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Tribute - Stathi Raftopoulos

Historical information - Source Victorian Collections

Stathi Raftopoulos is pictured at his home cinema at his residence in Sylvander Street North Balwyn. In 1949 Stathi Raftopoulos imported the first Greek film into Australia, entitled ‘Voice of the Heart’. It was screened at Nicholas Hall in Lonsdale Street.

Stathis went on to become a travelling picture show man showing Greek films to the Greeks in regional centres around Australia.

He later established a film distribution and exhibition company, The Cosmopolitan Motion Pictures, in partnership with Mr Panayioti (Peter) Giannoudis. With the advent of television in the 1950, former suburban picture theatres were being closed down. Stathi and Peter took over many of these cinemas (including The National Theatre Richmond) to show imported Greek films to the post WWII burgeoning Greek community.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -