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‘Mothers are special’: Here’s how Greek Australians celebrated Mother’s Day this year

The Greek Herald
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‘Mothers are special’: Here’s how Greek Australians celebrated Mother’s Day this year

By Argyro Vourdoumpa and Andriana Simos.

Every Mother’s Day, mothers, grandmothers, aunts and many others, are celebrated for everything they do to support their family and friends.

To mark the occasion this year, Greek Australians celebrated Mother’s Day with special cakes, luncheons and festivities.

Here’s a look at some of the events which were held in Sydney and Adelaide.

Sydney:

Sydney’s Greek community put out all this stops for Mother’s Day on Sunday, with associations such as Pontoxeniteas Sydney hosting a High Tea at Gardens on Forest.

The event was attended by a number of Greek Australians, including Sophie Cotsis MP with her mum and daughter. They all enjoyed a number of sweets, sandwiches and meat pies, as well as shared stories and memories on the day.

Pontoxeniteas Sydney High Tea. Photos: Eleni Lambousis.

Elsewhere in Sydney, at St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Parish in Burwood, young people from Youth In Action spent a whole afternoon baking and decorating delicious cakes to present to their mums for Mother’s Day. The flavour of the day was vanilla, with buttercream made from scratch and hand-rolled fondant for the top of the sponge cake.

  • St Nectarios Parish in Burwood made cakes.

For her part, mother-of-two, Eleni Gerassis, along with her family, dropped off 74 bags filled with beauty products, cupcakes, cookies, chocolates, flowers and much more, to each NICU mum in The Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Westmead Hospital. 

All this was possible with the help and support of family, friends, businesses and total strangers.

Her reason for organising the initiative, she tells The Greek Herald, is personal as her own daughter, Dimitra, was born on Mother’s Day 13 years ago and she “will never forget what it felt like to be spending this special day in hospital not knowing whether my baby would survive.”

  • Dimitra with one of the nurses who looked after her 13 years ago.
  • Athena Aristides, Eleni Gerassis, nurse Bernadette, Dimitra, lady who donated to initiative, Mario, Sophia. Photos supplied.

“In appreciation and gratitude for all that we have, the first class care we received, we have spent the last 10 years dedicating our time to giving back to the people that helped bring our little girl home to us,” Eleni tells The Greek Herald.

“As a new mum, you would normally receive gifts, flowers and visitors in hospital to celebrate the birth of your new baby, unfortunately, this isn’t the case in a Newborn Intensive Care Unit so I organised this initiative to help put a smile on these amazing mums faces, to let them know that we are thinking of them during these difficult times.

“We are and will always be so appreciative to everyone who contributed to making this happen and helping make this day that extra bit special for these brave and courageous mums.”

The donated bags. Photo supplied.

Adelaide:

South Australia’s Greek associations also celebrated Mother’s Day with sold out events and The Greek Herald joined-in with the festivities.

A Mother’s Day BBQ was hosted by the Cyprus Community of SA in Welland, Adelaide while the Pontian Brotherhood of SA held a Sunday lunch at their Pennington house. Both events featured live music, local delicacies and desserts prepared by dedicated volunteers.

  • The Cyprus Community of SA’s Mother’s Day event.
  • Photo copyright: Argyro Vourdoumpa / The Greek Herald.

“We are here to honour all Mothers and we are very excited to have 200 of our members with us,” Cyprus Community of SA President, Andreas Evdokiou, told The Greek Herald.

“Mothers are special. Nothing can substitute a mum’s affection and warmth. Look after your mothers for as long as you have them,” Evdokiou said, thanking the volunteers for their tireless work.

  • The Cyprus Community of SA.
  • Photo copyright: Argyro Vourdoumpa / The Greek Herald.

A bit further north, in Pennington, members and volunteers of the Pontian Brotherhood of SA treated mothers to a mouth-watering lunch and honoured them with Pontian lyra and a combined dance performance by the Brotherhood’s Senior and Junior dance groups.

“This day is special as we are celebrating all the mums” said Pontian Brotherhood of SA President, Nazareth Nalpantidis Chisholm, in her opening speech, thanking the volunteers for their efforts.

  • The Pontian Brotherhood of SA.
  • All photos copyright: Argyro Vourdoumpa / The Greek Herald.

“It’s important to keep our culture alive,” Nalpantidis Chisholm said.

