VALE
ALFRED KOURIS OAM
G'day folks,
Many of you know that I've always been a supporter of the underdog, kids, women, refugees, and migrants who have made the ultimate sacrifice to leave their homeland and begin a new life in another land. Sadly today, I honour the passing of such a man - ALFRED KOURIS.
Many of you
may not know that Australia has been the recipient of many migrants since the
day it was established as a penal colony in 1788. The gold rush of the 1850's
also brought countless people to this country. However, post-war, there was a
massive influx of migrants who I think have made an extraordinary contribution
to this nation. Example? About five years ago, every State Premier and Governor
was a second generation Australian, including the Governor General.
I began my working life as an Immigration Officer and it became one of the biggest influences in my life. Having said that, I recall a senior officer making a comment at a training course - one I never forgot, 'To leave your homeland and begin a new life in another country is the biggest decision you'll ever make.'
Today, I re-feature a man who did just that. He and his family came from Greece, made great sacrifices, and worked hard to become an Australian success story in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Mr Kouris featured as a guest on my blog some time back. However, out of respect to him and his family, I wanted to honour his extraordinary contribution to Australia. So, who was he, and what did he do?
I began my working life as an Immigration Officer and it became one of the biggest influences in my life. Having said that, I recall a senior officer making a comment at a training course - one I never forgot, 'To leave your homeland and begin a new life in another country is the biggest decision you'll ever make.'
Today, I re-feature a man who did just that. He and his family came from Greece, made great sacrifices, and worked hard to become an Australian success story in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Mr Kouris featured as a guest on my blog some time back. However, out of respect to him and his family, I wanted to honour his extraordinary contribution to Australia. So, who was he, and what did he do?
May I
respectfully introduce Mr Alfred Kouris.
"Clancy thank you.
You have captured my life and presented it beautifully. Yours is not simply a superficial piece. You have read my book and understand me. You have displayed an insight into my life that has touched me deeply.
Again I thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Alfred Kouris OAM"
Alfred Kouris was born in July 1927 at Halepa,
in the Chania district of Crete, Greece. His father, Paul Kouris, was born in
the island of Kefalonia, Greece in 1900 and worked for the National Bank of
Greece in Chania. His father was a High Court Judge. Paul in Chania met
Antigone -the daughter of the local magistrate, George Polioudakis from Sphakia,
fell in love and decided to get married in 1922. They stayed in Crete until
1932. Then Alfredos' Father was posted by the National Bank to Peloponisos, and
finally in 1938 Paul and Antigone Kouris moved to Athens.
Alfred - (called Alfredos in
Greek) - his sister Thalia, (a famous actress in the '40s in the Greek Drama
Theatre, was also born in Chania in 1924 and youngest brother, George, was born
also in Agios Nikolaos of Crete in 1932. Alfredos finished his Secondary
Education in Athens and Political Sciences in "Panteio University",
completed his two years national service in the Greek army and married on the
6th of January 1954 to Euthymia loannidou, who was born in Athens.
On the 14th of April 1955
their son Paul was born in a clinic in "Monastiraki" of Athens.
Although Alfred was well educated, he could not get a job in the Navy and /or
the Greek Foreign Office and decided to start a shirt manufacturing business
with his wife under the name of "FAVORY SHIRTS". Needless to say, the
competition was so hard that in February 1956, Alfred and Euthymia (Mitsi) decided
to immigrate to Australia and departed on the vessel "KYREINIA". On
the 16th of March 1956 they arrived in Melbourne and two days after they
started work at the famous “Pelaco” factory in Richmond, cutting and making
shirts. Within six months they bought their own brand new house in Glenroy - on
terms, their own car, a little Morris Minor, and started their own business:
"The Hellas Professional Training School for Clothing Machinists" on
the corner of Elizabeth St. & Lonsdale St. in a three-storey old city
building, where today is the Myer Emporium.
