Greek Cypriots The largest waves of Cypriots to Melbourne came as a result of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, however Cypriots have been emigrating to Victoria since the Gold Rush. There are significant numbers of Cypriots particularly in the Northern and South Eastern suburbs.
According to official data, Melbourne is the seventh largest Greek city (in terms of Greek speaking population) in the world, behind Athens, Thessaloniki, Piraeus, Patras, Nicosia, and Limassol.
Greek migration to Australia began in the 1800s, with significant numbers arriving during the gold rush. There was further immigration in the years between the two World Wars as the Ottoman Empire expelled Greeks from Turkey (Asia Minor).
In 2021, 6.9% of the City of Monash's population nominated Greek as one of their ancestries compared to 3.5% in Greater Melbourne.
At the 2021 census, 92,314 Australian residents were born in Greece. The largest concentration of Greek Australians is in the state of Victoria, which is often regarded as the heartland of the Greek Australian community. Victoria's capital Melbourne has the largest Greek Australian community in Australia.
For decades now, Melbourne has been called the 3rd largest “Greek city” in the world, after Athens and Thessaloniki, due to the large number of Greek Australians that live there.
The Australian has released its annual list of Australia's 250 wealthiest individuals and among the names are 11 Australians of Greek heritage. Four out of these 11 have made their debut on the list. Who are they and how have they become so successful in life?
Following Italy's involvement in world war I, many Italians particularly from the southern regions of Calabria and Sicily and descended into both, the south eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. Following World War II, Australia saw a huge influx of Italian migrants settling all throughout Melbourne.
As a result of the extensive historical and cultural ties between the Greek community of Melbourne and their Greek homeland, Melbourne is a sister city to Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city and one of Europe's most important cultural centres.
The term 'Hellenes' is used for all those people who identify with Hellenic language and culture, and while most Hellene migrants to Sydney originated from the areas that now constitute the Hellenic Republic (known in English as Greece), substantial numbers arrived from countries such as Cyprus, the former Soviet Union ...
In The Australian last week Cameron Stewart reported that the “original Greeks” are living a longer life than their non-Greek peers and other non-Anglo groups. The Mediterranean diet and an adherence to cultural traditions seem to be the reason. Extended family, communal life, and social networks, all add years.
“The older Greek immigrants are living closer to 90 whereas the broader Australian population's mean age is around 80,” she told Dee Dee. Dr Thodis claims Greek-born immigrants live in “two worlds” with a Mediterranean diet combined with an adopted Australian lifestyle helping them live longer.
The Greek Orthodox Centre and The Hellenic Museum offer a taste of culture beyond cuisine. Situated on Lonsdale and Russell Street, the Greek Precinct is located near the heart of the city. Just a short walk or tram ride up Swanston street from Flinders Street Station.
Greek immigration to Melbourne falls into three chronological phases. Between the 1840s and 1900 an estimated 200 Greeks settled in Victoria. Most came from the Ionian islands, particularly Ithaca (the dominant group before World War I) and Kythera.
The New York City Metropolitan Area, including Long Island, New York, and Bergen County, New Jersey, is home to the largest Greek population in the United States.
1. Toorak – $5.18m. Toorak, one of Melbourne's most exclusive and affluent suburbs, is a long-standing front runner for property prices so it's no surprise to see this suburb at the top of the list yet again. Toorak is located about 5km south-east of the CBD and has a range of luxury properties on offer.
There are numerous active congregations in the Jewish community, many concentrated in Caulfield and the St. Kilda suburbs, although other areas such as Bentleigh house a significant number of communities.
Time Out has released its annual list of the 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world, with inner north mainstay Fitzroy nabbing the highest Aussie spot on the list, coming in at #27.
Melbourne has the highest Greek speaking population of any city outside of Greece. While other international cities (like New York) may have more people who identify as Greek or of Greek origin, Melbourne has the largest number of Greek speakers outside of Greece.
Little Italy in Victoria, Australia (sometimes referred to as the "Italian Precinct" or simply "Lygon Street"), is a "Little Italy" cultural precinct of the Italian community of Melbourne. It is situated along Lygon Street in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Carlton.
Almost a third of Italian-Australians live in Melbourne - this amounts to over 300,000 people - the largest Italian population in Oceania.
Numbering approximately half a million, the Greek community in Australia comprises the second largest ethnic minority after the Italians.
The United States is home to the largest population of those of Greek descent outside of Greece with over 3 million Greek-Americans, mainly third or fourth generation immigrants, residing in the country.