Sister cities Melbourne, Australia and Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece

SISTER CITIES

When you look at a city, it's like reading the hopes, dreams and aspirations and pride of everyone who built it."

The linking of urban settlements through the imposition of institutions that bind them together, has its particular origins in Greece. Through the institution of Amphictyonic League, for example, the cities of Boeotia and wider Greece, found that if all member cities bound together to support sacred temples and oracles - notable the one at Delphi and established rules according to which they would not purge each other from the face of the earth, then they would remain unpurged and so too, would their temples.

The Metropolis - or mother city was another unique Hellenic foundation. Colonies founded throughout the Mediterranean would retain special ties with the city that had founded them, whether through the retention of shared cults and religious practices, trade privileges or pacts of mutual assistance. Colonies founded by the one mother city also had obligations (often not fulfilled) towards each other -as "sisters." Of course, the practice was re-formulated after the Second World War, as a way to bring European people into a closer understanding of each other and to promote cross-border projects of mutual benefit. For example, Coventry became a sister-city of Dresden, Germany, as an act of peace and reconciliation, both cities having been heavily bombed during the war.



The White Tower of Thessaloniki the capital & heart of Hellinism Macedonia

In many respects, it is therefore fitting that Thessaloniki, the capital of Macedonia and Melbourne have been sister cities since 1984, for they have much in common. For starters, both have at same stage formed the capital city of their nation. Melbourne of course, was the temporary seat of government from Federation in 1901 to 1927 and Thessaloniki, known condescendingly by Athenians as the «συμπρωτεύουσα,» or co-capital, as a sop and pulling the wool over one's eyes attempt to massage the grievances of Thessalonicans, was capital of Venizelos' "Ethniki Amyna" regime in 1917, during the National Schism, when the royalist regime in Athens refused to enter the First World War. Both of these cities then, are united in their aspiration to once more regain their lost grandeur.

Signifying their quest to surpass even the stars, both of course, are cities of towers. Melbourne sports the Rialto towers among many others, while Thessaloniki sports the infamous White Tower, an Ottoman fort and prison. Further, Thessalonicans on the whole, are relaxed, friendly, polite and infinitely more helpful than their Athenian counterparts. In relation to Melbourne, the less said about Sydney, the better.

Thessaloniki and Melbourne are sister cities because they share a commonality of values, all of which have their origins in the Hellenic metropolis. Undoubtedly, the first of these is democracy. From local council level upwards, Melbourne's institutions of governance can be directly traced (at least in inspiration) to those existing in ancient Greece.

The most important of these values would have to be multi-culturalism, and its condition precedent, tolerance. Visiting prefect of Thessaloniki prefecture, Mr Panagiotis Psomiades remarked during his address at Federation Square, that Thessaloniki is a city that throughout its history, has provided a safe haven for all the persecuted peoples of the periphery. Notably, Sephardic Jews fleeing the depravities of the Spanish Inquisition found in Thessaloniki, freedom from persecution and the opportunity to thrive. Thessaloniki's Sephardic refugee community comprised more than half the city's population and Jews were dominant in commerce until the Greek population increased after 1912. As a result of the Jewish influence on the city, many non-Jewish inhabitants of Thessaloniki also spoke Ladino, the Romance language of the Sephardic Jews, and the city virtually ground to a stop on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. While this tolerance of Jewish refugees had its inception in Ottoman policy, it continued after the liberation, right up until the Holocaust. More recently in its history, Thessaloniki received thousands of refugees in the aftermath of the Asia Minor catastrophe. In similar fashion, Melbourne also acts as a haven for the persecuted peoples of the world.



Melbourne's skyline during sunset

Given its geographic position as a natural Balkan terminal point, Thessaloniki has also, throughout its history, attracted a multitude of peoples within its bounds, causing it to be a mosaic as well as a melting-pot of diverse cultures. Melbourne's fostering of multiculturalism through government programmes and funding, as well as its citizen's natural curiosity and cosmopolitan outlook, forged as a result of their city playing host to so many nationalities and cultures, forms an intrinsic part of its identity and appeal. Thus, Salade Macédoine, refers to an inextricable ethnic mix that has its counterpart, traditionally both in its capital Thessaloniki, as well as Melbourne.

