The Greek Days of Australia: Brisbane

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Julie Christofis-Nichols today in Brisbane is the little girl in this iconic photo from the Greek Day Appeal. She holds a box which says at the front “Help Our Boys”. Credit: SBS Greek/Dina Gerolymou

After Melbourne and Sydney, it was Brisbane's turn to hold the Greek Day, on March 19, 1941. Julie Christofis was seven years old at the time when her mother dressed her with a fustanella and took her to Brisbane's CBD. She was given a box with three words printed on the front side: Help Our Boys. Listen to her story in this podcast episode.


For Julie Christofis the sight of the centre of Brisbane decked out in white and blue, the three largest buildings having the facade decorated with Greek and British flags and young women - Greek and non-Greek - to be on the streets in traditional Greek costumes was unforgettable.

Speaking to SBS Greek, she said that the Greek Day Appeal and what followed "was a very emotional time". The Greeks, she said, for a while stopped being the foreigners and became the allies and friends who were fighting against a common enemy.
On 19 March 1941 the Australian soldiers of the 6th Division had begun to arrive in Greece.

Ninety thousand people flooded the centre of Brisbane on 19 March 1941. And as in Melbourne and Sydney, a military parade took place in Brisbane.
A group of evzones, among them Greek-Australians who had joined the armed forces, led the parade.

According to the press at the time, Brisbane raised £20,000 during the Greek Day Appel events.

Today, seven year old Julie Christofis is approaching 90, lives in Brisbane and is known as Julie Nichels.

Research - production - narration: Dina Gerolymou
SBS Greek extends its appreciation to Gareth Boreham from SBS News, whose voice is heard in this episode, for his generous contribution to the Greek Days of Australia series.


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