Speaker background
Father Milton John Chrysavgis was born in Patras, Greece in 1932. His childhood was spared the terrors of the second world war, but food shortages and famine were pronounced. In 1950, compatriots enticed him to Australia. Disembarking in Melbourne, “Milton Johnson” as he was initially known, worked at Raffles Café on Collin Street to pay back the 200-pound fare. Given his academic leanings, he immediately learnt English before commencing university, studying History, Psychology and Philosophy. Matriculating with an MA, he spent a year as a teacher before he was ordained as a priest and posted to South Australia between 1957-62. Upon moving to Sydney, he oversaw the building of St George Greek Orthodox Church in Rose Bay. He has been an active member of the Australian Council of Churches, and lives in a retirement village in Randwick.
Interview summary
Father Milton retells his journey from growing up as an intrepid teenager in Patras to working as a respected church leader in Australia. He recounts his preference for study over business, which led to parish positions within the Greek Orthodox Church. He recalls some of the changes that he introduced during his 60-years of ecclesiastic service, for example, the introduction of bilingual sermons and female chanters. He also recalls being active in inter-faith dialogues.
Interview highlights
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Was someone here already in Australia, that you knew?
One of my good fellow-students Dionysis Kombothetras had his sister here, Zoi Kominatou. She made an invitation to her brother, and he came out. I was electrified in some way. I said ‘Australia, what is this?’ I looked at the map, and I said I will come with you! But of course, I had to find somebody. In those years, 1950, there was no [one] to help so my mother who was against me migrating still helped me. She went and found the address of one of her compatriots from her village living in Australia since 1922: Paul Taylor, he was in business. He had the greatest cafés in Collins Street in Melbourne. Raffles Café and Toby’s Café. Very important business. He made the invitation and sponsorship and also guarantee for a home to stay and for work initially to undertake. That was the procedure in those days.
Timecode 07:15 - 08:47
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Where did the people who passed away get buried around here?
At Botany cemetery. A lot of them are there. At the beginning when we started in 1962, most of the people were young. We didn’t have many [funerals] for about 6-9 months. Not one funeral. The funeral directors came and said “Father, no business at all?” I told him “My parishioners do not die!” And he was laughing. But even later Saint Spyridon church [Kingsford] had many, many sacraments (weddings, christenings) and every day 1-2 funerals. Too many. I used to get the ‘surplus’! Well, when they had 3 funerals, they said “Father can you get this?” Of course, I can! Because it was good. I wasn’t bogged down with work. It was a good period for me.
Timecode 49:30 - 50:39
