St Kilda Town Hall was packed to witness the return of Melbourne's Pammessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas (Papaflessas) to a suburb with a historic connection to both the Brotherhood and the wider Greek community.
Greece s suffering in WW2 brought to Melbourne s State Library with key donation neoskosmos.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from neoskosmos.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
This year’s annual service was held indoors and in a COVID-19 safe environment.
Greek community members representing organizations from northern Greece, across the Peloponnese and the Aegean laid wreaths in unison in honour of George Foot and all who served in the Greek campaign.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr Lee Tarlamis OAM MP said that it was important to remind local communities of the links between Greece and Australia through the Anzac tradition.
Mr Douglas Pendergast, Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL President, conducts the 2021 Anzac Day service. Photo: Lee Tarlamis 2021
“George Foot was a local Oakleigh boy who volunteered in WW2 and served bravely in the Greek campaign, evading capture, escaping from the Germans on the mainland with the help of local villagers in the Mani region of the Peloponnese and was successfully evacuated to Crete by the Royal Navy.”
Held at the Hellenic Museum, the event was deemed a success, with full house attendance.
Distinguished guests included Greece’s Consul General to Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Archiepiscopal Vicar of Northcote, Archimandrite Fr Evmenios Vasilopoulos, state Labor Senator Lee Tarlamis, former state Minister John Pantazopoulos, President of Victoria’s Organising Committee of the National Anniversary Tony Tsourdalakis and GOCMV President Bill Papastergiadis.
Snapshots from the event. Photos: Costas Deves
Among those who addressed the audience was the Consul General giving the launch speech, while
Neos Kosmos‘ former colleague Despina Meris introduced the keynote speaker of the evening, Juliana Charpantidou.
Ms Charpantidou’s presentation covered the important role of Greek Diasporas leading up to the Revolution, focusing on their contributions in a movement based on Enlightenment and French Revolution ideals.