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.
"The trip was great. It was like a party. The staff took great care of us. I was even a little caught up in the sea. I had special care."
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."
Post World War Two and amid economic instability, many saw migration as a way to escape poverty and unemployment in Greece.
Stavros Economidis' 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 with the problems with (President) Gamal Abdel Nasser , basically we had to leave Egypt."
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 New South Wales.
The Patris holds an important place in the history of Greek migration to Australia.
This is Leonard Janiszewski, a Historian and Curator at Macquarie University.
He's looked at the contribution of Greek migration to Australia.
"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."
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 again.
"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."
Patris translates to homeland – and holds a special place in the hearts of many generations of Greek Australians.
