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Επιστολή από τον Αλέξανδρο Σωκράτη Λουκά προς προς τον Σταν Ραυτόπουλο, οι παππούδες τους ήταν δύο από τους πρώτους Έλληνες μετανάστες στην Αυστραλία – Letter regarding two of the first Greeks immigrants in Australia, grandchild Alex S Lucas writes to Stan Raftopoulos

Abstract

A letter regarding one of the first Greek immigrants in Australia, Andreas Lekatsas, to Stan Raftopoulos, tracing the connection between their fathers.

Translation

«Προς: ΣΤΑΝ ΡΑΥΤΟΠΟΥΛΟ

Από: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ Λουκάς

NTH BRAWYN

Αγαπητέ κύριε,

Όπως θα καταλάβετε από το όνομά μου, ο πατέρας μου Κωνσταντίνος Λουκάς ήταν γιος του πρώτου Έλληνα μετανάστη στην Αυστραλία, δηλαδή του Ανδρέα Λεκατσά από το χωριό Εξωγή ΙΘΑΚΗΣ.

Ελπίζω να συγχωρήσετε το γράψιμό μου καθώς η μεγάλη μου ηλικία αρχίζει να το επηρεάζει. Αν είστε γιος του Ραυτόπουλου που τώρα βρίσκεται ένα μικρό γαλακτοκομείο στη γωνία του Hoddle & Johneten St’s Collingwood, τότε ο πατέρας σας ήταν καλός φίλος του πατέρα μου και υπήρχε αμοιβαίος σεβασμός μεταξύ τους.

Αντιλαμβάνομαι ότι έχει συζητηθεί για το αν ο παππούς μου ήταν ο πρώτος Έλληνας στην Αυστραλία, αλλά όποιος είχε χρόνο να ερευνήσει το θέμα ενδελεχώς, θα συμφωνήσουν με την παραπάνω άποψη.

Μερικά στοιχεία για τον Ανδρέα που μου τα μετέδωσε ο πατέρας μου:

Ως μικρό αγόρι έφυγε από το σπίτι και διέσχυσε τη χώρα για να βρει δουλειά. Ο πατέρας του εντόπισε πού βρισκόταν, αλλά δεν μπόρεσε να τον αναγκάσει να επιστρέψει στο σπίτι. Έγινε ναυτικός, με βρετανική εγγραφή, και ο πατέρας μου μου είπε ότι ήτα
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Person
Raftopoulos, Stathis
Transcription
“To : STAN RAFTOPOULOS

From : ALEXANDROS SOCRATES Lucas

NTH BRAWYN


Dear Sir

As you will notice by any name; my father Constantine Lucas was the son of the first Greek emigrant to Australia, namely Andreas Lekatsas from the village of Exogi, ITHACA.

I hope you will excuse my writing as increasing age is beginning to affect it. If you are a son of Raftopoulos who is now a small milk bar on the corner of Hoddle & Johneten St’s Collingwood, then your father was a kind friend of my father, and there was mutual respect for one another.

I realise that there is some discussion as to whether my grand father was the first Greek to emigrate, but others who have time to investigate the matter thoroughly, concur in the above opinion. Some facts about Andreas that were passed on to me by my father

As a small boy he ran away from home and crossed over to the mainland looking for employment. His father managed to locate where he was, but was unable to compel him to go back home. He became a seaman, with British registration, and my father to told me that he was an A.B. (able bodied seamen) at age 16, operating out of the port of Archangel, Russia. (I presume it is now Leningrad). He was a seamen who survived 7 roundings of Cape Horn (Captain Bligh could not get round once). He arrived in Melbourne during the Ballarat Cild rush days, Jumped ship and went to the Ballarat diggings. He in later life contracted Miners Phthisis, no doubt from the dust of the mining. He claimed to be at the Eureka Stockadge, although a very recent book containing the names of the participants does not include his name; he may have been under a pseudonym.

There is much more to say, but you are certainly welcome to this information, maybe we could speak of many memories about the family some time. I will leave my phone number at the foot of the letter. Andreas was a very courageous man, with strong moral instincts and my father left me with a deep regard for Greek culture

Yours truly

Alex S Lucas”
Subject
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Access rights
Permission required
Language
Physical format
Letters
Date accessed
2024-05-23
Translator
Eva Βoleti
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