A large Greek flag measuring 22 metres long is now waving proudly at the main port of the Greek island of Chios.
The flag was raised on Wednesday afternoon, with hundreds in attendance, to mark the 81st anniversary of OXI Day.
“When our national symbol is high, the souls of our ancestors rejoice and we are also proud,” the Mayor of Chios, Stamatis Karmantzis, said after the flag raising ceremony.
The flag mast was donated by the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation.
Immediately after the ceremony, the flag was placed at half-mast due to the day of national mourning declared for the death of KINAL leader, Fofi Gennimata.
What is ‘OXI Day’ and why is it important to commemorate it? What’s the historic connection between Greeks and Australians and how does the new generation perceive this significant part of history?
Sixteen Year 10 Adelaide High Greek students and Modern Greek Teacher, Dimitra Rozaklis, talk to The Greek Herald and share their views and personal stories.
Dimitra Rozaklis, Adelaide High Modern Greek Teacher
Dimitra’s grandfather, Dimitri K. Rozaklis fought on the Albanian Front during World War II.
“Born in 1909, in Karitsa, Lakonia, pappou was a trumpeter in the army where he was able to deliver messages and encourage his fellow patriots. What he witnessed and went through while on the front must have been unimaginable and changed him for the remainder of his life.
Dimitri K. Rozaklis fought on the Albanian Front during WWII
“Upon his travels on the front, however, Pappou found 40 Italian conscripts hiding in a cave, freezing from the elements and scared about the fate that awaited them. He confiscated their weapons but then proceeded to light a fire to keep them warm and comfortable. He informed the captain and the 40 men were kept as prisoners of war. Although a very tough man, hailing from the mountains of Lakonia, my pappou never killed anyone, ensuring the greatest victor of his war was humanity.
“It is imperative to mention however, that while my Pappou was on the front, my yiayia Katerina, was left like many women, at home where all duties and responsibilities rested on her shoulders. Much to his children’s delight many years later, they recall with much fondness two mules that their dad returned back from the war with.”
Anna Tsapliaris and Ariana Paikos
In 1941, 6,500 ANZACS and 30,000 British troops landed on the island of Crete, helping fight against the Germans. They fought for 13 days until the Germans occupied Rethymno. Although some soldiers sent to Crete were evacuated and sent to Egypt, many ANZACS were left behind.
Through the tragedies of the Battle of Crete, the Australians and Greeks established a close bond of friendship that did not come to an end with the death of the veterans but continues to this day.
Learning about the disasters of war and about the friendships that grew during the hardship has opened our eyes and made us feel grateful that we are where we are today because of others’ sacrifices. Lest we forget.
Sophia Georgakopoulos, George Stamatopoulos and Paige Grivas
In 1941, approximately 34,000 ANZACs fought alongside the Greeks on the island of Crete. Despite the language barrier, the Greeks and the ANZACs treated each other with utmost respect and worked together to defend Crete from Nazi Germany occupation.
Both Greek and ANZAC soldiers sacrificed themselves, their families, and their homes to represent and fight for their countries. All citizens of the island, despite age and gender, worked in unity.
We feel a great sense of pride to be able to call ourselves Greek and feel extremely thankful and forever in debt to the Greeks and ANZACs who fought for us and put their lives on the line for us to be here today.
Andriana Gialamas and Elissa Mimidas
The involvement of women throughout the war had a large significance in the assistance of supply distribution to the warfront in the mountains. Women carried supplies up the inhospitable mountains, while on the way down, they would carry injured men to safety. The courage of the women of the war, in Particular the women of Pindos is to be commended as they battled the elements, snow, gunfire and bombs.
Knowing that our ancestors sacrificed their lives for us to live today is very humbling as we have been gifted the opportunity to live in a lovely free country.
Christos Boundris and Vasilis Papagiannis
Over the course of the last few weeks we have been looking at Greece’s involvement in World War II. We looked at the three dictators at the time: Hitler, Mussolini and of course Metaxas. Greece’s involvement in the Second World War began when Mussolini delivered an Ultimatum to Metaxas.
