ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0174 Soutsis Family Papers

Scope and content notes

Dimitrios Soutsis (?-1979), also known as Elias Soutsis and commonly called Leo, was born in Northern Greece. Leo married Christina and had a son and daughter, Fanny, before migrating to Australia in about 1928. In Australia, Leo travelled looking for work, supporting his family by sending money back to them.

Leo settled in Canberra in about 1940, subleasing 6 acres (later 9.5 acres) from Mr. Ernest Joseph Scott, a portion of Block 94 Canberra City District, beside the Molonglo River, between Scotts Crossing and Kings Avenue upon which he established a vegetable farm.

In 1954, Leo was joined by his wife Christina, his daughter Fanny, Fanny’s husband, Norman Milianis (known as Nick) and their first two children, Chris (b. 1945) and Helen. Subsequently two further sons were born in Canberra and the family name was corrupted to Miliano.

The whole family lived near the lease in a house on the site of the present National Gallery of Australia, just to the north of the tin huts used by the Australian Archives.

The family farmed the lease until 1961 when it was resumed for the construction of Lake Burley Griffin. As a family, they purchased a house in Barton where they remained from 1961 until Leo’s death in 1979.

Vegetables were sold from the farm. Locals would typically drive to the lease and purchase from Leo or a member of the family.

Leo kept draught horses to assist with ploughing and chickens for eggs and meat. Fertiliser for the vegetables was usually superphosphate purchased in large bags.

To supplement his income, Leo also worked in the rose garden at Parliament House. Nick got work as a concreter.

The children attended Forrest Primary School and Telopea Park High School.