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A person sitting on a lounge
Speaker Profile Προφίλ ηχείου
Kyriakitsa Kevgas
| Language: Greek
A person sitting on a lounge

Speaker background

Occupation: Shop owner, BusinesswomanYear of arrival: 1956

Kyriakitsa Kevgas was born in Xylokastro, a seaside town in the Peloponnese in 1932. In 1956, she left Greece to come to Australia, after an aunty had recommended the move to her parents. Kyriakitsa joined her first cousin in Sydney, who was the owner of the Redfern Hotel. After her sister arrived from Greece, they rented an apartment together in Bondi. The two sisters opened a shop in Darlinghurst, called The Bride’s Corner, specialising in bridal gowns, christening wear, candles and bonbonnieres. Kyriakitsa didn’t want to get married for several years, despite the many suitors in Sydney. She developed a long-distance relationship with a man from Greece and they married soon after his arrival in 1965.

Location in AustraliaDulwich Hill

Interview summary

Kyriakitsa describes her comfortable life in Xylokastro. She laments that she never really understood the reasons why she was sent to Australia, believing it was only for a short time. Kyriakitsa recalls the emotional day she farewelled her classmates, who told her to not forget Greece. She provides a rich account of her working life in Sydney, her social circles and the reputation she developed as a leading bridal and christening stylist.

Interview highlights

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Kyriakitsa describes her first impressions of Sydney.

Kyriakitsa: I was bemused with the houses. They were stuck together, one with the other. Later, when I passed through the different streets of Newtown, of Surry Hills, you saw the same, one after the other. There was a pub on every corner. I can’t say I was terribly impressed with the place, as a town or as a country. But naturally, later, I had the opportunity to go into the centre of the city. Naturally, the Town Hall of Sydney was a nice building. I might add, there was a concert going on. The singer had come from Greece. My cousin had bought tickets, and we went to the concert. 

Interviewer: Do you remember who the singer was?

Kyriakitsa: The singer was one of the well-known ones. Let me try and remember the name.

Interviewer: Was it perhaps Nikos Gounaris?

Kyriakitsa: Yes, yes it was Gounaris. He was very, very good. The Town Hall was full, and I was impressed. From then on, I began to see things more positively.

Timecode 24:51 - 26:46
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In 1961, Kyriakitsa opened her shop in Darlinghurst, naming it The Brides Corner. She recalls that the majority of migrants rented their bridal wear.

Kyriakitsa: Back then, the newly arrived migrant did not buy their bridal dress. How could they? It was very rare to see anyone buy, at least at my shop. Everyone rented. You could rent from Yiannopoulou. Ours at least were clean and well maintained. I didn’t like it if the bride’s bouquet didn’t look nice and new. I would make them from scratch. But I had a lot of help. My sister knew how to sew. She left her job in Oxford Street where she worked and came with me. She remained for eleven years, but returned to Greece. Life wasn’t easy in those days, not at all. 

Timecode 42:58 - 44:08

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