“Faraway Words” with Vassilis Papastergiadis | 14 Apr. 2025

The guest on the show was Mr. Vassilis Papastergiadis, the president of the Greek Community of Melbourne. Recently named “Lawyer of the Year” for Australia and New Zealand, Mr. Papastergiadis discussed the community’s initiatives and future goals.
He spoke about the ongoing expansion of the community’s 15-story building in the heart of Melbourne, which will extend into adjacent properties to create a multi-purpose arts space for exhibitions, lectures, and other cultural events.
He also mentioned the upcoming opening of a Greek Tourism Organization office in Melbourne, set to operate within the community’s building. Regarding Greek language education, the Greek Community of Melbourne currently runs 16 schools and one daily school where Greek is taught, and Easter-related activities are taking place outside of school hours.
Notably, the Greek Community of Melbourne organized the Greek Football Cup this year, and the annual “Antipodes” festival, held recently on Lonsdale Street with 500 artists, attracted around 150,000 people.
“This country can hold us all; that’s the message,” Mr. Papastergiadis said, commenting on the Australian state’s inclusive policy towards all nationalities and the $2 million in funding that will be received from the Labor Party if elected. Similar offers are expected from other political parties.
The president of the Greek Community of Melbourne also shared the story of how his father arrived in Australia as an immigrant in 1956 with nothing but an empty suitcase—one he carried simply because he was embarrassed to arrive in Australia wearing only the borrowed suit he had on. Today, he pointed out, 65% of the children of Greek immigrants have university degrees, and the Greek diaspora in Australia serves as a model for others.