Castellorizians at Port Pirie, South Australia

[cressie]

Hi All

Many Castellorizians went to Port Pirie SA to work on the Lead Smelters in the early 1920's whilst others were settling in Perth, North Queensland and Sydney. My grandfather went to Port Pirie in 1924 but relocated to the South West of WA as he was seeking sufficient funds to bring out his family to Australia. But he had cousins and other Castellorizian friends who remained in SA. Later many of those at Port Pirie were to relocate mainly to Perth and Sydney. Some went back to Greece to marry but many did so at Port Pirie.

I have gone through the Marriage Indexes for Port Pirie and located 70 Greek marriages for that location between 1911 and 1937 (indexes only available to 1937). Many are Castellorizian surnames. The indexes give full names of the bride and groom, their ages, full date of the marriage, where the marriage occurred and the father's name of both parties. I could post the lot but some may not be Castellorizian and it would take a lot of space. An example is as follows.......

Groom: KARPOOZIS
Given names: George
Bride: NICHOLAS
Given names: Mary
Date: 1920-11-28
Groom Age: 23
Status: S
Groom's Father: John KARPOOZIS
Bride Age: 17
Status: S
Bride's Father: Anastasius NICHOLAS
Place: St Pauls Church Port Pirie
District: Cla
Symbol: S
Book/Page: 285/792
Cross Reference:

Some of the other surnames are ........Fermani, Kiosoglous, Petrelis, Poniros, Zervos, Myriclis, Agapitos, Spartalis, Penglis, Marcos, Magrapli, Kontoolas, Alexiou, Mavromatis, Saris, Manolaki, Athanasios and many more. If of interest I could list all the Greek surnames that I have located marriages for.

Regards
Allan

[Administrator]

Allan,

This makes for fascinating reading. When time permits, it would be great to see all the results of your research into Port Pirie.

The dowry archive contains a few references to Castellorizian males living in Port Pirie. For example, in April 1923, Stavros M Haratsis was betrothed to Konstandinia D Passari while he was "temporarily residing" in Port Pirie. In the same month, Alexandros Harmanis was betrothed to Evangelia M Komninou while also working there. There are other examples.

I would not be surprised if other references you have found will connect with entries in the dowry archive.

Nicholas

[cressie]

Hi Nicholas

The first Dowry you list relates to the SA marriage:

Groom: HARATSIS
Given names: Stavros Mick
Bride: PASSARI
Given names: Constance Demitri
Date: 1923-07-22
Groom Age: 23
Status: S
Groom's Father: Mick HARATSIS
Bride Age: 18
Status: S
Bride's Father: Demitri PASSARI
Place: St Pauls Church Port Pirie
District: Cla
Symbol:
Book/Page: 296/209
Cross Reference:

The second dowry must relate to either a Castellorizian marriage event or occurred elsewhere in Aus.

Just a posting to show how the various sources can link together.

Regards
Allan

[David]

Hi all
Just found my way to this forum via wikipedia.
Stavros Haratsis was my great-grandfather. I know very little about him - just wondering how i can use your combined resources to find out more. I have been told there was a dowry of a parcel of land passed down from eldest son to eldest son (which is eventually me), but have no idea as to the truth of it.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks.

[Administrator]

David,

Delighted to hear that you are the great grandson of Stavros Haratsis whom I have referred to above.

I'd be happy to send you a copy of your great grandparents' dowry contract from April 1923. If you'd care to become a member of this Forum and supply your e-mail and other details (the e-mail may remain hidden, if you prefer), I will send it to you.

By the way, Castellorizian tradition provided that houses on the island were passed from mother to daughter on marriage, not from father to son.

I will also start a new thread on the Genealogy page under 'Haratsis'. Let's see what that elicits.

Nicholas

[Administrator]

David,

I have e-mailed you a copy of your great grandparents's dowry contract from April 1923 together with some covering observations. I hope you find them useful.

