Νέος Κόσμος απόκομμα, άρθρο της 3ης Μαρτίου 1988 για τα Πιστοποιητικά Πολιτογράφησης - Neos Kosmos newspaper, cut 3 March 1988 article about Certificates of Naturalization
Abstract
A newspaper clipping from March 3, 1988, referring to the process of naturalization, which changed in 1949. It specifically interviews Michalis Mavrokefalos, who was the first Greek to be naturalized.
Translation
The civil survey certificate of Mr. M. Mavrokefalou.
We easily located Mr. Michalis Mavrokefalos because he is well known in our village and especially in the community of the Ithakisians.
A pre-war immigrant, he lived closely the joys and sorrows of our uprooted brothers, who at that time numbered only a few thousand souls.
Departed December 1937 from Ithaca, embarked at Port Said on the English liner "Ortrando" and set sail for Melbourne on New Year's Day 1938.
Here's what he says about his trip:
"We had a fellow traveler on the ship, the despot Timotheus, who taught us the English language every afternoon.
For twenty days he taught us, trying to simplify the English phrases, to make us remember them easily. He used to tell you e.g. "I would like a CUP OF TEA." But, in the Australian accent: "KA - PE - TI".
We had a priest in the village who was called... Kapeti!! So how could I forget it? This metropolitan was a very good man. He was not like others who are motivated by self-interest alone.
Of course, he kept his position, but he also had humanitarian and social elements. He made sure to get along well with everyone so that no quarrels would arise. You might not like someone, I agree. But, you should not try to impose your own views on him. Since he doesn't believe them, why bother? Metropolitan Timotheus took care to keep the flock together. He was a good man and with him we learned a lot on the ship. At least 250 to 300 Greeks traveled on that route in 1937."
Where in Australia did you land?
"Everywhere. In Perth, Newcastle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. And in Brisbane. The ship was going all the way to Sydney,”
The first impressions of the new homeland were not bad. This was helped by the fact that his brother Nikos (since 1927) who had a fruit shop in Hawthorne, three brothers and two sisters of his mother and other relatives were settled here.
Of his parents, only his mother Eftychia came as a tourist in 1950 and stayed two years in Australia, while his father Giorgos, an old immigrant in Romania, he did not get to see his children's new homeland.
At Hawthorne's grocery store, work was good, but since Michalis was a good shoemaker, he decided to look for work in his art. He had heard that no factories accepted foreigners, but he wanted to try his luck. One day he saw an ad in the paper for a shoe factory in Callingwood looking for a handcraftsman. This morning he started on his bicycle from Hawthorne and was at the factory outside before the doors were opened.
After an hour and a half the boss came. After the relevant questions he asked him:
- What work do you know?
- I sew hemlocks by hand.
– Are you Australian?
- You can't see my moustache and my hair, it's black, What are you asking: Are you interested in my craftsmanship or the colour of my hair?
-You are right and I apologise. (Apologised). You seem to know the job well, but I won't hire you. As soon as I give you a job, the "busters" will go on strike
Michalis showed understanding, greeted the Australian and left.
• Around the same time, another compatriot of ours from Kastellorizo named Pitas Palaras, was hired in a shoe factory because he was a very good designer. In three months they kicked him out after first stealing all his plans."
We easily located Mr. Michalis Mavrokefalos because he is well known in our village and especially in the community of the Ithakisians.
A pre-war immigrant, he lived closely the joys and sorrows of our uprooted brothers, who at that time numbered only a few thousand souls.
Departed December 1937 from Ithaca, embarked at Port Said on the English liner "Ortrando" and set sail for Melbourne on New Year's Day 1938.
Here's what he says about his trip:
"We had a fellow traveler on the ship, the despot Timotheus, who taught us the English language every afternoon.
For twenty days he taught us, trying to simplify the English phrases, to make us remember them easily. He used to tell you e.g. "I would like a CUP OF TEA." But, in the Australian accent: "KA - PE - TI".
We had a priest in the village who was called... Kapeti!! So how could I forget it? This metropolitan was a very good man. He was not like others who are motivated by self-interest alone.
