SPEECH NOTES FOR PRIME MINISTER, FOR OPENING OF ST BASIL'S HOMES,
LOURANTOS VILLAGE, LAKENBA, N, S. W,
23 AUGUST 1975
1. IT GIVES ME VERY GREAT PLEASURE INDEED TO BE PRESENT FOR
THE OFFICIAL OPENING AND BLESSING OF THIS MAGNIFICENT
LOURANTOS VILLAGE WHICH OPERATES UNDER THE AUSPICES
OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH FIFTH LARGEST DENOMINATION
IN AUSTRALIA. YOU HAVE AS YOUR PATRON His EMINENCE
ARCHBISHOP STYLIANOS WHO HAS ONLY BEEN IN THIS
COUNTRY SINCE APRIL THIS YEAR, BUT WHO FEELS SO FIRMLY
COMMITTED TO THE PASTORAL NEEDS OF GREEK-BORNUSTRALIANS
THAT HE ! NTENDS TO SEEK AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP.
AUSTRALIA IS HONOURED BY HIS INTENTION. I CAN ASSURE
THE RESIDENTS, THE DIRECTORS, THE SUPPORTERS OF
-ST BASIL'S HOMES THAT YOUR PATRON IS HERE TO STAY.
2. 1 WAS ANXIOUS TO MEET ARCHBISHOP STYLIANOS AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE AFTER HIS ARRIVAL, BECAUSE I FELT I HAD SO
MUCH TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT FOLLOWING MY VISIT TO CRETE
IN JANUARY THIS YEAR. QUITE APART FROM ALL THE TIES
OF AUSTRALIA TO GREECE THROUGH OUR IMMIGRATION PROGRAMS,
I HAD LEARNED THIS HIS FATHER HAD SERVED ALONGSIDE
AUSTRALIAN SERVICEMEN IN CRETE DURING THE SECOND WORLD
WAR. WHILE I WAS RETURNING FROM DARWIN, MY WIFE VISITED THE
SITE OF THE BATTLE AND CEMETRY AT RETHYMNON WHERE THE
TOWNSPEOPLE ARE ERECTING A MEMORIAL TO THAT AUSTRALIAN
PRESENCE, AND SHE WAS DEEPLY MOVED BY THE EVIDENCE OF
THE CONTINUING TIES OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN OUR PEOPLES./ 2 -ILQ4
I
3. ARCHBISHOP STYLIANOS, ACCOMPANIED BY MR SAMIOS, A DIRECTOR
OF ST BASIL'S HOMES, LUNCHED WITH ME AT THE LODGE AT THE
END OF IT WILL NOT SURPRISE YOU TO LEARN THAT
THEY TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT THIS GREAT SOCIAL UNDERTAKING
HERE AT LOURANTOS VILLAGE3
I EXPRESSED MY OWN INTEREST IN THE PROJECT, BECAUSE OF
MY OWN CONCERN AT THE NEED TO PROVIDE LOVING CARE AND
ACCOMMODATION FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR
LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR FAMILIES, OF THEIR
COMMUNITIES, OF THEIR HOMELANDS, AND WHO DESERVE THE
ATTENTION AND CARE OF THE COMMUNITY. I KNEW T-AT THE
AUSTRALIAN ' GOVERNMENT HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF LOURANTOS VILLAGE UNDER THE AGED PERSONS HOMES AND
HOSTELS ACTS.
BUT I REALISED ESPECIALLY THAT THIS GREAT UNDERTAKING
TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR OVER 80 ELDERLY PEOPLE
ø.. UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
ALTHOUGH IN ITS CHARITY IT IS NON-DENOMINATIONAL REPRESENTS
THE COMMITMENT OF THE GREEK COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA TO
ALL THOSE WHO NEED CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHATEVER
THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OR CHOICE,
4, SO I WAS DELIGHTED TO ACCEPT THE INVITATION EXTENDED
THROUGH YOUR DIRECTOR, MR SAMIOS, AND YOUR PATRON,
ARCHBISHOP STYLIANOS, TO SHARE THIS OCCASION WITH YOU.
IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT WE ARE HERE TOGETHER, CHURCH AND
STATE, BECAUSE OF THE CO-OPERATION THERE IS BETWEEN
CHURCH AND STATE IN THIS COUNTRY IN ALL AREAS OF SOCIAL...
RESPONSIBILITY BUT ESPECIALLY THAT OF CARE FOR THE3Aft,
THIS IS THE FOURTH OLD PEOPLES HOME I HAVE OPENED IN
NEW SOUTH ' WALES IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. ALL HAVE
RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL GRANTS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT WHICH IS ANXIOUS TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM ASSISTANCE
TO THOSE PHILANTHROPIC AND CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS BEST
FITTED AND MOST COMPASSIONATELY MOTIVATED IN THIS AREA
OF CARE FOR THE AGED.