In 1958 they moved the Hellas School to 343
Elizabeth St. (corner of Latrobe St.), started another business under the name
"Primo Clothing Pty Ltd" and did very well. In 1960 they brought
their mother from overseas and in 1961, also his brother, George Kouris, with
his wife Helen and one year old son, Paul - from Greece - and made him equal
partner in "Primo Clothing", making jerkins, waistcoats and casual
wear. The said business grew rapidly until 1964 when the economy started to go
down the drain and manufacturing was no longer profitable.
Alfred and George decided at
this stage to start a retailing business. They rented a shop at 246 Swanston
St. Melbourne, next to Stanley Young (Giannopoulos) in 1964, giving their new
venture the name 'ALFREDOS' MENSWEAR Pty Ltd’.
By 1967 the retailing business
was doing very well and the Kouris Bros. decided to open a second shop in the
golden corner of Foys Ltd, Swanston & Bourke St., at number 263, giving it the
name 'ALFREDOS' of Bourke St. Pty Ltd".
In 1968, the Kouris Brothers
opened, at 443 Bourke street, a third "Alfredos' Menswear shop " and
a fourth " Alfredos' Dollies Boutique", and in 1969 a fifth
"Alfredos' Menswear Shop" and a sixth "Alfredos' Dollies
Boutique "in the City's newly opened Mid-City Arcade.
Alfredo Kouris, as founder and
Director of "Alfredo's Mens & Ladies Wear", was by then well-known,
and early in1969 he was visited on behalf of the "Victorian Retailers
Association" by Mr Redfern, Managing Director of Buckley Ltd (now David
Jones Ltd) and asked to join the governing board of the Association, which was
run at that time by the owners and Directors of Melbourne's biggest Stores and
Supermarkets.
That is how Alfredos started his colourful career
across five decades, making an extraordinary contribution to the Victorian
community, fully understanding what it is like to come from a distant land and
make Australia home.
Soon he became a Greek
Community Leader, well known businessman, politician, journalist and publisher.
He not only lived the life of the migrant, but delved into its psyche, extolled
its virtues, and worked diligently to generate acceptance. Along the way, he
sparked reforms that have re-shaped the way Victorians go about their daily
lives. Inspired by his Greek upbringing, Alfredo Kouris gave Melbourne
"Late-Night Shopping" with his campaign in the 1969-1970, as founder
and Chairman of "Make Melbourne Brighter Committee", revolutionising
retail business, in the process of which, he was arrested and fined!
In the early 1980s, Mr Kouris
pushed for the end of archaic drinking laws with his same "Make Melbourne
Brighter Committee", which was reorganised by him with new young members,
lawyers, journalists, shopkeepers and others with vision.
Alfredo Kouris, as a Publisher
and Editor of "PYRSOS", the "New Torch Greek Newspaper" and
the "Omoyeneia" Greek Magazine, from July, 1985 until April, 1993,
worked hard to introduce Greek Migrants in particular, and all migrants in
general, to stand in Local, State and Federal Government elections with the
catchcry of a "FAIR GO" for migrants. To set an example, he stood
himself as an independent candidate in Victoria in the Senate Elections in
1970, in the Melbourne City Council Elections in 1972,1973 and 1974, and in the
State Elections in 1976 as the Endorsed Liberal Candidate in Brunswick.
Alfredo Kouris’ views on
prejudice, regularly made headlines, and he was involved in many complex
political, social and religious issues that the community at large faced, discussed
and resolved. He was respected for his leadership, vision and determination to
find a solution best for all, as President of the "Greek Orthodox
Community of Mentone & District " from 1962-1989, as a foundation
member of HACCI in 1984 and Vice-President in 1990-1992, and a Vice-President
of the "Victorian Federation of Greek Communities " in 1987-1989, and
Member of the "Festival Antipodes Executive Committee" in 1988-89.
Also, as a regular member of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and
Victoria from 1958 until now, and elected member of the Executive Committee of
the said Community from 1991-1992.
