Efthymios Psilos

Story

Efthymios Psilos, arrived in Australia in 1953 aboard the passenger liner Anna Salen. Accompanying him was his wife Evangelia and their two children, Zacharias aged nine months and his daughter Sotiria aged 3 years.

Shortly after World War 2, the Greek economy was struggling. Jobs were hard to find and being the eldest out of a family of nine, and newly married, he had decided to come to Australia to find a job, support his family and to build a future for their two young children in a new land of promise. He left behind the family farm so as to leave his younger siblings a place to work.

Upon arrival they were initially sent to Bonegilla Migrant Camp. Bonegilla was Australia\’s first, largest, and longest operating migrant reception centre and the first Australian home for some 320,000 post-war migrants from over 30 countries. From Bonegilla they were invited by a Greek compatriot to cut sugar cane on a property at Warwick, Queensland.

Soon after, a former neighbour from his village in Greece invited Efthymios to move down to Corrimal, NSW. Here employment was gained at the ER&S Furnace at the then BHP Wollongong Steelworks.

He later worked in a variety of positions such as an Oxy Welder at the David Bros Foundry (North Wollongong) and often he would go to Mildura in the early part of the year to pick grapes so as to supplement his income.

His wife, Evangelia gained employment at the ‘Streets Ice Cream\’ factory, Corrimal, NSW till it was closed.

Efthymios soon became a naturalised citizen and bought a house at Fairy Meadow, a suburb of Wollongong NSW. When work dried up he moved his family to South Australia for a period of six months to work for a friend. When he returned to Fairy Meadow, he purchased a small business and became a Fish and Chips shop proprietor at Gwynneville. Soon after, he bought another shop at Towradgi for his wife to work in.

While in Wollongong, Efthymios became involved with the local Greek community and was instrumental in raising funds for the building of Wollongong\’s first Greek Orthodox Church in Stewart Street. He became a leading member of the local Greek community.

Efthymios also hosted many Greek immigrants at his house. He often hosted them for years at a time till they got on their own feet in this new country. He provided accommodation (usually free) and a meal for countless families over many years, helping them bring out their own ‘loved ones\’ and to help them settle in their chosen new country.

Efthymios missed his family who were still in Greece and in the ensuing years he managed to bring out three brothers, who still call Australia home.

Efthymios lived to see the birth of his two grandchildren and passed away quiet unexpectedly in 1988. His wife Evangelia still resides in the original family home at Fairy Meadow.

Efthymios is deeply missed by all whom he came into contact with and his memory lives on within all the people whose lives he had touched.

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