St Euphemia College welcomed a distinguished delegation from the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) last week in a visit that brought to life the rich military history shared between Greece and Australia, marking the 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
The delegation was led by Konstantinos Bouzos, Chief of Staff of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, and included Colonel Kyriakos Kyriakakos, Defence Attaché of the Embassy of Greece in Australia, Flight Lieutenant Eleni Theodorou, Head of the External Affairs Department of the Public Relations Directorate, and Lambrini Kokkori, Officer for Middle East Affairs at the Directorate of International Relations.
Also present were Terry Saviolakis, President of the Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW, and Sophia Komarkowski, Secretary of the Cretan Association and former student of St Euphemia College.


The visit provided St Euphemia College students with a rare and deeply meaningful opportunity to engage directly with senior members of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The delegation shared insights into the military history of Greece, the nation’s strategic significance in world affairs, and the enduring values of service, sacrifice, and national identity that define the Hellenic Defence Forces.
The College’s Principal also addressed students on the significance of the 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete, one of the most extraordinary chapters in the shared history of Greece and Australia.
“To have Lieutenant General Bouzos and the delegation of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff visit our school on the 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete is a profound honour,” Ms Pachos said after the visit.
“Our students witnessed history today; not through a textbook, but through the presence of those who carry that legacy. This is exactly the kind of experience that shapes young people and connects them to who they are.”