The message demanded that Metaxas should surrender to the axis powers within 3 hours after receiving the message. To which Metaxas responded with: “Alors, c’est la guerre” translating to “Then it is war”. This short phrase quickly became known as a simple: Oxi.
This act has broadened our view towards how courageous and brave Greece was at the time, especially towards such a tremendous threat.
Elli Constantopoulos and Alexis Bogdanov
During 1943-1944 Germany occupied Greece, including the island of Zakynthos. It was an island filled with unity and a home for Greeks; Christians and Jews alike.
The Germans were after all the Greek-Jews, but Bishop Chrysostomos and Mayor Loukas Karrer had protected them by handing over the names of two citizens; their own. Resulting in all 275 Greek-Jews continuing to live on despite the fact that the people of Zakynthos could have exposed the community to save themselves.
Learning about this topic has made us thankful for the courageous acts from Bishop Chrysostomos and Mayor Loukas Karrer and that humanity was the overall victor on the Island of Zakynthos.
Vasili Corolis and Alex Giannacopoulos
The double victory was a great achievement for the Greek people, as it was the first time that a country had defeated the Axis powers and the first time a country had been liberated in World War II.
Although the Greek army lacked much of the artillery of the Italians, along with the citizens, they looked after each other as if they were one family. When Italy invaded Greece on October 28, 1940, Greece although outnumbered fought very hard and pushed the Italians back into Albania.
Hearing this really empowered us to live our life to the fullest and it made us really appreciate the sacrifice made by our ancestors to give us a better life.
Vasili Taoultsidis, Elias Chanias and Jack Girbau-Skouroumounis
The Greek children played a vital role during WW2, arguably, just as important as the role of the soldiers. They assisted in supplying the troops with the limited food available.
Even during the occupation, the Greek children worked alongside the resistance, and although some of them did not get to live to see the result of their sacrifices, we will never forget what they did for us.
Many of the surviving children of the war were forced to migrated to Australia and other parts of the world for a better life. They are our pappouthes and yiayiathes and we will always be in debt to them.
The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke MP, has joined with the people of Greece and the Greek Australian community to commemorate the 81st anniversary of OXI Day today.
In the message, Mr Hawke honoured “the spirit of bravery, independence and conviction shown on 28 October 1940” by the Greeks.
The Premier of New South Wales, Dominic Perrottet MP, has issued a message to the Greek Australian community today to mark the 81st anniversary of OXI Day.
In his message, Mr Perrottet offers his “sincere well wishes to people commemorating Oxi Day” and encourages people to reflect on the “bravery and generosity” of the Greeks during WWII.
The funeral of the center-left Movement for Change (KINAL) president, Fofi Gennimata, took place with full state honours in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens on Wednesday afternoon.
Gennimata lay in state at a chapel at the Athens Cathedral (Mitropoli) since 10 am, then moved to the cathedral where a funeral service was attended by her family, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, among many others.
Ms Sakellaropoulou gave a eulogy at the funeral, saying: “By bidding Fofi Gennimata farewell today, we are not just bidding farewell to a female politician known for her sense of democracy, honesty, and efficiency. We do not merely bid farewell [to someone] who faced a difficult diagnosis with vigour and honesty. We say farewell to a model of hope and discretion.”
Later, thousands lined the street outside and called out ‘Athanati’ (Immortal) as Gennimata’s coffin made its way from the Athens Cathedral to the First Cemetery of Athens.
Her coffin stopped before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Syntagma Square for a few minutes before moving on to her final resting place. She was buried in the family tomb alongside her father, Georgios Gennimatas, who was one of the founders of the PASOK party.
The mother-of-three passed away on Monday at the age of 57 after a long battle with cancer.
Mitsotakis announced after Gennimata’s funeral that a special breast cancer screening program in Greece will bear her name in tribute to the late Movement for Change leader.
The Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, the Member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou MP, and the Member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas MP, have issued a letter today to Greek Australians to mark the anniversary of OXI Day.
Full letter in English:
Anthony Albanese MP, Leader of the Australian Labor Party
Maria Vamvakinou MP, Member for Calwell
Steve Georganas MP, Member for Adelaide
On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, we join the Greek Australian community in honouring Oxi Day.