First generation Pontian Australian and mother of four, Kasiani Koutris, said events like these are important to keep the cultural heritage alive and carry it on to future generations.

“I am a first-generation Pontian Australian woman and I’m very passionate about Pontian issues and the way of life. My husband is Turkish-Pontian. It’s been a very rich experience for me and I try to keep this part of our culture alive for our children as well,” said Koutris who is also a filmmaker, currently working on a project for the International Pontian film festival.

Turkish Australians react to Koutsantonis’ motion for Greek Genocide Remembrance Day in SA

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Turkish Australians react to Koutsantonis’ motion for Greek Genocide Remembrance Day in SA

With a letter issued on Monday and addressed to the Members of the SA Parliament, Executive Secretary of the Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance, Baris Atayman, has expressed ‘his disbelief’ in Tom Koutsantonis’ MP proposed motion for the state government to recognise May 19 as the official day of remembrance of the Greek genocide.

“As the peak public affairs body, representing the Australian-Turkish community, we are writing to you to express our disbelief in Tom Koutsantonis MP’s proposed motion to be floored this week, calling for the state government to recognise May 19 as the official day of remembrance of the so-called Greek genocide,” reads the letter.

READ MORE: Koutsantonis MP to lead motion to recognise Greek Genocide Remembrance Day in SA.

In the same letter, Atayman says that the motion is “a distraction motivated solely by Mr Koutsantonis’ personal ethnic bias” and calls the Members of Parliament to “shun Mr Koutsantonis’ biased political manoeuvre.”

“Mr Koutsantonis’ political act is a disgrace to the great things many Greek and Turkish people who share Australian values achieve together. It will only create disharmony between our children,” it reads.

Koutsantonis: “I will not be intimidated into silence”

In his response to Attayman, Tom Koutsantonis MP says that “he will not be intimidated into silence” and that Greek people deserve justice.

“Obviously my motion in the South Australian Parliament to recognise the Genocide of the Hellenes of Asia Minor has angered those who have attempted for over a century to conceal the atrocities committed by the Turkish Military on the civilian population of Asia Minor,” says Koutsantonis.

“This latest attempt to silence the truth will not work. We owe to all the journalists imprisoned in Turkey today to stand up for the truth, for all the political activists imprisoned for their dissent in modern Turkey today to speak up and most importantly we owe to the millions murdered to speak up and never forget.

“The South Australian House of Assembly has already recognised the genocide of the Hellenes, Armenians and Assyrians of Asia Minor by the Turkish Military. We will once again consider this motion and I will not be intimidated into silence,” he concludes.

Markos Vamvakaris: The famous Greek rebetiko musician

The Greek Herald
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Markos Vamvakaris: The famous Greek rebetiko musician

By Ilektra Takuridu.

Markos Vamvakaris was a well known Greek “rebetiko” musician, who was born on May 10, 1905, in the settlement of Skali, in Ano Chora of Syros.

He came from a Catholic family and was the first of the six children of Domenikos and Elpida Vamvakaris. His family was very poor, but they were rich with a passion for music, an intergenerational talent. Markos’ father played the bagpipe, and his grandfather wrote songs.

His family belonged to the island’s large Roman Catholic community, the “Francosyrians,” a term derived from the colloquial Greek reference to West Europeans collectively as “the Franks.”

Markos had many jobs and had worked as a shoe polisher, a paperboy, and a worker in the yarn industry since he was a child. He left Syros at the age of 12 and moved to Piraeus, where he worked in various other jobs for the next several years.

Markos Vamvakaris.

Music career:

At a later age, he decided to learn how to play the bouzouki and began writing his first songs. He watched a bouzouki player play one day and made a promise to himself that if he didn’t learn to play the instrument within six months, he would cut off his own hand with a cleaver (he was working in the public abattoirs at the time).

Markos studied the bouzouki intensively and became an inventive virtuoso player, he did all this without ever learning notes.

At the beginning of his career, he often performed in illegal hashish-smoking establishments known as tekés; later, he and his band, which included Giorgos Batis, Anestis Delias, and Stratos Pagioumtzis, performed in more legal clubs and popular taverns.

The band’s compositions became tremendously popular, and Markos recorded the majority of them. Among the rebetes community, he was known as “the Frank” (Fragos).

Markos was a well known Greek “rebetiko” musician.

