🌟 The Cretan Brotherhood is a community organisation that aims to:
• Be a hub for services, support, social activity and networking for people of Cretan heritage living in Victoria and their friends;
• Make a positive contribution to the community, including the local community in Moreland the wider Greek community in Melbourne;
• Foster, preserve and promote Hellenic and Cretan culture and tradi
tions;
🌟 The club’s current activities include:
• Provision of the club’s hall and facilities for use by the local community.
• Annual commemoration of the Battle of Crete.
• Regular social and cultural activities.
• A dance academy in which traditional Cretan dancing is taught. The academy’s dance groups perform in the community and wear traditional Cretan costume.
🌟 Club History
The Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne and Victoria is the first and original Cretan organisation formed in Australia. Their original purpose was to assist and create a support network for newly arrived compatriot migrants.
🌟 Cretan Migration
From 1955 to 1973, approximately 200,000 Greeks migrated to Australia at the invitation of the Australian government as part of their “populate or perish” immigration scheme. Most settled in Melbourne and a significant proportion of them were Cretan. As the wave of migration of Cretan diaspora continued in this period, the Cretan Brotherhood grew to become one of the most prominent organisations in the Greek community of Melbourne.
🌟 Cretan House
Until the early eighties the club was based in a small shop-house in Bridge Road, Richmond. However, by that time the club had well and truly outgrown the confines of these small premises and decided to relocate to a place with a size that better suited the needs of its members. In 1986, the club purchased its current premises in Nicholson Street, Brunswick. A property of just over 4,500sqm with a 450 sqm building and ample space for on-site parking. The site was formerly owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese and, as we understand, used as a school and for assemblies.
🌟 Cretan club today
The Cretan Brotherhood today is very much a family club with approximately 600 members of all ages; mostly people of Cretan descent who are first to fourth generation Australians. The club is administered by a committee of volunteers. Over the last few years the composition of the committee has transformed from the original Cretan migrants, to mostly second and third generation Melbourne-born Cretan Australians, who are committed to the keep the club thriving and uphold its objectives. Whilst the club’s focus is on Cretan culture, we welcome people of all backgrounds to come and learn about Crete, as we are keen to learn about other cultures and be a constructive part of the local community.
