Greek-Australian Archive – Panayota Nazou · Opening the Multilingual Archive of Australia

Greek-Australian Archive – Panayota Nazou

Item

Title: Greek-Australian Archive – Panayota Nazou
Subject: Australia--Emigration and immigration—History; Immigrants; Greek language, Modern; Voyages and travels; Education; Women
Category: 5. Cold War (including Decolonisation)
Author: Nazou, Panayota
Keywords: Greeks in Australia; Oral history; Migrant women; Proxy marriage
Creator: Elefterias-Kostakidis, Eleni
Current holder: State Library of New South Wales
Date: May 27, 2022
Link: https://greekaustralianarchive.sl.nsw.gov.au/oral-histories/panayota-nazou
Access rights: Digitised
Rights: Copyright holder : State Library of New South Wales
Please acknowledge : Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Country of origin: Australia
Place: Sydney
Language: Greek (Modern)
Description from source: Interviewer: Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis

Occupation: Academic
Year of arrival: 1973
Method of transport: Aeroplane

Panayota was born in 1951 into a large well-off family from the small town of Trikokia in the region of Grevena, Northern Greece. In 1973 she migrated to Sydney to pursue her studies. She was awarded her PhD from the University of Sydney, where, until her retirement, she was the only female full time lecturer employed in the Department of Modern Greek. In 2013 she published a major work on ‘proxy brides’: women who migrated to Australia to marry Greek men they had not met. The English translation of her book, Promised Brides, is the recipient of a National Trust Heritage Award.

Interview summary
Panayota recalls the political volatility of life in Greece before her departure for Australia as well as her involvement as a young girl in competitive athletics. After failing to be selected for the national team, she studied Home Science, Food Technology and Dietetics. She recalls her arrival in Australia and work as a Greek teacher prior to the commencement of her studies at Sydney University. She speaks about the difficulties faced by many women who travelled to Australia to marry men by proxy and her commitment to giving these women a voice.
Physical format: Sound recording
Related resources: https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4892/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4893/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4894/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4895/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4896/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4897/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4898/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4899/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4900/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4901/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4902/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4903/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4904/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4906/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4907/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4908/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4909/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4910/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4911/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4912/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4913/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4914/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4915/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4916/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4917/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4918/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4919/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4920/; https://omaa-arts.sydney.edu.au/texts/4921/