The composers, musicians, and singers of rebetiko were known as ‘rebetes,’ which means defiant, misled or disobedient, a Greek term similar to “Manghes,” someone who is anti-establishment.

One of the most famous songs Markos ever wrote was Fragosyriani in 1935, a classic love song that regained popularity twenty five years later with a cover  by singer Grigoris Bithikotsis.

Markos’ composition style was straightforward: limited orchestration with melodic lines. The lyrics in his songs, as most rebetiko style songs, frequently addressed poverty, class problems, marriage, love, addiction and immigration. War, unemployment, and death were all inspirations.

Due to the anti-authoritarian style of Rebetiko, the music was banned during the censorship of the Metaxas government in 1937, Markos then had to change his playing style and adapt the lyrics.

Even so, Markos was so famous during the 30’s that 50,000 adoring fans attended his concerts, performed in Thessaloniki, near the White Tower.

In 1942, he married Evangelia and had three sons: Vasilis, Stelios, and Dominikos. His son Stelios followed in his father’s profession and also became a musician.

Markos has three sons with his wife, Evangelia. Source: CNN Greece.

Death and Legacy:

In the aftermath of WWII, Greece was still in turmoil despite being liberated from Nazi Germany’s occupation. The difficult times led to the style of music Markos played to no longer be popular or trendy. As well as his popularity being low, Markos also suffered from arthritis in his wrists, which affected his bouzouki playing. Due to his illness and the shift in music genre popularity, Markos became irrelevant and disappeared from the music scene.

On the 8th of February 1972 Markos passed away at age 66, he left behind many compositions and songs that are still adored today. There is even a museum exhibition in honour of him, in his home town of Syros.  

Three Greek Australians named in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list in Asia

Andriana Simos
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Three Greek Australians named in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list in Asia

The Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2021 lists 600 of the brightest young entrepreneurs, leaders and stars from around the world and this year, three young Greek Australians have made the cut.

The Greek Herald takes a look at who they are and how they manage their success.

Emmanuel Barbas:

Emmanuel Barbas, 25, and James Hachem (24) have both been recognised in the ‘Retail and Ecommerce’ category after co-founding Melbourne-based beauty brand, Alya Skin, in 2018.

Barbas (left) and Hachem.

Its flagship product is a pink clay mask, which claims to have benefits ranging from brightening skin complexion to tightening pores. The mask gets its signature colour from a mixture of ingredients like red and white kaolin clays.

It helped Alya Skin generate $3.5 million in sales in its first year in business, and the company has since launched three more products including cleanser and facial scrub.

Eleni Glouftsis:

A trailblazer in Australian umpiring, in 2017, Eleni Glouftsis became the first woman to umpire an Australian Football League match. Since then, she has officiated 40 games.

Eleni Glouftsis. Photo: Wayne Ludbey/The Advertiser.

In January, Glouftsis received the Medal of the Order of Australia, the country’s highest honor, for her service to the sport. She was also named South Australia Young Australian of the Year in 2019.

The Greek Herald recently spoke with Glouftsis for our special ’21 Women for 2021′ series and in our exclusive, Glouftsis said she’s “been able to help lots of young people see there are different pathways available to them that we probably haven’t seen before.”

READ MORE: Eleni Glouftsis on kicking through boundaries to become the AFL’s first female field umpire.

Priscilla Hajiantoni:

27-year-old, Priscilla Hajiantoni, has been recognised under the ‘Retail and Ecommerce’ category of the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in Asia.

Priscilla Hajiantoni.

She is the founder of Melbourne-based skincare brand, Bangn Body, in 2019. The brand quickly made a hit with its multi-purpose firming lotion, which fans sometimes call a “yellow tube of goodness” for its natural ingredients and iconic yellow-colored packaging.

The startup has since branched into making and selling lip balm and skin scrub. It claims to have generated $8 million in revenues in its first two years of business.

‘Survivorship’: Sophie Cotsis MP hosts brain cancer awareness event at NSW Parliament

Andriana Simos
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‘Survivorship’: Sophie Cotsis MP hosts brain cancer awareness event at NSW Parliament

Doctors and brain cancer researchers gathered at NSW Parliament on May 4, 2021, to show their support for a ‘Survivorship’ awareness event organised by The Brain Cancer Group, Care2Cure, and hosted by Member for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis MP.

