National Union of Greek Australian Students

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National Union of Greek Australian Students Ένωση Ελληνο-Αυστραλών Φοιτητών
National Union of Greek Australian Students (NUGAS)
Headquarters:	Melbourne, Australia
Spoken Languages:	English, Greek
President:	Mr. Jack Miriklis
Formation:	1st Annual Greek Convention, 1970
States Affiliated:	South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia
Membership:	Over 20,000
Website:	http://www.nugas.org.au

The National Union of Greek Australian Students (NUGAS) is a federation of Greek/Hellenic student societies at Australian universities. It is known in Greek as Ένωση Ελληνο-Αυστραλών Φοιτητών.

[edit] History

Greek student organisations in Australia date back to the 1950s. Sydney University’s Sigma Epsilon Phi and the Melbourne University Greek Club both formed in the 1950s, when the pattern of Greek migration to Australia was on the rise.

With the rise in Greek immigration to Australia, so to came the rise in Greek-Australians in tertiary education and thus active Greek student organisations on campuses through-out the nation.

Communications between the clubs on campus and the states in the late 60's led to the first national gathering in Sydney in May, 1970. Participants discussed issues such as the Church, the Greek Language, Education, Multiculturalism, Military service in Greece for Greek-Australians and economic and social issues.

At the 7th National convention of Greek-Australian students held in Perth in 1976^[1] , the National Union of Greek-Australian Students (NUGAS) was formed. The four representative bodies of NSW, WA, SA, and Victoria and the Clubs formulated the aims and structure of the national body.

ΝUGAS became noted for its social activism and commitment to the retention of Greek heritage in Australia between 1998-2001 due to the writings of its Victorian Cultural Co-ordinator, Dean Kalimniou, which enjoyed a widespread following in the newspaper Neos Kosmos.

The National Union of Greek Australian Students has been going through a major resurgence in all states, under the leadership of members such as Peter Doukas, Ashley Nasiakos, Jack Miriklis and life member Helen Vafeas. NUGAS under their leadership has had many notable achievements, reforming many defunct clubs in Victoria actively looking to reforming more in South Australia, publishing the Victorian magazine Paradigm for the first time in many years and re-instating the Annual National Convention as a way for Greek Australian students and youth to share Hellenism.^[2]

[edit] External links

• NUGAS Homepage
• NUGAS Submission into Higher Education Review
• |Google Books Version of The Australian People

[edit] References

• ANCHA Minutes 1996