The Greek Precinct, Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, is a Greek cultural area centred around the eastern end of Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne city centre.^[1][2] The area runs adjacent to Melbourne Chinatown on Little Bourke Street.

According to the 2001 Australian census, Melbourne has the largest Greek Australian population in Australia (151,785 or around 47%),^[3] and the largest Greek population of any city in the World - outside of Greece.^[2] Economic bilateral relations between Australia and Greece are worth over A$140 million.^[4]

Melbourne is also a sister city to Thessaloniki,^[5] Greece’s second-largest city.

The Precinct [edit]

The Greek Precinct is located between Swanston Street and Russell Street, along Lonsdale Street, in the Melbourne city centre. It is home to a many Greek restaurants and Greek cultural shops. Located on the corner of Lonsdale Street and Russell Street is the Greek Community Centre of Melbourne,^[6] and at 209 Lonsdale Street is the Sam Papasavas Building - the home of the Australia-Greek Learning and Resource Centre of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).^[7]

Located nearby, on the corner of La Trobe Street and William Street, is the Hellenic Foundation for Culture's centre and the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne.^[8] Both the centre and museum are housed in the historic former Melbourne Mint, and is contiguous with the National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research of La Trobe University.^[9]

In March 2009, the Government of Victoria and the City of Melbourne announced that the Greek Precinct would receive a A$3.5 million rejuvenation.^[10]

Antipodes Festival [edit]

The annual Melbourne Antipodes Festival is held on Lonsdale Street over a week in March, and has been held since 1987. The festival is renowned for its Lonsdale Street "Glendi" (Greek for "party") - a weekend-long event that is held to coincide with the Greek National Day (March 25).^[11]

The annual Greek Film Festival is held in Melbourne over two weeks in September, and has been held since 1990.^[12]

Gallery [edit]

• 

  Monument to the Melbourne-Thessaloniki sister city relationship

• 

  The historic former Melbourne Mint, which now houses a Greek cultural centre and a museum

• 

  Fire dancing at the 2009 Lonsdale Street Glendi

See also [edit]

• Melbourne
• Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
• Greek Australian
• Thessaloniki

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lonsdale Street Glendi

• Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria
• National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research
• Melbourne Antipodes Festival

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