were reasonably well established in Melbourne and Sydney. The Greek language press began in Australia and in 1913 Australia, the first Greek weekly newspaper, was published in Melbourne.

During WW I Greece remained neutral, eventually joining the side of the Allies. In 1916 the Australian government responded to this by placing a special prohibition on the entry of Greeks and Maltese people to Australia that was not lifted until 1920. There were a number of anti-Greek outbursts as a result of the neutrality stance by Greece, often instigated by Australian soldiers on leave. During these outbursts Greek shops or cafes were badly damaged or destroyed, with the worst rioting occurring in Kalgoorlie and Boulder.

During the interwar period, the number of Greeks arriving in Australia increased substantially. Some people who settled in Australia were expelled from Asia Minor after the Greek military defeat by Turkey in 1922 while others sought entry after the USA established restrictive immigration quotas in the early 1920s. From 1924 until 1936 a series of regulations operating in Australia severely restricted the number of Greeks permitted to settle in Australia.

Greece entered WW II with the Allies and was invaded by German forces who remained in Greece until 1944. When troops withdrew a struggle broke out between pro and anti-communist factions which resulted in civil war between 1946 and 1949, ending with the defeat of the communists.

The Greek government encouraged post-war migration as a way of solving poverty and unemployment problems, with the most favoured destination being West Germany although large numbers also went to Australia and Canada. Migration of Greeks to Australia was now occurring on a much larger scale and between 1947 and the 1980s almost 250,000 Greeks entered Australia in the category of permanent or long-term arrivals.

Greek-born residents of Australia today constitute the second largest non-English speaking population in Australia after the Italians. Community organisations and institutions have been established in all the major cities in Australia dating as far back as 1897 when the first Greek Orthodox Community organisation of Melbourne was established.

Many Greek people living in Australia today belong to a Greek community, cultural, political, educational or professional organisation.

These organisations often actively promote the maintenance, preservation and promotion of Greek culture, language and identity in Australia. These established organisations and institutions form the backbone of the Greek community in Australia and have greatly assisted Greeks in Australia.

Some Cultural Aspects of Greek Life

There are two major representative religious and cultural groups in the Greek community in NSW - the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW and the Greek Orthodox Church (Archdiocese). The Greek Orthodox Church was established in Australia in the 19th century and became an Archdiocese in 1959. A split in the Greek community occurred in 1959, between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Greek Orthodox Community. Some argue that the conflict was over the desire by the Archdiocese for control over the secular activities of the community and because of political differences, especially in relation to the situation in Greece at the time.

Throughout Australia the Archdiocese has established many churches, schools and colleges. It operates hostels and nursing homes, and runs community organisations and social welfare services in many areas of Sydney.

The Greek Orthodox Community was founded in 1898, with the first church located in the inner-Sydney suburb of Surry Hills. It was one of the first formal ethnic organisations in NSW. It operates several language schools and child care centres, a hostel, a welfare service, and a radio program.

The first Greek theatre in Sydney was in production shortly after the end of WW I, with two weekly newspapers starting in 1913 and 1914 in Melbourne and Adelaide. The first Greek-language book was published in Australia in 1916, with one in Sydney in 1920.

In Greek society many families, including extended families, are close, with people caring for their parents as well as their children. The teaching of Greek language and culture occurs at all levels of community life, including Greek bi-lingual state and community schools.

After WW II, Greek restaurants and coffee houses transformed the Australian culinary landscape. Greek cuisine is still a focus of the eating-out experience for Greeks and non-Greeks alike, with restaurants scattered throughout the country. Greek bakeries and delicatessens have proved to be extremely popular with many people living in Australia.

Attitudes towards People with disability

Like all communities, there are many differences within the Greek community, especially perceptions or beliefs about disability and the causes of disability. Traditionally, Greek families frequently believed that the existence of a disability presupposes an 'illness' which is hereditary. This has led to tremendous guilt and shame at the birth of a child with a disability. Today explanations of disability have changed, but there can still be a stigma that attaches to the whole family as well as the person with disability.

Where families do feel shame, they may blame themselves, another person, a spiritual entity or perhaps medical personnel for the disability.

Many Greek families tend to be very focused on the well-being of their family, including people with disability. Care is often provided in a supportive home environment.

Social and cultural norms, coupled with a lack of knowledge of and unfamiliarity with services available, has often led to women caring for family members to the point of exhaustion.

Daniel
Daniel is an 18 year old with multiple disabilities who lives with his family and has very high support needs. Until two years ago his parents cared for him without accessing any support services.

Two years ago Daniel's mother sustained a back injury due to the constant heavy lifting of her son. The family has been in crisis since then, and as no services have become available, Daniel's father has threatened to kill himself and his family.

Some Greek families may also hesitate to use services because of language difficulties, or because the services are perceived as not culturally appropriate and/ or not meeting the expectations of the family.

George
George is from a Greek background and has a mental illness. He is unemployed and lives with his elderly parents. George does not want to take his medication as it makes him unwell physically. Without his medication he has had several violent episodes assaulting his parents. While they are increasingly fearful and have difficulty coping with his behaviour, they do not want him to go to hospital again as they believe his 'illness' is made much worse through the treatment there.

In more recent years Greeks living in Australia have become increasingly aware of disability issues and services. Similarly, many service providers are becoming increasingly aware of cultural issues relevant to the Greek community.

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