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NZ Greek History

Background

In 2018 there was estimated to be about 3211 Greeks in NZ comprising original Immigrants plus first, second, third and fourth generations born here. Most of them live in Wellington the capital city of New Zealand with scattered groups spreading throughout the rest of the country such as Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, Wanganui, Palmerston North etc. Initial immigation was from many different parts of Greece, both mainland and the islands such as Crete and Mytiline.(Lesvos). Many Greek Cypriots also established themselves here.

The majority of Greeks arrived during the 1950s and 1960s but a strong basis had been established by the few earlier arrivals in the first part of the 20th century. The main church (Evangelismos Cathedral) is located at 3 Hania Street,Wellington. The Greek school based at our Community premises offers classes for all age groups (afternoons and evenings).  Info under School category.       

 

History of Greeks in New Zealand

Refer also to: http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/NewZealandPeoples/Greeks

The Pan-Hellenic association was the first recorded "association" of New Zealand Greeks and was established in Wellington in 1929. Its first Management Committee comprised of: 

George Mastrogeorgiou
Spiros Berdebes
Loukas Arvanitis
Dionisios Boulieris
Dionisios Gerondis
Efstratios Galanis
Iraklis Pippos

On 14th March 1937, the following committee was formed with it's aim being to formalise the administration and continuance of the Greek language and religion for current and future generations of all Greeks in New Zealand. The name they took was 'The Edcational Association of The Greek Community in New Zealand' and included the following members:

President: Antonios Tzanis (Janis)
Vice President: Efstratios Galanis (Garland)
Secretary: Emmanuel Antonaras (Andis)
Treasurer: Dionisios Gerondis
Panagiotis Papageorgiou (Papageorge)
Christos Yiavacis (Christie)
Petrou Gerondis

Meetings were held at 36 Marion Street, Wellington where the first Greek school was also housed. The first fundraising towards a school and church was done on 6th February 1938 and the following 27 donors are recorded:

Antonios Tzanis (Janis)
George Mastrogeorgiou Mastergeorge)
Efstratios Galanis (Garland)
Dionisios Gerondis
Panagiotis Papageorgiou (Papageorge)
Damianos Papageorgiou (Papageorge)
Evangelos Blades
Loukas Arvanitis
Apostolos Vambouras (Barris)
Dimitrios Geragotelis (Geris)
Christoforos Yiavacis (Christie)
George Kotrotsos
Emmanuel Moutzouris
Ioannis Maroulis
George Kalafatelis
Ioannis Gerondis
Dimitrios Antonaras (Andis)
Menelaos Kathistidis
Gerasimos Gambitsis
Aristeidis Asproloupos (Aspros)
George Soteros
Panagiotis Matsis
Panagiotis Ververis
Dimitrios Soteros
Panagiotis Kolivas
Konstantinos Paloumbsas
Ioannis Varvis

The amount raised was eighty one pounds and ten shillings. The equivalent in 2023 would be $10266

Timeline

1945

Original Constitution drafted and registered under name Agia Triada. Ratified at Special Meeting under joint chairmanship of G. Pilalis,G. Boulieris, S Blades on 14th March 1945. Was then representative of the whole Greek Community of New Zealand. Listed Below are past Management Committee members of Greek Orthodox Community of Wellington Inc:

President: Antonios Tzanis
Secretary: Dimitrios (Jim) Antonaras
Treasurer: Evangelos  Blades
Panagiotis (Peter) Papageorgiou
Emmanuel Moutzouris
Aristeidis Asproloupos
George Papageorgiou

 

1946

President: Christoforos Yiavacis
Secretary: Dimitrios (Jim) Antonaras
Treasurer: George Mastrogeorgiou
Aristeidis Asproloupos
Emmanuel Moutzouris
Minelaos Kathistidis

 


1947
The first Greek Church was erected in Wellington in what was then, Lloyd Street (since changed to Hania Street). The church building was originally a "hospital barracks" which was purchased from the Government, from US army surplus stocks at Trentham. On 6th April 1947, the first service was conducted by the Rev Chrisostomou Vogiatzoglou. Today's church (Cathedral) was built on the same site in 1970/71 and retains the same name "Cathedral of the Annunciation'.