Of course, he kept his position, but he also had humanitarian and social elements. He made sure to get along well with everyone so that no quarrels would arise. You might not like someone, I agree. But, you should not try to impose your own views on him. Since he doesn't believe them, why bother? Metropolitan Timotheus took care to keep the flock together. He was a good man and with him we learned a lot on the ship. At least 250 to 300 Greeks traveled on that route in 1937."
Where in Australia did you land?
"Everywhere. In Perth, Newcastle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. And in Brisbane. The ship was going all the way to Sydney,”
The first impressions of the new homeland were not bad. This was helped by the fact that his brother Nikos (since 1927) who had a fruit shop in Hawthorne, three brothers and two sisters of his mother and other relatives were settled here.
Of his parents, only his mother Eftychia came as a tourist in 1950 and stayed two years in Australia, while his father Giorgos, an old immigrant in Romania, he did not get to see his children's new homeland.
At Hawthorne's grocery store, work was good, but since Michalis was a good shoemaker, he decided to look for work in his art. He had heard that no factories accepted foreigners, but he wanted to try his luck. One day he saw an ad in the paper for a shoe factory in Callingwood looking for a handcraftsman. This morning he started on his bicycle from Hawthorne and was at the factory outside before the doors were opened.
After an hour and a half the boss came. After the relevant questions he asked him:
- What work do you know?
- I sew hemlocks by hand.
– Are you Australian?
- You can't see my moustache and my hair, it's black, What are you asking: Are you interested in my craftsmanship or the colour of my hair?
-You are right and I apologise. (Apologised). You seem to know the job well, but I won't hire you. As soon as I give you a job, the "busters" will go on strike
Michalis showed understanding, greeted the Australian and left.
• Around the same time, another compatriot of ours from Kastellorizo named Pitas Palaras, was hired in a shoe factory because he was a very good designer. In three months they kicked him out after first stealing all his plans."
| Subject | Foreign workers, Greek |
|---|---|
| Category | 5. Cold War (including Decolonisation) |
| 6. End of the Cold War | |
| Current Holder | Greek Community of Melbourne |
| Access Rights | Permission required |
| Language | Greek (Modern) |
| Physical Format | Newspapers |
| Transcription | Τo πιστοποιητικού πολιτογράφισης του κ. Μ. Μαυροκέφαλου.
Eμείς εντοπίσαμε ευκολότατα τον κ. Μιχάλη Μαυροκέφαλο γιατί είναι πολύ γνωστός στην παροικία μας και ιδιαίτερα στην πατριά των Ιθακησίων.
Προπολεμικός μετανάστης, έζησε από κοντά τις χαρές και τις πίκρες των ξεριζωμένων αδελφών μας, που τότε μετριώνταν σε λίγες μόνο χιλιάδες ψυχές,
Ξεκίνησε Δεκέμβριο του 1937 απ' την Ιθάκη, επιβιβάστηκε στο Πορτ Σάϊντ στο αγγλικό υπερωκεάνιο «Ορτράντο» και βγήκε στη Μελβούρνη Πρωτοχρονιά του 1938.
Να τι λέει ο ίδιος για το ταξίδι του:
«Είχαμε συνταξιδιώτη στο πλοίο τον δεσπότη τον Τιμόθεο, ο οποίος κάθε απόγευμα μας δίδασκε την αγγλική γλώσσα.
Για είκοσι μέρες μας δίδασκε, προσπαθώντας να απλουστεύει τις αγγλικές φράσεις, για να μας κάνει να τις θυμόμαστε εύκολα. Σου έλεγε π.χ. «Επιθυμώ ένα CUP OF TEA». Αλλά, με την αυστραλιανή προφορά: «Κα- πε - τι».
Εμείς είχαμε έναν παπά στο χωριό που τον έλεγαν... Καπετή!! Πώς να το ξεχάσω λοιπόν; Αυτός ο μητροπολίτης ήταν πολύ καλός άνθρωπος. Δεν ήταν σαν κάτι άλλους που κινούνται από συμφέρον και μόνο.
