Australian Embassy, Greece

23/10/2026

The Greek-Australian literary scene is as vibrant as ever, and on 6 November some of its most fascinating voices will come together for a very special conversation.

We’re delighted that writers, academics and storytellers from Australia and Greece, including Vrasidas Karalis, Christos Tsiolkas and Helen Vatsikopoulos, will tune in online for the International Symposium “Greek-Australians Write Back!: Voices of Change”. Across three sessions and a plenary conversation, the symposium will explore Greek-Australian writing through stories of migration, memory, identity, belonging, language and the experience of living between cultures.

We’re especially pleased that Ambassador Duncan will deliver opening remarks.
Congratulations to the Department of English Literature and Culture, School of English, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, for this wonderful initiative, shining a light on Greek-Australian literary voices and the conversations they continue to inspire in Australia, the Greek diaspora and beyond.

📅 Date: 6 November 2026
🕘 Time: 09:00-15:00
💻 Location: Online
👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/LyMC9ZvvGP3NsSDr7
📖 Check out the full program: https://new.enl.auth.gr/conf/greek-australian-lit/

We hope you can join us!

Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης

22/10/2026

📣 We are hiring! We are looking for a Senior Corporate Services Officer to join the Australian Embassy in Athens.

📅 Deadline to apply: 11 November 2026

For details:
https://dfat-gov.pinpointhq.com/en/postings/25dd6523-c838-478f-ad28-ebafc8e399a6

21/10/2026

In an increasingly complex international environment marked by the rise of extremist ideologies and hybrid threats, exchanging knowledge, experience and best practice can help like-minded countries strengthen the resilience of their democracies and respond more effectively to shared challenges.
The Embassy was delighted to host Dr Levi West for a two-day visit to Athens which included meetings with senior leaders of the Hellenic Police and roundtable discussions with representatives of relevant agencies. The discussions explored a range of contemporary and emerging security challenges, including countering terrorism and radicalisation in the digital age.
A Research Fellow at the Australian National University, Dr West is an internationally recognised authority on terrorism and counter-terrorism, and served for more than a decade as Director of Terrorism Studies at the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security at Charles Sturt University.
Our sincere thanks to Dr West for sharing his expertise and perspectives, and to everyone who took part in these constructive exchanges.

19/10/2026

The Presidential Guard, known as the Evzones, is one of the most iconic symbols of Greece, guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Mansion. Almost every year, members of the Guard travel to Australia to take part in important commemorations alongside the Greek-Australian community.
Ahead of their visit for Ochi Day this year, Ambassador Duncan was delighted to visit the Presidential Guard’s camp, next to the Presidential Mansion, and learn more about its fascinating history, mission and activities. A particularly special part of the visit was stepping inside the Guard’s workshops, where highly skilled craftspeople lovingly and meticulously create and care for its magnificent traditional uniforms. Among them is the Evzones’ famed ‘fustanella’, with its 400 pleats, each representing a year of Greece’s four centuries under Ottoman rule.
Our sincere thanks to the Presidential Guard, and particularly Lieutenant Commander Michael Tzinieris, Wing Commander Ioannis Fousekis and Major Panagiotis Mimikos, for their warm hospitality.
We wish them a wonderful visit to Australia and are sure they will receive a very warm welcome from the Australian community!

16/10/2026

The lovely, warm-hearted and beautiful Olivia Vasilopoulos has been crowned Miss Universe Greece and will represent Greece at the upcoming global competition in Puerto Rico!

Naturally, when we discovered that Olivia was born in Sydney, we had to meet her and hear more about her story!

From Sydney to Hong Kong, Melbourne and now Athens, Olivia has already had quite the journey. A polyglot with a budding career across public policy and modelling, she charmed us with her radiant smile, generous spirit and genuine passion for social justice.

We wish her all the very best in Puerto Rico!

