Ducas (Anglicised to Lucas) Parselles
| Town/City | Coffs Harbour N.S.W. |
|---|---|
| First name | Ducas (Anglicised to Lucas) |
| Last name | Parselles |
| Country of Origin | Greece (via Jericho) |
| Date of Birth | 23/7 or 27.10 1874 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1911 |
| Submitted by | Penelope (Penny) Chate |
Story
Ducas was a hotel and punt owner in Jericho catering to the Russian Christian pilgrims visiting the holy land as was the custom of the times. He was seen to be doing too well for himself by some competitors. The licences held by him had been originally awarded by the Muslim authorites were now highly coveted. For this reason we believe his business was fire bombed.
Ducas was 18 years older than his wife (just 17 years old0 and they had a new young daughter). He sought a safer environment for them all. Endowed with an adventurous spirirt and proven business acumen he self-financed his journey by ship to Australia for a fresh new safe start. Eventually arriving at Port Pirie in S.A. where there were a lot of new immigrants looking to find work and companionship at the steel works.
Two years later his wife Vasilia and daughter Angela joined him. Ducas by this time had a cafe and an importing business. Vasilia was educated and multilingual and therefore took it upon herself to greet at the docks wives and children reuniting with their husbands but ill-equipped and ignorant of how to settle in such a foreign environment.