Nicholas

[Emmanuel Marcou]

Hi Nicholas,
I have'nt logged onto site for several weeks ,mainly because our mother passed away during this time,& as you can imagine have been somewhat preoocupied.
I passing I read through the listing of Port Pirie residents which was posted lately.
As I guessed my father's surname is listed as Marcos.He and his family lived there for two or three tears before coming to Melbourne.He actually worked as a glass-blower in Port Pirie,and
because he was under 16 years of age at the time,was paid the princely amount of Five Shillings per week!! Although he spoke several languages excluding English he could not find
any alternative work.
As a matter of interest,I was wondering whether the Churches in Castellorizo were
able to save any records of Births,Marriages,Baptisms.& Deaths prior to 1910,and if so,would
they be available for perusal.I was told several years ago,that all Church records for Castellorizo & the Dodecanese Islands were being stored at the Monastery on the island of Simi.
I don't know whether this is true;but is there any way of finding out?

Sincere Regards.
Emmanuel Marcou.
E-Mail: [e-mail]

[Emmanuel Marcou]

P.S. Nicholas,
I forgot to mention the fact that my grandmother Evangelia Marcou ( Sava) was first cousin to the wife of a Haratsis in Port Pirie,whose first name was Paraskevou.They moved to Melbourne in later years and operated a Fish & Chip shop in Bridge Road,Richmond,until the
mid 50's,then moved to Sydney after the eldest daughter married a Sydney boy with the surname "Elliot".Their descendants still live in Sydney to this day.

Emmanuel Marcou.

[katina]

Hi Nicholas,

This is the first time I've written and I'm finding this subject very interesting.

My father and several of his brothers also worked in Port Pirie in the early 1920s before finally moving to Melbourne and Sydney. Their surname was Kambouris. My dad was Con and his brothers, Paul, Jim and Mick. Jim finally moved to Brazil.

Their sisters were Katina (New York) Pareskevou Parthenos (Sydney) and Anastasia Diamond (Sydney) Anastasia is the oldest Kassi in Australia (Bill's grandmother).

Emmanuel mentioned the Haratsis family from Bridge Road Richmond. He (George, I think) was a cousin of my dad. If you or Emmanuel are interested I have many photos of the family plus lots more of other Kassies dating back to the 1920s.

Thanks for a very informative forum.

Katina Collett (Kambouris)

[Administrator]

Further to the above posts, here is a recently-located photograph of some of the Greeks (predominantly Castellorizians) of Port Pirie in c. 1934.



The photograph has been taken outside the Greek Orthodox Church of St George and includes the then Archbishop of Australia, Timotheos, and local priest Germanos Iliou. Around them are members of the Port Pirie community and their families.

I am led to believe that the photo includes members of the Kiosoglou and Kambouris families, among others.

Nicholas

[genc]

Hi Allan
I have only joined this site today - I am updating my family history database for my sister-in-law who has Greek parents. Her father was John Louis Couani(s) born 21 Jan 1927 in Port Pirie SA, son of Michael Couani(s) born in 1899, Port Said, Alexandria, Egypt who married in 1920, Mahalakena Athanasos (or is is Athanasios?) in Port Pirie SA. Mahalakena was born in 1901 in Kastellorizo, Greece and died in 1969 in Port Pirie, SA. I am hoping someone can direct me as to where I can look for information on these families. I obvioiusly have some info, hower John Couani(s) memory is vague and this is the first website that I have found dedicated to Greek family history and more relevant to my research. Mahalakena's parents are Stavros Athanasos and Panzata Jacomas.
Can someone help me as to where to look for the emmigration of John and his parents. My normal shipping resources are bringing up nothing.
Other children of Michael Couanis and Mahalakena Athanasos are Steve (married & lives in WA) Mary (married & lives in SA), Rita (lived in SA & is dead) Goldie (married & lives in SA).
Michael Couanis was apparently a merchant seaman
Any assistance would be most appreciated - I am preparing this for my niece's 21st birthday & would like any information out there or advice.
With much thanks
Genevieve Campbell

[cressie]

