Greeks of Melbourne

Part of a series on
Greeks
Etymology Greek names
By country Native communities Greece Cyprus Albania Italy Russia and Ukraine Turkey Greek diaspora Australia Melbourne Canada Toronto Germany United Kingdom United States
Groups by region African Greeks: Egyptiots Ethiopian Greeks Sudanese Greeks Eastern Greeks: Cappadocians Constantinopolitan Greeks Karamanlides Pontic Caucasus Crimea Northern Greeks: Macedonians Slavophones Vlachs Phanariots Southern Greeks: Maniots Tsakonians Other Greek groups: Arvanites Cypriots Griko Sarakatsani Souliotes Urums
Greek culture Art Cinema Cuisine Dance Dress Education Flag Language Literature Music Politics Religion Sport Television Theatre
Religion Greek Orthodox Church Greek Roman Catholicism Greek Byzantine Catholicism Greek Evangelicalism Judaism Islam Hellenism
Languages and dialects Greek Calabrian Greek Cappadocian Greek Cretan Greek Griko Cypriot Greek Himariote Greek Maniot Greek Mariupol Greek Constantinopolitan Greek Pontic Greek Tsakonian Yevanic Greeklish Other languages Arvanitika Vlach Slavic Urum Karamanlidika
History of Greece (Ancient · Byzantine · Ottoman)
v t e

Greeks of Melbourne (Greek: Έλληνες της Μελβούρνης) compose one of the largest Greek diaspora communities in the world and Melbourne hosts the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Greece and Cyprus. According to the 2016 Australian census, Melbourne has the largest Greek population in Australia with 173,598 Greeks, making up 3.87% of Greater Melbourne's population.^[1] In Greek Australians, the Hellenic identity and values are passed down from one generation to the next. As such, 88% of Greek Australians (regardless of country of birth) speak Greek and 91% are members of the Greek Orthodox Church.^[2]

As a result of the extensive historical and cultural ties between the Greek community of Melbourne and their Greek homeland, Melbourne is a sister city to Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city and one of Europe's most important cultural centres.^[3] The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade estimates that economic activity (including tourism) between Greece and Australia generates more than $800 million annually with an additional $700 million in investment between the two nations annually, totaling $1.5 billion.^{[as of?][4]}

Melbourne makes up one of the eight important Greek population centres worldwide. The others are Sydney, Toronto, Montreal, New York City, Chicago, Boston and London.^{[citation needed]} In the 21st century, most Greeks outside of Greece and Cyprus live in one of these eight cities.^{[citation needed]}