Kyriacos (Kerry) Tsolakis (born 23 January 1948 in Agros) is a Cypriot architect and politician. He serves as Honorary President of the Repatriated Cypriots of Australia.[1] Having moved to Australia in 1972, Kyriacos became a key figure in the Cypriot diaspora and repatriated Cypriot communities of Australia, founding the Cyprus Hellenic Club of Melbourne [2] and serving as vice-president of the Federation of Cyprus Hellenic Associations of Australia for ten years.[3]
The Cypriot Diaspora in Melbourne
In parallel to his architectural career, Tsolakis served as President of the Cyprus Hellenic Club for ten years and Secretary of the Coordinated Committee for Justice in Cyprus (SEKA), both of which he was a founding member.[4][5] This was during a period which witnessed the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the social and economic aftermath as well as a large relocation of Cypriots overseas. During the 1980s, Tsolakis helped the Cypriot banking industry set up in Melbourne, namely Cyprus Popular Bank and Bank of Cyprus.[6]
The Repatriated Cypriot Community
Upon his return to Cyprus in 1993, Tsolakis became President of Association of Repatriated Cypriots of Australia.[7] In 1997, Kyriacos organized one of the first bi-communal meetings between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot repatriates at the Nicosia Airport in the UN Buffer Zone, under the auspices of the UN Civil Police Force and the Australian High Commission.
In Melbourne, Kyriacos founded his architectural practice K. Tsolakis & Associates Architects Pty Ltd and the construction company T.K.S Design & Construction Pty Ltd. During the 70’s and 80’s the practice went on to win a number of notable competitions[10] in Melbourne with a project list totalling 520.[11] Together with his children, they have set up their architectural practice, Kyriacos Tsolakis Architects, based in Nicosia and London.[12]
Personal life
Kyriacos has been married to Angela Raftopoulos since 1980, daughter of the philanthropist Stathis Raftopoulos, MBE; businessman, poet and co-owner of the Greek Cinemas of Melbourne.[13] They have three children, Elena, Nicodemos and Cassandra who are all architects.
^"Federation of Cyprus Hellenic Associations of Australia Founded". The Greek Herald Newspaper. 19 November 1987.
^"Historic Summit of Cyprus Hellenic Club". New Country Newspaper. 14 April 1984.
^"S.E.K.A". Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
^"S.E.K.A is Founded/H S.E.K.A tha Anastilothei" (in Greek). New Torch Newspaper. 31 January 1991. p. 19.
^"Cyprus Popular Bank Supported the Repatriated Cypriots/Laiki Trapeza konta stous Epanapatrizomenous" (in Greek). H Alitheia Newspaper, Cyprus. 10 February 1995.