Hi Genevieve

RE Couanis Family SA

Thanks for the contact, have been away on holidays. I don't have much more on the Couanis family of SA than you have and I haven't made any inquiries or carried out research on the WA lines as yet. There is a large Kounis family in Perth which I have listed some on the Cazzie Geni Site but there does not seem to be a Stavros appearing at all. You may be aware also of Spiro Couanis who married an Anna Haramis and who went to Darwin. They may connect somehow but the children's name don't seem to tie into the SA lot. As you would be aware the children are named according to the grandparents names in almost all instances. It does seem strange that Michael and his wife named their first born son, John Louis, as he should have been Stavros Michael, especially as both grandfathers were named Stavros. I see from your info that a later son was named Stavros (Steve) and is here in WA.

There are four births listed for Michael and Michalakena in SA pre 1929 and all have a different surname for Michalakena. Such was the confusion both with various Greek nickname surnames and by the Anglo-Saxon recording of the details supplied.

I cannot locate any shipping records that nominate the arrival of Michael Couanis. I don't have Darwin records and that is where he may have arrived via, as many came through Darwin pre 1920.

During my movements through the Cazzie families in WA I have come across a Couanis person and I am trying to remeber where we met. I will check at the next Hellenic Bowls meeting as it may have been there. If I can locate him he may have something to offer on the family. Have you tried speaking to the sisters of John - Mary and Goldie?

Although the Couanis family were in Port Said Egypt I do believe that the family originated from Castellorizo. Well at least the Spiro Couanis family did as does the Kounis family of WA. Perhaps Nicholas Pappas, our Forum Administrator, might have Wedding Dowry Contracts relevant to Couanis family, especially Stavros who would have married in the timeframe that Nicholas has contracts for. Worth an ask in case he married in Castellorizo.

My mum's second cousin, Maria Karasava (Sava), married Michalakena Athanasios's brother, Peter, in Port Pirie in 1923. I am in contact with the family in SA. It's a small world, especially in the Cazzie community!

I will post you privately info to have better access to the Cazzie Geni Site where I have some of the Couanis family listed. What timeframe do we have for the 21st?

Sorry for the long email.

Regards
Allan
www.castellorizo.org

[stefanc]

Regarding Allan's and Genevieve's posts above, I have posted some info on the Kouanis thread.
Spiro and Anna Couani were my paternal grandparents who lived for some time in the 1920s in South Australia, family folklore focusing on a period in Thevenard. My father was born in Darwin.
However, they lived most of their lives in Sydney.
Stefan

[maggie]

Hi, I have only found this site today thanks to Nick Pappas in Australia, my yiayia was Triantafylia (Rosa) Fermani daughter of Anastafiou Fermani & Katrina Peronis. Triantafylia married my grandfather Comninos Kiosoglous son of Michali Kiosoglous, (not sure of mother) in Port Pirie, Sth Aust. I would appreciate any further information on my grandparents that anyone can give me.

[maggie]

Hi Nicholas, the pic that you have so kindly posted does have my grandfather Comnino Kiosoglous, I think that is my grandmother to his left. My mother Ivy Graham (Evangelia Kiosoglous) will be able to tell me more when she gets back from overseas next week.

[G.M.B.]

Hi all,
on the subject of the Peronis family, my uncle Peter{Panagiotis}
Bayss, {Beigeorgi } married Maria peronis in 1947.
unfortunatly there were no children But maria had a sister Rose Peronis whome I have not heard of for some years.
the Peronis family had a vinyard in the Penrith area of Sydney which our family used to visit.
I may even be able to find some old pics around the vinyard in amongst my mothers files.
If anyone has any info on this family line I would like to hear it.

Regards,
George.

[G.M.B.]

Hi all,

Again on the Peronis Family,

I have found in the local records that Maria Peronis parents were
Peter and Eudokia Peronis.

Is anyone aware of any further information on this family.

Regards,
George

[cressie]

Hi George

Petros Peronis married Erin Kremaston at Paddington NSW 1929 (ref 8219/1929).

