The Trip

George was born in Xanthe, Greece and worked as a shoemaker. In 1969 he sought to escape the political situation in Greece by migrating with his family to Australia. Three years later his family returned to Greece. This return was short-lived and after a few years they returned to Australia. He owned a number of businesses including a mixed business and a café. He was most active as a musician performing at various tavernas in the evenings as well as running a number of Greek choirs. He also wrote one of the songs in the Australian film In Search of Anna (1978).

George Michelakakis is an artist, author, radio programmer and activist. He was born in Piraeus in December 1945. His decision to emigrate was based on political and economic factors. In 1971 he flew with his wife to Djibouti in East Africa, and from there travelled to Australia with the Greek passenger liner, Patris. He spent considerable time in Bonegilla and Melbourne, before moving to Sydney.

Eugenia was born in the village of Andania in Messinia, Peloponnese in 1928. She recalls the challenges her family endured under German occupation in the Second World War and the Greek Civil War.  She recalls her experiences as a young girl when she delivered food in a basket during the night, secretly helping villagers in desperate need.She describes her life working as a hairdresser in Athens supporting her family, before making the decision to migrate to Australia to search of a better future.  In Sydney, her hairdressing skills would be utilized immediately along with factory shift work which supported both her family in Greece and her future savings.She would marry soon after arrival by ‘proxenio’ or arranged marriage, and the couple worked hard to buy their first home, renting out rooms to supplement their income.Eugenia and her husband raised three children in Sydney’s inner west and worked several jobs simultaneously to make ends meet: running retail businesses, factory and cleaning shift work.