1954/1955 - 1955/1956

President: Arthur Giannoutsos
Secretary: Athanasis Karantzis
Treasurer: Christoforos Yiavacis
George Mastrogeorgiou
Stephen Blades
Emmanuel Galani (Garland)
Sava Matsis
S . Voutsas
Kostantinos Xeinos
Louizos Papadopoulos
George Xanthopoulos



1956/1957

President: George Papageorge
Secretary: Emmanual Phillipakis
Treasurer: George Mastrogeorge
Christoforos Yiavacis
Emmanuel Galani (Garland)
George Xanthopoulos
George Antipas
Nicolaos Kommatas
Adam Poulopoulos
Ioannis (John) Photiadis
Dimitrios (Jim) Avramidis



1957/1958

President: Christos Papachristou
Secretary: Evangelos Sarris
Treasurer: Emmanuel Galani (Garland)
George Antipas
Demitrios Isaakidis
George Zavogiannis
Athanasis Karantzis
Gerasimos Kakaviatios
Ioannis Photiadis
Kostantinos Gerondis
George Kastrinoudis



1958/1959

President: George Kastrinoudis
Secretary: Emmanual Phillipakis
Treasurer: George Loizou
Christos Papachristou
Athanasis Karantzis
Ioannis Photiadis
Gerasimos Kakaviatios
George Xanthopoulos
Dimitrios Avramidis
George Antipas



1959/1960

President: Dionisios Papadam
Secretary: Dionisios Filipatos
Treasurer: Efstathios Yiavacis
George Mastrogeorge
Dimitrios Avramidis
Spiridon Androutsos
Ioannis Gratsounas
Dimos Ioannou
Athanasis Karantzis
Efstratios Karagiannis
Dimitrios Soteros

 

1960/1961

President: Dionisios Papadam
Secretary: Dionisios Filipatos
Treasurer: Athanasis Karantzis
George Mastrogeorge
Dimitrios Avramidis
Spiridon Androutsos
Ioannis Gratsounas
Dimos Ioannou
Efstratios Karagiannis
Dimitrios Soteros
Ioannis Liapis



1961/1962 - 1962/1963

President: Dionisios Papadam
Secretary: Dionisios Filipatos
Treasurer: Dimitrios Soteros
George Mastrogeorge
Dimitrios Avramidis
Alexandros Giovanidis
Fotios Anastasiou
Christoforos Yiavacis
Ioannis Liapis
Athanasis Karantzis
Efstratios Yiavacis
Lefteri Kondos (After C Yiavacis Resigned)



1963/1964 - 1964/1965

President: Evangelos Blades
Secretary: Athanasios Nicolaou
Treasurer: Kostas Giovanidis
Dimitrios Avramidis
Spiridon Androutsos
Panagiotis Mikelatos
George Yiappos
Anastasios Economou
Dimitrios Soteros
George Torakis



1965/1966

President: George Mastrogeorgiou
Secretary: Athanasios Nicolaou
Treasurer: Dimitrios Soteros
Andreas Barzoukas
Ioannis Photiadis
Petros Krasoudakis
Fotios Anastasiou
Alexandros Giovanidis
Vasilis Pappafilipou
Stefanos Alexiou
Vasilios Bertos



1966/1967 - 1967/1968

President: Kostantinos Economou
Secretary: Sterios Papaioannou
Treasurer: Dimitrios Soteros
George Mastrogeorgiou
Jim Kotrotsos
Achileas Asproloupos
Stefanos Alexiou
Alexandros Giovanidis
Nicolaos Georgiou
Athanasios Nicolaou
Andreas Barzoukas

 

1968/1969 - 1969/1970

President: Dionisios Papadam
Secretary: Stavros Pappas
Treasurer: Andreas Barzoukas
Fotios Anastasiou
Tony Kotrotsos
Ioannis Liapis
Athanasios Karantzis
Efstathios Yiavacis
Michalis Zaravinos
Dimitrios Soteros
Alekos Giovanidis
George Dometakis (After A Giovanidis resigned)



1970/1971 - 1971/1972

President: Stephen Blades
Secretary: Stavros Pappas
Treasurer: Basil Papageorge
Andreas Barzoukas
George Dometakis
Kostas Katsogiannis
Efstathios Yiavacis
Michalis Zaravinos
Dionisios Papadam
Sterios Papaioannou
Tony Kotrotsos

1972/1973 - 1973/1974

President: George Dometakis
Secretary: Emmanuel Kafakis
Treasurer: Spiros Papageorgiou
Michael Zaravinos
Ioannis Mavrothalasitis
Kostas Arathimos
Ioannis Liapis
Kyriakos Blades
Kostas Katsogiannis
Antonios Maheridis
Andreas Barzoukas

 

Continued top right ....

