The life of Gabriel ‘Gabby’ Haros, one time journalist, sportsman, lawyer, politician and businessman

The remarkable life of Tasmanian Gabriel ‘Gabby’ Haros has come to an end. Read about the many achievements of the former journalist, sportsman, lawyer, politician and businessman.

Gabby Haros was the former owner of Say Cheese restaurant in Salamanca Square.

Gabriel (Gabby) George Haros

February 9, 1944 – August, 9, 2024

Gabby was born in Hobart and his early story was like so many Australian migrant boy-meets-Aussie girl stories.

His father George Gabriel Haros a charming, hardworking and innovative Greek immigrant moved 15,000km from the idyllic Greek island of Kythera to the island of Tasmania in 1929. There he met Gwendoline Pearl Price.

Gabby was the eldest of George and Gwendoline’s four children and he was followed by sister Eleni and brothers Tony and Peter. His cousin Perry Calligeros joined the Haros family from Kythera when Gabby was 14.

Gabby Haros was the antithesis of beige. In an era when genuine authentic character traits were repressed, Gabby stood apart.

He was a man who valued the gift of life and lived a life so full.

His enthusiasm was captivating, and he certainly marched to his own drum.

He attended Hobart High School and excelled in that environment, becoming a prefect and doing very well academically and in sport. Particularly football and cricket.

Playing centre half-back for the school team in a game against Launceston High he lined up against another over achiever Ray Martin who was to become one of Australia’s foremost television personalities. When recalling that game recently Ray said. “Gabby was irrepressible he gave me the biggest bath I had ever had on the footy field, and he did not allow me to get a kick, I have to say he was terrific.”

Gabriel Haros excelled as young journalist at the Mercury – particularly his reporting of the 1967 bushfires.

Gabby’s first job was as a cadet journalist at the Mercury newspaper where he received acclaim for his reporting on the 1967 Tasmanian bushfires.

As an acknowledgment for his excellent stories on the bushfires Gabby was offered a transfer to the Melbourne Herald. That transfer set off a chain of events.

One of Gabby’s early responsibilities in 1967 in Melbourne was to attend an event on the visiting Greek cruise ship Patris. There, representing his father George who was the Honorary Vice Consul of Greece, Gabby met Irene Vasiliadis who was a part of a Greek dancing Group in Melbourne. Love blossomed for the two and they married after a short courtship later that same year.

Returning to Hobart Gabby was a popular general reporter often specialising on legal and sport stories for the Mercury. His love of sport was quite consuming, he played cricket for University and represented Tasmania in amateur football. He also played for SOHA and Sandy Bay in the TFL.

Gabby was also a fanatical Carlton supporter thanks to his friendship with former player Percy Jones.

The unsociable hours and tough conditions of journalism eventually lost their appeal, so seeking a career change Gabby decided to study for a law degree at the University of Tasmania. (and would have celebrated the 50th anniversary with his alumni on August 17, 2024).

He obtained his Bachelor of Laws while also working in the Haros family restaurant, the iconic Green Gate, on the corner of Liverpool and Murray streets Hobart.

Gabby’s love for the hospitality industry grew from working for his family’s restaurant Green Gate. He later opened Say Cheese in Salamanca Square (above).

The restaurant was a Hobart favourite and was a Hobart favourite and was synonymous with the Haros family. Gabby’s father George had invented the Haros boiler which was a tremendous innovation providing milk bars, cafes and restaurants around Australia with a new and clean way to heat milk.

Gabby and Irene first lived at Kingston Beach in a house designed by good friend and architect Ray Heffernan. The first born was son George and then followed daughter Aliki. The family later moved to Sandy Bay.

In the mid nineteen seventies Gabby and good friends Dave Wallace and Julia Mead established Haros, Wallace and Mead, now Wallace Wilkinson and Webster. But the practice of law was not enough to satisfy the irrepressible Gabby and in 1980 he contested the seat of Denison, now Clark, in the state election as a member of the Liberal Party. Unsuccessful at his first attempt Gabby was elected when a vacancy occurred after the resignation of Bob Baker.

Gabby served as Deputy Chair of Committees for a period, Chairman of the Standing Committee for Subordinate Legislation and Printing, Liberal Shadow Minister for Tourism, Environment, Racing & Gaming, Ethnic and Aboriginal Affairs and the Arts.

In 1986, Gabriel, Irene and the children moved to Ivanhoe, Melbourne which elated the extended family in Melbourne.

Family became Gabby’s central focus later in life – pictured here with grandson Lenny in Ivanhoe, Melbourne. Picture: AAP

Then there was another move back to Hobart and Gabby moved back into the hospitality business first, setting up a restaurant in Centrepoint in Hobart and then establishing the very popular Say Cheese restaurant in Salamanca Square.

Meanwhile, Gabby’s son George had followed his father into the law and set up a law firm in Melbourne in 2008. Gabby now back in Melbourne helped to grow the law firm, also pursued his passion for sustainability. He worked tirelessly on Greening The Earth which he actively worked on up until a day before he died.

As one of Gabby’s colleague’s recently wrote. “For someone who was trained in the law and not in science … Gabby’s level of scientific knowledge of a whole range of halophytes and other semi-arid species was simply amazing. In pursuit of knowledge of halophytes, Gabby co-authored scientific papers in reputable journals and in United Nations reports.”

In the last few years, Gabby and Irene concentrated on their family and spent more time on the island of Kythera making regular trips there. The family has a house in the town of Kapsali.

The family was able to spend their last time with Gabriel in July of this year where they celebrated his 80th year.

Gabby is survived by his wife Irene (of 57 years) and his son George, daughter Aliki, daughter-in-law Stella, son-in-law Marinos and grandchildren Austin, Gabriel, Lenny, Connor and Katia.

There will be a celebration of Gabby Haros’s life at the Greek Orthodox Church Antill Street South Hobart on Friday August 23 at 11.30am.

Originally published as The life of Gabriel ‘Gabby’ Haros, one time journalist, sportsman, lawyer, politician and businessman