Manoly Lascaris, partner of Patrick White for 50 years, was born into a Greek family who traced their forebears back to Byzantine emperors. Lascaris' father was Greek and his mother American. After the marriage of his parents failed, Lascaris was raised by his maiden aunts.

In 1941, while waiting to enlist in the Greek Army, Lascaris met White at a tea party in Alexandria. They continued to live in that city for six years before settling in Australia. After 16 years at 'Sarsaparilla', where Lascaris was largely responsible for the running of the small property, they re-located closer in to Sydney.

Following White's death, Lascaris continued to live in their Australian home for over a decade until his health declined to the extent that he required full-time care. He spent his final months at 'Lulworth', a converted medical facility that had once been White's childhood home.

Lascaris' presence is evident in the Greek characters who appear in White's novels and his own flair for storytelling is also represented in some of White's storylines. Lascaris and White's relationship is documented in White's autobiography, Flaws in the Glass : A Self-Portrait.

(Major source: 'Gentle Foil to Patrick White's Fury', David Marr, The Sydney Morning Herald, 22-23 November 2003.)