This year is the centenary of the Asia Minor catastrophe and so it was very significant that the the Australian Ambassador Arthur Spyrou chose recently to make the journey to the Thracian village of Thrylorio in northern Greece, a town and people with a strong connection to both the catastrophe and to Australia.
This village is one of the many similar villagers settled by the Hellenic refugees who fled from their ancestral homes in the Asia Minor catastrophe. This year is the centenary of that terrible event, with many commemorative occasions being organised in Australia, Greece and across the Hellenic diaspora.
One of the major aspects of these commemorations will be the further recognition of the refugee work of the Australian Major George Devine Treloar. Ballarat-born and educated, George followed his brave and decorated service in the British Army in the First World War with his work as the League of Nations’ Commissioner for Refugees in northern Greece, based first in Komotini and then Thessaloniki. Over the period 1922-26, George and his team were able to assist an estimated 108,000 Asia Minor refugees as they sought to begin new lives in the safety of Greece.
George was able to organise food, shelter, medical care and work for the refugees, in the process overseeing the establishment of these new villages throughout northern Greece. Without his help, no doubt many of these poor refugees would not have survived. His work was exemplary and was recognised by the Hellenic Government with his being appointed to the Order of the Saviour (Gold Cross). As Ambassador Spyrou said “Major George Treloar has come to be considered one of Australia’s most influential humanitarian figures”.
Significantly, one of the villages -Thrylorio – was named in his honour. And so it has been this village and its 600 or so residents that keep alive the story of George Treloar. Many of its refugees came from the Pontus region of Asia Minor. They have a major display of George Treloar’s photographs from the time and maintain folk museums, revealing the lived experience of the refugees. They have also welcomed the sons of George Treloar – David and John Treloar – to their village.
Ambassador Spyrou inside the beautiful Thrylorio Church.
Ambassador Spyrou receiving welcome gifts from the President of the Thrylorio Cultural Association of Pontic Greeks, Ms Chrysa Mavridou (left) and the President of the Municipal Cultural Association of Thrylorio, Ms Natasa Liveriadou.
Ambassador Spyrou receiving welcome gifts from the President of the Thrylorio Cultural Association of Pontic Greeks, Ms Chrysa Mavridou (left) and the President of the Municipal Cultural Association of Thrylorio, Ms Natasa Liveriadou.
Ambassador Spyrou inside the beautiful Thrylorio Church.
The Ambassador being given a tour of the Roma Basketry Museum. From left to right: the President of the Thrylorio community, Mr Giorgios Apostolidis, a member of the community, Mrs Britt Spyrou, Ambassador Spyrou, the President of the Thrylorio Cultural Association of Pontic Greeks, Ms Chrysa Mavridou, and the founder of the Basketry Museum of the Roma in Thrylorio, Mr Antonis Liapis.
A few years ago I was also able to visit Thrylorio, leading a commemorative tour group including the Hon John Pandazopoulos and Lee Tarlamis MP amongst others. We were welcomed with a celebratory traditional folk dance and meal, along with visits to the local museums. It is a memory that all of us treasure.
A few weeks ago, Ambassador Spyrou made his own pilgrimage to Thrylorio, walking in the footsteps of Major Treloar, to pay his respects and honour Major Treloar’s lasting legacy. During his visit to the village the Ambassador received a warm welcome from the President of the village, Mr Giorgos Apostolidis, the President of the Cultural Association of Pontic Greeks (Πολιτιστικός Σύλλογος Ποντίων Θρυλορίου «Η Κερασούντα και το Γαρς»), Ms Chrysa Mavridou, and members of the community.
It is reported that the Ambassador offered the village a family heirloom, a handwoven tapestry, as a gift as a small token of the enduring friendship. At the local church he admired the precious relics of Thrylorio and learned about its history. He learned about the traditional life of Thrylorians and the craft of basket-making at the beautiful Basketry Museum of the Roma (Μουσείο Καλαθοπλεκτικής), the only museum of its kind in Greece, from its founder, Mr Antonis Liapis.
One of the original Thrylorio houses built by the refugees. Photo: courtesy Australian Embassy in Greece 2022
Restored original Thrylorio houses built by the refugees. Photo: Jim Clavem 2013
Litsa Athanasiadis, representing the George Treloar Memorial Committee, said that she welcomed the visit of Ambassador Spyrou to Thrylorio and his paying homage to George Treloar’s legacy.
“This is important official recognition of both the work of George Treloar in easing the suffering of the refugees and a celebration of their survival after the ordeal of the catastrophe. As a descendent of these refugees, and of those from the Pontus region, I thank the Ambassador for his efforts.”
Following a five year campaign in 2019 the George Devine Treloar Memorial Committee, with the support of Ballarat City Council and funding contributions from a range of Hellenic organisations and individuals, had erected the major memorial to the work of George Treloar in Ballarat’s avenue of honour, Sturt Street. The memorial takes its place as a permanent legacy to Treloar’s work, along with many other memorials to the City’s famed residents, in George’s birthplace and from where he began his journey that would see him help save the lives of tens of thousands of people.
The memorial statue was designed and created by one of Australia’s foremost figurative sculptors, Lis Johnson, the first statue on Sturt Street by a female sculptor. The memorial comprised a statue of George Treloar, with a refugee child and her belongings, surrounded by a rose garden of remembrance.
Litsa Athanasiadis said that the Committee, along with the Pontiaki Estia and other similar community organisations, hope to hold a commemorative service in Ballarat this year, in recognition of the centenary of the Asia Minor catastrophe. Watch this space.
I am sure all readers, Hellenes and Philhellenes across Australia and beyond will thank Ambassador Spyrou for his timely visit to Thrylorio and its reminder of the tragedy of the catastrophe, the survival of a people and the great work of George Treloar, one of Australia’s honoured humanitarians.
Jim Claven is a trained historian, published author and freelance writer. He is also a member of Melbourne’s George Treloar Memorial Committee and assisted in its creation of the George Treloar Memorial in Ballarat. You can read more about George Treloar on the Neos Kosmos website and the Australian Dictionary of Biography. He acknowledges the information and photographs provided by the Australian Embassy in Greece in the preparation of this article. He can be contacted via jimclaven@yahoo.com.au