Κρατούσε βέβαια τη θέση του αλλά είχε και τα ανθρωπιστικά και κοινωνικά στοιχεία. Φρόντιζε να τα έχει καλά με όλους για να μην δημιουργούνται έριδες. Μπορεί να μην σου αρέσει κάποιος, συμφωνώ. Αλλά, δεν πρέπει να προσπαθείς να του επιβάλεις τις δικές σου απόψεις. Αφού δεν τις πιστεύει, γιατί να ματαιοπονείς; Ο Μητροπολίτης Τιμόθεος φρόντιζε να κρατά ενωμένο το ποίμνιο. Ήταν καλός άνθρωπος και μαζί του διδαχθήκαμε πολλά μέσα στο πλοίο. Σ' εκείνα τα δρομολόγιο ταξιδεύαμε τουλάχιστον 250 έως 300 Ελληνες, το 1937».
Σε ποιά σημεία της Αυστραλίας αποβιβαστήκατε;
«Παντού. Στο Περθ, στο Νιούκαστλ, στην Αδελαΐδα, στη Μελβούρνη και στο Σίδνεῦ. Και στο Μπρίσμπαν. Το πλοίο πήγαινε μέχρι το Σίδνεϋ»,
Οι πρώτες εντυπώσεις για τη νέα πατρίδα δεν ήταν άσχημες. Σ' αυτό συνέβαλε το γεγονός ότι εδώ ήταν εγκατεστημένοι ο αδελφός του Νίκος (από το 1927) που είχε φρουτάδικο στο Χώθορν, τρεις αδελφοί και δύο αδελφές της μητέρας του και άλλοι συγγενείς,
Από τους γονείς του μόνο η μητέρα του Ευτυχία ήρθε σαν τουρίστρια το 1950 κι' έμεινε δύο χρόνια στην Αυστραλία, ενώ ο πατέρας του Γιώργος, παλιός μετανάστης στη Ρουμανία, δεν αξιώθηκε να δει την καινούργια πατρίδα των παιδιών του.
Στο μανάβικο του Χώθορν η δουλειά πήγαινε ρολόϊ, αλλά επειδή ο Μιχάλης ήτανε καλός τεχνίτης υποδηματοποιός, απεφάσισε να βρει δουλειά στην τέχνη του. Είχε ακούσει ότι σε κανένα εργοστάσιο δεν παίρνανε ξένους, αλλά θέλησε να δοκιμάσει την τύχη του. Είδε μια μέρα στην εφημερίδα την αγγελία κάποιου εργοστασίου υποδημάτων στο Κάλλινγουντ που ζητούσε τεχνίτη για χειροποίητα. Πρωϊ πρωί ξεκίνησε με το ποδήλατό του από το Χώθορν και βρέθηκε στο εργοστάσιο απ' έξω πριν ανοίξουν οι πόρτες.
Μετά από μιά μιση ώρα ήρθε τ' αφεντικό. Μετά από τα σχετικά τον ρώτησε:
- Τι δουλειά ξέρεις;
- Ράβω βάρδουλα με το χέρι.
– Είσαι Αυστραλός;
- Δε βλέπεις το μουστάκι και τα μαλλιά μου πού’ ναι κατάμαυρα, Τι ρωτάς: Ενδιαφέρεσαι για τεχνίτη ή για το χρώμα των μαλλιών μου;
-Έχεις δίκιο και σου ζητώ συγγνώμη. (Αpologised). Φαίνε σαι να ξέρεις καλά τη δουλειά, αλλά δεν θα σε πάρω. Μόλις σου δώσω δουλειά θα κατέβουν οι «μπάστερς» σε απεργία
Ο Μιχάλης έδειξε κατανόηση, χαιρέτισε τον Αυστραλό κι έφυγε.
• Την ίδια περίπου εποχή, ένας άλλος συμπατριώτης μας από το Καστελλόριζο ονόματι Πήτας Παλαράς, προσελήφθη σ' ένα εργοστάσιο υποδημάτων γιατί ήταν πολύ καλός σχεδιαστής. Σε τρεις μήνες τον διώξανε αφού πρώτα του κλέψανε όλα τα σχέδια. |
| Date Accessed | 2024-05-23 |
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