Further, though Thessaloniki, as capital of Macedonia and Melbourne are "sister cities," Melbourne also forms an integral part of the Greek world in another way. It is a "daughter city," whose Metropolis is every single obscure little village in the whole of Greece, from which Greek migrants arrived here. As a daughter city, Melbourne of course, has certain obligations towards the metropolis. It must take formal and substantive steps to preserve the cultic beliefs in the perpetuation of the culture and language of the colony founders. It must offer support and sympathy to the Metropolis in its times of need. Funding for Festivals such as the Antipodes Festival and the Annual Thessaloniki Association's Glendi to celebrate the sisterhood of Melbourne and Thessaloniki should thus be viewed in this most ancient context.



Victorian Arts Centre Spire, Melbourne

So too, should the sacrifice of Australian soldiers on the Macedonian front, during the First World War. Fittingly, the exhibition, currently being held at the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne, (and what is a museum after all, other than a shrine to the Hellenic Muses?) documenting Australian soldiers' valiant campaigns in Greece during the First World War, was launched by a Greek-Australian politician, the Member for Dandenong, John Pandazopoulos. Melbourne in turn, is a Metropolis of Hellenism in its own right, a beacon for other outlying and regional affiliated pockets throughout Australia. The Greeks of Melbourne have taken the raw material of their hosts' goodwill, spun it through their industry, gratitude and immense love of their adopted home and have woven themselves within the warp and the weft of the parti-coloured fabric of Multicultural Melbourne. Since the Greek population is an intrinsic part of the whole, Melbourne cannot be conceived of, without its Greek community.

Conversely, Australia too, has its 'colonies' in Macedonia. Joyce and Sydney Loch settled in Ouranoupoli, in close proximity to Thessaloniki, assisting refugees from Asia Minor to settle in that village, providing valuable medical care and promoting carpet weaving as a method



The Prefect of Thessaloniki, Mr.Psomiadis

Prefect of Thessaloniki Panagiotis Psomiadis was therefore right in triumphantly announcing at the recent Glendi in Federation Square to celebrate the sisterhood of Thessaloniki and Melbourne, that the heart of Macedonia beats in the heart of Melbourne. His visit to Melbourne, is of historically significance, not only because no other visiting Greek politician has been able to entertain and enthrall the masses with his surprisingly decent canine singing voice, but because it constitutes the Metropolis paying homage to its daughter city for retaining its affiliation, at the same time as it celebrates its sisterhood with Thessaloniki.

In his address at Federation Square, Macedonian Prefect Psomiadis, upon thanking the City of Melbourne and its Hellenic Lord Mayor, John So, as well as the Victorian State Government for his nurturing of the Greek community of Melbourne, paid the city what I suppose, would be the greatest compliment a politician could ever pay a city: he said that he felt so at ease in Melbourne that he would love to run for office here. While we leave aside speculation as to what Melburnians would make of a popular-song-singing, Greek-flag be-cloaked, yoghurt bespattered super-Pontic former athlete regulating them, it is trite to mention that neither Psomiadis nor the councillors of the City of Thessaloniki who attended the Glendi, could barely contain their delight at the reception that they received, not only from the Greek community but by the whole of Melbourne. The look upon the many non-Greek attendees at the Glendi, as they were told that the man draped in the Greek flag and belting out tunes was in fact a Greek government official was priceless. In many ways, he conforms to an Australian value of behaviour - outspoken, unself-conscious, a bit of a larrikin and a larger-than-life bloke. Councillor Leipsistinou's enraptured address, which centered upon Thessaloniki not being able to have a better sister city than Melbourne was gushing and well-received.



Ted Baillieu, leader of the state opposition of Victoria, Australia

In calling upon various politicians to address the ethnically diverse Federation Square crowd, I observed that State Leader of the Opposition Ted Baillieu was perhaps the most Macedonian of all of us, given that in the ancient Macedonian dialect, "Makednos" signified someone who was lean and tall. Ted gave a wry smile as Psomiadis whispered to me: "This one is as clever as a fox. You watch him." Big hugs and cheers all round as Big Ted commended and embraced the representative of the "Big Sister." Applause as I marvelled at how great it is, that sisters are doing it for themselves

All in all Glendi was a great success. A multitude of people of all backgrounds converged to mingle and explore the heritage of Macedonia. They were enthralled by the music and edified by the cultural and historical information provided by the Australian Macedonian Advisory Council and Return to Anatolia stalls. It was an especial thrill to have a councillor from a city in Sri Lanka, who happened to be visiting Melbourne and wandering through Federation Square on the day, remain there all day, soaking in the atmosphere and later, enthusiastically exchanging notes and ideas with his Thessalonican counterparts. Even moreso thrilling was the public awarding of prizes to Australian schoolchildren for their participation in a competition that saw them travel throughout Macedonia and explore its history. A seemingly endless array of dance groups and Australian-born Greek musicians stood as melodious testament to the fact that there exists in Melbourne, a nucleus of young Greek-Australians primed and poised to perpetuate Macedonian culture within the sister city of its capital. Thus not even the slight provocation by few misguided persons labouring under the delusion that they could deny us the right to celebrate our Macedonian heritage and share it with the rest of Melbourne was able to mar the festivities. As such, the observation of one elderly gentleman within the crowd, that instead of chanting: «Ελλάς, Ελλάς, Μακεδονία,» we should be chanting «Μελβούρνη, Μελβούρνη, Μακεδονία», was a particularly apt one.