Do you know if this Peronis family links to the Peronis family in SA and later VIC? There was Stavros Peronis (married SA 1925) son of Sotirios, and George Peronis (married SA 1929) son of Markos. Stavros married Irene Stefanos and George married Maria Spartalis.

Regards
Allan

[cressie]

Hi again George

I have since looked closer at this family both in NSW, SA and VIC. Most of the info ties in and it would seem that their are two family lines relating to these States. Sotirios Pironis and Maria being the parents of Stavros (c1898) and Petros (c1900) and Markos Peronis and Maria Papanastasiou the parents of George (c1905) and Katerina.

One think is confusing is that there is a Maria Peronis who died in Sydney in 1956 whose parents are nominated as Peter and Eudokia. This could not be the Maria who married your Uncle Panagiotis Bayss as her name would be Bayss on the Death Indexes, unless divorced.

There is also an Isabell Peronis marrying a Michael Lazos in Sydney 1954 and Mary Peronis marrying a Paraskevas Kailis in Sydney 1951. I cannot tie them into their parents.

Anything further you have on the family might clear up the structure.

Best wishes

Allan

[G.M.B.]

Allan,

I am not aware of a connection ,
I posted the information to see what, if anything had occured with the Sydney connection,
and where it fitted into the Peronis family,
and also to let others know of the Sydney connection to see if they fitted into any Peronis branches of others.
to contribute to others also with possible family connections.

Regards,
George.

[johns]

Hi Nick, I am the grandson of Constantine Haratsis .Stavros Haratsis was my Grandfather's Brother.You have sent my cousin Dianne copies of Grandad,s and Grandma's Dowry agreements .I am very interested in tracing our family history.They had 5 Children Mick born in Cassie approx 1913.From cassie they came to Port Pirie and then shifted to Newcastle and in approx 1931 to Dundas where they had a small farm.Grandma's maiden name was Hiotou .

[johns]

Hi Nick,Have you any information about the family Hiotou? That is my Grandmother's maiden name.I would like to kno if she had any Brothers or sisters and any info about her father.I kno that we are related to the Karpoosis family. I have been searching for this site for a long time and cannot believe i finally found it. Thank you regrds john

[zowie]

hi john,

Are you related to the karpoozis from this website?
And if so in what way?

regards, zowie

[johns]

Hi Zowie, My Grandmother Ekatrina Haratsis sister was married to Apostelle Karpoozis I do not know if they were related to the Karpoozis on this web site .Grandma's Maiden name was Hiotou.
regards John

[Georgia Kantilaftas]

Hi there my name is Georgia Kantilaftas 

I am sitting here with my father in law Jack (Kiriakos Kantilaftas) who was born Port Adelaide. His Father John worked in Pirie for years, went back to Kastellorizo to marry and returned to Pirie with his new bride Despina. 


Comninos Kiosoglous was the younger brother of the family.. John Kiosoglous is related to your family..as his father was the older brother of your grandfather. If you want to find out more...then perhaps contact him .. he lives in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. 

Good luck with your search 

[Patricia Kidd]

My name is Patricia and my grandfather was Stavros Haratsis and my grandmother's maiden name Constance Demitri.  I am trying to complete my family tree and came across this forum and previous posts re Stavros Haratsis.   I would also like a copy of the dowry contract from 1923 relating to their marriage and observations which you sent to great great grandson David previously.  My mother Stella Haratsis was their daughter born in 1925.  Thanking you in advance.  Patricia.  

[stavrosc]

Hello Kassies
I’m a new member and would like to know how I can view the photo of the Port Pirie Greeks in front of their church. It’s possible it is one I have and which I am working on to try to put names to the individuals.
Thanks, Stavros

[thezam]

Any assistance would be appreciated.

I am looking for any information on the Zambazis family that can be found.
The only information I have is my Great-Grandfather, Anastasios Zambazis was born in Castellorizo and immigrated to Australia in 1923.

Thanks,
Stacey