Unresolved: How a Period of Turmoil Shaped Early Greek Migration to Australia (1900-45)

Description

Early Greek migration to Australia came during periods of turmoil in the Eastern Mediterranean. With the Balkan Wars (1912-13), WWI (1914-18), the genocide of Ottoman Christians (1914-22), the population exchange between Greece and Turkey (1923), the Great Depression (1929-30s) and WWII (1939-45), many Greeks lived lives that were ‘unresolved’, pushing them to seek new frontiers. This paper examines how these wars and catastrophic events shaped early Greek migration to Australia, why Australia became a destination of choice, and how those migrants used their unresolved experiences to integrate into their new homes. It will follow the stories of some of these migrants, examining the identity crises, challenges, and successes and that they faced, as well as brief looks at chain migration, the longevity of their communities, and the circumstances of return migration.

Period	29 Nov 2021 → 2 Dec 2021
Event title	Australian Historical Association Conference 2021: Unfinished Business
Event type	Conference
Location	Sydney, Australia, New South WalesShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National