Greek Orthodox Community of Oakleigh & District Inc

A prominent figure of the Greek and the wider Oakleigh community

Father Nicholas, the son of Ioannis and Despina Moutafis, was born in Crete, Greece, in 1931.

Fr Nicholas' parents were born in Asia Minor, and in 1922 they fled to the Greek island of Chios with their families, as a result of the uprising against the Greeks in Turkey, after the defeat of the Greek Expeditionary Army.

Ιn 1924 Ioannis Moutafis left Chios to go to Australia, to join there a younger brother of his. Ιn 1928 he returned to Chios, where he married Despina. The couple moved to the city of Chania in Crete, where they raised their four children: Nicholas, Demetrios, Anna and Chrysostomos.

Ιn 1949 Ioannis received a letter from Charlie Elphick, who had taken part in the Battle of Crete in May 1941. When the Germans occupied the island, the Moutafis family had harboured Charlie, as well as other soldiers of the Allied Forces, for a while. It was in appreciation of that act of bravery and generosity that Charlie wrote to Ioannis Moutafis, indicating that he would gladly sponsor him and his family, if they wished to migrate to Australia.

Ioannis took up that offer and migrated to Australia alone in 1949. Ιn 1950 Nicholas joined his father, and soon afterwards the remaining members of the family migrated to Australia too.

Ιn 1956 Nicholas married Evangelia Antonakakis, who in 1952 had migrated from Sitia, Crete, to Australia with her father Ioannis. Nicholas and Evangelia raised six children: Despina, John, Stephanie, Catherine, Chrysanthe and Timothy.

Following the dictates of his nature, in September 1958 Nicholas became a deacon, and οn 1st January 1959 was ordained priest. After serving for a brief period at the St John's Greek Orthodox Church in Carlton, Melbourne, Fr Nicholas was appointed at the Greek Orthodox Church of Newcastle, NSW, where he remained for five years.

Ιn 1964 he returned to Melbourne with his family, to serve at Sts Anargiri, a church of the newly established Greek Orthodox Community of Oakleigh and Districts, of which he had been the Rector until he passed away οn the 22nd of June, 2001.

A visionary and a man of action

From his appointment in 1964 until his death in 2001, Fr Nicholas worked tirelessly, and co-operated harmoniously with the Board of Directors of the Greek Orthodox Community of Oakleigh and Districts (GOCOD). During this period he had the good fortune to see his life long dreams being progressively realised.

Fr Nicholas was instrumental in the building of the existing Church of Sts Anargiri, the construction of 17 units for the elderly citizens of the Community, and the building of the Community Centre.

Important as these projects were, one can say without hesitation that father Nicholas' greatest contribution to GOCOD, indeed to the wider community of the area, was the establishment of the Saints Anargiri Greek Orthodox College.

As a visionary, as well as a man of action, Fr Nicholas had come to the conclusion that the long-term viability of the Community could only be secured, if the younger generations of Greek-Australians came in direct contact with the values it espoused, thus feeling the need to take an active part in its operations.

Ιn 1982, Fr Nicholas, ably assistedby the Board of Directors and other auxiliary bodies of the Community, set about convincing parents to enrol their children in the yet untested College, and soliciting the support of the authorities, Local, State and Federal, and attracting qualified and dedicated teachers.

His efforts, and visionary planning, resulted in the establishment of the Sts Anargiri College.

The College started its operations in a very small way in 1983, with a few Primary School classes, housed in weatherboard houses and portable accommodation.

Ιn a few years the College evolved into a fully fledged Prep, Primary and Secondary School, accommodated in new, modern, comfortable, and well equipped buildings, providing excellent education to the hundreds of its students, and in addition introducing them to the timeless values of the Orthodox Faith and Greek culture.

Fr Nicholas lived to see another of his dreams being realised: the addition of a Child Centre to the educational facilities of the College, and the commencement, but not the completion, of the nοw imposing, and fully equipped, Sports Complex.

His one dream that has remained unrealised to date is a Greek-Australian Cultural Centre and Museum, to complement the religious services of the Church, the educational work of the College, and the social and philanthropic services of the Community.

Spiritual father

Father Nicholas had a great affection for, and was much loved by the young parishioners, who were organised in a Youth Association.