His understanding of the
migrant experience is encapsulated in the title of his book based on his life:
"MIGRANT-The Blessing & Misfortune of
Loving Two Countries." It honours the millions who left their homeland and
settled in not only Australia, but around the world. It highlights their
challenges, joys and sorrows, but importantly, the remarkable contribution
they've made to the growth and change of their adoptive countries. I have a
copy of this book and it is a remarkable coverage of Greeks in Melbourne,
Australia, especially the life and times of Mr. Alfred Kouris. No wonder
Melbourne has been described as the third largest Greek city in the world.
The release of his memoirs
brought world-wide recognition. He is listed in "Who's Who" in the
21st Century" published by "The Cambridge Biographical Centre in
England, and his book is available in 250 American, European and Australian
University Libraries, 500 Greek & Australian State Libraries and 200
Australian Schools with "Languages Other Than English - LOTE"
programs.
His research inspired him to
urge for a national "Migrants Day" as First Class Citizens of the
World, and upgrade recognition of the significance of the pivotal World War 2
Battle of Crete, which saw Greeks and British, Australians & New-Zealanders
fighting side-by side for Freedom, Justice and Democracy.
Alfredo Kouris has received
numerous honours for his endeavours promoting community harmony, including the
Gold Cross presented to him by Archibishop Lezekiel in recognition for services
to the Orthodox Church, and Life Membership of La Trobe University's National
Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research, where he has also been allocated a
room to display his very valuable archive materials. He was also elected Life
Governor of "FRONTIDA CARE Inc."
"Neos Kosmos" in its
English Edition on Monday, 15th of December published an article entitled:
"Prominent Greek Honoured", with the
following comments: “ALFREDO KOURIS has never been one to let things slide. He
has always believed that if you want something bad enough then you have to work
hard to get it. And so he worked hard on fighting for migrant rights and the
rights of all Melbournians. He was even jailed once in 1970, because he
believed campaigning for late-night trading was a cause worth fighting for.
As the founder of Alfredo's
Menswear, Kouris saw a niche for late night trading and launched a campaign to
have opening hours extended to 9 pm. "I wanted to bring Melbourne alive
and I knew late-night trading would help do that," he said. "I
couldn't understand why the city should die every evening." By defying the
State Government and opening his six menswear stores past 5.30 pm, he was
arrested and fined $8,000. One week later, the law was changed and stores could
now be open until 9pm.
He was honoured, by receiving
an award at Victoria's Award for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs. "I
always felt that I had to prove myself worthy of being considered a first
-class citizen in Australia," said Kouris. "I started to say to migrants
that we should prove ourselves by doing something good for our new
country." In early 2004, Mr Kouris and wife, Mitsi, who have three
children and five grandchildren, celebrated not only 50 years of marriage, but
of being a fine example of a young couple coming to Australia with little more
than a suit-case of dreams and making a wonderful success of the migrant
experience.
Alfredos Kouris received an
Order of Australia medal on the 12th of June 2006, from the Governor
of Victoria, His Excellency John Landy, AC, MBE, at Government House … “For service to the community
through contributions to the business sector, raising public awareness of the
issues facing migrants, and to the Greek community.”
Clancy’s comment: What courage and vision, eh? What a massive achiever. Mr. Kouris
has achieved much in his new country. Besides business, he has been a great
mover and shaker within the Greek community and Australian community in
general, founding the Academy of Modern Greek, and was the Chair of Modern Greek
at Melbourne University?
PS: After I featured Mr Kouris on this blog, he sent me a delightful message:
"Clancy thank you.
You have captured my life and presented it beautifully. Yours is not simply a superficial piece. You have read my book and understand me. You have displayed an insight into my life that has touched me deeply.
Again I thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Alfred Kouris OAM"
Thank you, Mr Kouris, for your extraordinary
efforts. Australia is a better place because of you. My sincerest condolences to the Kouris family.
Sadly, we've lost a good man, but I’m sure glad you came to Australia, Mr Kouris.
Loved ya work!
Loved ya work!
I’m …
REST IN PEACE
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