Taverna Meganisi

George Benias, owner and head chef of Taverna Meganisi, accidentally migrated to Australia from Greece in 1964 when the merchant ship he was working on departed early from the port in Sydney. He was just 19 years-old.

Left with nothing but the clothes on his body, no English and no money, he embarked on what would become a 54 year love affair with Australia.

George grew up on a small Greek island called Meganisi, located in western Greece in the Ionian Sea, just off the coast of the larger island, Lefkada.

He passed his day like most Greek kid’s did in the 1950’s- exploring the island, fishing and terrorising all the old people.

When he was 12 years old he was sent off to work and he joined the Greek merchant ships sailing all over the world.