Alick Jackomos was the son of Greek migrant parents, born in Collingwood, who grew up during the Great Depression. His is a remarkable life that recaptures stories of diverse communities and ways of life now vanished from sight.

From an adventurous boyhood growing up Greek in Melbourne, Jackomos survived war service, and became a travelling tent wrestler with Jimmy Sharman, whose boxing troupe was known Australia-wide. These shows relied heavily on Aboriginal boxers and audiences, and Jackomos actively crossed cultural boundaries to associate with Aboriginal people when most of the population chose to shun them.

There are few stories concerning non-Aboriginal people who crossed over into the Aboriginal world as did Alick Jackomos. He became Doug Nicholls apprentice in Aboriginal welfare work and activism for Aboriginal rights. His life is set in the context of evolving Aboriginal activism, yet there were moments of controversy as he was a non-Aboriginal man, with an Aboriginal family, living and moving in an Aboriginal world and working for Aboriginal causes.

All the while this man of little education collected a huge and remarkable photographic archive of Aboriginal Victorians and compiled over a thousand intricate genealogies.

Alick Jackomos was universally acknowledged as a person of rare humanity.

Production Details

• Paperback
• 230mm x 155mm x 25mm
• 256pp
• Released January 2006
• ISBN 9780855755010

Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: Growing up Greek
Chapter 2: Youth and the Great Depression
Chapter 3: Off to War
Chapter 4: Tent Wrestler
Chapter 5: Just Like Hollywood
Chapter 6: Entrepreneur and Family Man
Chapter 7: The ‘Greek Grappler’
Chapter 8: Teaming with Doug Nicholls
Chapter 9: Political Activism
Chapter 10: Welfare Board Officer
Chapter 11: Public Servant
Chapter 12: Boomerang Diplomacy
Chapter 13: In the Thick of Things
Chapter 14: A Passion for Photographs
Chapter 15: Community Historian
Chapter 16: In Retirement
Chapter 17: Watching the Hour-Glass
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index

About The Cover

Cover Photograph of Alick Jackomos by Lindsay Howe, (La Trobe University Collection)