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ANZAC legacy on Greek island of Lemnos to be unveiled in new documentary

The Greek Herald
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ANZAC legacy on Greek island of Lemnos to be unveiled in new documentary

The Lemnian Association of NSW, in partnership with the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, will present the documentary Anzac. Lemnos. 1915. at the Lemnos Club in Belmore on Tuesday, April 23.

Many Australians know of Gallipoli. Few know of Lemnos and of this humble Greek island’s critical contribution to the Dardanelles campaign. 

For the first time, with rare photo archives and compelling personal accounts, this unique documentary explores a little-known setting during Australia’s first war that was crucial in the shaping of the country’s modern identity. 

The one-hour documentary will be broadcast for the first time on Anzac Day 2024 on SBS. A pre-screening will take place at the premises of the Lemnos Club (44 Albert Street, Belmore, NSW 2192).

Event details:

  • What: Pre-screening of Anzac. Lemnos. 1915.
  • When: Tuesday, April 23.
  • Time: 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start.
  • Cost: Free admission.

A few words about the documentary:

In May 2023, Australia’s Governor-General David Hurley joined the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou in a ground-breaking ceremony on Lemnos to mark the beginning of construction for an Anzac Remembrance Trail – a project of historical significance for both countries. But why? 

lemnos
Australia’s Governor-General David Hurley joined the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou in a ground-breaking ceremony on Lemnos to mark the beginning of construction for an Anzac Remembrance Trail.

Supported by rich and rare archive and gripping personal accounts, Anzac. Lemnos. 1915. brings to life a little-known chapter in Australia’s wartime history for the first time. 

March 1915 marked the first arrivals of thousands of Allied troops as the island was transformed into a base for the Dardanelles campaign. Mudros Bay became the anchorage for one of the largest fleets ever assembled in the modern world. 

50,000 Anzacs passed through Lemnos to and from the Gallipoli frontline. By the end of the first day’s battle, 25th of April, more than 2,000 Allied troops were dead or wounded. Between August 7th and November 11th 96,943 sick and wounded had arrived in Mudros Harbour from the frontlines.

Just 136 Australian nurses cared for thousands of wounded, sick and dying with such limited supplies that they tore their petticoats to use for bandages. They performed their duties through exhaustion and sickness with unflinching stoicism. Australian field hospitals provided pioneering medical practices – ophthalmology, X-Rays and bacteriology. 

Lemnos was developed into a substantial support base – hospitals, supply units, camps for R & R (rest and recuperation) throughout the campaign. As Royal Australian Navy historian, John Perryman says, “No Lemnos, no Gallipoli.” 

148 Australians and 76 New Zealanders remain in Lemnos buried in two Commonwealth War Graves. 

Anzac. Lemnos. 1915. is a fascinating new chapter in Australia’s history of the Gallipoli campaign – a story of courage, sacrifice, resilience and enduring friendship. It is also the story of a small island in the Aegean Sea that shaped an everlasting bond between Greece and Australia.

Federation of Greek Elderly Citizens Clubs of Victoria elect new executive committee

The Greek Herald
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Federation of Greek Elderly Citizens Clubs of Victoria elect new executive committee

The Federation of Greek Elderly Citizens Club of Melbourne and Victoria has elected a new Executive Committee at its recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) on April 5.

The Federation held the AGM after outgoing President John Kostoulias resigned from his position due to health reasons.

The new Executive Committee consists of seven members. They are:

  • President: Dimitra Sardelis
  • Vice President: Louiza Kavakliotis
  • Secretary: Yiannis Gaitanis
  • Treasurer: Martha Antoniadis
  • Assistant Secretary: Soula Kolokythas
  • Assistant Treasurer: Aris Kakalas
  • Council Member: Kostas Dimoulas

Melbourne lawyer John Velos appeals forgery conviction for $1.5m resort in Greece

The Greek Herald
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Melbourne lawyer John Velos appeals forgery conviction for $1.5m resort in Greece

Head of Melbourne-based firm Velos & Velos Lawyers, John Velos, will appeal a forgery conviction in a Greek court following a family legal dispute over the control of a $1.5 million hotel resort on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that the Toorak lawyer, who has been a solicitor for over 40 years, was also the former mayor of the City of Prahran.

He was caught with allegedly committing forgery in Athens, Greece, earlier this year, which then led to a six-month prison sentence. 

His conviction stems from his actions in a family disagreement over the management of a Greek company that owns the Skoutari Beach Hotel, a seaside resort located roughly 250 kilometres southwest of Athens. It is valued at approximately $1.5 million (928,000 euros).