The Brain Cancer Awareness event was aimed at shining a light on ‘The Survivorship Diary,’ a book recently released by brain cancer patient, Cassandra Bennett, to support other patients and carers through their cancer journey.

Attendees on the night, which included prominent members of the Greek community such as Suzane Peponis-Brisimis, founder of the White Pearl Foundation, and representatives from the Bank of Sydney, were first treated to light refreshments before moving to a nearby theatre for the official proceedings.

READ MORE: Suzane Peponis-Brisimis: Leading philanthropist shining a spotlight on brain cancer research.

  • Refreshments were served beforehand.
  • Photos: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.

Master of Ceremonies, Richard Ryan, who is the CEO at Castlecrag, Hunters Hill and North Shore Private Hospitals, kicked off the event before introducing Ms Cotsis to the stage for some opening remarks.

During her speech, Ms Cotsis thanked medical researchers for their “phenomenal work” in brain cancer research and later discussed why the event held a special significance for her.

READ MORE: White Pearl Foundation raises over $20,000 at 2021 Breakfast for Brain Cancer.

  • MC, Richard Ryan.
  • Sophie Cotsis MP. Photos: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and I can tell you, Cassandra, congratulations on [your launch] because I know now what it means when you’re looking at survivorship,” Ms Cotsis said.

From there, Cassandra went up on stage to describe how ‘The Survivorship Diary’ came about after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in July 2018.

“Some two years later, 28 months of chemotherapy… and the global pandemic, we have the survivorship diary… We’ve designed this diary to help patients and their families manage the incredible amount of information they have to understand, remember and keep track of after being diagnosed and through treatment,” Cassandra explained.

Cassandra Bennett describing ‘The Survivorship Diary.’ Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.

“The diary contains ten sections – diagnosis, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, mental and emotional wellbeing, seizures and neurological health, living with brain cancer, financial notes, palliative care and other resources.

“Each section includes two pages on how to describe each day of the treatment, key questions to ask specialists and a table to record names and contact details for each of the key members of the support team.”

(L-R) Sigrid Hawker, Paul Hawker and Associate Professor Michael Black, who is the Director of The Brain Cancer Group, Care2Care. Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.

The practical use of this game-changing resource was then stressed when former Campbelltown Mayor, Paul Hawker, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour this year, and his wife Sigrid, discussed how helpful the diary has been during Paul’s cancer journey.

“The Survivorship Diary… has many helpful facts about cancer and treatment and one of them in particular was the suggestion that taking chemotherapy at night before bed can reduce the effects of nausea. It certainly worked for us,” Sigrid Hawker said in her speech.

  • (L-R) Associate Professor Michael Black, Paul and Sigrid Hawker. Photos: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.
  • (L-R) Cassandra Bennett, Associate Professor Michael Black, Paul and Sigrid Hawker. Photos: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.

Paul Hawker concluded the night by having a conversation with Associate Professor Michael Black, who is the Director of The Brain Cancer Group, Care2Care, where he described how he has “accepted” his cancer diagnosis and cheekily admitted that “whilst I’ve glanced through the diary, I haven’t made any entries in it because Sigrid seems to be the one that records everything and reminds me of things we have to do.”

This drew laughter from the crowd as it became even more evident just how valuable ‘The Survivorship Diary’ is for carers of cancer patients, who at times are too tired from cancer therapy to even consider their next doctor’s appointment or treatment date.

The successful awareness event ended with attendees enjoying coffee and light refreshments outside the theatre.

What to expect from the Federal Budget 2021: Aged care overhaul, borders and migration

The Greek Herald
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What to expect from the Federal Budget 2021: Aged care overhaul, borders and migration

A remedy for a shortage of workers, support for the elderly to stay in their own homes and more resources for residential facilities will feature in a $10 billion-plus overhaul of the aged care sector.

Described by Health Minister Greg Hunt as the “largest package in Australia’s history” for aged care, the Federal Government’s 2021-22 Budget will seek to dramatically improve older Australians’ living standards and quality of life.

According to The Daily Telegraph, more funding for home care packages and an increase to the daily fee paid on a per bed basis to aged care providers — which were both recommended by the Aged Care Royal Commission — are expected to be included in the significant investment over the next four years.

“One of the important things that we have here is a response to the Royal Commission, which is based on ensuring that we have respect and care, and dignity,” Mr Hunt told The Daily Telegraph.

