2024-06-27

Sydney

Athanassiou, Antonia

Greeks in Australia

Oral history

Musician

Proxy marriage

Kallos, Kathy

Digitised

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

Interviewer: Kathy Kallos

Occupation: Seamstress, Musical entertainer
Year of arrival: 1962
Method of transport: Ship (Patris)

Antonia Athanassiou was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1936. After the death of her father when she was eleven years old, Antonia was raised by her mother and grandparents. Antonia completed her primary schooling, but due to financial hardship was unable to attend high school. She attended a dressmaking school where she developed skills in making high-end garments. At the age of 21, she married by ‘proxenio’ and had a son and daughter soon after. The family struggled in Egypt under the regime of Gamal Nasser and decided to migrate to Sydney in 1962. Antonia worked in various jobs including her night work as a musical entertainer. She accompanied her childhood friend ‘Nikitas’ who played the bouzouki and the pair became a popular duo on the Greek night club scene in the 1960s performing regularly at Elatos, Vrahos and Athena.

Interview summary
Antonia talks about her early days in Alexandria and the early death of her father. She recounts her first years in Sydney where she worked three jobs to make ends meet. She also describes her passion for music and recounts how she became a popular Greek night club singer in the 1960s.

Sound recording

Siobhan Campbell