The Anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821 was celebrated by the Greeks of Sydney with due splendour and with strong feelings of national pride. The commemorative events culminated on Sunday, 29 March, with the grand parade of school students and groups from Greek community organisations, which took place in the “heart” of the Australian metropolis.
Prior to the parade, at the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park, a memorial service was held by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, and a four-member delegation of the Hellenic Parliament, consisting of Members of Parliament Maximos Charakopoulos, Filippos Fortomas, Stavros Michailidis, and Konstantinos Barkas. Following the memorial service, wreaths were laid in honour, respect, and gratitude to the heroes of the Greek War of Independence, and, at the conclusion, addresses were delivered by Archbishop Makarios and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The Archbishop emphasised the importance of preserving historical memory, as well as the responsibility of safeguarding national identity, the Orthodox faith, and the ideals by which our forebears were inspired.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Australia began with a personal reference to Archbishop Makarios, noting: “I would like to express my appreciation to my dear friend, Archbishop Makarios, for his leadership of the Greek community and his ongoing contribution to our nation.” He then paid tribute to the fighters of 1821, recalled the shared struggles of Greece and Australia, highlighting the participation of the ANZACs in the defence of Crete in 1941, and expressed his gratitude to the Greek community for its contribution to the social, economic, and cultural progress of Australia. He also stated that he was proud to have grown up in the “predominantly Greek” suburb of Marrickville in Sydney, where he had many Greek friends, and that he is proud to be Prime Minister of “a country with heart, which has long carried a strong Greek element.” “Australia without Greeks is inconceivable,” he remarked.
Also in attendance were Their Graces Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of Australia, and Bishop Christophoros of Kerasounta, Chancellor of the Archdiocese; the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Mr. Stavros Venizelos; the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Australia, Mr. Antonios Sammoutis; the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr. Georgios Skemperis; the Australian Minister for Home Affairs, The Hon. Tony Burke MP; the New South Wales Minister for Industrial Relations and for Work Health and Safety, The Hon. Sophie Cotsis MP, representing the Premier of New South Wales, The Hon. Chris Minns MP; the NSW Member of Parliament Eleni Petinos MP; the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales, Con Apoifis; and others.
Following the ceremony at the ANZAC Memorial, a “blue-and-white river” made its way toward the iconic Sydney Opera House, passing through central streets of the city. Thousands of members of the Greek community participated, the majority of them young men and women, proudly holding Greek flags and banners of regional and cultural associations, while many were also dressed in traditional Greek costumes.
Along Macquarie Street, in front of the Parliament of New South Wales, Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the Members of Parliament, and other dignitaries received the salute of the parade, watching with pride and applauding the participants with enthusiasm.
Finally, at the Sydney Opera House, where the parade concluded, students of the Greek Orthodox colleges chanted the National Anthems of Greece and Australia, moving those present deeply. This was followed by commemorative addresses, and the celebrations concluded with a cultural programme that included poetry recitations by students and performances of traditional Greek dances by community dance groups.
