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Key Points
- The Patris embarked on 91 journeys to Australia from 1959 to 1975, frequently navigating through Egypt’s Suez Canal.
- Many Greek migrants fondly remember the ship for transporting tens of thousands to Australia.
- Numerous passengers viewed migration as an opportunity to escape poverty and unemployment in Greece.
“The journey was like a celebration. It was fantastic. The crew took excellent care of us. Even when I was a bit seasick, I received special attention,” Kyroglou shared with SBS Greek.
Magdalini Kyroglou was on board the Patris in 1967. Credit: Jennifer Scherer
Escaping poverty and seeking security
Patris, which translates to homeland, holds a special place in the hearts of many generations of Greek Australians.
“Every evening there was something to attend—a dance or an event. Back then, the food was amazing, and you started forming new friendships there,” said Economidis.
Former passengers aboard the Patris recall nights of dancing. Credit: Jennifer Scherer
Post World War Two and amid economic instability, many saw migration as a way to escape poverty and unemployment in Greece.
“I was arriving in a nation that was secure and affluent. We didn’t have such stability in Egypt or Greece. We were compelled to leave Egypt due to issues with (President) Gamal Abdel Nasser. Basically, we had no choice but to leave Egypt,” he explained.
The Patris made regular voyages to Australia between 1959 and 1975. Credit: The Tony Agapitos Collection/ACMI Collection
Greeks in Australia
“And as such, between the early 1950s, right through to the early 1980s, there were just over 200,000 Greeks who came here. And half of those came out through the Intergovernmental Committee of European migration.”
Stavros Economidis came to Australia aboard the ship. Credit: Jennifer Scherer
Final voyage
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 is a historian at Macquarie University. Credit: Jennifer Scherer
“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,” Janiszewski said.
“And when the physicality of the boat disappeared, I’m sure that there were quite a lot of people who would’ve had that sense of loss, a sense that in this physical world, that ship no longer existed. It only existed in mind and experience.”
