OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Greek Community of Auckland are:
To foster the Greek national heritage, ideals and culture through maintaining and fostering a sense of Greek history, Greek customs, Greek language, Greek Orthodox religion and self-expression in dance and music.
To promote and maintain a closer friendship between the members of the Greek Community and the broader community generally.
THE HISTORY OF GREEK PEOPLE IN NEW ZEALAND
This account is based on information collected through the years by Mr Theo Hadjis, former Hon. Consul General of Greece.
The first Greek in New Zealand died in Dunedin on 2 April 1840 – the year the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. His surname was Constas and it is believed his years of residence in New Zealand totalled forty-two, meaning that he would therefore have arrived in New Zealand in 1798.
The fourth-generation descendants of Constas approached Mr Hadjis in 1965, seeking information about their nationality. The deceased was an educated officer in the Merchant Navy. His origins were from Sparta-Laconia Greece. He was second-in-command of a Dutch-flagged merchant ship, which sank at Dunedin.
In 1832 another Greek seaman arrived in New Zealand by the name of Captain Economou. He was in a Dutch or British ship. He stayed in New Zealand and married a Maori lady. He assisted his father-in law at the Treaty of Waitangi.
In 1844 another Greek seaman arrived in New Zealand. He was 17 years old, and jumped ship because his Dutch captain was reportedly cruel. He was sheltered by an Irish family, and later he married their daughter. His name was Nicolas Demetriou Mangos – Nicknamed Peter the Greek or Peter of Lyell. There is a book published by the Mangos family with the same title. The Mangos family numbers in the hundreds and is scattered all around New Zealand. Every year on 5 November there is a Mangos family reunion to commemorate the wedding day of their family patriach – Nicolas Demetriou Mangos.
A Catholic priest related to the Mangos family, Father Peter Conaghan of Taranaki, wrote to Mr Hadjis early in 1970 to find out more information regarding the origins and story of the Mangos family.
Mr Hadjis’ official investigations revealed that the Mangos family originated from the Island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. Their great-grand father Dernetrios Mangos was a merchant and left with his family and settled in Ermoupolis, Syros – Cyclades Islands about 1830. Ermoupolis was the island’s commercial centre and port. The Mayor of Ermoupolis officially informed Mr Hadjis that the Mangos family was registered in the Municipality’s records. Mr Hadjis met some of the members of Mangos family who in 1980 travelled to Greece – Ermoupolis and Chios – the birthplace of the Mangos family.
Other Greeks arrived later and in 1870 some 94 Greeks were living in New Zealand. All originated from the Greek Ionian Islands of Ithaca, Kephalonia, Kythira and the Aegean Islands.
One of New Zealand’s greatest ever Prime Ministers, “King Dick” Seddon, was a lover of Greek civilisation. While in London in 1902 for official business he met the then Greek Ambassador in London and asked that a Greek Consulate-General be opened in Wellington to represent Greece and look after the needs of Greeks in New Zealand.
The first Hon. Consul General of Greece appointed was Frank Dyer, son-in-Law of Prime Minister Seddon.
In 1927 the Pan Hellenic Association celebrated the opening of the first Greek school in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of Mr Dyer’s term as Hon. Consul General. The Greeks presented Mr Dyer with a gold pocket watch, inscribed with the words “To our Esteemed Consul General”. Lucy McIntosh, daughter of the late Frank Dyer, kept this watch and many years later showed this watch to Mr Hadjis at her home.
In 1936 Mr Frank Dyer passed away. In his place Mr Tom Seddon, the son of “King Dick” was appointed as Hon. Consul General of Greece, with Stanley Garland being appointed Hon. Vice Consul. Tom Seddon remained Consul General until 1959. The Seddons and Frank Dyer were apparently related in some way to Katherine Mansfield.
After 1920 more Greeks came to New Zealand from Australia and after World War II some Greeks came from mainland Greece. Later in 1951, many Greeks came as refugees from the former Communist countries and from 1955 onwards Greeks arrived from the Greek island of Crete.