Australia’s Ambassador to Greece, Arthur Spyrou, paid a special visit on Tuesday to the Greek village of Thrylorio in Rodopi, Northern Greece, which has been named in honour of Ballarat-born Major George Devine Treloar.
The village has 600 residents and a strong Pontic Greek history, which Major George Treloar is tied to.
During 1922 – 1926, in his capacity as Commissioner for Refugees of the League of Nations in Northern Greece, Major George Treloar helped rescue and resettle thousands of Christian, including Pontic Greek, refugees from Asia Minor.
His efforts to organise food, shelter, medical care and work assisted over 108,000 refugees. As a result, Major George Treloar is considered one of Australia’s most influential humanitarian figures.
To pay his respects to this legacy, Ambassador Spyrou visited Thrylorio and walked in the footsteps of Major George Treloar, as well as his two sons, David and John Treloar, who have visited the village in the past.
According to a Facebook post from the Australian Embassy in Greece, Ambassador Spyrou received a warm welcome when he arrived from the President of the village, Mr Giorgos Apostolidis, the President of the Cultural Association of Pontic Greeks, Ms Chrysa Mavridou, and members of the community.
Ambassador Spyrou offered the village a family heirloom, a handwoven tapestry, as a gift – a small token of the enduring friendship between Greece and Australia.
The Ambassador also visited the local church where he admired the precious relics of Thrylorio and learned about its history.
To conclude his visit, the Ambassador visited the Basketry Museum of the Roma where he learned about the traditional life of Thrylorians and the craft of basket-making. The museum was founded by Antonis Liapis and is the only one of its kind in Greece.
