Consular and Diplomatic presence of Greece in Australia

Consular and Diplomatic presence of Greece in Australia

Greece was initially, during the last part of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, represented in Australia through a network of Honorary Consulates in all major cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. The first career Consul to Sydney has been Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, arriving in May 1926 and departed in May 1935. He was succeeded in Sydney by diplomats Ioannis Kokotakis (May 1935-November 1938) and Aimilios Vrysakis (May 1939-March 1952). During this period, Honorary Consulates pursued their operations at the rest of the aforementioned cities.

On the 30th of March 1953, the first Ambassador of Greece to Australia, H.E. Mr. Dimitrios Lambros arrived in Canberra. At the same time, the Honorary Consulate in Melbourne became a career Consulate with Nicholas Koumbos as the first Consul. During the seventies, both Honorary Consulates in Adelaide and Perth also became career Consulates with A. Kamilos and E. Doukas as first Consuls respectively.

The Honorary Consulates of Brisbane (Queensland)  and Darwin (Northern Territory) continued to operate. Furthermore, in 1951 the Honorary Consulate of Hobart (Tasmania) begun its operation.

The Ambassadors of Greece to Australia by chronological order:

H.E  Mr. Dimitri M. Lambros
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
30.3.1953 – 8.9.1956

H.E  Mr. George Christodoulou
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
19.12.1956 – 25.8.1961

H.E  Mr. P. Anninos Cavalieratos
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
23.11.1961 – 11.7.1963

H.E  Mr. Basil Tsamissis
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
17.8.1965 – 5.7.1971

H.E  Mr. Alexis Stephanou
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
8.9.1971 – 16.3.1974

H.E  Mr. Nicolaos Diamantopoulos
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
23.1.1975 – 28.8.1980

H.E  Mr. Alexander Vayenas
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
21.10.1980 – 30.3.1985

H.E  Mr. Efthymios Tzaferis
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
19.4.1985 – 22.12.1990

H.E  Mr. Vassilis Zafiropoulos
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
7.5.1991 – 24.11.1993

H.E  Mr. George Constantis
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
29.12.1993  – 9.6.1997

H.E. Mr. Ioannis Beveratos
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
7.7.1997  – 19.12.2001

H.E  Mr. Fotios – Jean Xydas
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
7.3.2002 – 15.12.2005

H.E. Mr. George Zois
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
28.8.2006 – 5.9.2009

H.E. Mr. Alexios G. Christopoulos
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
17.9.2009 – 9.8.2012

H.E. Mr. Charalampos Dafaranos
Ambassador of Greece to Australia
1.11.2012 – 9.1.2016