Heat, Heritage and Home: Karitsiotes Gather Beneath the Hackberries of Goodwood Park

“In 36-degree heat and deep summer shade, a small park in Goodwood became, once again, the living heart of Karitsa.”

The sun blazed with the fierce intensity only an Australian summer can bring, the mercury climbing to 36 degrees, yet Soutar Park in Goodwood was alive from early on with laughter, voices and the aroma of barbecues. Under the shade of the great hackberry trees, Karitsa folk, young and old, gathered as they do each year, continuing a tradition that stretches back decades, back to when the first villagers stood on this very spot, keeping the heart of their ancestral village alive in their new adopted home.

Karitsa itself was once a close-knit community of some 450 people, subsistence land tillers cum olive growers cum sheep and goat herders, nestled on the foothills of the Parnon mountains in Laconia, Greece. Today, the village numbers barely 220 permanent residents. Yet here in Australia, particularly in and around the suburb of Goodwood, the number of Karitsa’s descendants now far exceeds the population of the village itself, a powerful reminder of migration, resilience and the enduring pull of shared roots. 

The grills were fired up, tables laid with care, and volunteers moved among the guests, tending to every detail with patience and warmth. Children ran between the trees, laughing and chasing one another, while the oldies, with their thoughts drifting back to the village, exchanged handshakes, embraces and stories from long ago. Every smile, every gesture, every burst of laughter seemed to form a bridge between past and present, bringing the community’s shared memory vividly to life.

The event was honoured by the presence of the Mayor of Unley, Mr Michael Hewitson, accompanied by Chief Executive Officer, Mr Peter Tsokas, and his wife. Their attendance conveyed a clear message of respect and recognition for the long-standing and vibrant relationship between the local council and the Karitsa community.

In his address, the Mayor highlighted the significant contribution made by Karitsiotes and Greek migrants more broadly to the development of the area, stressing that gatherings such as this are far more than social occasions; they are living beacons of memory and culture. As his words echoed beneath the hackberries, the baton was passed to the Karitsa Community President, who linked the memory of the past with plans for the future.

Australian-born Michael Malavazos shared in the warmth of the day, holding in his hands the manuscript of a forthcoming book to be sponsored by the City of Unley.

“The Karitsa Gathering is not simply a reunion,” he said. “It is the soul of Karitsa here, so far from our ancestral village. Thanks to our volunteers, Karitsa remains united and alive. This year, with the support of the City of Unley, that spirit will take on a lasting form through the publication of a book marking the Community’s 40th anniversary, featuring profiles and photographs of the first seventy families from the village who settled in Australia.”

His words wrapped the atmosphere in a gentle nostalgia, paving the way for the forthcoming book and for the next generation of the community. Particularly heartening was the presence of third- and fourth-generation Karitsiotes, children and grandchildren of the first migrants, born and raised in Australia yet deeply rooted in their ancestral village. Alongside them were friends of the community, fond of the village, adding yet more warmth, laughter and life to the gathering.

And as the sun began to dip behind the hackberry trees, the community, descendants of a once-thriving mountain village now smaller in number at home than abroad, quietly renewed its promise: to come together, to remember, and to keep Karitsa alive, for their children, their grandchildren, and the generations still to come.

Photographs courtesy of Peter Katsambis and Dimitra Rozaklis