Interviewer: Kathy Kallos
Occupation: Construction and maintenance worker
Year of arrival: 1964
Method of transport: Ship (Patris)
Skevos Tsoukalas was born in Palestine in 1945, a year after his parents and six brothers fled their home in Kalymnos. In 1947, after the death of their mother, the family returned to Kalymnos, where Skevos and his siblings were raised by their aunties and grandmother. Due to financial hardships, Skevos was unable to complete his schooling. In 1964, he decided to join his five brothers in Sydney, who had migrated several years earlier. He worked in a variety of jobs, before joining scores of other Greek men on the construction site at the Sydney Opera House in 1968. He worked there for fifty years, becoming one of its longest serving employees.
Interview summary
Skevos describes his journey in 1964 on board the Patris and the joy of being reunited with his five brothers in Sydney. He recalls sailing past the building site of the Sydney Opera House and hoping to find employment there. He provides a rich account of the work he undertook, both in construction and later in maintenance. He also gives a detailed account of the camaraderie amongst Greek migrant workers and the dangers involved in the construction of the iconic building.