I AM SURE THAT LOURANTOS VILLAGE WILL BE A PLACE OF
COMFORTING AND COMFORTABLE INDEPENDENCE FOR ALL THOSE.
'' WHO COME TO LIVE HERE. I KNOW THAT THE PERSONAL
INVOLVEMENT OF THOSE CONNECTED WITH ST BASIL'S HOMES WILL
EASE MANY OF THOSE INITIAL FEELINGS OF ISOLATION WHICH
CAN MAR THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF " MOVING HOUSE", AND
:: LL PROVIDE INTEESTED COMPANIONSHIP IN THE YEARS
AHEAD. CERTAINLY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S GRANT
CF $ 1,234,000 IS JUSTIFIED AND CAN BE SEEN AS AN
INVESTMENT, ' NOT IN MONETARY TERMS, BUT IN THE SERENITY
AND HAPPINESS OF THE RESIDENTS AT THEIR NEW ADDRESS,
IN THEIR NEW HOME.
6. IT MUST BE A GREAT JOY FOR MR NICHOLAS LOURANTOS TO BE
HERE TODAY TO SEE SO MANY OF HIS OWN DREAMSREALISED,
BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT BENEFACTOR TO THIS
CHARITY. AND IT IS FITTING THAT THIS COUNTRY SHOULD
NOW HAVE A LOURANTOS VILLAGE TO COMMEMORATE A MAN
CALLED NICHOLAS LOURANTOS WHO LEFT HIS HOMELAND, THE
ISLAND OF TSIRIGO, TO COME TO A NEW LAND OVER SIXTY-FIVE
YEARS AGO. THAT NEW LAND, AUSTRALIA, HAS BEEN ENRICHED
BY HIS COMING, AND MEMORIES OF HIS HOMELAND LIVE ON 4..
-4-
THROUGH HIS PART IN THE ENDOWMENT OF THE CHAIR OF
MODERN GREEK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. IT'S A
LITTLE LATE FOR ME OF COURSE; I STILL CLING TO THE
CLASSICS. BUT GENERATIONS OF YOUNGER AS WELL AS
OLDER GREEK-SPEAKING RESIDENTS OF AUSTRALIA WILL
REMEMBER NlICHOLAS LOURANTOS FOR HIS PHILANTHROPY,
FOR HIS CHARITY,
7, IN THIS CONTEXT IT IS INTERESTING TO REFLECT ON THE
TIES BETWEEN THE OLDER GENERATIONS OF OUR HOMELANDS,
IN THE YEAR 1974-75,' 3,334 AGED OR OTHERWISE DEPENDENT
PARENTS WERE NOMINATED FOR ENTRY TO AUSTRALIA, ROM
GREECE, AN" D 4,837 WERE NOMINATED FOR ENTRY AS NONDEPENDENT
PARENTS. THE URGE FOR FAMILY REUNION IS
IMMENSE AND GRATIFYING, IT IS AN INDICATION OF THE
E/ TENT TO HjICH AUSTRALIA HAS BECOME HOME FOR A
YOUNGER GENERATION. BUT ALSO A REMINDER OF THE PHYSICAL
DISTANCE SEPARATING US FROM OUR EUROPEAN HERITAGE.
I WAS ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF THIS ON MY VISIT TO
GREECE AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES EARLIER THIS YEAR.
IT MADE ME ALL THE HAPPIER FOR MY GOVERNMENT'S MOVE
TO INTRODUCE PORTABILITY OF PENSIONS OVERSEAS, AT
PRESENT AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS ARE GOING
TO 571 AGED PENSIONERS LIVING IN GREECE, 316 INVALID
PENSIONERS, 149 WIVES AND 149 WIDOWS AND 7 SUPPORTING
MOTHERS, OF THIS TOTAL OF 1,192, 484 HAD CONNECTIONS
IN NEW SOUTH WALES, MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE-WOULD BE
KNOWN TO THIS AUDIENCE. S
AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY OF THESE ELDERLY PEOPLE
DRAWING THE AUSTRALIAN AGE PENSION AT HOME IN GREECE
MIGHT HAVE BEEN TEMPTED TO REMAIN HERE HAD THEY BEEN
ABLE TO LOOK FORWARD TO RETIREMENT IN A PLACE LIKE
LOURANTOS VILLAGE.
I HAVE VERY MUCH PLEASE INDEED IN DECLARING OPEN
THIS LATEST VENTURE OF ST BASIL'S HOMES LOURANTOS
VILLAGE. I'AY ALL WHO COME HERE ENJOY A PEACEFUL AND
HAPPY RETIREMENT, 1
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