John Velos
Mr Velos has been a lawyer for over 40 years. Photo: Velos Criminal Lawyers.

Earlier this year, in February, he was found guilty of forgery in the Athens Court of Appeals, though he was acquitted of a separate charge related to the use of a forged document. 

He received a six-month prison sentence, valid for three years, and was ordered to pay €250 in court fees. 

These charges were brought against him in Greece mid-2020. Later that same year, Mr Velos made an unsuccessful bid for a seat as a councillor for the Stonnington City Council in Melbourne’s southeast.

Legal firm Landers & Rogers, who is representing Velos, said Velos denies any wrongdoing in the Greek criminal matter.

The firm said responsibility for the alleged criminal act instead rested with Velos’ Greek lawyer, who failed to correctly complete paperwork for the company that owned the hotel in 2017.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald. 

Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou storms out of press conference

The Greek Herald
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Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou storms out of press conference

The South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has stormed out of a press conference after just 27 seconds amid questions around his future at the club.

During the press conference at the Rabbitohs’ Maroubra headquarters, Demetriou was asked about how he is and about his future with the team.

The Rabbitohs coach spoke a total of 73 words during his interview.

“We’ve had a great week at training. The energy through the week has been outstanding,” Demetriou said.

 Demetriou also mentioned new players joining the team.

“There are new blokes coming in. Jye Gray, Ty Munro and Davvy Moale’s back,” he said. “I’m excited by the energy they’ve brought.”

When he was asked how rumours of him leaving the club after this weekend’s match between the Rabbitohs and the Cronulla Sharks have affected him, he remained positive.

“I’m really excited about the performance. I can’t wait,” Demetriou said. “The energy is through the roof. I’m looking forward to it. I believe I’m coaching for a great performance this week, and that’s what we’re going to get.”

This press conference comes after South Sydney Rabbitohs chairman Nick Pappas supported Demetriou on Thursday and said the club want him to succeed.

Source: ABC News.

Sydney’s Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians unite to demand recognition of 1915 genocides

The Greek Herald
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Sydney’s Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians unite to demand recognition of 1915 genocides

Sydney’s Armenian, Assyrian and Greek communities will once again rally together in Sydney’s central business district, calling on the Australian Prime Minister and Federal Government to recognise the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.

The annual #MarchForJustice will take place on Sunday, 21 April, with community members gathering at the Hyde Park Archibald Fountain at 2pm before descending into the streets of Sydney’s CBD.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called on “Turkey to come to terms with its own history” and used words such as “massacres, deportations and death” as Opposition Leader, is being called out for rewinding what the Joint Justice Initiative leadership team called “years of grassroots advocacy.”

March for Justice flyer
March for Justice flyer.

Under the uniting Joint Justice Initiative banner, the lead advocacy groups representing the Armenian Australian, Assyrian Australian and Greek Australian communities will lead participants and make clear their message to Canberra ahead of receiving the Prime Minister’s statement – that nothing less than full and proper acknowledgement of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as genocides will be acceptable to the three communities.

Further, this year’s catch-cry, ‘End The Cycle of Genocide,’ has been adopted by the March For Justice organising committee to not only call for truth and justice for the killing of over 1.5 million Armenians and over 1 million Assyrians and Greeks between 1915-1923, but also to speak out against the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, speak out against the 50th Anniversary of the occupation of Cyprus and speak out against the ongoing attacks against the Assyrian Nineveh province.

March For Justice organising committee member Nanor Shokayan, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia Central Executive, said, “A crime unpunished is a crime repeated – that is what the descendants of survivors of the 1915 Genocides are witnessing, our compatriots living in their ancestral homelands remain under threat from the criminal and brutal regime’s of Turkey and Azerbaijan.”

“Until they are held accountable for their actions 109 years ago, they will never stop,” Shokayan added.

Buses have been organised to transport attendees to and from the March, leaving from three different locations, including Willoughby, Ryde and Smithfield. To secure your spot on the bus, please click here.

Greece launches ‘free’ holidays for tourists impacted by 2023 Rhodes wildfires

The Greek Herald
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Greece launches ‘free’ holidays for tourists impacted by 2023 Rhodes wildfires

A special initiative has this week been launched by Greece’s tourism officials to allow for up to 25,000 tourists who visited the island of Rhodes last year during the wildfires to receive ‘free’ holidays.

Under the programme, people who stayed in hotels on Rhodes that were evacuated because of the July fires will be able to redeem e-vouchers worth up to €500 to cover the accommodation charges of a week-long stay.

The initiative will be run in two phases: between now and 31 May and 1 October to 15 November.

