MADE FORTUNES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 11

MADE FORTUNES.

PENNILESS GREEKS

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY. SUCCESS IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, January 27. Australia lias proved the land of opportunity for a number of Greek immigrants, who arrived here poor and made their fortunes. Those opportunities, «avs Mr. John .Kouvelis, who ,has put tlie matter to the test, are even more available for penniless Australians. "But one of the troubles of the modern poutli," he says, "is that while he-knows that a pound has 20 shillings-in it, lie never remembers that 20 shillings make a pound." Mr. Kouvelis, who sprang into the news with the announcement of his gift Df £210 to the Greek-Australian National Defence Fund, to purchase a war 'plane for the defence of Australia, came to Australia penniless in 1910, says the 'Sunday Sun." To-day he owns a string of country theatres" and.Xennon's Hotel in Brisbane. On the hotel, which he purchased recently, he plans to spend £250,000. " Marry. Young." There is no secret of success, according to Mr. Kouvelis, who lives at Bellevue Hill. "But the way I found to success in life was to marry young. The responsibility of a wife and children make a| man work- harder—realise the value of money, determine to be successful, and make the most of luck,", he said.

"To do it I missed all the 'good times' of youth. .The Australian youth lias I more opportunities for success than the foreign youth, who is handicapped bv la new language and ignorance of the [country of his adoption/'

Mr. Kouvelis' came to Australia from Akrata, Greece, at the age. of 14, after his people had lost their mousy. His firc.t business was a bakery, then he entered the »icture r show business in Junee. ' ' . i"

When 'he was IS he married an Australian girl, and found that the respon- < sibility of an early marriage : spurred l him on his road to success. •' ' Seized Chances. j Mr... Leon Bigamies, editor of the. Greek-English newspaper, National i Tribune," published in Sydney, can 1 quote many cases of "Greeks who have made good and have become good Aus- J tralians. • ... He is organising the defence fund. Here are some of his stories: — • Peter Miclielides came to West Australia from the isle of Samos with a knowledge of tobacco, and very little ] else. He started business in a small' tobacco shop, became one of-the pioneers of" tobacco growing, in that State, and ! introduced many new -varieties of; tobacco to Australia. To-day he is a ' big tobacco and cigarette manufacturer' with large, plantations. Anastatius and Menas Aroney started cleaning fish in the Sydney markets.! They .finished; with, big interests in the , fishing industry, wholesale, retail and trawling. When Menas died he left big sums to Sydney charities. Kitchen to Fortune. . • Antony J. Lucas started life in Australia as a kitchen-hand, walked down one of Melbourne's streets one day, saw its largest building, and determined to own one just as big.

His first business was a small restaurant. To-day he is a big property owner, a director of many companies, ja man with a fortune, Consul for Greece jin Victoria, and president of the Defence Fund.

Peter Limberidis also started' as a kitchen hand, but in one recent wheat crop, he mis the largest individual producer in Australia.' He is at Forbes.

George Veneris tried Queensland. His farm at Hellen, where he has thousands of acres, was described recently in a bulletin of the Queensland Agriculture Department as • one of the most modern and scientific in Australia. j

From ancient Kythera, where, according to ancient mythology, the goddess jVenus was born, came young Jack Simos to Katoomba.

Starting as a confectioner in a small way, he.now sends his cakes and sweets not only, to'all parts of Australia, but to Australians living abroad and to people b£ other lands who know Katoomba, but not Kythera. »

. The Gleeson brothers, of Urunga and Coff's Harbour, and Harry Corones,. of Charville, found their star in modern hotels; Christy and Peter Soulos and Antony Loujsscn, of Sydney, in confectionery. ' */" . To Mick • Adams there are many monuments. He the iriilk bar to Sydney and Australia. A. Zymaris helped. pioneer sultana growing at. Slildura. y v A prominent Sydney, doctor was'. a penniless Greek immigrant who saved University fees by washing dishes. . Highly Educated. . The first Greeks- wio came to Australia found their way into the restaurant and fruit businesses.' Others following went to their com? patriots for help because they did. not know the language; and made their start in the same ; type of 1 .business.-.. •.*- "That is why," said ." Mr. Bigannes, "so .many Greek migrants- started as kitchen hands, although many of them were highly educated when they left Greece.' But they rose above kitchenwork."