.. contd

1974/1975 - 1975/1976

President: George Dometakis
Secretary: Dimitrios Stavrinos
Treasurer: Spiros Papageorgiou
Antonios Maheridis
Peter Mallis
Sterios Papaioannou
John Liapis
Jim Kotrotsos
Alexandros Giovanidis
Kostantinos Macridis
Lewis (Lou) Loizou

 1976/1977 - 1977/1978

President: George Dometakis
Secretary: Emmanuel Kafakis
Treasurer: Panagiotis Mallis
Ioannis Liapis
Eletherios Barzoukas
Steriou Papaioannou
Alekos Giovanidis
John Mavrothalasitis
Lewis (Lou) Loizou
Jim Kotrotsos
Antonios Maheridis

 1978/1979 - 1979/1980

President: Stephen Blades
Secretary: Elefterios Krasoudakis
Treasurer: Alexandros Giovanidis
Elefterios Barzoukas
Angelos Argus
John Liapis
Bruce Zisis Blades
Denis Camberis
Jim Kotrotsos
John Mavrothalasitis
Sophia Economou (Assumed Treasurer's position after A Giovanidis passed away in April 1979)

1980/1981 - 1981/1982

President: Angelos Argus
Secretary: Steriou Papaioannou
Treasurer: Spiros Papageorgiou
John Mavrothalasitis
Elefterios Krasoudakis
John Liapis
Fotios Anastasiou
Bruce Zisis Blades
Sophia Economou (Assumed Treasurer's position after S. Papageorgiou resigned in 1980)
Christos Houtas
Athanasios Ziogos

1982/1983 - 1983/1984

President: Bruce Zisis Blades
Secretary: Nicolaos Zachariadis
Treasurer: Vasilios Vasiliadis
Ioannis Mavrothalasitis
Triantafilos Karathanasis
Angelos Houtas
Dimitrios Kakaviatos
Gerasimos Voutsinas
Dionisios Soulis
Christos Houtas
Athanasios Ziogos
Theodoros Theodoridis (Replaced Karathanasis)
Vasilios Kiourtsidis (Replaced Zachariadis)


1984/1985 - 1985/1986

President: Michael Orfanos
Secretary: Mario Agalou
Treasurer: Ioannis Kananginis
Dionisios Soulis
Vasilios Kiourtsidis
Angelos Houtas
Michael Samiotis
Demos Gougoulas
Efstratios Theodoridis
George Batsos
Pericle Kotsifakis
Chris Bertos(replaced G Batsos)
Kostas Giovanidis (Replaced V. Kiourtsidis)
Vasilios Vasiliadis (Replaced I Kananginis)
Bill Blades (replaced E Theodoridis)


1986/1987 - 1987/1988

President: Michael Orfanos
Secretary: Chris Bertos
Treasurer: Lambros Kontogiannis
Angelos Houtas
Konstantinos Anastasiou
Kostas Giovanidis
Panagiotis Arathimos
Stefanos Kappatos
Konstantinos Kothroulas
Christos Tsanoudakis
Panagiotis (Peter) Halikias


1988/1989 - 1989/1990

President: Denis Soulis
Secretary: Stan Lytras
Treasurer: Chris Bertos
Peter Arathimos
Apostolos Vringas
John Mavrothalasitis
Demetrios Papadopoulos
Athanasios Ziogos
Angelos Houtas
Michael Samiotis
Jim Viatos


1990/1991 -1991/1992

President: Denis Soulis
Secretary: Chris Bertos
Treasurer: Tony Kotrotsos
Peter Arathimos
Maria Verivaki
George Kosmadakis
Ioannis Makaronas
Demetrios Papadopoulos
John Petris
Angelos Houtas
Demetrios Zaloumis


1992/1993 - 1993/1994

President: John Callinicos
Secretary: Stelios Kasoulides
Treasurer: Jim Viatos
Apostolos Vringas
John Gougoulas
Diamantis Dragunis
John Makaronas
Demetrios Papadopoulos
George Stavrinos
Angelos Houtas
Spiros Daglas

1994/1995 - 1995/1996


1996/1997 - 1997/1998

President: Theo Simeonidis
Vice-President: Atha Koroniadis
Secretary: Demetrius Christoforou
Treasurer: Kosta Koroniadis
Assistant Secretary: Vera Georgiou
Spiros Daglas
Diamantis Dragunis
John Gougoulas
Angelos Houtas
Vivienne Varouhas
Apostolos Vringas
Pantelis Xirafakis (replaced A. Vringas,1997)
Triantafillos Karathanasis (replaced J. Gougoulas)

