Dimitrios Samios - an unsettled man
- Amalia Samios
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Dimitrios Samios was born 4pm on 18 November 1898 in Pitsinianika, Kythera although he believed his birth date to be 15 September 1899 or 5 May 1901. He was the second of four sons of Ioannis Samios and Ekaterina Psarou.Like most people born in Pitsiniadika he was baptised in the local church, Estavromenos Christos, on 22 December 1898.
All that is known about Dimitrios has been found on his Australian naturalisation application papers and passenger lists.He described himself as 5' 10" with black hair and dark eyes and could speak English very well but only read and write a little.Dimitrios immigrated in April 1913 or 14 June 1913 to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia onboard the ship Orama. He was now known as James Samios. Upon his arrival he spent two years in Temora and six years in Cairns before settling in Sydney.He registered as an alien on 26 October 1916 in Temora. On this document it was noted that he lived in Temora, Sydney, Townsville, Cairns, and other places in Northern Queensland.
It is possible he went to Canada in 1920 as there is a James Samios on a passenger list arriving in Vancouver form Sydney on 18 August 1920, but there were possibly other James Samios’ living in Sydney at the time.
He was living at 78 Princes Street in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1925.
The same year he was called before the Children's Court in connection with the maintenance of an illegitimate child. The mother's name was Edit Parotu and he paid her 15s regularly for maintenance of this child.
James applied for Australian naturalisation on 16 October 1925 in Sydney. On 7 December 1925 he took the Oath of Allegiance, and this application was approved on 9 January 1926.
In 1926 he was a self-employed confectioner in Manly, Sydney. He employed one or two people. He sold this business to his brother Michael (Minas) for £1,200 in about 1932.
He obviously felt strongly about his place of birth as he donated £1-0-0 towards the building of the high school in Chora, Kythera circa 1926 from Sydney.
On 20 March 1930 he was charged in Sydney of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. He was acquitted.
On 20 July 1932 he applied for an Australian passport. He intended to travel to England, France and Italy via South Africa. He intended to leave Sydney onboard Balranald on 2 August 1932, and he was to be away for one year. This trip lasted more than the year as he spent 1932–June 1936 travelling to South America and the Orient “for his health”. All that is know from this time is on 3 March 1933 he left England for Halifax, Canada onboard the Canadian Pacific’s Duchess of York. On the passenger list he stated his was a merchant. It is known that he was living in Quebec, Canada from March 1933–December 1934 and he was unemployed.
It seems that his brother Minas escorted him home as James and “Mike” were found on the following ships passenger lists:
· 9 January 1935 arrived New York from Canada onboard Empress of Britain
· 25 Feb 1935 arrived in San Francisco from New York
· 9 March 1935 arrived in Honolulu from San Francisco
· 11 October 1935 left Honolulu for Manilla onboard Empress of Japan
It can be assumed their destination was Sydney.
On his return to Sydney he lived at 417 Pitt Street in Sydney. He did not stay long as on 26 June 1936 he applied for another Australian passport. This time James intended to leave for England from Brisbane on 1 July 1936 by plane. He was to visit America, Egypt, China, Japan, and Siam. For this trip James has been found on the following passenger lists:
· 11 September 1936 he left England for Quebec, Canada onboard Canadian Pacific’s Empress of Britain and again he listed his occupation as a merchant.
· He left Montreal on 30 April 1937 onboard Duchess of Atholl to return to England.
· On 15 September 1937 left England for New York onboard Cunard White Star’s Queen Mary. I
It is possible that as soon as he arrived in New York, he was deported from the United States "on account of mental troubles". He arrived in Southampton, England, from New York on 10 October 1937 onboard Cunard White Star’s Georgic from New York
It is unknown what happened then but by May 1938 he was a patient at Park Prewett Mental Hospital in Basingstoke, England. His condition continued to worsen and his stay in hospital was to be quite lengthy. It was advised that he be repatriated to Australia.
He returned to Sydney on 23 Dec 1938 from England onboard Stratheden. He was greeted at Sydney by officials to be taken to Reception House and then committed to a mental hospital. He appeared before the Lunacy Court on 3 February 1938 where he was certified and committed to Callan Park Mental Hospital. It is unclear how long he remained there.
Very little is known about the last years of his life. He was a shop proprietor living alone at 120 Belmore Road, Randwick from at least 1968 and probably until his death.
James died in 1974 at the age of 76 in New South Wales, Australia. No burial location has been found as yet.
Bibliography
Church of latter Day Saints - family-search.org
National Archives of Australia
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