Topic: Greek Pioneer migrants in Northern Territory through the eyes of a young immigrant

John Anictomatis was born in Piraeus, Greece in 1945 and immigrated to Australia with his parents and two brothers in 1955. After finishing school at Darwin High School, he was indentured as an apprentice mechanic and completed this training in 1968. In the same year, Mr Anictomatis commenced two years of National Service including active service with the 9th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment in Vietnam.

After completing his National Service, Mr Anictomatis returned to Darwin where he established a successful family business centred on the design and construction of residential, commercial and industrial sites. In 1976 he became a director of a large global franchise real estate company, an organisation which grew from 5 to 40 employees in 14 years. During the same period he also studied Business and Real Estate at the Northern Territory University.

In 1991 Mr Anictomatis became Honorary Consul for Greece in the Northern Territory, a role in which he provided dedicated service to the local Greek community. He also worked with the Northern Territory Government to promote sister-city relations between Darwin and Kalymnos, a Greek island about 300km east south east of Athens. In the early 1950s sponge divers came to the Northern Territory from Kalymnos to work on the pearling luggers. They encouraged their relatives to join them and there are now over 7000 people of Kalymnian descent living in Darwin.

Mr Anictomatis’s achievements as Honorary Consul were recognised in 2000 with the award of the Medal of the Order of Australia.

A long-term Darwin resident and a devoted Territorian, Mr Anictomatis has been active with many community organisations including the Immigration Resource and Settlement Centre of the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory University Foundation, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, St John Ambulance, Life Education, Legacy, the Returned and Services League and many groups within the Greek Community.

Mr Anictomatis was sworn in as the seventeenth Administrator of the Northern Territory by the Governor General, His Excellency Sir William Deane, in November 2000. Later in the year he presented the Eric Johnston Lecture and made these closing remarks:

Like many members of the Greek community, I am proud of their achievements, but more proud to have been part of a process that has encouraged mutual respect between men and women from different nationalities- a process that means young Australians growing up in Darwin today will value rather than fear the cultural and religious differences that make this city so special.

John Anictomatis is married to Jeanette. They have four sons all of whom have grown up and been educated in Darwin.

In August 2001, Mr Anictomatis was appointed an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia. Currently is the Consul General of Hellenic Republic in Northen Territory.