15/10/2026

The forthcoming Australia-EU FTA will create significant opportunities for closer trade and investment between Australia and EU Member States. These opportunities were explored in depth at the Australia-EU FTA Business Forum, co-hosted by the Embassy in Sofia with the Bulgarian Australian Business Council, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sofia University on 7 October.
Designed to support business readiness ahead of the FTA’s entry into force, the forum brought together more than 150 representatives from business, government, diplomacy and academia. It offered businesses a valuable platform to better understand future market access conditions, identify sector-specific opportunities, and build partnerships to support expansion in both markets.
Ambassador Duncan used the opportunity to highlight the strategic and commercial benefits of the FTA and identify specific areas where Bulgarian and Australian businesses stood to gain the most.
We extend our sincere thanks to Deputy Foreign Minister Christo Polendakov for his participation, and our partners for their collaboration in delivering this successful event. Thanks also to everyone who joined in person and online. We look forward to building on the momentum generated by the forum to further strengthen Australia-Bulgaria economic engagement.

Българска търговско-промишлена палата (БТПП)



📸 Maria Sabotinova - photography

14/10/2026

Ambassador Duncan was deeply honoured to be invested with the Order of the Christ Loving by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia in a solemn ceremony at the Australian Residence in Athens yesterday. The honour recognises her distinguished service, generosity of spirit, and dedication to fostering the enduring bonds between Greece and Australia, including her support for the Greek-Australian community in preserving their rich heritage.

We were privileged to welcome an intimate group of distinguished guests for this special occasion, including His Grace Bishop Athinagoras of Canberra, His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora, Rev. Deacon Timothy Mavromatis, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece Kostis Hatzidakis, Minister of Education and Religious Affairs Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of State Akis Skertsos, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou, Secretary General of the Greek MFA Teresa Angelatou, German Ambassador Andreas Kindl, Co-Founder of Women Act May Zanni, and Ms Alice Kokodis.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

08/10/2026

The protection of our children is the most important responsibility of any society. Yet in this age of overlapping global challenges, children face an evolving range of risks. These issues were at the heart of the Connect to Protect Conference, an international conference on child protection and the prevention of violence organised by IASIS NGO in Athens on 5-6 October. Bringing together international child welfare experts, practitioners and frontline advocates, the conference explored ways to strengthen safeguarding systems and better protect children from harm.
Reflecting Australia’s leadership in online safety and digital regulation, Australian participation featured prominently in the program. Ambassador Alison Duncan was pleased to deliver opening remarks, highlighting the risks faced by children in the digital sphere and the importance of creating effective guardrails for their protection. Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant PSM, also participated as a speaker, sharing Australia’s insights on tackling digital harms and safeguarding children and young people in online environments.

06/10/2026

Few places hold such a special significance in Australia’s relationship with Greece as Kastellorizo. Generations of Kastellorizians have helped shape Australia’s multicultural society, creating enduring people-to-people links between our two countries.

That is why the Embassy is proud to support the 6th Kastellorizo Puzzle Festival, co-founded by Greek-Australian Pantazis Constantine Houlis. From 16-18 October 2026, this unique festival will transform the island into a vibrant space for discovery, bringing together scientists, educators, artists, students and puzzle enthusiasts to explore everything from artificial intelligence, robotics and health to the environment, astronomy, art and culture.

With puzzle workshops, hands-on STEM activities, escape rooms, robotics, science talks, astro-games, and creative challenges for all ages, the Festival shows that science can be engaging, accessible and fun. The participation of University of Sydney endocrinologist Steven Boyages, a proud member of the Kastellorizian diaspora, further highlights the strong ties between Kastellorizo and Australia.

We wish all participants a wonderful Festival!

Follow the link in the comments for more information.

Φεστιβάλ Γρίφων Καστελλορίζου - Kastellorizo Puzzle Festival

02/10/2026

Greece has been experiencing severe thunderstorms and flooding in recent days. Australians in affected areas should monitor local media and follow the advice a of local authorities. Stay safe and exercise caution when travelling.

Read our advice about what to do if there's extreme weather or a natural disaster when you're travelling overseas.