Sister Kaliniki

About Sister Kaliniki

Born Coralia Christides in 1907, Sister Kaliniki was a pioneering figure in the Greek Orthodox community in Australia. Ordained in 1971, she was the first Greek Orthodox nun of Australia. She dedicated her life to strengthening the local Greek community through a wide range of philanthropic endeavours.

The call to serve

Coralia Christides (Καλλινίκη) was born in Cairo, Egypt, on 14 September 1907. She remained there for her formative years, becoming fluent in French, German, Italian, Arabic and English. After finishing school, she left Cairo for Athens to study to become a dentist. Shortly after arriving she met her husband, Odysseus (Οδυσσέας) Stavropoulos, and gave birth to her only child, Alexandros.

While her early years were devoted to her family, Coralia’s world changed when World War II broke out in 1939. She began to volunteer in the Greek Orthodox Christian Brotherhood, working closely with the Red Cross to aid the Allies and provide food to struggling Athenians. While many returned to normalcy post-war, for Coralia this sparked a lifelong commitment to service. In the following years she continued working as a volunteer at church councils and Christian brotherhoods, as well as joining other ladies on visits to orphanages, sanatoriums and prisons.

Coming to Australia

The Greek Civil War saw Coralia and her family make the tough decision to leave their beloved Greece in 1947 to join her father and 3 sisters in Sydney.

Keen to stay connected to her homeland after arriving in Australia, she immersed herself in the church and her community, attending mass every Sunday and commencing her missionary program. Her philanthropic work soon became her focus. She regularly visited hospitals and other healthcare institutions, as well as helping families facing financial hardship.

Recognising the importance of the church within the Greek community, she founded what came to be known as the Charitable Christian Ladies’ Society while also teaching scripture at public schools and high schools.

Creating her legacy

In 1971, Coralia was approached with an offer by the then Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia, Ezekiel, to become a nun. She accepted Archbishop Ezekiel’s offer and was formally ordained in a ceremony on 1 May 1971, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Redfern. She was handed her religious name of Sister Kaliniki, making her the first Greek Orthodox nun of Australia.

For the next decade Sister Kaliniki continued her community work, taking it upon herself to participate in welcoming migrant ships arriving in Sydney, offering settlement advice, distributing clothing and providing referrals to medical and other essential services.

Sister Kaliniki passed away in December 1985. Her charity and contributions to the community helped to lessen the social and cultural dislocation many Greeks experienced through the process of migration and settlement. Her work was even recognised in a letter she received from the Queen of England.

References

• Crosson DJ (1976) My mother-in-law is a nun, Educational Material Aid, Strathfield.
• Kallos D (20 June 2024) Sister Kaliniki – the story behind Australia's first Greek Orthodox nun, Neos Kosmos, accessed 2 July 2025.
• West J (1997) Daughters of freedom: a history of women in the Australian church, Albatross Books, Sutherland.