'All their hopes and dreams': The ship that brought tens of thousands of Greeks to Australia

Fifty years ago SBS was born, starting its first ever radio broadcasts in Greek. This year also marks half a century since the Patris, a ship that enabled a wave of Greek migration to Australia, left our shores for the last time.

The Patris, shown near the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, brought many people like Magdalini Kyroglou (left) and Stavros Economidis to Australia. Credit: Greek Shipping Miracle Museum / Jennifer Scherer / SBS

Key Points

• The Patris made 91 voyages to Australia between 1959 and 1975, travelling regularly via Egypt’s Suez Canal.
• The ship, which brought tens of thousands of Greeks to Australia, is looked back on with fondness by many migrants.
• Many former passengers saw migration as a way to escape poverty and unemployment in Greece.

The Patris made its maiden voyage to Australia in late 1959, arriving in Sydney Harbour in 1960.

Over the next 15 years it would bring tens-of-thousands of Greek migrants to start new lives in this far away land

Magdalini Kyroglou was on board in 1967.

“It was like a party. The trip was great. The staff took great care of us. I was even a little caught up in the sea. I received special care,” Kyroglou told SBS Greek.

Magdalini Kyroglou was on board the Patris in 1967. Credit: Jennifer Scherer

Escaping poverty and seeking security

Patris, which translates to homeland, holds a special place in the hearts of many generations of Greek Australians.

Stavros Economidis was on board in 1960.

Born in Egypt to Greek parents, he migrated to Australia with his mother and siblings

Now, he is the Director of the Hellenic Arts Theatre in Sydney.

“Every night you had something to go to, a dance, a function. The food was wonderful in those days, you started making friends there,” Economidis said.

Former passengers aboard the Patris recall nights of dancing. Credit: Jennifer Scherer

Post World War Two and amid economic instability, many saw migration as a way to escape poverty and unemployment in Greece.

For Economidis, his family left Egypt due to political uncertainty.

"I was coming to a country that was safe, rich. We weren't so settled in Egypt and Greece. We had to leave Egypt (due to) the problems with (President) Gamal Abdel Nasser. Basically we had to leave Egypt," he said.

The Patris made regular voyages to Australia between 1959 and 1975. Credit: The Tony Agapitos Collection/ACMI Collection

Greeks in Australia

According to the latest Census, more than 420,000 people in Australia have Greek ancestry.

Victoria is home to the largest Greek community, followed by here in New South Wales.

The Patris holds an important place in the history of Greek migration to Australia, according to Leonard Janiszewski, a historian at Macquarie University.

"There was also the Ellinis and Australis, but it was the Patris, which was close to the hearts of many because it had the greater number of voyages to Australia," Janiszewski said.

"And as such, between the early 1950s, right through to the early 1980s, there were just over 200,000 Greeks who came here. And half of those came out through the Intergovernmental Committee of European migration."

Stavros Economidis came to Australia aboard the ship. Credit: Jennifer Scherer

Final voyage

The Patris left Australia for the final time in November 1975, after providing emergency accommodation to those left homeless by Cyclone Tracy in Darwin.

It went on to work in the Mediterranean as a car ferry and a Mediterranean cruise ship - before being taken to the shipwreckers in 1987.

Leonard Janiszewski is a historian at Macquarie University. Credit: Jennifer Scherer

"It was a vessel that carried all their hopes and dreams. Some of those hopes and dreams were fulfilled, others weren't. But you cannot erode the fact that it was a massive change in people's lives," Janiszewski said.

"And when the physicality of the boat disappeared, I'm sure that there were quite a lot of people who would've had that sense of loss, a sense that in this physical world, that ship no longer existed. It only existed in mind and experience."