1998/1999 - 1999/2000

President: George Stavrinos
Secretary: Demetrius Christoforou
Treasurer: Angela Papanicolaou
Vasilios Yiannoutsos
Diamantis Dragunas
John Callinicos
George Kiteos
Stella Bares
Angelos Houtas
Dimitrios Papadopoulos
George Photiadis


2000/2001 - 2001/2002

President: George Stavrinos
Secretary: Stelios Kasoulidis
Treasurer: Spiros Papageorgiou
Stella Bares
Diamanti Dragunas
Celia Lillis
Arstotelis Tsalis
Trantafillos Karathanasis
Angelos Houtas
Dimitrios Papadopoulos
George Photiadis


2002/2003 - 2003/2004

President: Stella Bares
Secretary: Eleni Kosmadakis
Treasurer: Tony Kotrotsos
Eletheria Papafloratos
Vaso Floratos
Fotini Zivadinovic
Marina Butcher
Chrisanthi Kamberogiannis
Mario Agalou
Eletheria Tsanoudakis


2004/2005 - 2005/2006

President: Stella Bares
Secretary: Eleni Kosmadakis
Treasurer: Tony Kotrotsos
Eletheria Papafloratos
Vaso Floratos
Fotini Zivadinovic
Marina Butcher
Chrisanthi Kamberogiannis
Mario Agalou


2006/2007 - 2007/2008

President: Stella Bares
Secretary: Eleni Kosmadakis
Treasurer: Jim Kotrotsos
Jim Christie
Eletheria Papafloratos
Vaso Floratos
Fotini Zivadinovic
Marina Butcher
Chrisanthi Kamberogiannis
Mario Agalou
Andriana Weston


2008/2009 - 2009/2010

President: Stella Bares
Secretary: Chrisanthi Kamberogiannis
Treasurer: Jim Kotrotsos
Jim Christie
Eletheria Papafloratos
Vaso Floratos
Fotini Zivadinovic
Marina Butcher
John Callinicos
Mario Agalou
Pagona Economou
Karen Doucas


2010/2011 - 2011/2012

President: Stella Bares
Secretary: Chrisanthi Kamberogiannis
Treasurer: Jim Kotrotsos
Jim Christie
Eletheria Papafloratos
Fotini Zivadinovic
Denis Soulis
John Callinicos
Jim Viatos
Charlotte Economou
Stelios Kavaleros

2012/2013 - 2013/2014

President: Stella Bares
Vice President: John Callinicos
Treasurer: Jim Kotrotsos
Secretary: Nick Zangouropoulos
Assistant Treasurer: Stelios Kavaleros
Assistant Secretary: Alexia Koullapis
Jim Christie
Nicky Christie
Charlotte Economu
Peter Arathimos
Chrisanthi Kamberogiannis
Peter Carras

2014/2015 - 2015/2016

President: Stella Bares
Vice President: John Callinicos
Treasurer: Jim Kotrotsos
Secretary: Nick Zangouropoulos
Assistant Treasurer: Stelios Kavaleros
Assistant Secretary: Andreas Liolis
Fotini Zivadinovic
Nicky Christie
Chrisanthi Kamberogiannis
Peter Arathimos

2016/2017 - 2017/2018

President: John Callinicos
Vice President: Neove Economu
Secretary: Andreas Liolis
Treasurer: Stelios Kavaleros
Assistant Secretary: Nina Papadopoulos
Assistant Treasurer: Jim Kotrotsos
Charlotte Economou
George Kosmadakis
Basil Rekatsinas
Fotini Zivadinovic
Chrisanthi Kamberogianis

2018/2019  - 2019/2020

President: Eleni Matias
Vice President: Erini Antogiannakis
Secretary: Nina Papadopoulos
Asst Secretary: Eleni Gkeli
Treasurer: Stelios Kavaleros
Asst Treasurer: Chris Panopoulos
John Callinicos
Peter Arathimos
Vasili Rekatsinas

2020/2021  -  2021/2022
President: Demetrius Christoforou
Vice President: Panagiotis Armaos
Secretary: Panagiotis Arathimos
Treasurer: Stelios Kavaleros
Eleni Matias
Celia Lillis
Stan Nikitopoulos
John Callinicos
Pagona Economou
Fotini Zivadinovic
John Kaldelis (replaced F. Zivadinovic, 2021)