Speaker background
Costas Vassiniotis was the last of 13 children in a family in the central Peloponnese. His father was an olive oil merchant. After arriving in Sydney, he worked in a variety of labouring jobs before becoming a bus driver. He worked as a conductor and then a driver in Sydney’s southeastern suburbs until his retirement. Vassiniotis was also active in the Pan-Arcadian Association, one of the largest regional associations in Sydney. He served as president of the association.
Interview summary
Costas Vassiniotis describes life in his village in the Peloponnese, and how he emigrated to Australia through the assisted migration scheme. He describes his early days in Bonegilla and then Sydney, where he worked a number of jobs, while living with his siblings in Redfern. He eventually found work in Sydney’s bus system, and, in the 1970s, moved to Rosebery. In the interview, he reflects on his experiences living and working in Australia and his involvement with Greek associations, principally, Sydney’s large Pan-Arcadian Association.
Interview highlights
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Vassiniotis describes trying to get overtime at his first job in Sydney, which was in a foundry
I was working for 12 hours a day. The wages were £14, and with overtime we’d be making £20 to £22. And that was good pay for those days [...]. I wanted overtime. But they wouldn’t give me overtime. I wanted to make money, now [...]. So I went to the union, to the offices. Ι found an interpreter. He said “What do you want here? You came to Australia to get rich in a week?” I told him: “That’s why I came. To make money!” [laughs] “Do you think we came here to be a tourist?” Anyway, he laughed. They called him Mr Bligh. I called him “Mr Bloody.” He would laugh, as did his secretary. “Say it again, say it again,” they would say to me.
Timecode 21:36 - 23:02
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Where did you live?
I lived in Redfern. Redfern provided a roof . . . Newtown, Paddington, Surry Hills served as the ‘roof’ of the Greeks [...]. There were Greek shops. When we first came here, to find oil, there was a shop in the city. It was called ‘Baveas’, which was initially on Castlereagh Street. To get a 4 litre can of olive oil in those days it cost a daily wage: £2.5. It was expensive, yet when you went to buy it there was often a long line [...]. Later shops opened in our neighbourhood. There were two Greek Egyptians [who had a shop], good lads, and we shopped from them [...]. In any case [Greek] produce started to arrive. We were forced to drink coffee from glass cups. There were no demitasses. We once went to a house in Taylor Square, and we were offered coffee from demitasses. And we thought that was something special! [laughter]
Timecode 24:25 - 25:40
