At home… Fotios Gountrombis has lived in Australia for more than 40 years. 41886 Picture: PAUL JEFFERS
By Alesha Capone
MARIBYRNONG resident Fotios Gountrombis often celebrates Easter twice a year.
As an Australian with a Greek background, he takes part in the Greek festivities to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the Australia-wide Easter day.
Apart from this, Mr Gountrombis said Australia feels like his true home.
As a six-year-old, he emigrated from Greece with his parents and older brother.
Now aged 49, the father-of-three will officially become an Australian citizen today.
“My wife and children said ‘We’re all Australian, you’re the only one in the family who’s not.’ So they gave me a push,” he said.
His teenagers, aged 19, 16 and 14, all planned to attend the ceremony in Yarraville today.
“My children are more excited than me,” Mr Gountrombis said.
He said his memories of Greece are “pretty hazy”, although he remembers arriving in Australia in 1966.
“No one in the family spoke English but it was very easy for me to pick up in prep,” he said.
Just like many other Aussies, Mr Gountrombis is a sports fanatic and is a keen supporter of the Western Bulldogs.
“I follow every sport,” he said.
“I grew up in Footscray and played football. It’s hard to say the best thing about Australia, but I’ve grown up with sport and enjoy everything you can do outdoors.”
The self-employed cartage contractor said he expected life to remain the same once he became an official citizen, with one difference.
“I’ll be able to vote. That’ll be great,” he said.
More than 40 people from Maribyrnong were scheduled to enrol as Australian citizens today.
