History Of Ando by Graham Rumph

However, a quirky historical note, is that the settlement was founded by Ghikas Boulgari’s ( latter known as Jigger Bulgari…..not of the Bulgari jewellery family), but as the very first recorded Greek immigrant to arrive in Australia, and as a convict with some Greek pals in 1829 aboard the convict ship Norfolk. He and six other Greek sailors were captured by the British Royal Navy and charged with piracy for plundering a British cargo ship in the Greek War of Independence. They were sentenced to death, which was later commuted to transportation to the penal colony of New South Wales. In 1836, the British government granted absolute pardons to the Greeks, with five returning home and Boulgaris choosing to stay on as a free Settler. He married, raised a family of 10, moved into the rugged Snowy Monaro district and named his property ‘Ando’, which eventually gave the surrounding locality its name. He passed away in 1874 and his grave features a monument dedicated by the Greek Orthodox community, honouring his legacy as a founding father of Greek Australian history.

The book itself, rather than a commercial narrative novel, functions as a community record book. It covers several key historical subjects including the original pioneer settlement of Ando, the school, Post Office and Railway Station, community and sport culture.