2022-05-27

Sydney

Nazou, Panayota

Greeks in Australia

Oral history

Migrant women

Proxy marriage

Elefterias-Kostakidis, Eleni

Digitised

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

Interviewer: Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis

Occupation: Academic
Year of arrival: 1973
Method of transport: Aeroplane

Panayota was born in 1951 into a large well-off family from the small town of Trikokia in the region of Grevena, Northern Greece. In 1973 she migrated to Sydney to pursue her studies. She was awarded her PhD from the University of Sydney, where, until her retirement, she was the only female full time lecturer employed in the Department of Modern Greek. In 2013 she published a major work on ‘proxy brides’: women who migrated to Australia to marry Greek men they had not met. The English translation of her book, Promised Brides, is the recipient of a National Trust Heritage Award.

Interview summary
Panayota recalls the political volatility of life in Greece before her departure for Australia as well as her involvement as a young girl in competitive athletics. After failing to be selected for the national team, she studied Home Science, Food Technology and Dietetics. She recalls her arrival in Australia and work as a Greek teacher prior to the commencement of her studies at Sydney University. She speaks about the difficulties faced by many women who travelled to Australia to marry men by proxy and her commitment to giving these women a voice.

Sound recording

Siobhan Campbell