An emotional memorial was held at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Northbridge, Perth, last week commemorating the victims of the SS Empire Patrol shipwreck on September 29, 1945.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Kastellorizo Brotherhood of Western Australia.
The ceremony was attended by Eleni Georgopoulou, Consul of Greece in Perth; Pavlos Afkos, President of the Greek Community of Western Australia; and Kevin Kannis, President of the Kastellorizo Brotherhood.
Four survivors of the tragedy were also present, adding a deeply personal dimension to the occasion.
The SS Empire Patrol, a British merchant ship, caught fire while returning from Port Said, Egypt, to Kastellorizo, carrying 497 Greek refugees.
Thirty-three refugees and two crew members died, and survivors returned to a homeland devastated by war.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia sent a message read by Fr Eleftherios Gerovasilis, stating: “The story of the SS Empire Patrol is not just a chapter in the history of Kastellorizo, but a moving narrative of endurance, sacrifice, uprooting and the pain that war causes to the innocent.”
A commemorative plaque bearing the names of the 33 refugees was unveiled and will be displayed at Kastellorizo House in Mount Hawthorn. Around 250 people attended a luncheon following the service.
The Parish thanked volunteers for their support, particularly survivor Dr Pavlos Boyatzis, who contributed to historical research and the preservation of the shipwreck’s memory.
The event highlighted the resilience of the Kastellorizo community in Perth and their commitment to honouring the legacy of the SS Empire Patrol.