What a profoundly important anniversary it is. Eighty-one years ago, on 28 October 1940, the Greek people faced the fascist threat looming over their nation and answered it with a resounding “Oxi” (No).
Australian and New Zealand soldiers went on to join the spirit of that “No”, fighting alongside brave Greek soldiers in the face of tyranny. Labor pays tribute to those who fought and those who endured.
That mighty “No” found its counterpart in the powerful “Yes” of the Greek people as they ensured that their nation rose again after the devastation of war.
Labor acknowledges the long friendship between Australia and Greece forged during the Second World War – and strengthened through the decades of Greek migration to Australia.
Many Greek Australians feel enormous admiration and solidarity for those who lived through this period of Greek history. Their ongoing contribution to Australia is shaped in no small part by the values that we honour on this most significant of days.
Footscray icon Nick Tsiligiris died aged 86 last Thursday.
Tsiligiris was the longtime owner of Olympic Doughnuts on the corner of Leeds street near Footscray train station.
“The world is certainly sadder and poorer without him in it,” Tsiligiris’ daughter Gina Hasapis writes on Facebook.
“His legacy and memories of his smile, cheekiness and doughnuts will live on in all of us.”
Footscray’s much-loved ‘Olympic Nick’ ran Olympic Doughnuts for nearly 40 years (Photo: Warren Kirk)
Olympic Doughnuts closed temporarily in 2016 after 81-year-old Nick fell ill. A year later, Maribyrnong Council announced the shop will shut its doors after 40 years.
Tsiligiris’ life and passion for hot jam donuts is documented in the award-winning 2016 documentary Olympic Nick.
Opinion piece by Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.
Australians want action on climate change. And so do I.
But they also don’t want their electricity bills to skyrocket, the lights to go off, for their jobs to be put at risk or for the way of life in rural and regional communities to be sacrificed.
Australians want a 2050 plan on net zero emissions that does the right thing on climate change and secures their future in a changing world. They also want a plan that is fair and practical.
People in rural and regional areas know the impacts of climate change far better than those of us living in the cities. But the burden of taking action on climate change should not fall unfairly on rural and regional Australians, especially those dependent on traditional industries such as mining and agriculture.
Only the Liberals and the Nationals working together can be trusted to get this balance right.
We understand the threats faced but also the opportunities that can be realised.
There have been few issues more challenging for the Liberals and Nationals during the past twenty years than addressing climate change and its impact on rural and regional communities.
The Liberals and Nationals have agreed to net zero emissions by 2050.
Our decision to now agree to a plan to achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2050 has not been taken lightly.
We didn’t just agree to this without carefully thinking through all the consequences and impacts, especially in rural and regional areas.
We have not and would never make a blank cheque commitment or impose new taxes, as Labor has, to achieve net zero. That would leave Australians footing the bill.
Decisions overseas are bringing about major changes in the global economy that will impact on Australia’s future prospects, both positively and negatively.
As Prime Minister I am determined to shield our nation from the negative impact of these changes while positioning us to take advantage of the many opportunities presented, especially for rural and regional Australia.
At Glasgow I will confirm that Australia will continue to play our part. We will be making a commitment to achieve net zero by 2050, and have a clear plan for achieving it. I always said I would not commit to net zero by 2050 unless we had a plan to achieve it. We now have that plan.
We will do this through technology, not taxes. By respecting people’s choices and not enforcing mandates on what people can do and buy. By keeping our industries and regions running and household power bills down by ensuring energy is affordable and reliable. By being transparent about what we are achieving, and expecting the same of other countries.
Scott Morrison.
And we will invest in rural and regional Australia to ensure they succeed and are protected under our plan.
I will remind the world that emissions in Australia have actually fallen by more than 20 per cent on 2005 levels. That is more than New Zealand, Canada, Japan and the United States. We have beaten our 2020 emissions reduction target and are well on our way to meet and beat our 2030 target.
We won’t be lectured by others who do not understand Australia. The Australian Way is all about how you do it, and not if you do it. It’s about getting it done.
We will also not be breaking the pledge we made at the last election by changing our 2030 emission reductions targets. I said we would meet and beat this target and we will. So at Glasgow I will update what we now believe we will achieve, demonstrating that performance is worth more than empty ambition. That’s the Australian way.
