Emilios Vrisakis

• The Daily Telegraph | Mon 24 Apr 1939  | Page 15  | Gallery of Personalities

• Smith’s Weekly | Sat 14 Dec 1940 | Page 13  | Greek Consul’s Link With Byron

IN the early years of this century, the young First Secretary to the Greek Legation in Ankara. Turkey, created a stir in the Near East by swimming across the Bosphorus — a strait, about 20 miles long and in parts two miles wide, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmora— in 80 minutes.
MORE than 100 years previously, a young Englishman, slightly crippled though he was, swam across the channel at the other end of the Sea of Marmora, the Hellespont — better known to the A.I.F. as the Dardanelles —thus emulating the classic feat of Leander. That young Englishman was Lord Byron, later to die gloriously in the tight for the cause of Greek independence.
The coincidence is happy. The name of Byron is indissolubly linked with the rise of Greece nationalism after the long period of decline of Hellenic civilisation.
The young First Secretary, who amazed his colleagues with the Bosphorus feat, is to-day Consul-General for Greece in Australia, Dr. Emil C. Vrisakis. And to-day the glory that was Greece has been resurrected in the valiant fight for her independence against the Italian invader.
His swimming days are over. “I cannot even spare the time to go surfing at Bondi, the Consul told “Smith’s.” For while his gallant countrymen are thrusting the Italian troops ever further back into Albania, Dr. Vrisakis is fully occupied with diplomatic activity — negotiations with the Commonwealth Government and raising of funds for the Greek Army.
In his late forties, heavy-featured with a bronzed skin and gleaming nearly-bald head, he has risen to the crisis in consular affairs provoked by the commencement of hostilities between Italy and Greece.
An experienced administrator and negotiator, he is tactful and suave. The 25 years he has spent in the Service of the Greek diplomatic corps have left their mark.  He was born in Athens in 1892. His family came originally from Crete — famous for its ancient civilisation — which is now a station for units of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. In 1750, the family emigrated to Athens. “We are believed to be one of the oldest lineages in Greece,” he says.
The young Vrisakis went to High School in Athens, and, to complete his education, was sent to Paris to study law at the Ecole de Droit. He took his legal degrees there in 1913, and returned to Greece for nearly three years’ service in the Greek Army as a common private. He was destined by his family for a diplomatic career and when he entered the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Athens his first appointment was to the post of vice-Consul at Marseilles. He was then 23 years old.
Next followed his appointment as First Secretary to the Legation in Ankara. Then he went on to Bucharest, Rumania, in the same capacity. There was no looking back. He was a success as a diplomat. His next post was even more important —First Secretary to the Greek Legation and Charge d’ Affairs in Washington, capital of the United States.
When his term was ended in Washington, he returned once again to Europe, and joined the Prague Legation.
His apprenticeship In the consular corps was then finished. Next he emerged as fully-fledged Consul-General for Greece In Turkey.
On November 5, 1938. he was appointed Consul-General to Australia, and arrived here on May 1, 1939.  Apart from his various diplomatic missions, Dr. Vrisakis has occupied many posts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Athens, and
at one time was head of the Political Bureau.
In his career he has had many adventures and experiences. His worst experience, he says, was a psychological one.
When Hitler first came to power in Germany. Dr. Vrisakis believed in his sincerity. His disillusionment after the subsequent rapes of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Memel, and Poland, was bitter. “I then realised he was a menace to Europe and also to his own people. In this way he is similar to his accomplice, Benito Mussolini.”
He explained that diplomatic relations still existed between Greece and Germany. “The present situation between my country and Germany is strikingly similar to that between your country and Japan,” he said. Among his more pleasant recollections of the diplomatic world is the sincere friendship that existed between himself and the former President of the Czech Republic, Masaryk, “an accomplished type of human being.” He and his wife were also on Intimate terms with Dr. Benes and Madame Benesova during his period at the Prague Legation. He is not sure whether tile balance of his experiences comes down on the good or bad side. It is difficult to sum up,” he said.
“I have seen Greece attain the highest peaks of glory and prosperity, and then pass through some very black days after the last war, because of the lack of union. “Now however, our people under the leadership of King George II and General Metaxas are more than ever united, and are capable of giving a bitter lesson to Mussolini and his hordes.”
Though well-travelled, he does not pride himself on speaking a number of languages. “I prefer to speak a limited number, and speak them well. I am as conversant with French and English as I am with my native tongue.”
His greatest diplomatic success In Australia to date was the negotiation of a trade treaty between the Commonwealth and Greece, which came into effect on June 17. and under which goods of both countries receive “most favored nation” treatment. Now that his sporting activities are restricted— apart from swimming, he was an enthusiastic rower and fisherman — his main hobby is the buying and reading of “good books,” particularly on philosophy and politics.
He has been married for eight years to a Rumanian wife, has two sons, the eldest of whom is six years old. On Australia, he has very definite ideas. “I believe special care should be taken for your forest wealth,” he said. “From personal observation during the drought I found many areas denuded of timber. “General Metaxas appreciates fully the importance of forests to national wealth and health and has brought into force a special policy of re-afforestation in Greece.”
Dr. Vrisakis is a nature lover. “Life in big cities is not meant for humanity. It poisons our systems and our thoughts. We should as far as possible get back to the land.” Response of the Australian-Greeks to the Greek War Relief Fund has particularly gratified him. To date more than £7500 has been received.