PAN MESSINIAN FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA
The Pan Messinian Federation of Australia and New Zealand was established to represent the Messinian organisations in Australi
and New Zealand, that were created by immigrants from Messinia, in Greece's Peloponnes region, during the post war migration.
Currently 40,000 people of Messinian heritage reside in New South Wales and Victoria, and over 20,000 in South Australia.
While smaller numbers have settled in the other States and in New Zealand, since 1959.
The founding organisations were the 'PamMessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas', 'Panpylian Brotherhood Navarino',
'Society Mani', 'Society Skalas Messinias' and the 'Syllogos Gargalianon' from Victoria.
The 'Messinian Association of South Australia' and the 'Pylias Society of S.A. Navarino' from South Australia.
The 'PamMessinian United of N.S.W.', 'Panpyliakos Benevolent Association Navarino' and the 'Kalamata Brotherhood' from New South Wales and ACT.
Founding President Mr Kyriakos Papadimitropoulos
20th Anniversary of the PamMessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas
30th Anniversary of the PamMessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas
The Mayor of Glen Eira with the Presidents of the Peloponnese organisations of Melbourne
at the 60th anniversary of the Pammessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas, 2019.
(L-R) Laney Quinn (Egalians), Mary Tsaganas (Pallaconian Brotherhood of Melbourne & Victoria "Leonidas"),
Host Panagiota Dimitropoulos (Pammessinian), Mayor Jamie Hyams (City of Glen Eira),
Chrissa Kanatas (Panarcadian Association of Melbourne - O Kolokotronis) and Jenny Krasopoulaki (Pancorithian)
From rural areas around the City of Kalamata, many young people migrated to Canada, Germany and Australia. Down under they settled mainly in the Cities of Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. In the late 50s members of the Messinian communities established organisation to support each other. In South Australia there are the Messinian Association of S.A, while in Victoria the PamMessinian Brotherhood "Papaflessas" was launched in 1959. This digitised 8mm film footage shows some of the people who attended Papaflessas' inaugural '23rd March' Ball at Earl's Court in St Kilda, in 1959
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Copacabana was a Greek Night Club on the corner of Sydney Rd and Phoenix St in Brunswick Victoria Australia. I was owned by migrants from the region of Kalamata Messinia in the Peloponnese. It was a popular entertainment venue for the new migrants from the Peloponnese, living in Melbourne. The Pammessinian Brotherhood "Papaflessas" and the many in the Messinian community held celebrations there, like this one from 1959. The venue continued with Greek nights till Friday 10th of March 1978, when it hosted Rock nights under the name "Bombay Rock", that would become one of Australia’s most iconic live music venues that played host to bands such as INXS, Australian Crawl, The Angels, Cold Chisel, The Sunnyboys, Skyhooks, The Knack, Bo Diddley, Dragon, Australian Crawl, The Aliens, Lobby Loyde, Contraband, TMG, Men at Work, The Radiators, Mental as Anything, Divinyls, Models, Paul Kelly and the Dots, James Freud and the Radio Stars, La Femme, The Reels, The Scientists and JPY. The venue also played host to international bands such as The Cure, The Vapors, Major Matchbox, Magazine, The Knack, Graham Parker, George Thorogood and the Destroyers and many others. By the mid 80s it was once again filled with patrons of Greek heritage, when the children of the 60s patrons returned to boogie in the venues new 'Disco' era. |
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Gratefull for the support from the PamMessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas and the Victoria State Government through the Public Record Office Victoria - Local History Grants
copyright 2020