For the first time since the COVID pandemic and despite threatening weather, the annual commemorative service recognizing the work of George Devine Treloar in assisting the Christian refugees fleeing the Asia Minor catastrophe in the early 1920’s has returned to Ballarat’s George Treloar Memorial.
The service was held last weekend, with many in the crowd having travelled from Melbourne for the occasion. The event was organized by the George Treloar Memorial Committee, with the support of the City of Ballarat.
The commemorative event encompassed a number of speeches, the laying of wreaths at the Memorial and a Pontian musical and dance performance. The event commenced with the George Treloar Memorial Committee’s Ms Penny Tsombanopoulos performing the role of Master of Ceremonies.
Ms Tsombanopoulos began proceedings with giving the acknowledgment of country and welcomed all present, noting those who were unable to attend. The latter included David Treloar and Eleanor Lacey, the son and grand-daughter respectively of George Treloar, The Consul General of the Hellenic Republic in Melbourne Mr Emmanuel Kakavelakis, the Hon Catherine King MHR for Ballarat and Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, the Hon John Pandazopoulos former Victorian MP and Minister, Chair of Parks Victoria, Ms Kat Theophanous MP for Northcote, The Mayor of Ballarat Mr Daniel Moloney and President of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria Mr Bill Papastergiadis.
The first speaker was Councillor Amy Johnson, Deputy Mayor of the City of Ballarat, who spoke of the Council and local community support for the erection of the Memorial, making particular reference to the importance of recognising such humanitarian efforts as that of George Treloar as well as commending the work of sculptor Lis Johnson in crating the Memorial. She was followed by Councillor Samantha McIntosh, the former Mayor of the City of Ballarat, who had unveiled the Memorial in 2019 and is a strong supporter of its significance.
Mr Jim Claven of the George Treloar Memorial Committee then addressed the detailing the life and refugee work of George Treloar, followed by Ms Litsa Athanasiadis of the Merimna Pontion Kyrion of Oceania who gave a personal reflection as a descendent of the refugees forced to flee their homeland, pointing out that the young girl featured in the Memorial is named Lemona as a symbol of all the refugees helped by George Treloar in northern Greece.
The important wreath-laying component of the service then commenced. Wreaths were placed by Mr Lee Tarlamis OAM MP on behalf of fellow MP Kat Theophanous and the Victorian Government, Councillor and Deputy Mayor Amy Johnson on behalf of the City of Ballarat, Councillor Samantha McIntosh, Ms Vicki Kyritsis on behalf of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria, President Angelis Christofori on behalf of the Greek Community of Ballarat, President Simela Stamatopoulos on behalf of the Federation of Pontian Associations, President Con Tseprailidis on behalf of the Central Pontian Association of Melbourne and Victoria ‘Pontiaki Estia’, President Litsa Athanasiadis on behalf of the Merimna Pontion Kyrion of Oceania, President Savva Athanasiadis on behalf of the Greek Community of Moreland, President Agatha Koroneas on behalf of the Pantryfilian Association, President Peter Andrinopoulos and Secretary Katy Karabatsos on behalf of the Society of Kalamata 23rd March, Mr Terry Green on behalf of the Ballarat RSL and Mr Jim Claven on behalf of the George Treloar Memorial Committee.
The crowd enjoyed a beautiful and moving musical and dance performance which concluded the service, with dancers from the Central Pontian Association of Melbourne and Victoria ‘Pontiaki Estia’, with Stefano Levoyannis on lyra and Dimitri Tsombanopoulos on daouli.
In conclusion Ms Athanasiadis spoke for the George Treloar Memorial Committee in the hope that the commemorative service would now be an annual one as originally intended and invited Victoria’s Greek and wider community to come to Ballarat next year for the commemorative service.
Ballarat-born George Devine Treloar was a distinguished soldier in the First World War and after, who had assisted in the care of refugees in Constantinople following the end of the Russian Civil War. His experience there would see him in 1922 appointed as the League of Nations Commissioner for Refugees for Greece in response to the Asia Minor catastrophe. It was in this capacity that George Treloar – with his family and a small group of assistants – helped over 100,000 Christian refugees who had been forced to flee to northern Greece in the wake of the violent collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Based in the town of Komotini and then Thessaloniki, George and his small administration, created new villages to accommodate these desperate people, ensuring they had enough food to sustain life and the training for their new lives. Working with insufficient funds, George used his own resources to keep the assistance going, helping refugees well beyond the number originally envisaged. For his efforts George would earn the praises of those he had assisted. One of the new towns he had helped create was named in his honor – Thrylorion – where his service is honored to this day. He was awarded the Greek Gold Cross of the Order of the Redeemer in 1923, returning to Australia in 1927 where he died in 1980.
The George Treloar Memorial was created by the George Treloar Memorial with the support of the City of Ballarat, many Greek community organizations, the Treloar family and many other individuals. These included Merimna Pontiobn Kyrion of Oceania, Central Pontian Association of Melbourne & Victoria “Pontiaki Estia”, Panthracian Association of Melbourne, Pancretan Association of Melbourne, Central Union of Elassona & Districts “O Nikotsaras” and The Greek Orthodox Community of Moreland. Sculptor Ms Lis Johnson designed and created the sculpture, which was unveiled in 2019. The Memorial will be the site of an annual commemorative service.