HAMAZKAINE ARSHAK & SOPHIE GALSTAUN COLLEGE
5 Chiltern Road, Ingleside NSW 2101, Australia
Tel: 9970 6984 – Fax: (02) 9970 6778
Email: [email protected] – Web:
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11 August 2008
Funeral Notice: Arshak Catchatoor Galstaun AM
The Australian Armenian community’s most noted philanthropist, tireless
community advocate, and former World War II veteran, Mr Arshak Catchatoor
Galstaun sadly passed away on the morning of Saturday, 9 August 2008.
Mr & Mrs Galstaun, benefactors of the Hamazkaine Arshak & Sophie Galstaun
College, helped establish the College in 1986.
In recognition of his services to the Armenian Community in Australia, the
Australian government in June 2002 honoured Mr Galstaun in its Queen’s
Birthday Honours list by making him a Member of the Order of Australia.
Mr Galstaun was born on 16 February 1912 in Iran in the region of
Charmahal’s Livasan village. He was the eldest of six children having three
brothers and two sisters as his siblings. He studied at the Armenian College
and Philanthropic Academy in Calcutta – India, as a boarder.
Following his graduation from the Armenian College, Mr Galstaun undertook
studies at St. Xavier’s University as the recipient of a scholarship from
the Armenian Church in India and graduated with honours in literature.
In 1937 he sought his fortunes in Singapore and worked in the Edgar Import
Export Company. With the onset of World War II, Mr Galstaun joined the
Volunteer Corps in Singapore and suffered injuries during the bombing of
Singapore by the Japanese. With the fall of Singapore to the Japanese
forces in 1942, Mr Galstaun was taken prisoner and served as a prisoner of
war until his release in 1945.
In 1957, Mr Galstaun established his own firm, expanding his business to
include trade in Southeast Asia, Europe and Oceania. He succeeded in
becoming one of the biggest merchants of crocodile skin products in the
world. Mr Galstaun established a branch of his business in Sydney and in
1982 decided to move permanently to Australia with his wife.
Mr Galstaun was also instrumental in the establishment of the
Austral-Armenian Centre in Frenchs Forest which to date bears his name.
Mr Galstaun is survived by his wife of more than fifty years, Sophie, and
remembered and honoured by students of the Hamazkaine Arshak and Sophie
Galstaun College and the Australian community.
Funeral service details are as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 13th August 2008
Venue: Armenian Apostolic Church, 10 Macquarie Street, Chatswood
Time: 10am
The funeral service will be followed by the burial service at Macquarie Park
cemetery, Delhi Rd, North Ryde, and the wake which will take place at the
Nalbandian Hall, Hamazkaine Arshak and Sophie Galstaun College, 5 Chiltern
Rd, Ingleside.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