Health Minister, Greg Hunt, has described the funding as the “largest package in Australia’s history” for aged care.

Mr Hunt said there were “five pillars” to the government’s aged care strategy, including home care services, sustainability, safety, a quality workforce and governance.

“What we want to do in all of these elements, is to make sure that aged care is accessible and as available as possible for as many as possible.”

Last year’s budget included $1.6 billion for 23,000 new home care packages, with the total number of recipients expected to reach about 195,000 by the end of the financial year.

READ MORE: Winners and losers in Federal Budget 2020.

Labor’s aged care spokesman, Mark Butler, said the recommendations in the Royal Commission report would cost “way more” than $10 billion over the forward estimates.

A $10 billion-plus overhaul of the aged care sector is expected in tomorrow’s Federal Budget 2021-2022.

Open borders and migration:

Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has also confirmed today that Australia will open its border next year in a budget plan to bring back migrants and speed up the economic recovery.

The federal budget, to be delivered by Mr Frydenberg on Tuesday, will include core assumptions for coronavirus vaccinations and infections to aim for the opening of the international border in 2022, several months after the forecast in last year’s budget.

“The borders will reopen when it’s safe to do so, and when they do, net overseas migration will increase, including skilled workers,” Mr Frydenberg told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

“And those skilled workers play a very important role across the economy, but we’re not going to compromise public safety, or indeed the economic recovery, by moving ahead of the medical advice.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (right, pictured with PM Scott Morrison) will hand down his budget on Tuesday night.

Mr Frydenberg also said he wanted to restore migration to the level seen before the pandemic, which was 239,700 in 2018-19, according to population figures in the federal budget last October.

“We will get back to it over time. Obviously, net overseas migration went negative through this crisis,” the Treasurer told the Australian newspaper.

“You’ll see Treasury’s forecast for the coming years on Tuesday night, but that again is a pandemic effect, not a permanent change.

“I believe in a generous, sustainable immigration program that reflects the best of who we are, which is an open, tolerant, diverse country.”

The Federal Government’s border policy has long been criticised by the Opposition, with Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, saying just last week that the closed borders had highlighted Australia’s reliance on temporary migrant workers and that “we should be investing in training Australians” to fill the skill shortages.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald / The Daily Telegraph.

Teacher, Sia Goutzas, on the single-sex versus co-ed school debate in Australia

The Greek Herald
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Teacher, Sia Goutzas, on the single-sex versus co-ed school debate in Australia

Australian media outlet, The Sydney Morning Herald, has recently reignited the single-sex versus co-ed school debate with a series of thought provoking articles.

In one article, teacher, Sia Goutzas, says she wanted to send her three girls to a co-ed school because while single-sex education may have made sense when men became workers and women wives, those days are over.

“It’s insane that we are still segregating genders,” Goutzas tells The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH).

“I don’t know why we can’t send girls to Sydney Grammar, or boys to St Catherine’s. For me it should be a natural part of schooling.”

Sydney Grammar remains an all-boys school currently.

But in the part of the eastern suburbs where Goutzas lives, there are few co-ed options. Even the public schools are single sex. So, in the end, her daughters went to a Catholic girls’ school.

Yet, according to the SMH, change is coming, even in the eastern suburbs. Champagnat, a Marist brothers school in Maroubra, has announced plans to become co-ed. Cranbrook, a 102-year-old, $39,000-a-year Bellevue Hill institution, is also considering opening its doors to young women.

Whilst it’s difficult to do high-quality research comparing single-sex and co-education as every school, student and teacher is different, studies of academic achievement suggest influences such as teaching quality and a school’s culture have greater impact on students’ results.

Principal of Santa Sabina in Strathfield, Paulina Skerman, told the SMH that she is a firm proponent of a single-sex secondary education for young women.

“What it offers young women is hugely advantageous for life. There’s no limitations, no stereotypes, so girls excel,” Ms Skerman tells the Australian media outlet.

“They can start to take chances in an environment where they don’t need to be judged, they don’t feel like they’re competing, and there’s the whole non-distraction without the boyfriend-girlfriend thing.”

However, Iris Nastasi, principal of co-ed Rosebank College in Five Dock, believes boys and girls should learn about each other, with each other.

“I think schools have a unique opportunity to be very proactive in a very safe environment and educate both boys and girls together,” Nastasi says to the SMH.

