ATHANASIOS TSARPALAS
| Town/City | MELBOURNE |
|---|---|
| First name | ATHANASIOS |
| Last name | TSARPALAS |
| Country of Origin | GREECE |
| Date of Birth | 2/2/1944 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1962 |
| Submitted by | THEO TSARPALAS |
Story
IN 1962 AT THE AGE OF 22 ATHANASIOS TSARPALAS LEFT GREECE. ATHANASIOS HAD FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL BUT COULDN’T GET A PLACE IN UNIVERSITY DUE TO POLITICAL UNREST IN GREECE AT THE TIME. THE SON OF A POOR FARMER, ATHANASIOS KNEW HIS FUTURE IN GREECE WAS NOT GOOD, SO HE DECIDED TO LOOK ELSEWERE FOR OPPORTUNITY.
ATHANASIOS HAD HEARD THE HE COULD GO TO AUSTRALIA TO WORK AND SO LIKE MANY THOUSANDS LIKE HIM SIGNED A 5 YEAR CONTRACT TO WORK IN AUSTRALIA. HE PACKED HIS BRIEFCASE AND LEFT HIS FAMILY FOR A COUNTRY HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.
THE JOURNEY TOOK 6 WEEKS, IT WAS LONG, AND FOR A YOUNG 22 YEAR OLD WAS AN ADVENTURE.
THE SHIP WAS CALLED THE PATRIS. THIS SHIP WOULD GO TO ON TO BRING THOUSANDS OF IMMIGRANTS TO THE SHORES OF AUSTRALIA. ATHANASIOS MADE FRIENDS ON HIS TRIP OVER TO AUSTRALIA AND SOME OF THOSE FRIENDSHIPS BECAME FREINDS FOR LIFE.
ATHANASIOS FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF AUSTRALIA WERE THAT IT WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE WAS USED TO. HE REALISED THAT THIS WAS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
HE HAD A JOB, HE WAS EARNING MONEY AND EVERTHING WAS GOOD. THE PEOPLE HE ENCOUNTERED IN AUSTRALIA WERE PLEASANT – ATHANASIOS WORKED HARD AND CONTINUED TO WORK FOR THE NEXT 45 YEARS. HE WENT ON TO OPEN THREE RESTRAUNTS IN HIS TIME HERE IN AUSTRALIA AND ONE OF THEM BEING THE SECOND PIZZA RESTRAUNT TO OPEN IN MELBOURNE (VENEZIA PIZZA).
HE IS PROUD TO BE AN AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN AND SAYS THAT AUSTRALIA HAS GIVEN HIM EVERTHING. HE NEVER EXPECTED THE HE WOULD SPEND HIS LIFE ANYWERE BUT GREECE, BUT NOW HE KNOWS THAT HE WOULD NEVER LIVE ANYWERE ELSE BUT HERE. HE HAS DONE WELL FOR A YOUNG 22 YEAR OLD MAN WHO CAME TO AUSTRALIA WITH AN EMPTY BRIEFCASE. HIS FAMILY IS FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR HIS DRIVE AND PASSION TO ACHIEVE.