Ιn the regular meetings of the Youth Association, which attracted young people from all over Melbourne, Fr Nicholas did his utmost to foster Christian ethics, and to introduce the younger generations to the fusion of the long Greek cultural tradition with the values of the Orthodox Faith, and the requisite civic values, responsibilities and attitudes, so that they would become valuable and productive members of the wider Australian society.

Fr Nicholas, as part of his pastoral responsibilities, served the spiritual needs of one of the largest Greek Communities in Melbourne. His work in this area included performing the various Church Services and mysteries of the Greek Orthodox Faith; visits to the sick and incapacitated in their homes, at hospital or other institutions; catechising those new to the Orthodox faith; conducting an adult Bible study group for the parents and friends of the Community's College.

Notwithstanding this heavy and demanding schedule, Fr Nicholas used to attend Sts Anargyri College οn a daily basis, where he liaised with teaching and administrative staff, and kept in close touch with students, who loved and revered him.

Services to society

The work performed, and the services provided, by Fr Nicholas Moutafis were not confined to the Greek community. He worked assiduously for the Greek Orthodox Community of Oakleigh and Districts to be in constant liaison with the wider community, of which it is a significant and integral part. Fr Nicholas was strongly in favour of multiculturalism, as he believed that it made people appreciate the traditions of other ethnic groups.

Το that end, Fr Nicholas maintained a close rapport with οfficials at the three levels of government, Federal, State and Local, and other community and business leaders, and made sure that they were always invited to Church, Community and College functions.

Ιn addition, Fr Nicholas had the foresight to ensure that politicians, academics and other prominent visitors from Greece and Cyprus visited Sts Anargiri College and the other establishments of the Community, so as to be informed of the advances that were made in meeting the religious, educational and cultural needs of the Greek-Australians of the area, and the respect they enjoyed in the wider community.

Given his Cretan origin, Fr Nicholas was always invited by the Victorian RSL to οfficiate in the commemoration at the Shrine of Remembrance of the Battle of Crete (20th of May 1941), in which numerous members of the Australian Armed Forces fought alongside their British and New Zealand counterparts and the people of Crete.

Officials of the Greek Community of Oakleigh and students of its College always attend that important date in the calendar of the RSL of Australia.

Οn ANZAC Day Fr Nicholas, staff and students from Saints Anargiri College would without fail hold a ceremony and lay a wreath at the War Memorial at Warrawee Park, Oakleigh, in memory of those servicemen and women who fought and fell in the two World Wars, in defence of freedom and democracy.

Ιn this regard he carried οn his family's tradition, which in the early phases of the World War ll offered protection to Australian, New Zealand and British soldiers in Crete, risking the wrath of the occupying forces. For their valour his family received the grateful acknowledgment of the Commander of Allied Forces, Field Marshall N. R. Alexander.

Recognition of his services

Fittingly, the Council of the City of Monash has supported the community initiative, for a Monument in the memory of Fr Nicholas to be established in Warrawee Park, Oakleigh, which is planned to be unveiled on 29 June 2005.

In summary, the late father Nicholas Moutafis was a pastor of the utmost integrity and dedication to the Christian faith, a leader with outstanding abilities, a visionary, as well a man of action, an enlightened educationist - he had a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Diploma of Education - an indefatigable social worker, and a proud Australian citizen.

His life has been an example for all to follow. His contribution to the enrichment and strengthening of the social fabric of the wider Oakleigh and environs community has been outstanding, for which he rightly received from the Queen the title of BEM (British Empire Medal) in 1978.

In 1991 Fr Nicholas was awarded the Hellenic Distinction for his contribution to the ground - breaking work of GOCOD.

Posthumously, he was awarded the Caroline Chisholm Award 2002 in recognition of his significant voluntary services.

He received the Award for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs (2002) by the Government of Victoria, for his pioneering efforts to establish and develop the Greek Orthodox Community of Oakleigh and Districts, and the Sts Anargiri Greek Orthodox College.

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Greek community of Oakleigh and also the wider community of the region, the City of Monash has acceded to the request of the Fr Nicholas Memorial Committee for a Memorial of Fr Nicholas be established in Warrawee Park, Atherton Rd., Oakleigh.