Iris Nastasi is principal of co-ed Rosebank College in Five Dock. Photo: The Daily Telegraph.

“In a co-ed school, they don’t get on with each other all the time; they’re pains to each other for a period of time but by the time they get into years 11 and 12 they have good, solid relationships. They work with each other – it’s very normal.”

For her part, Sia Goutzas’ daughter Elizabeth, who is in year 11 at a girls’ school, still wishes she’d been able to have a co-ed education.

“Males are very different, and it’s good to have both,” she says.

“In [my co-ed] primary school we played games every lunchtime. In high school, you rarely do anything during lunchtime or recess. It would be really good to bounce ideas off them, they think very differently. It just promotes a healthy balance.”

What are your thoughts on the co-ed or single-sex school debate?

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

Message by Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the Battle of Crete

Andriana Simos
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Η Μάχη της Κρήτης αποτέλεσε μια σημαντική εξέλιξη στον Β’ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο καθώς

αποδυνάμωσε την έφοδο των εισβολέων, επηρεάζοντας την εξέλιξη των στρατιωτικών επιχειρήσεων του Άξονα στην ευρύτερη περιοχήκαι παραμένει ένα από τα πιο αντιπροσωπευτικά ιστορικά παραδείγματα αγώνα για την ελευθερία και την ανεξαρτησία.

Ο λαός της Κρήτης παρά το γεγονός ότι γνώριζε πολύ καλά ότι οι ελπίδες για νίκη ήταν λιγοστές και ότι βρισκόταν στην τελευταία ελεύθερη περιοχή της ηπειρωτικής Ευρώπης, πήρε τα όπλα αυθόρμητα και με τα περιορισμένα μέσα που διέθετε υπερασπίστηκε με αυταπάρνηση το νησί του.

Η Μάχη της Κρήτης σηματοδότησε μια μοναδική ιστορική στιγμή για Νεοζηλανδούς, Αυστραλούς και Έλληνες, θέτοντας τις βάσεις για τις ισχυρές διπλωματικές σχέσεις που έχουμε σήμερα, με σημείο αναφοράς τα κοινά ιδανικά και τους κοινούς στόχους.

Αποτελεί σταθμό στην ιστορία μας, που μας οπλίζει με μεγαλύτερη αποφασιστικότητα στους καθημερινούς αγώνες μας για αλληλεγγύη, ανθρώπινη αξιοπρέπεια, δημοκρατία και ειρήνη.

Ογδόντα χρόνια μετά τη Μάχη της Κρήτης και του αγώνα των συμμαχικών δυνάμεων της ANZAC κατά του ναζισμού και του φασισμού, το μήνυμα της αντίστασης παραμένει επίκαιρο για τον απανταχού Ελληνισμό και για όλους όσους αγωνίζονται για την ελευθερία και για ένα καλύτερο μέλλον.

Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης

Πρωθυπουργός της Ελλάδος

Cretan Federation of Australia and NZ message for the Battle of Crete

Andriana Simos
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Η επέτειος της Μάχης της Κρήτης θα μείνει χαραγμένη στην μνήμη μας για πάντα, δυστυχώς για τους λάθος λόγους. Αυτό το Γολγοθά που περάσαμε έχει επηρεάσει της ζωές μας, έχει αλλάξει την νοοτροπία του λαού, έχει φέρει τα πάνω κάτω στις οικονομίες τους κόσμου, πάρα ταύτα όμως δεν θα αφήσουμε αυτή την πανδημία να μας εκτροχιάσει, τις σκέψεις μας για τους αγώνες που έκανε ο Κρητικός λαός και όχι μόνο κατά την Μάχη της Κρήτης.

Με φάρο την αυτοθυσία των προγόνων μας, και των αγώνα που έδωσαν

στην Κρήτη το 1941 κατά των Γερμανών, θα τα κρατάμε σαν δάδα φωτεινή και λαμπρά παραδείγματα για εμάς τις επόμενες γενιές ότι έχουμε ιερή υποχρέωση να συνεχίσουμε να εορτάζουμε, το μεγάλο ιστορικό γεγονός να το προβάλουμε στα παιδιά μας, αλλά προπάντων να μνημονεύουμε τους νεκρούς.

