Greek Precinct, Melbourne

The Greek Precinct, Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, is a Greek cultural area centred on the eastern end of Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne city centre.^[1][2] The area runs adjacent to Melbourne Chinatown on Little Bourke Street.

According to the 2001 Australian census, Melbourne has the largest Greek Australian population in Australia (151,785 or around 47%),^[3] and the largest Greek population of any city in the World - outside of Greece.^[2] Economic bilateral relations between Australia and Greece are worth over A$140 million.^[4]

Melbourne is also a sister city to Thessaloniki,^[5] Greece’s second-largest city.

The Precinct

The Greek Precinct is located between Swanston Street and Russell Street, along Lonsdale Street, in the Melbourne city centre. It is home to a many Greek restaurants and Greek cultural shops. Located on the corner of Lonsdale Street and Russell Street is the Greek Community Centre of Melbourne,^[6] and at 209 Lonsdale Street is the Sam Papasavas Building - the home of the Australia-Greek Learning and Resource Centre of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).^[7]

Located nearby, on the corner of La Trobe Street and William Street, is the Hellenic Foundation for Culture's centre and the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne.^[8] Both the centre and museum are housed in the historic former Melbourne Mint, and is contiguous with the National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research of La Trobe University.^[9]

In March 2009, the Government of Victoria and the City of Melbourne announced that the Greek Precinct would receive a A$3.5 million rejuvenation.^[10]

Antipodes Festival

The annual Melbourne Antipodes Festival is held on Lonsdale Street over a week in March, and has been held since 1987. The festival is renowned for its Lonsdale Street "Glendi" (Greek for "party") - a weekend-long event that is held to coincide with the Greek National Day (25 March).^[11]

The annual Greek Film Festival is held in Melbourne over two weeks in September, and has been held since 1990.^[12]

Gallery

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  Monument to the Melbourne-Thessaloniki sister city relationship

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  The historic former Melbourne Mint, which now houses a Greek cultural centre and a museum

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  Fire dancing at the 2009 Lonsdale Street Glendi

See also

• Greek community of Melbourne
• Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
• Greek Australian
• Thessaloniki

References

1. That's Me!lbourne - City of Melbourne tourism. "Greek precinct". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
2. City of Melbourne. "Greek precinct". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
3. Lazzaro, Vince (11 February 2003). "Melbourne 2001 Census" (PDF). 2001 Australian Census (Canberra, ACT, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics) 1 (2030.2): 92. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
4. Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Bilateral relations between Greece and Australia". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
5. City of Melbourne. "International relations - Thessaloniki". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
6. "Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria homepage". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
7. Collections Australia Network. "Australian-Greek Resource and Learning Centre, RMIT". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
8. Hellenic Foundation for Culture. "Centres: Melbourne". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
9. La Trobe University. "National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
10. Office of the Premier of Victoria. "$3.5m boost for Melbourne's Lonsdale Street Greek Precinct". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
11. Melbourne Antipodes Festival. "Lonsdale Street Glendi". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
12. Melbourne Antipodes Festival. "Greek Film Festival". Retrieved 2009-08-07.

External links

• Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria
• National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research
• Melbourne Antipodes Festival