The path to net zero is also not a straight line. In fact, as Bill Gates argues, forcing outcomes by 2030 with unrealistic targets can divert resources from technologies with longer lead times that will be essential to achieving 2050 objectives. So we will keep making sensible commitments and doing our best to exceed them.
Key to this approach is investment in new energy technologies, like hydrogen and low cost Solar, to ensure our manufacturing, resources, agricultural and transport sectors can secure their future, especially in rural and regional areas.
These technologies are set out in our Technology Investment Roadmap.
Australia is looking into low cost solar energy.
We want our heavy industries, like mining, to stay open, remain competitive and adapt, so they remain viable for as long as global demand allows. Our plan is not about shutting anything down.
We will not support any mandate – domestic or international – to force closure of our resources or agricultural industries.
We have taken the time to deal with the hard issues that need to be confronted to get it right. We have listened carefully and understand both the concerns and the strong aspirations that Australians have when it comes to dealing with climate change.
At the end of the day it all comes down to whether you have a credible plan to get the job done. It’s no longer about the ‘if’, but the ‘how’, and Australians can always trust the Coalition to have the right economic plan to enable Australia to deal with the challenge of climate change.
The Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall, and Assistant Minister to the Premier, Jing Lee, have issued a letter to the state’s Greek and Cypriot communities to mark OXI Day.
In the letter, Mr Marshall and Ms Lee acknowledge the brave acts conducted by Greeks during WWII, and also thank the Greek and Cypriot communities for their continued “cultural and economic contributions” to the state.
Full letter in English:
“We write to convey to you and South Australia’s Greek and Cypriot communities our best wishes on the occasion of OXI Day on 28 October.
Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall.
This day is celebrated in remembrance of the moment in 1940, during the Greco-italian War, when the Greek Prime Minister, loannis Metaxas said “OXI“ (No) and refused to let the Italian troops enter Greece’s border. It is considered each year as a day that represents courage, solidarity and heroism for millions of Greeks all around the world.
OXI day commemorates a day of great pride for Greek and Cypriot communities. It not only recalls the bravery of the people who fought in the past but focuses on the future and a strong belief in enduring freedom and prosperity.
South Australia is home to a rich, diverse and vibrant multicultural community. We deeply value our longstanding relations with our Greek and Cypriot communities, and the enormous cultural and economic contributions you continue to make to our great State.
We wish you and your friends, family and loved ones a safe and happy OXI Day 2021!”
Greek Australians are pushing to see the Parthenon Marbles repatriated from the British Museum to Athens.
Elly Symons is the vice-president of the Australian Parthenon Committee and a founder of the Acropolis Research Group.
The Australian-born archaeologist has spent the last eight years campaigning for the return of the marbles. It’s why she studied archaeology and moved to Athens.
“It’s just a very ugly episode in human history that we can wantonly [sic] destroy something so perfect and so unique, a unique part of humanity,” she says.
George Vardas (left), Elly Symons (right)
George Vardas, vice-president of Australians for the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures, hopes to see the marbles returned to their rightful home in his lifetime.
“I’m now 66. [Within] 20, 30 years, I’d like to think so,” he says.
“If not, my grandson has just turned three. I’m priming him to take over from his granddad who lost his marbles.”
Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson has his sights set on the United Nations’ International Court of Justice.
He says it may be the only way to ever see the marbles repatriated.
“I’m afraid it has to be a legal strategy,” he says.
“The only way that the marbles will ever come back is to have the judgment of the International Court of Justice.”
Geoffrey Robertson QC (Photo: The Greek Herald)
Robertson contests that the marbles were stolen and says any claims that paperwork legitimised Lord Elgin’s acquirement of the marbles in the early 19th century are false.
“All Elgin could produce to justify his claim of ownership was a letter that had been written by an official at the port to the Ottoman government to the governor of Athens,” he says.
“It didn’t give him any rights other than to enter [the temple] and [sketch] and to pick up stones on the ground.”
The legality of the British Museum’s claim on the marbles is based on this paperwork but the original document has never been found.
“The Sultan never signed anything,” says Robertson.