Thanks to the Thessaloniki Association "White Tower," the City of Melbourne and the Greek community of Melbourne, we once more "scrubbed up" well. But then again, should we not ascribe credit, where it is due, to: «Θεσσαλονική [την] μεγάλη φτωχομάνα - εσύ που βγάζεις τα καλύτερα παιδιά;»

DEAN KALIMNIOU

info@macedonian.com.au

Footnote:

Melbourne celebrates its Greek culture

Tuesday, 11 November 2008

A marble stele commemorating Melbourne´s sister city relationship with the Greek city of Thessaloniki was today unveiled on Lonsdale Street in the city´s Greek Precinct.

The stele, on which images are engraved of mosaics representative of the 2300 year old history of Thessaloniki, was presented to the city by Prefect of Thessaloniki, Mr Panagiotis Psomiadis.

City of Melbourne CEO Kathy Alexander said it was an honour to accept this gift.

I´d like to convey our warmest thanks to the Prefecture of Thessaloniki for presenting this beautiful marble stele to the city. It will be a fantastic addition to our Greek Precinct.

We established Melbourne's sister city relationship with Thessaloniki in 1984 to recognise the significant contribution Melbourne's large and dynamic Greek community has made to our city.

Almost half of all Greek Australians live in Melbourne and we are home to the largest Greek-speaking population in the world outside of Greece," said Dr Alexander.

Melbourne´s sister city relationship with Thessaloniki is important for the city. The Greek community here play a central role in maintaining Melbourne´s reputation as one of the world´s most culturally diverse cities.

I would like to thank (Premier Brumby) and the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) for providing support to revitalise the Greek Precinct and assisting with the unveiling of this stele today.

I would also like to thank the Thessaloniki "White Tower" Association who are a key partner of the City of Melbourne in the sister city relationship. I´d like to commend them for the wonderful celebrations they have staged over the past few days to celebrate the Melbourne-Thessaloniki Sister City 24th Anniversary."

The City of Melbourne and the City of Thessaloniki work together on a range of business, cultural, educational and social exchanges. The City of Melbourne also works in partnership with the Thessaloniki "White Tower" Association, here in Melbourne, in the development of activities including the establishment of an annual celebration of the relationship, the Melbourne - Thessaloniki festival.



Mayor of Melbourne John So & Mr. Psomiadis at the unveiling of the Marble Stele

Fact Sheet

The Marble Stele

The stele presented to the City of Melbourne incorporates engravings of mosaics representative of the 2,300 year old history of Thessaloniki.

There are two images represented on the stele:

The Alexander the Great image (the front of the stele) replicates a portion of the mosaic "The lion´s hunting", found at the museum of Pella, Greece, dating back to the 4th century B.C.

An image of Saint Dimitrios, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, is displayed on the back of the stele. It is a replica of a 7th century A.D. mosaic located at the church of Saint Dimitrios, Thessaloniki.

Melbourne and Thessaloniki, sister cities since 1984:

Affiliated in 1984, Melbourne's sister city relationship with Thessaloniki recognises Melbourne's large Greek community and the significant contribution Greek people have made to our city.

Thessaloniki, Greece:

With a population of more than one million, Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece.

Thessaloniki has become one of the Mediterranean´s most important trade and communication centres.

Thessaloniki has a thriving nightlife, with great restaurants and a wealth of sights and attractions.

Greece´s Melbourne-based community:

Melbourne has the world´s largest Greek-speaking population, outside of Greece;

Over 114,000 residents of Melbourne metropolitan area speak Greek at home*;

47 per cent of Australia´s Greek population live in Melbourne*;

Almost 150,000 people living in the metropolitan Melbourne claim a Greek ancestry*;

Over 52,000 of Melbourne´s residents were born in Greece*.

Lonsdale Street Greek Precinct has been a centre for Greek activity since the 1950s (Greek migration to Melbourne).

Produced Truth Bearer

Macedonia on the Web Forum



info@macedonian.com.au

Australian Macedonian Advisory Council