Melbourne’s Greek community gathered at events over the weekend to commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
The events were attended by a delegation from the Hellenic Ministry of Defence featuring Vice Admiral Christos Sasiakos, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff; Captain Pavlos Angelopoulos, Staff Officer of the Bilateral Relations Directorate of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff; Lieutenant Commander Stylianos Mitsiotis, Staff Officer of Public Relations Directorate of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff; and Colonel Ioannis Fasianos, Military Attache of the Hellenic National Defence Force based in Canberra.
Commemorations began with an official Battle of Crete Commemorative Reception in honour of ANZAC veterans at the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne’s hall at Brunswick East on Friday, May 24.
On Saturday, May 25, there was an official wreath laying ceremony at the forecourt of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. This was followed by a ceremony at the Australian Hellenic Memorial in the Domain Gardens of Melbourne hosted by the Australian Hellenic Memorial Foundation.
Later that day, there was a Commemorative Dinner Dance held at the Cretan Village in Wantirna South.
On Sunday, May 26, the Greek community came together at The Transfiguration of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church in Thomastown, immediately followed by the Opening of the ANZAC Hellenic Memorial in the Northern Suburbs.
*All photos supplied by Con Deves.