It aims to both revive tourism following the 2023 wildfires and highlight Greece’s commitment to compensate those impacted by climate change-induced disasters.

“The scheme is up and running as the prime minister promised,” the Greek tourism ministry’s general secretary, Myron Flouris said.

“It’s been a very complicated process not least, I think, because we’re the first country in the world to do this.”

Flames engulf a hill on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes, southeastern Greece, July 24, 2023. Photo: VOA News.

According to The Guardian, over 5,000 tourists have already registered to be a part of the scheme.

“Anyone who was staying in areas that were affected by the fires is eligible,” Yannis Papavasiliou, who heads the island’s union of hoteliers, said.

“The response has been very good, and we are told will be even stronger come the autumn.”

Mr Papavasiliou said the compensation would reflect the amount clients originally paid to tour operators.

“It will apply only to hotels, not Airbnb-style private accommodation,” he said.

“At the end of the day, Greece is making good on its promise to recompense all those who lost their holidays because of climate change.”

You can grab your voucher here.

Source: The Guardian.

Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Alexander Zverev at Monte Carlo Masters

The Greek Herald
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Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Alexander Zverev at Monte Carlo Masters

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has progressed to the quarter finals of the Monte Carlo Masters after defeating Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-6(3).

Tsitsipas demonstrated great footwork to dictate on his forehand, forcing the German deep with his heavy spin and from 7-5, 5-0, the Greek looked on course for a statement win.

However, from two match points up at 5-0, Tsitsipas started to misfire and Zverev took advantage, increasing his consistency from the baseline to rally to 5-5.

With the possibility of a deciding set looming, Tsitsipas regained his composure in the tie-break, raising his arms after sealing a hard-fought two-hour, six-minute victory.

“I would call it an adventure of a lifetime,” Tsitsipas said after his win.

“Something I am not faced with every single day and momentum shifted dramatically at some points. It went one way and then it went completely the other way again.”

This is the first time Tsitsipas has defeated a Top 5 opponent this season. 

“It is a big win. I am grateful I was able to play the way I did today,” he said.

“I was able to create pace and open the court, which helped me a lot. There is more tennis to be played, I am excited to see what the future holds. Today’s match was a great assessment to how much I can fight in tough moments.”

Source: ATP Tour.

OJ Simpson, American footballer involved in notorious murder trial, dies aged 76

The Greek Herald
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OJ Simpson, American footballer involved in notorious murder trial, dies aged 76

The former American football star OJ Simpson has passed away at the age of 76.

He was most known for being a key figure in a double murder trial. One of the alleged people he murdered was his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend.

Despite being acquitted in what was known as the ‘trial of the century,’ Simpson encountered further legal troubles, including a lengthy prison sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping. 

ABC News revealed that his legacy remains intertwined with one of the most infamous chapters in American legal history.

In a post on X, his family shared that he died due to his ongoing battle with cancer.

The post further revealed that Simpson was surrounded by his children and grandchildren during his passing.

Source: ABC News.

Olivia Nassaris shares her journey from yiayia’s carer to advocating for Parkinson’s Disease

The Greek Herald
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Olivia Nassaris shares her journey from yiayia’s carer to advocating for Parkinson’s Disease

Travelling overseas, crafting a career path and even study are just some of the plans young people make in their 20s. But not Greek Cypriot Olivia Nassaris. 

During her 20s, Olivia became a carer for her yiayia Despina who had been diagnosed with advanced stages of Parkinson’s, and eventually became her end-of-life carer.

Now, as the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Parkinson’s Australia, Olivia revealed to The Greek Herald the launch of a new campaign that will advocate for people living with Parkinson’s.

By Martina Simos

The Adelaide-based CEO, National Advocate and Changemaker has a ‘wealth of experience’ that involves engagement with people affected by Parkinson’s, government relations and advocacy skills. 

To this day, Olivia’s past experience in looking after her yiayia has been a driving force in forging a career in the not-for-profit sector.

Yiayia Despina
Yiayia Despina.

“She’s the reason that I’m so inspired and proud to work for the Parkinson’s Community,” Olivia told The Greek Herald.

“It’s an honour to be appointed in the role. I feel that my yiayia would have been very proud and that her good nature and values guide me in my work daily.”

Olivia with her yiayia
Olivia with her yiayia.

Olivia has also spent 10 years as Executive Director of The Hospital Research Foundation Group (THRFG) – Parkinson’s & Stroke prior to this appointment. 

While at THRFG, Olivia successfully lobbied the state government in July 2022 for a $2.25 million grant. This enabled four community-based Parkinson’s nurse specialists to be appointed in South Australia, to travel to regional, rural and remote areas, assisting people living with Parkinson’s. 

