Anzac Day is an important day for all Australians but it is particularly important to those with strong connections to the Gallipoli campaign – such as The Lemnian Community of Victoria.
This year saw the Lemnian Facility at Braeside filled with members and other invited guests who came together to commemorate their communities eternal connection to Australia’s Anzac story.
As many will know, Greece’s northern Aegean Island of Lemnos was transformed into the advance base for the Gallipoli campaign following an offer as a base by the Greek government. Some 50,000 Australian soldiers came to Lemnos throughout the campaign – as they assembled for the landings, returning for rest or wounded or sick to its field hospitals and after the end of the campaign following the evacuation of Gallipoli. It was also home to Australian medical facilities, where many Australian nurses served in often difficult conditions.
The Anzac Day event saw the unveiling of the Lemnos Gallipoli Photographic Exhibition. This consists of a specially curated display of the reproduction of some 37 photographs taken on Lemnos by the Anzacs in 1915-16, selected for their iconic value by historian Jim Claven.
The Exhibition was created by the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee (the Committee) for exhibition across Australia and in Greece, where it was displayed on Lemnos and in the Athens War Museum during the Centenary of Anzac in 2015.
Master of Ceremonies for the event was Christina Despoteris, Committee Vice President and of Lemnian heritage, with distinguished guests including the Hon Mark Dreyfus, Federal MP for Isaacs, Cr Steve Staikos, Mayor of Kingston, the Hon John Pandazopoulos, former MP, Cr Collin Ross, City of Cardinia and Mr Lee Tarlamis OAM MP, President of the Committee.
The event also brought together members of Melbourne’s Imvrian, Tenedos and Krythian associations – all from Island’s also connected to the Gallipoli campaign – as well as representatives of Melbourne’s Nafpaktian, Peloponnesian and Pontian associations. The Hall was beautifully prepared for the event by the Lemnian Community, with refreshments provided, including champagne and specially prepared Lemnian pastries.
Phil Diamataris opened proceedings by welcoming all and thanking the Committee for its gifting of the exhibition for permanent display at Lemnian Community Hall. Lee Tarlamis thanked the Lemnian Community for accepting the gift and displaying the exhibition in pride of place in their Hall. Mr Tarlamis expressed his pride as someone of Lemnian heritage, with strong family connections to the community, in having been able to build awareness of Lemnos role in Gallipoli over many years. He said that it was good to be back in the Lemnian Community and there was no more appropriate location for it to be displayed. “It has truly come home”, he said.
I explained the creation of the exhibition, the selection of images designed to vividly reveal the breadth of Lemnos’ role and its display in many important locations, especially on Lemnos itself. While the display is of a key aspect of the Gallipoli campaign, they are all photographs of Lemnos. I particularly drew attention to those photographs of the local villagers, captured by the Australians as they travelled across and experienced the Island. As he said, without Lemnos there would have been no Gallipoli campaign, and those who seek to understand Australia’s Anzac story must start with Lemnos, which was there at its birth.
Special acknowledgement to acclamation was made of the presence of Deb Stewart at the event. Deb is the granddaughter of Nurse Evelyn Hutt, one of the Australian nurses who served on Lemnos during the Gallipoli campaign and whose family recently gifted her photographic collection – including photographs of Lemnos – to Melbourne’s State Library.
The Hon Mark Dreyfus and Cr Staikos also addressed the assembly, thanking all for their hard work in putting this important display documenting the Greek-Australian connection and the event itself. They both expressed the desire to support the Lemnian Community in its important work.
A highlight of the event was the reading of a specially written poem, celebrating Lemnos and its role in Gallipoli, by Stavroula Bezas of the Lemnian Community. All were moved and touched by her work and reading. Committee member Ange Kenos and Cr Ross also took the opportunity to lay wreaths during the event.
Mr Diamataris and Mr Tarlamis expressed the wish that their two associations continue to work together on common projects to highlight Lemnos and its role in Australia’s Anzac story.
The event concluded with many taking the opportunity to purchase a copy of my book Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed.