Goulburn's Greek community was kept busy last weekend when some 3000 visitors came to Goulburn to help them celebrate St Panteleimon's Day.
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Greek Orthodox church services were held at the church in McAlister Drive from about 8.30am on Saturday.
Adding to the colour of the annual event several enterprising people set up stalls outside the church selling oranges casserole containers designed to keep food hot for hours, religious symbols and Greek music and video cds.
Many people travelled from Sydney while others made their annual pilgrimage from the South Coast and Wollongong areas or from the ACT and places inland.
For a time on Saturday and Sunday there were dozens of people lined up outside the Paragon Restaurant waiting to find a seat and enjoy lunch. Dozens more people enjoyed a stroll in Belmore Park or took their lunch over to the park to enjoy the clear sunny winter's afternoon. Three gentlemen from the Blacktown community all long time residents of that area commented that they came to Goulburn every year for the Greek Orthodox Church event.
Kosta Kotrolos commented that at one time there were many more Greeks in Australia than there were now. He said that there were only about 300,000 people who identified themselves as Greek in this country.
James Karabatsolis said there were many of the Greeks who came to Australia after World War II who could be justly proud of the part they played in helping to shape Australia as a nation through the jobs they did and through their community involvement.
Many of them were highly skilled and professional people but they came to Australia as labourers and worked their way up creating a new way of life for themselves and their families.
