In 1961, Dikea and her two daughters travelled to Australia to start a new life. Dikea followed her husband, George, who arrived in Australia a few years earlier in the late ‘50s.
George was in the navy and was travelling on a vessel when he jumped ship. Having deserted his ship, in an effort to make a new life for himself and his family in Australia, he landed in Sydney - and spent a little time in jail for his actions.
Thankfully, George had a lot of friends in Sydney who got him out of jail and helped him out. George worked hard to set himself up and waited for Dikea and his daughters to join him.
They began their new life in Darlinghurst, living on Crown Street before making a permanent move to Bronte, where they bought a home. Not long after Dikea arrived in Sydney, all five of her siblings followed in her footsteps, hoping for a better life - as work was hard to find in Greece. Her brother even bought the house next door, which kept their family close. To this day, Dikea still owns the family home in Bronte, where so many fond memories were made.
The number one passion in Dikea’s life is her family - and cooking for them was one of her favourite things. “Every year at Easter, mum would do a lot of baking for family get-togethers - mum always did all the cooking,” said her daughter Irene, looking fondly at her mother. “Mum used to love cooking, and she was a great cook - everyone remembers her wonderful food.”
Irene laughs as she recalls Dikea’s friends saying their food never tasted like her mum's, even though they followed her recipe. Dikea would often say to them, “You come and watch me cook and then you will see the recipe I’ve given you is correct,” but Irene smiled and mentioned that they still weren’t getting it quite right.
In the early days, Dikea worked now and then at different factories close by, and George worked as a painter. Dikea was lucky enough to retire early, around the age of 50, as back in those days, when your husband retired and began receiving the pension, you also received the pension.
Irene describes her mum as being very family orientated, as well as outgoing. “Mum loved going to church, and in her later years, loved going out to cafes and restaurants with family and friends - and always liked to pay for everyone upfront.”
“Mum also loved working in her garden - she had such a green thumb,” Irene then added, “Mum also loved going fishing with dad. She didn’t actually fish; it was mostly just to keep dad company but they enjoyed their time out on the boat.”
“Everyone loved mum. She was always so generous and never had a bad thing to say about anyone,” said Irene, smiling.
Dikea has two daughters, Irene and Maroulla, three grandsons and seven great-grandchildren. It can be said that Dikea has truly had a beautiful life - full of love, great food, and surrounded by family.
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