Guide to the Papers of Spiro and Margaret Moraitis, 1952-2002

Summary

Collection number:

MS 9816

Creator:

Spiro and Margaret Moraitis

Extent:

23.82 metres and (169 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Spiro and Margaret Moraitis, National Library of Australia, MS 9816, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Part available for research; part permission required for research; part not available for research until 2030; part not available for research until 2052. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

Spiro and Margaret Moraitis were involved throughout their professional lives in a large number of community, voluntary and government organisations, often in executive roles. Many of the series consequently contain large quantities of minutes, agendas, correspondence and similar administrative documentation. Other types of documentation include correspondence, appointment diaries, photographs and slides, reports, submissions, newsletters, personal artefacts, ephemera and organisation-related material such as project background information. Many of the series are interspersed with relevant press cuttings, but there is also a separate press cuttings series (Series 41) which retains an original, chronological run of general interest cuttings assembled by Spiro Moraitis.

The original collection contained significant quantities of government reports and papers, primarily publications of general interest to Spiro Moraitis in his various professional and official capacities, e.g. health, welfare and migrant topics. They have not been retained in the present collection.

Biographical Note:

Spiro Moraitis was born in Athens, Greece on 27 January 1933 and settled with his parents Charalampos and Anastasia in Melbourne in 1939. He was educated at Melbourne High School and the University of Melbourne, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.) and Bachelor of Surgery (B.S.) in 1957. He commenced family practice in St. Kilda in 1958. In 1981 he gained a Diploma of Geriatric Medicine. He became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) by assessment in 1984. Spiro Moraitis received many distinctions for his work in health, welfare and community affairs including Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - 1978 for service to migrants and their health; Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal - 1978; Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - 1983 for service to ethnic communities; Kastellorizian of the Year (Kastellorizian Association of Victoria) - 2003.

Margaret Moraitis (née Hetrelezis) was born in Melbourne on 9 April, 1937, the daughter of Evangelos and Katina Hetrelezis. She was educated at Camberwell High School and Chisholm College of TAFE, where she studied Welfare Studies. Margaret was employed as a secretary for the Commercial Bank of Australia (1955-1958) and as medical secretary in her husband's general practice from 1959. In June 1987 she received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

Spiro and Margaret were married on 18 January 1959 and had four children - Anastasia, Katina, Harley and Melissa.

Spiro was involved in a variety of community organisations such as the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) and many health-related organisations such as the Australian Greek Society for the Care of the Elderly (Life Governor, 1984), and Office of Psychiatric Services (1987-1992).

Both Spiro and Margaret were founding members of the Australian Greek Welfare Society (AGWS) in 1972. They have both served as President and on the Executive and in other significant capacities such as Chairman, archivist and Secretary, and on many sub-committees.

Margaret served on many health-related committees and task forces. For example, she was Chairman and Convenor of the Health Committee of both AGWS (1985-1987) and ECCV (1988-1994), a member of the Ministerial Ethnic Health Task Force of Victoria (1990-1992) and of the Anti-Cancer Council Ethnic Advisory Committee (1990-1992). She also served as a representative for the Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) on a number of Health Department committees and organisations, including the Central Health Interpreter Service, Ethnic Health Task Force, Victorian Ministerial Ethnic Health Consultative Council, Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria (Non-English Speaking Background Information Project), Medical Treatment Empowerment of Attorney Act (1990), and Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) and the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria.

Spiro and Margaret Moraitis also contributed to many ethnic-related committees and advisory boards concerning immigration, education, broadcasting and welfare.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

The collection was donated to the Library by Spiro Moraitis in 2002.

Arrangement:

Although occasionally involved in the same organisations, Spiro and Margaret's papers were generally kept separate and were fairly clearly ordered by topic or date. With few exceptions, this original order has been preserved in the form of discrete series/sub-series. Where not otherwise evident from subject matter of the series, the creator of the files has been indicated.

Indexed terms

Names:

Spiro and Margaret Moraitis

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2187783).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Spiro and Margaret Moraitis, National Library of Australia, MS 9816, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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