2023-01-20

Sydney

Mouxouris, Evripidis

Greeks in Australia

Oral history

Digitised

Interviewer: Kathy Kallos

Occupation: Farmer, tailor, cleaner
Year of arrival: 1976
Method of transport: Aeroplane

Evripidis Mouxouris was born in Morphou, Cyprus in 1921. He grew up in a rural family, leaving school at the age of 12 to become an apprentice tailor. In 1938, after he and his co-workers were dissatisfied with their poor wages, they formed a union. He later joined AKEL, the Workers Party of Cyprus, and has remained a lifelong member. During World War Two, he enlisted as part of the Cyprus Regiment of the British Army and was sent to the Italian front. After the war, Evripidis returned to his trade, opening a tailor shop in Nicosia in 1952. Following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Evripidis and his young family sought refuge in a vacant flat in Nicosia for two years, before migrating to Australia.

Interview summary
Evripidis recalls his early life in Morphou, prior to leaving school to become a tailor. He provides a rich account of his time in the army during World War Two when he was sent to Italy. He talks about his involvement in the union movement and describes the violence he witnessed outside his tailor shop in central Nicosia, which was a hotbed of political activity. He provides a moving account of the day his son was born amid the chaos of the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Sound recording

Siobhan Campbell