More than 8,000 people in SA live with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.

Parkinson's facts
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Advocacy body

Parkinson’s Australia is the national advocacy body representing people living with Parkinson’s, their families and carers, as well as researchers and health professionals in the Parkinson’s community. 

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative condition that currently has no known cure. It is one of the most challenging diseases to care for because of its chronic progressive nature, insidious onset, complicated and diverse motor and non-motor symptoms. 

People diagnosed with Parkinson’s generally have four key clinical features:  tremor, muscle rigidity, poverty of movement and loss of normal posture with a tendency for falls. 

Lesser known is the major impact on non-motor functions such as depression, anxiety, behavioural disturbances and cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, hallucinations, sensory deficits such as loss of smell and visual problems, and impaired speech. 

Helping yiayia
Helping yiayia.

National Advocacy, Connection, Awareness:

Parkinson’s Australia recently revealed their long-term plans to raise awareness of Parkinson’s. One in 308 people in Australia have Parkinson’s. It is more common than prostate, bowel and many other cancers that are considered National Health Priority Areas.

Olivia was in Canberra recently to present a 100-page report, Pre-Budget Submission 2024-25– Proposal for a Lived Experience Project, a National Awareness Campaign & GP Education Program, to several key politicians including the Federal Minister of Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler and Federal Member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas.

The submission report outlines that a $2 million investment by the Federal Government will assist to fund:

  • a lived experience project, $250,000 – allowing people living with Parkinson’s and their families to tell their stories, this includes culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities;
  • a public awareness campaign, $950,000 – for target audience to recognise and understand the signs of common symptoms of Parkinson’s;
  • and a GP education program, $850,000 – to lead the way in recognition of the early signs of Parkinson’s and the benefits of early intervention, ensure health professionals are up-to-date with the latest evidence-based management of Parkinson’s, enhance the understanding and treatment of both motor and non-motor symptoms.

According to Olivia, future plans also include raising awareness about Parkinson’s Disease with Australia’s CALD communities.

Craig Gillespie, 53, diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinsons at 50, his daughter Delilah Olivia Nassaris and Member for Adelaide Steve Georganas MP.
Craig Gillespie, 53, diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinsons at 50, his daughter Delilah Olivia Nassaris and Member for Adelaide Steve Georganas MP.

“Part of our pre-budget submission is a scoping study – and that includes looking at CALD communities like the Hellenic community to see if and how they are accessing the supports that are available and what barriers exist,” Olivia said. 

“Australians living with Parkinson’s deserve advocacy at a national level that can respond to this changing environment, understand the differences in jurisdictional health systems and the diversity of needs across the country and deliver to produce positive impacts for the entire Parkinson’s community.”

This World Parkinson’s Month other activities for Parkinson’s Australia include a launching of the newly branded and updated website, and the appointment of new board directors.

For the first time in ten years, the 2025 National Conference will also be held next April for people living with Parkinson’s and carers, support people, and allied health professionals.

Greek parliamentarians to attend Independence Day parade in Melbourne

The Greek Herald
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Greek parliamentarians to attend Independence Day parade in Melbourne

On Sunday, April 14, an annual parade will take place in Melbourne, Victoria, to commemorate Greek Independence Day.

Taking place from 1 pm at the Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park, the parade will be attended by members of the local Greek and Cypriot communities, as well as members of the Interparliamentary Committee of Expatriates from the Greek Parliament.

officials
Officials attended last year’s event. Photo: The Greek Herald / Giorgos Psomiadis.

The Greek parliamentarians include Konstantinos Vlassis, Member of Parliament for Arcadia and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Hellenism Abroad; Theodora Tzakri, Member of Parliament for Pella SYRIZA, First Vice President of the Diaspora Hellenism Committee; Evangelia Liakoulis, PASOK-KINAL Member of Parliament for Larissa, Second Vice President of the Diaspora Hellenism Committee; and Asimina Skondra, Member of Parliament for Karditsa from New Democracy.

Also amongst the attendees will be the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, and the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis.

kids waving Greek flags
Kids dressed up in blue and white and traditional costumes and participated in last year’s parade. Photo: The Greek Herald / Giorgos Psomiadis.

During their five-day visit, the parliamentarians will also participate in formal meetings with ecclesiastical, consular, political, and community leaders, with aims of strengthening the ties between Australia and Greece.

This year’s parade will take place as part of the festive commemorations marking the centenary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. It will also pay tribute to the 50-year anniversary of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus.

READ MORE: Greek National Day dilemma: Questions remain unanswered by Victorian Council

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