Last weekend saw a large gathering descend on Ballarat’s avenue of memorials – Sturt Street – for the annual commemoration of the refugee work of Major George Devine Treloar under a beautiful spring sun. The event takes place at the George Treloar Memorial that was erected with much celebration four years ago in 2019.
The annual service is organised by Melbourne’s George Treloar Memorial Committee, the small energetic group who many years ago committed themselves to honouring the great refugee work of George Treloar in the years following the end of the First World War. Beginning in 1922, George, his family and a small group of assistants would help over 100,000 Christian refugees who arrived on the shores of northern Greece having fled their traditional homeland in Asia Minor. As the representatives of the League of Nations High Commission for Refugees, George worked tirelessly to provide accommodation, food and work for these people desperate to re-establish themselves in this new land. His success would be demonstrated in the new villages he helped them establish across northern Greece –including that of Thrylorion, named in his honour – and with the awarding of the highest honours of the Greek state.
Many of the descendants of these refugees would make their way to Australia as part of the great wave of post-WWII Greek migration to Australia. They would form an important and vital part of the Australia’s thriving Hellenic Diaspora, founding community organisations and churches, honouring their homeland and their roots. Two of these were the philanthropic Merimna Pontion Kyrion of Oceania and the Central Pontian Association of Victoria Pontiaki Estia and– two organisations which would drive the move to commemorate the work of George Treloar. In doing so they were joined by many other like-minded community organisations, such as those representing Hellenes from Ellasonna and Crete, as well as many individuals and sponsoring organisations. Critical to the erection of the memorial was the active support of the City of Ballarat.
Overseeing the service as Master of Ceremonies was Ms Anthi Pilalidis of Merimna Pontion Kyrion of Oceania. Those attending included Cr Samantha McIntosh, former Mayor of Ballarat, representing the City of Ballarat, and Ms Michaela Settle, local State MP for Eureka. Taking part were also representatives of the Greek Community of Melbourne & Victoria (including Vice-President Ms Anthea Sidiropoulos and Board Members Ms Vicki Kyritsis and Mr Dean Kotsianis), those from George Treloar’s old school St Patrick’s College (teacher Mr John Brodie and Old Boys representatives Lachlan and Geoff Brodie), those from the local Ballarat Greek community, the Imvrian Society, the Ellasonna, Pan-Epirotic and Pan-Cretan communities, the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee and the Pegasus Dance Academy. Also present were representatives of the Greek Youth Generator organisation, fresh from their success at the unveiling of their Hellenic community mural in Footscray. Many with messages of support and apologies were also read out, including that from Catherine King MHR for Ballarat and Mr Lee Tarlamis State MP for South Eastern Metropolitan.
Another individual present was Mr Mick Moran, the son of Corporal Henry Moran of the 2/8th Battalion who served in the defence of Greece in 1941, taking part in and surviving many of the bitter engagements of that campaign, including the battle of Vevi in northern Greece. Henry’s service in Greece and Ballarat’s connection to Greece is signified by the presence of his Battalion flag in the Ballarat Town Hall. His presence was acknowledged.
With the memorial surrounded by Pontian dancers and the Australian, Hellenic and Indigenous flags fluttering in the sun, the service began with an acknowledgement of country and a minutes silence in recognition of all the fallen service men and women. Addresses were then made by Ms Litsa Athanasiadis on behalf of the George Treloar Memorial Committee and Cr Samantha McIntosh on behalf of the City of Ballarat, with myself making a short presentation on the life and refugee work of George Treloar.
However the key feature of this year’s service was the address by Mrs Eleanor Lacey, the grand-daughter of George Treloar. She had travelled with her partner Neil all the way from her Canberra home to take part in the service. Everyone was moved with her personal recollections on the life of her grandfather, with whom she lived for a number of years. She talked of how by the time George had joined up for service in the war he had already lost family members, both his parents having died. To this tragedy would be added his witnessing the horrors of war – on the Western Front and in Russia – as well as the convulsions of the Asia Minor catastrophe. These were the sources of George’s desire to help those in distress. It was from the well-spring of this experience – from personal to public tragedies – that George succeeded in his helping the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing first Russia and then Asia Minor.
Another feature of this year’s service was the focus on the story of Lemona, symbolised in the little girl sitting on her family’s belongings next to George Treloar whose outstretched arm offers help and support. Litsa Athanasiadis told this story, of how this part of the memorial meant so much to all those present that were descended from the refuges assisted by George. This story was given added relevance by the first performance of the traditional Pontian song named Lemona, which translates as the sun’s mother or mother earth. The song, its origins and meaning were explained by Kostas Pataridis, who then proceeded to sing the song, accompanied by Constantine Kostidis on lyra and by the magnificent dancers of the Pontiaki Estia. How appropriate that the sun shone throughout the performance. The service concluded with a formal wreath laying ceremony.
Ms Athanasiadis thanked everyone for their attendance, explaining that this day was very important to all those Australian-Hellenes of Asia Minor descendent as well as all who wish to honour the humanitarian commitment of this young Australian all those years ago. She thanks both Cr Samantha McIntosh and Ms Eleanor Lacey for their support for the memorial over many years and for their attendance at the service. She also all members of the George Treloar Memorial Committee who had worked on the project to its completion and all those groups and individuals who worked and supported the creation of the memorial. She also thanked Ms Liz Johnson, the sculptor who created the memorial, realising our vision. She encouraged all to come to Ballarat and see the result of her work.
Ms Athanasiadis also pointed out that the work of the George Treloar Memorial Committee and those who support its work is not over. This continues in the annual $500 prize awarded to students of St Patrick’s College for a work honouring George Treloar’s humanitarian assistance.
Complementing this work, this year’s annual service saw four participating organisations – the Greek Community of Melbourne, the Imvrian Society, Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee and Greek Youth Generator – donate books commemorating the Hellenic link to Australia’s Anzac tradition – Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed and Grecian Adventure – to the Ballarat RSL and Ballarat Library with the aim of encouraging awareness of the deep local connection to Greece in those who serverd there in WW1 and WW2. The books were formally presented to Ms Michaela Settle MP for Eureka at the conclusion of the service. She will present the gifts to the organisations concerned.
The service was filmed by Platon Denezakis of Omogeneia TV and can be viewed on their Facebook page.
*Jim Claven is a trained historian, published author and freelance writer who has been researching the Hellenic link to Anzac across both world wars in Australia and Greece over many years. The author of Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed, Grecian Adventure and the soon to be released From Imbros Over the Sea, Jim is also foundation Secretary of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee and member of the George Treloar Memorial Committee. He can be contacted on jimclaven@yahoo.com.au.