Αυτοί έδωσαν τότε την ζωή τους για να ζούμε εμείς σήμερα ελεύθεροι. Ως επίσης έχουμε υποχρέωση να συνεχίζουμε να προβάλουμε τους αρίστους δεσμούς που μεταξύ των λαών της Αυστραλίας, της Ελλάδος και της Νέας Ζηλανδίας αφού συμμαχικά έδωσαν αγώνες το 1941, αλλα αυτοί οι δεσμοί συνεχίζουν και σήμερα.

Οι παλιοί Αυστραλοί που πολέμησαν στην Κρήτη, και οι οποίοι ζουν ακόμη αγαπούν πολύ

τους Κρητικούς και όλους τους Έλληνες, γιατί γνώρισαν από κοντά και κάτω από συνθήκες πολέμου την ελληνική φιλοξενία, και αυτοθυσία. Οι Κρητικοί με θανάσιμο κίνδυνο της ζωής των απόκρυψαν και συντήρησαν εκατοντάδες Αυστραλούς και Νεοζηλανδούς που είχαν παγιδευτεί στην Κρήτη μετά το τέλος της μάχης .

Σαν Αυστραλογεννημένοι Έλληνες είμαστε περήφανοι και ευγνωμονούμε όλους εκείνους που με το αίμα τους θεμελίωσαν την ελληνοαυστραλιανή αυτή φιλία και την οποία καλούμεθα εμείς να συνεχίσομε και να προάγομε για το καλό όχι μόνο της ελληνικής παροικίας μα και των δύο λαών. Μέσα από τα λουλουδιασμένα μνήματα των Αυστραλών και Νεοζηλανδών στο Ρέθυμνο και  τη Σούδα μα και των παππούδων μας σε όλη την Κρήτη βγαίνει ένα προγονικό μήνυμα. Ότι η λευτεριά δεν αγοράζεται μα κερδίζεται με αγώνες και θυσίες . Έχομε χρέος να τους τιμήσουμε και να μην τους ξεχάσομε ποτέ.

Εκ μέρους του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου της Κρητικής Ομοσπονδίας Αυστραλίας & Νέα Ζηλανδίας

Ο Πρόεδρος Αντώνης Σωκ. Τσουρδαλάκης

Greece and Australia mark Europe Day 2021 with ceremonies at the Acropolis and in Canberra

Andriana Simos
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Greece and Australia mark Europe Day 2021 with ceremonies at the Acropolis and in Canberra

The flags of Greece and the European Union were raised at the Acropolis early on Sunday morning in celebration of Europe Day 2021.

The ceremony was attended by the Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas.

May 9, or Europe Day, celebrates peace and unity in Europe as it marks the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration,’ which led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. This proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union.

“For our country, the European Union is a place of prosperity and security. We participate in its values, in our common European life and culture. We are proud of what we have achieved with our European fellow citizens and we have high expectations for the future,” President Sakellaropoulou said to mark the occasion.

“Europe must respond to the challenges of our time, the pandemic, the economy and climate change, with unity and solidarity.”

For his part, Mr Schinas wrote in a tweet after the Acropolis ceremony: “Europe Day today at the sacred rock of the Acropolis. Greek and European flags together for the first time at the monument of global culture. A unique, unprecedented moment. Greece and Europe together, always consistent before history’s commanding calls.”

The flags of Greece and the European Union were raised at the Acropolis early on Sunday morning in celebration of Europe Day 2021.

Europe Day in Canberra:

Meanwhile, in Canberra on Sunday, European Union Ambassador Dr Michael Pulch and Mrs Gabriele Hedwig Pulch hosted a reception in celebration of Europe Day.

In attendance were all 26 EU Embassies and High Commissions, including High Commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Martha Mavrommatis, and Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas.

All 26 EU Embassies and High Commissions were in attendance.

Speeches were given before all dignitaries were encouraged to enjoy traditional sweets and savoury food from the different European countries present.

The Cypriot delegate had haloumotes (halloumi cheese pies) and sweet daktyla (almond pies) on offer, while Greece brought semolina cake with orange syrup to the event, as well as fanouropita (a traditional fasting cake) and kourlouri Thessalonikis (sesame bread rings).

(R) The National Carillon lit up to mark Europe Day. (L) European cuisine.

After enjoying the beautiful food, dignitaries returned home to find the National Carillon was also shining brightly in blue to mark Europe Day.

“Happy Birthday EU family. United we stand!” Ms Mavrommatis wrote on Facebook after the event.

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