members

The Lathouras brothers—Jim, Jack, Mick, and Mark—opened the Café Royal and the Elite Café on the main street of Bundaberg in 1920. At that time, the Londy family’s Blue Bird Café and Harry Lewis’s Marble Café also traded in Bourbong Street. Greek shopkeeping was a widespread phenomenon. Greek cafés of the period were elegant shops with silky oak furniture, marble bars and mirrored back bars, monogrammed crockery, and gleaming soda fountains. Lathouras Bros sold icy-cold fruit drinks, sodas, and ice cream sundaes. In addition, they specialized in making confectionery for sale through both shops—rocky road, jellies, coconut rough, and a nougat and marshmallow creation called a Rocket—and Jim sold homemade ice cream from a horse-drawn cart. Beginning with light refreshments, the menu at the Royal and the Elite soon expanded to include roasts, mixed grills, fish dinners, steaks and the like. Everything was freshly made. If some Greek migrants spent a lifetime behind a counter in a country café, many of their descendants gravitated to Brisbane. Greek café stories now reside with people like Goldie Lathouras, whose father Mick came to Australia at the age of ten and ran the Elite Café until his death in 1957. Goldie vividly recalls the Easter eggs her father created. An enormous sugar egg had pride of place in the front window in the weeks leading up to Easter. It had a wristwatch on top—ladies’ one year, gents’ the next—and was raffled to raise money for the ambulance service. Mick also made personalized chocolate eggs and sugar eggs with the name of the lucky recipient on top. These eggs contained lollies, a toy, a watch, a necklace, or some other treat supplied by the customer. Source: greekcafesinbrisbane.wordpress.com/2018/02/18/lathouras-b... Under Goldie’s influence, the Lathouras family has been active throughout this project in documenting the Lathouras Bros story. On their behalf, Goldie lodged a significant collection of café artefacts with the John Oxley Library. Crockery emblazoned with café logos, silver teapots and coffeepots, docket books and photographs, sundae dishes and lolly packets help to tell the story of the Café Royal and the Elite Café. Along with an illustrated booklet, which was written by Goldie and designed by fourth-generation Lathourases, Theo and Melissa, these precious objects tell the story of the Lathouras family, who had cafés in the main street of Bundaberg from the early 1920s to the late 1970s.

In 1929 Queensland’s first Greek Orthodox Church, St. George’s, was opened in Charlotte Street. By the 1930s the Greek community had its own newspaper, The Queensland Messenger, and a second Greek community group, the Kytherian Association, a reflection of the success and growth of the community in Brisbane. Greek immigration numbers in Queensland dropped as a result of the Second World War and it was not until the cessation of the war did it increase again. By the 1950s the Greek community had outgrown the Charlotte Street church and it was deemed necessary for a new, larger centre of worship be built. A large portion of the Greek community resided in the South Brisbane/West End area and this was also where the first Greek Community Centre had been established on Russell Street. It seemed appropriate to build the new church in this vicinity. In 1956 a portion of land was purchased on the corner of Edmondstone and Besant Streets, South Brisbane, for the purpose of erecting a new church. The church was designed by prominent Brisbane architect R. M. Wilson. Ronald Martin Wilson was a Brisbane born architect and son of eminent Federation period architect A. B. Wilson. Ronald became chief architectural assistant at his father’s firm in 1908 after completing his tertiary education studying Engineering at the University of Queensland. After working for the British Ministry of Munitions during the First World War, he studied Town Planning in London and returned to Brisbane in 1919. He established a firm with his father in 1920 and continued the business subsequent to his father’s retirement in 1928. His work includes the Cliffside Flats at Kangaroo Point, Birt & Co. Wharves at Newstead, and the St. Lucia and Ithaca Presbyterian Churches. In 1956 the plans for the new Greek Orthodox Church were approved by the Archdiocese in Sydney as well as the Brisbane City Council. The ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone was held on 4 May 1958 and attended by several high profile Greek citizens, Government Officials as well as parishioners. With the completion of the church in April 1960, Archbishop Ezekiel officiated the consecration of the church. St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church, South Brisbane has played a central role in many of Brisbane’s Greek residents’ lives since it opened. Within the Church grounds a war memorial has been erected in memory of members of the Hellenic community in Brisbane who lost their lives fighting for and with the Allied Forces. Erected by the Hellenic sub-branch of the R.S.L South-East District it was unveiled in 1995 by the then Honourable Con Sciacca M.P, Minister for Veteran Affairs and Wing Commander, and Alex Freeleagus, Honorary Consul General of Greece in Queensland and esteemed RAAF war veteran. The plaque reads: “The Memorial Commemorates the Sacrifice of all Those of Hellenic Heritage who Served the Allied Cause in Defence of Democracy.” The memorial is a reminder of the sacrifices made by many of the Greek community for Australia. St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in South Brisbane retains its importance for Brisbane’s Greek community. As a centre for worship, community and social activity the church plays a continuing role in the lives of many of Brisbane’s residents. The church is situated opposite Musgrave Park and dominates the Edmondstone Street streetscape and as such is a local landmark. Source: heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/2183

The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and by the Chief of the Air Staff who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the first and largest of the World War II Australian Women's Services. It was disbanded in December 1947. During the early years of World War II the necessity to make use of women in many new avenues of employment became apparent. Despite resistance from some members of the War Cabinet, bureaucrats and the Service, in February 1941 the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) received approval to create the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). Wireless telegraphists were urgently needed to assist in meeting a temporary deficiency of male wireless telegraphists. Airwomen were accepted into 73 different musterings (trades), including highly skilled technical employment on aircraft. In addition to telegraphists, women became armament workers, electricians, fitters, flight mechanics, fabricworkers, instrument makers and meteorological assistants, besides using skills in many clerical, medical, transport, catering, equipment, signals and radar fields of employment. Over 700 women held commissioned rank and like airwomen, worked in a great variety of administrative, technical and professional tasks. A number commanded units in operations rooms, at General Douglas MacArthur's Headquarters in Brisbane dealing with intelligence matters, at Operational Units, in RAAF Hospitals, Aircraft Depots, Radar Stations, RAAF Bases – wherever they were needed, they served. Airwomen were paid two-thirds of RAAF male pay for equivalent positions. The officers were paid a good deal less than male officers of equal rank. The value of the work and the skills of the WAAAF during a period when thousands of men needed to be released for operational duty overseas and Australia itself was at risk, encouraged the formation of the Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) in 1951. This branch of the RAAF was disbanded in 1977 when its members became an integral part of the RAAF. Source: www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0400b.htm