2021-11-24

Sydney

Vassiniotis, Costas

Greeks in Australia

Oral history

transport

Community Organisations

Bonegilla camp

Doumanis, Nick

Digitised

Copyright holder : State Library of New South Wales
Please acknowledge : Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Interviewer: Nick Doumanis

Occupation: Worked various assigned jobs when he stayed at Bonegilla migrant camp, then worked in a foundry in Sydney. He was a bus driver in the NSW public transport system for most of his working life
Year of arrival: 1955

Costas Vassiniotis was the last of 13 children in a family in the central Peloponnese. His father was an olive oil merchant. After arriving in Sydney, he worked in a variety of labouring jobs before becoming a bus driver. He worked as a conductor and then a driver in Sydney’s southeastern suburbs until his retirement. Vassiniotis was also active in the Pan-Arcadian Association, one of the largest regional associations in Sydney. He served as president of the association.

Interview summary
Costas Vassiniotis describes life in his village in the Peloponnese, and how he emigrated to Australia through the assisted migration scheme. He describes his early days in Bonegilla and then Sydney, where he worked a number of jobs, while living with his siblings in Redfern. He eventually found work in Sydney’s bus system, and, in the 1970s, moved to Rosebery. In the interview, he reflects on his experiences living and working in Australia and his involvement with Greek associations, principally, Sydney’s large Pan-Arcadian Association.

Sound recording

Bonegilla Migrant Centre

Siobhan Campbell