The Embodiment of a Distant Homeland

The Embodiment of a Distant Homeland

Following its successful launch, the book has now arrived in Melbourne and is available for saleto the general public via our online bookstore or from the Greek Community of MelbourneOffice.

On Thursday, September 5, at the bookstore Themelio publications in downtown Athens hostedthe launch of Georgia (Juliana) Charpantidou’s book “The Embodiment of a DistantHomeland”. The launch in Athens was attended by the Australian ambassador, Alison Duncan,who presented the title.

Greek Community of Melbourne’s President, Bill Papastergiadis ΟΑΜ, stated, "I commend theauthor Juliana Charpantidou and the translator Petro Alexiou for their efforts in producing thisimportant historical work. It will have immense value for future generations in appreciating theearly pioneers who laid the foundation for our thriving community today."

Education Chair Dr. Nick Dallas, who oversaw the project, expressed his hope that "thisbecomes the go-to reference for anyone studying the Hellenic diaspora. The book’s content hasbeen meticulously referenced." The GCM is now working on a subsequent volume, aiming tobring its history up to date until the early 21st century.

The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria is the oldest institutionalrepresentative of a Greek community in Australia. This book traces its historical course from thelate nineteenth century until the early 1970s. The research is based on primary sources—theminutes and archives of the Greek Community of Melbourne, the National Archives of Australia,the Dardalis Archives of the Hellenic Diaspora at La Trobe University, and both Greek andEnglish language newspapers from the period in Australia. The thematic areas covered in thebook reflect key issues that appeared either in official documents such as the Community’sboard minutes and correspondence or in the Greek-Australian press of the time.

To buy the book visit https://bookshop.greekcommunity.com.au/product/the-embodiment-of-a-distant-homeland/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Georgia (Juliana) Charpantidou is a graduate of the School of Management and Economics of ATEI Thessaloniki, and a graduate of the Department of Sociology of Panteion University where she holds Master's Degree with a specialization in Social Exclusion and Minorities. From 2014 to 2018 she worked at the Greek Community of Melbourne as a researcher of its history and archives. This published monograph is a result of these research efforts. Her continued academic research on the subject of the Organization of the Greek Diaspora in Australia forms the basis of her Doctoral Thesis at Panteion University.