Angelo Thimios
| Town/City | Cairns |
|---|---|
| First name | Angelo |
| Last name | Thimios |
| Country of Origin | Greece |
| Date of Birth | 3/2/2023 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1937 |
| Submitted by | Rosa Thimios |
Story
Reason for leaving homeland – Joining his Father who was already living in Australia.
Angelo’s Father had been in Australia since 1925 working hard and saving money with plans to bring the family to settle in Australia. In 1937 he went back to the village Grapsi in Greece. At that time he could only bring one person with him.
Angelo being the older of the two sons, the decision was made he was to go to Australia with his Father. Angelo was 14 years old. He arrived in Australia on the Esperance Bay in November 1937. Disembarking in Sydney from there they travelled to Cairns where Angelo’s Father owned a Cafe. Still school age Angelo went to school for a time, but having no English found it difficult so he went to work in his Fathers’ Cafe
The idea was Angelo’s Mother Olga And Brother George would come the following year, but in 1938 in Europe World War II started and Father and Son lost contact with family.
1945 when the war ended mail started to come through but it was not until 1949 that the family was reunited.
Brother George also worked in the Cafe, eventually the Brothers’ bought the Cafe from their Father and were in business together until they retired.
Angelo married a girl who came to work in the Cafe, also a migrant from Croatia former Yugoslavia. They had two sons and four grandchildren. Angelo passed away in 2007 aged 84.