Copyright (0000) Effy Alexakis

Photography: Greek Australians
June 11, 2000
Producer : Marianne Latham

When Effy Alexakis, a photography student, was looking for a subject to photograph for a project 18 years ago, she decided to use her own family. During this time her father died and she also chronicled the events surrounding his death and her own grief. Such was the interest in this work that she kept on photographing the personal events that made up her daily family life and traditional celebrations.

When Effy's partner, social historian Leonard Janiszewski, told her that he had found a number of Greek names amongst gold diggers during his research into the goldfields, the two of them joined forces in trying to track down early Greek arrivals.

It's a general assumption that Greeks arrived in Australia during the post-World War Two migration boom; however, Effy and Leonard found that Greeks arrived here as early as 1810. Leonard has tracked down memorabilia, photos and letters, while Effy has continued to take photos of Greek Australians from all walks of life.

In 1988 Michael Karris was commissioned by SBS-TV to film a profile of Effy and Leonard's work. He became so involved that he is still working with them and has added a new dimension, video. The story of Greek Australians has taken them to Greece several times, where they have uncovered the tragic side of migration: the sadness of those left behind, the devastation of houses and countryside with depleted populations and the dilemma of those who can't decide between the two countries.

"We met people who were born here and have gone back to Greece. We met people who were born in Greece who kept going backwards and forwards. You know, they can't find home. It's really sad," says Effy.

Their current exhibition, "In their own image: Greek Australians", was on at the Immigration Museum in Melbourne until June 4, 2000. It is hoped it will then travel to Ipswich and Tasmania. Later this year it will travel to the Ellis Island Museum in New York. It has already been displayed in Greece at the invitation of the Greek government.

Both Effy and Leonard believe their work is a passion that will continue for a long time yet.

http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/art_profiles/article_512.asp?s=1