The first arrivals.

The first Greek presense recorded in the Northern Territory was of M. Kangris, a cook in Goerge Coyder's survey vessel , the Moonta. The ship anchored in Bynoe Harbour on 5 February 1869. During this expedition a number of townsites were surveyed, amongst them the townsite of Palmerston, which later was renamed Darwin, the capital city of the Territory. At approximately the same period other transient arrivals have been confirmed. Some of these pioneers are Angelos Sakellarios and B. Foulis. A Kastelorizian sailor, Antonios Gemenis operated beche-de-mer luggers from Semarai in New Guinea. As you can see Greeks were already present in the Territory at the end of the 19th century.

Before World War I.

A large number of Greek migrants start arriving and settling in Darwin as early as 1910 . Some of these early settlers were Alexandros Harmanis, Kyriakos Kailis, George Margaritis, and Elefterios George Haritos. They were joined soon afterwards by ather Greeks, Kastelorizian in origin. The large Vesteys meatworks that were operating in Darwin attracted a large number of Greek albourers. Some Greeks would travel from Queensland's canefields at the end of the cutting season to work at Vesteys. They would migrate back to Queensland when the cutting season would recommence. In 1917 the first smal Greek Community was formed in Darwin and a primitive church was built and the first Greek Orthodox priest father Chrysanthos came to Darwin.
There were two Greek groups at the time, one at the "Greek town" close to the port and the other at "Salonika" on the rail link to the meatworks. The name Salonika still remains in Darwin as Salonika crossing near the centre of the city.
Elfterios George Haritos started the salt works in 1919 with 3 other Greeks: John Sfakinakis, Dick Colivas and George Harmanis. The salt works supplied the meatworks as well as the Darwin people and the pastoral stations outside Darwin with salt. It is alleged that between 1914 and 1919 more than 1,400 Greeks had arrived in Darwin. By the end of 1919 there were about 300 Greeks living in Darwin. In 1920 the Vesteys meatworks ceased operating and only 76 Greeks remained in Darwin with the overwhelming majority of this Greek population been male.

Despite the fact that the Darwin community respected the Greeks events in the other side of the planet caused a mini war between Greeks and British Australian workers. In November 1916, in the middle of World War I, following the treatment of British troops in Athens by the "neutral" government of Athens which was lead by the pro-German King Constantine I, brawls erupted in the streets of Darwin. Fortunately these brawl did not lasted long especially when the Greeks indicated that they were anti-royal and pro- Alliance.

However the Greek consul in Australia wrote to the Australian government protesting about the treatment of greek citizens in Darwin.

In 1921, swven (7) Greek Cypriots were residents of Darwin but the cypriot community flurished (by accident) after World War II (see relevant section).
 

When the Vestey's abattoirs finally closed in the early 20s some Greeks diversify their activities and became involved in the construction industry, building houses in Darwin and in the bush. Some other Greeks left Darwin and moved to Queensland where they established a small Greek community in Roma. Some of the current Greek residents of Roma are descendants of the Darwin Greeks. Another small number of Greeks also moved form Darwin to Perth where many Kastelorizians had already established a vibrant Greek community.

One of the Greek builders in Darwin, Mr Kafkaloudis, when things got really tough in Darwin during the depression, built his own caique (a small - Greek style - boat) and loaded his belongings and with his family he sailed all the way from Darwin to Perth, some 5000 miles away!

The present large Greek community of Darwin, consisting mainly of Kalymnians, has its origin in Broome and the pearling industry in the North Western Australia. However the pearls did not bring the Kalymnian only to Darwin but a number of Greeks who were involved form the early 1920s with the pearling industry in Cossack, Roebourne, Port Hedland and Broome.

The magic pearl.

From Shark Bay to Broome. The early years.

The fishing for pearl oysters (pearling) started in the 1850s in the Shark bay region of Western Australia but soon moved further north. Pearl oyster was sought not only for their pearls but also for their shells which were utilised in the production of buttons, knife handles, jewels and inlay of clocks. Initially pearl oysters were gathered in shallow waters but gradually pearling took place in deeper waters.

A number of town in Western Australia became associated with the pearling industry, Dampier and Karratha as the pearling grounds and Onslow as a support port. In 1870 Cossack , north of Karratha became the centre of the pearling industry. In its heydays Cossack was one of the most multicultural cities of Western Australia with hundred of residents and a port associated exclusively with the pearling industry.

When the pearling grounds in the sea around the area were exhausted the pearling fleet moved further north and Cossack became a small village with numerous of abandoned buildings. The last resident of the town left in 1955 and the town was (partially) re-inhabited after 1983 when the Western Australia Government decide to restore the town as a tourist attraction and used young offenders to rebuilt/restore some of the old buildings.

When the first group arrived in the abandoned town they found an old abandoned pearl lugger ( a vessel used for pearl fishing) tied at the wharf, still floating despite the cyclones that hit the area during all this years.

The Paspalis family.

The new pearling port was Port Hedland and it was here that the first serious Greek connection with the pearling industry eventuated. However a Greek person ,Mr Antonios Julian, who jumped ship in Albany in March 1870, was the first greek to go north to Cossack where he worked as a pearler.

Theodosis Michael Paspalis, a tobacco merchant from Kastellorizo arrived with his family in port Hedland in 1919. In port Hedland he established a grocery shop and bought a share in a pearl lugger. Unfortunately Theodosis died 5 years later but his sons Michael and Nikolas and his daughter Mary continued their father interest in pearling. A number of other Greeks were also involved with the pearling industry in Port Hedland, Broome and in the North West of Western Australia. George Marinos and George Thomas worked in Port Hedland, Jack Koutsoukis and Michael Canaris worked in Broome and John Theoharis (who was call king John by the local Aborigines) was based on Thursday islands.

Today the Paspalis (or Paspaley) family has established the larger cultured pearls idustry in Australia and produce very high quality pearls and other pearl products. More information regarding the Paspalis (or Paspaley) family and the history of pearl farming in the Northern Territory can be found in the relevant page.

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at konv@arafura.net.au