From the arrival in Australia of seven Greek convicts in 1829 to the present day, says Janiszewski, Greek-Australians have played a vital part in the development and unique culture of their adopted country. Today the Busy Bee Cafe stands as a solid testament to the hard-working Greeks who left their homeland in search of a better life and established tens of hundreds of cafes across Australia. The flood of fast-food outlets like McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken is threatening the very existence of Greek cafes and with the exodus of young Australian-born Greeks to the coastal fringes, a tradition held dear by many Australians in country towns is being lost. Loula and Peter Zantiotis worked long and hard in the Busy Bee Cafe to give their children an alternative to cafe life and the young ones have chosen paths far removed from their childhood. Tessie (Dowes) works in an employment office in Sydney while Manny also lives in Sydney and works as a computer technician. Jim Zantiotis is a school counsellor in Wagga Wagga and the father of Loula's three grandsons, Zacharay, Alex and Nicholas. On Australia Day 1997, Loula Zantiotis accepted a citation from Mayor Noel O'Brien, which paid tribute to the hard-working Greek-Australian, Peter Zantiotis, who "contributed greatly to Gunnedah's social and cultural history, as a warm and generous representative of his ancestry and a proud Australian." [See full text in a separate entry, this section.] From the Namoi Valley Independent, [Gunnedah , NSW] Tuesday, January 6th, 2004, pages 4 & 5. Produced by permission of the author Ms. Marie Hobson, and the editor Ron (Rocky) McLean. I thank them both deeply. [G.C.P]. Namoi Valley Independent. Gunnedah Publishing Company Pty Ltd 287 Connadilly St., Gunnedah. 2380. NSW. Australia. 02 6742 0455 Email, Gunnedah Publishing MARIE HOBSON'S MOTIVATION TO WRITE NUMEROUS ARTICLES ON GUNNEDAH'S KYTHERIAN-GREEKS: I have always found the Greeks fascinating. I grew up In Gunnedah where we had constant contact with Greek cafe owners at the Busy Bee, Acropolis, Monterey, Tourist and White Rose Cafes and the Chip Inn. There was also a little cafe near the Civic Theatre which I believe was run by Greeks. I think it was called the Oasis but that is a story I will be following up later. I have always loved the beautiful, friendly nature of the Greeks. As teenagers we were allowed to call them by their first name, and they were always happy to see you. My parents were wonderful Christians and we followed their example in treating everyone the same, so there was never a thought of discrimination. I know many families suffered from it when they came to Australia. I have always loved Greek history and mythology and the country holds an irrestible lure for me. I hope to visit it in the next few years. You are doing a great job with the website. Marie Hobson. (16/06/2004.).' /> From the arrival in Australia of seven Greek convicts in 1829 to the present day, says Janiszewski, Greek-Australians have played a vital part in the development and unique culture of their adopted country. Today the Busy Bee Cafe stands as a solid testament to the hard-working Greeks who left their homeland in search of a better life and established tens of hundreds of cafes across Australia. The flood of fast-food outlets like McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken is threatening the very existence of Greek cafes and with the exodus of young Australian-born Greeks to the coastal fringes, a tradition held dear by many Australians in country towns is being lost. Loula and Peter Zantiotis worked long and hard in the Busy Bee Cafe to give their children an alternative to cafe life and the young ones have chosen paths far removed from their childhood. Tessie (Dowes) works in an employment office in Sydney while Manny also lives in Sydney and works as a computer technician. Jim Zantiotis is a school counsellor in Wagga Wagga and the father of Loula's three grandsons, Zacharay, Alex and Nicholas. On Australia Day 1997, Loula Zantiotis accepted a citation from Mayor Noel O'Brien, which paid tribute to the hard-working Greek-Australian, Peter Zantiotis, who "contributed greatly to Gunnedah's social and cultural history, as a warm and generous representative of his ancestry and a proud Australian." [See full text in a separate entry, this section.] From the Namoi Valley Independent, [Gunnedah , NSW] Tuesday, January 6th, 2004, pages 4 & 5. Produced by permission of the author Ms. Marie Hobson, and the editor Ron (Rocky) McLean. I thank them both deeply. [G.C.P]. Namoi Valley Independent. Gunnedah Publishing Company Pty Ltd 287 Connadilly St., Gunnedah. 2380. NSW. Australia. 02 6742 0455 Email, Gunnedah Publishing MARIE HOBSON'S MOTIVATION TO WRITE NUMEROUS ARTICLES ON GUNNEDAH'S KYTHERIAN-GREEKS: I have always found the Greeks fascinating. I grew up In Gunnedah where we had constant contact with Greek cafe owners at the Busy Bee, Acropolis, Monterey, Tourist and White Rose Cafes and the Chip Inn. There was also a little cafe near the Civic Theatre which I believe was run by Greeks. I think it was called the Oasis but that is a story I will be following up later. I have always loved the beautiful, friendly nature of the Greeks. As teenagers we were allowed to call them by their first name, and they were always happy to see you. My parents were wonderful Christians and we followed their example in treating everyone the same, so there was never a thought of discrimination. I know many families suffered from it when they came to Australia. I have always loved Greek history and mythology and the country holds an irrestible lure for me. I hope to visit it in the next few years. You are doing a great job with the website. Marie Hobson. (16/06/2004.)." />