«To preserve our Karitsa identity and foster our love for the village"

To make their living Karitsiotes from very early times would turn to migration.  Honest, hardworking and industrious they would travel near and far all over the world, each time building their lives all over again.

During the national revolution of 1821 many Karitsiotes left the village to settle in other more prosperous areas.  First they went to the island of Spetses, a second group headed for Astros Kinourias and a third group went to Grammousa, present day Ambelohori.  A later group settled in Molaous, some fifty kilometres from the village itself.  In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries migration led some overseas, particularly the Unites States of America.  In the post-war years a new migration door opened up.  A mass wave of migration brought many Karitsiotes to Australia, mainly to Adelaide, often known as the Athens of the south.

The first Karitsioti to arrive in Adelaide was Yannis Katsambis in 1954.  Very soon he was to be followed by many others.

The Brotherhood of Karitsa was founded in 1986.  Diamandis Rozaklis and the late Kostas Malavazos are acknowledged as the prime movers in establishing the brotherhood.  Their plan was both sentimental in nature as well as a means of extending a charitable helping hand to those in need.  "To have the money to help out Karitsiotes in need including the village itself when need be," declared the founding members.

The first meeting of 34 founding members was held in August 1986 in Goodwood, a suburb of Adelaide with a high concentration of Karitsiotes.  Diamandis Malavazos was elected the first president of the Brotherhood.  Other members of the first management council were: Diamandis Rozaklis (vice president), Con Katsambis (secretary), John Stavrianos (treasurer), Peter Antonis, Con Antoniou, Dimitri Katsambis and Vangelis Malavazos.

Preserving our Karitsan identity and fostering our love for the village are considered to be the main objectives of the Brotherhood.  Other aims include contact with the village and provision of every assistance towards it and fellow Karitsiotes in need.  Karitsiotes of Adelaide are an inseparable part of the Laconian community.  The Brotherhood maintains close co-operation with the Laconian Society of South Australia "Leonidas" and sees it as the overarching organisation for all Laconians in Adelaide.

The Brotherhood holds three main functions every year, two dances and an outdoor barbecue.  The first dance is held in February.  The second towards the end of August is a grand occasion and recreates "Ayianniou" the main festival of Karitsa.  Towards the end of each year the Brotherhood organises in a neighbourhood park of Goodwood a free outdoor barbecue for members and friends.

To date the Brotherhood has been involved in many significant activities:

  • Of primary concern has been financial assistance towards the water supply of Karitsa.

  • Considerable financial assistance has been extended to needy Karitsiotes in Karitsa and in Australia

  • Assistance has been provided towards ethnic community and national needs such as aid for earthquake victims of Egaio and Athens, Excavations in Macedonia and support of the Institute of Hellenic Studies

  • Donations to numerous charities in Australia.

In the future the Brotherhood will continue to promote the maintenance of our mother tongue, the Greek language in Australia; it will continue to foster love and unity among Karitsiotes and all Laconians and Greeks of Adelaide in general.  Above all it will nurture our love for the village and provision of assistance for public works in Karitsa and needy Karitsiotes.

Present management council:

John Stavrianos (president)
Michael Malavazos (vice president)
Con Malavazos (secretary)
Con Katsambis (treasurer)
Jim Rozaklis (assistant treasurer)
John Antoniou
Peter Vlahos
John Katsambis
George Katsabis
Peter Stavrianos
Diamandis Hagias

Auditing Committee

Diamandis Malavazos
Dimitri Katsambis

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