Melbourne’s Hellenic community commemorates the role of Lemnos in the Gallipoli campaign at the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial in Albert Park

17th August 2016

On the 13th August, a brisk but sunny day, the role of Lemnos in the Gallipoli Campaign was commemorated with a formal service conducted at the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial in Melbourne's Albert Park. This is the first event held at the Memorial since its unveiling last year, on the centenary of the arrival of Australia's nurses on Lemnos on 8th August 1915. This was the first of what will be an annual commemoration. The Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial was erected in August 2015 by the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee. It honours the role of Lemnos in Australia’s Anzac story, the soldiers and nurses who served there during the Gallipoli campaign, the Lemnian and other Hellenic communities who supported them and those who remain in Lemnos’ war cemeteries. The ceremony was conducted by Ms Christina Despoteris, Vice President of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee. Over 100 hundred people were in attendance. Many members of Melbourne's Greek community joined with others from the nursing fraternity, returned service league and school students and descendents of Anzacs who served on Lemnos in 1915. Along with representatives of the Lemnian Community of Victoria and Australia, representatives of Melbourne’s Cretan, Pontian, Peloponnesian and Thessaloniki communities – as well as the Hellenic RSL Sub-Branch - participated in the wonderful ceremony – laying wreaths of remembrance at the base of the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial. In this, they were joined by representatives of the City of Port Philip, the Victorian Government and Opposition, the Victorian Anzac Centenary Council, the Royal Australian Navy, Returned 1| P a g e

Nurses RSL Sub-Branch, the Melbourne Nurses Memorial Centre, Oakleigh Grammar and Albert Park Secondary College. The Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee was particularly honoured with the presence of Colonel Jan McCarthy of the Returned Nurses RSL Sub-Branch , Lieutenant Commander Cassandra Mohapp of the Royal Australian Navy and Ms Judith Gunnarsson and Ms Deb Stewart representing the family of Nurse Evelyn Hutt. Ms Despoteris read to the gathering letters of support from both Dimitrios Marinakos, Mayor of Lemnos and Evangelos Giarmadouros Sub-Prefect of Lemnos, North Aegean Region. The keynote address was delivered by the Hon Ted Baillieu, Chair of the Victorian Anzac Commemorative Council and former Premier of Victoria. Mr Baillieu’s address asked the assembly to reflect on how the war affected local people and communities. He stressed that the stories of remembrance and their connection to the former homes of diggers, nurses and their families created tangible links to Anzac’s Hellenic past. Cr Bernadene Voss, Mayor of Port Phillip, reiterated the Council’s support for the Memorial and it’s relevance to the local area as well as to Victoria and Australia. She noted that its location in Albert Park, close to the waters of Port Phillip Bay, is a poignant reminder that many of the Anzacs who departed for Lemnos and Gallipoli did so from nearby Princes Pier. The Hon Gavin Jennings MP, representing the Victorian Government, reflected on how the young cadets present at the event were most likely the same age as those young Victorians who departed from Port Melbourne to the First World War. Mr Murray Thompson, MP, addressed the assembly representing the Victorian Opposition and spoke of his own family connection to Lemnos. Mr Lee Tarlamis, President of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee, welcomed those present and expressed the Committee’s gratitude for their presence. He recounted his personal journey of discovery of the Lemnos link to Anzac and working with sculptor Peter Corlett OAM to design and create the Memorial. He informed the assembly that the Committee has submitted a proposal to Council to re-name the reserve on which the Memorial sits as Lemnos Square. Mr Tarlamis commended Mr Jim Claven, the Committee’s Secretary and historian on his production of the event booklet. He also took the opportunity to announce the Committee’s decision to commission Mr Claven to write and produce a major new publication telling the story of the Hellenic link to Anzac through the reproduction for the first time of many of the archival photographs from the time. The publication is aimed to be released later next year.

2| P a g e

The formal proceedings included a religious service by Father Chris Dimolianis from Saint Efstathios Greek Orthodox Church South Melbourne followed by a prayer reading by Ms Ava Thornley, School Captain, Albert Park Secondary College. The service include the mounting of the catafalque party comprising cadets from 30 th Army Cadet Unit, the reading of the Ode of remembrance by Mr Ange Kenos, President of the Essendon RSL and the singing of the Australian and Hellenic national anthems by students from Oakleigh Grammar led by Teacher Anastasia Spanos. On behalf of the Committee, Mr Tarlamis thanked all who attended and particularly those who had made a special contribution to the event – the Hon Ted Baillieu, Father Chris Dimolianos, Piper Steve Campbell-Wright, Faye Threlfall and the Light Horse Troop re-enactment group, the 30th Army Cadets, Mr Ange Kenos of the Essendon RSL and Michael and Eleni Ciprian who represented the Lemnian community in traditional dress. For further information on the event or if you would like a copy of the Commemorative Service booklet, please contact Jim Claven – [email protected]

3| P a g e