Tate Papworth
More than 50 years ago in a village in Greece that was marred by war and poverty, Giannoula and Fotios Panagiotopoulos dreamed of a different way of life for their children.
Australia, it was rumoured, was a land of opportunity where hard work brought reward. Leaving behind family and friends and armed with only a handful of key English words, they set off to make a new home on the other side of the world.
Now more than five decades on, their daughter and Sunshine local Olympia Panagiotopoulos is sharing their stories in a powerful book, Beneath the Fig Leaves.
Filled with stories handed down from Olympia’s mother, the memoir pays tribute to the courage shown by the hundreds of thousands of Australians who crossed oceans to pursue a better life here.
Under the shade of a fig tree in a lush garden in Sunshine, Olympia constantly collected the stories that her mother regaled her with.
Tales from their homeland, the long journey south, and how Giannoula, Fotios and their young children made Australian life their own are all featured in the book, which includes a full-colour picture section and 50 family recipes.
Giannoula celebrated her 100th birthday in 2019 and Olympia said she’d been a true trailblazer.
“My parents were responsible for helping many other migrants settle in Melbourne … helping them to create and establish a new life,” Olympia said.
“In 2009 (her 90th birthday), mum was featured in Neos Kosmos. As a result of that article, we were contacted by some of the passengers of the ship Tasmania who had travelled with my family in 1955.
“I held a reunion at my home for some of the passengers who spent the afternoon recalling memories and sharing their experience.”
