A day of commemorations honouring Greek and Australian servicemen who fought against the Axis Powers in WWII took place in Shepparton this week.
The event, organised by the Australian Ex-servicemen Association was well-attended by members of the Greek Community of Shepparton, community representatives and local officials.
A service held at St George Greek Orthodox Church was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Shepparton Cenotaph, with around 50 members of the Association paying their respects to the fallen.
State member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe MP and Wendy Lovell MP representing the Northern Victoria region, were among those who laid wreaths, as well as Bob Wilkie, President of the Shepparton RSL and St George Greek Orthodox Parish secretary, Georgios Themelis.
Event MCs Sofia Kotanidou and Georgios Lamprou spoke of the bravery exhibited by Greek forces and their Allies in the war of resistance against Italian and German occupation.
“OHI Day is a reminder of Greece’s heroic stance on 28 October 1940, when Ioannis Metaxas rejected the Italian ultimatum,” they said.
“Greece’s defence signalled a powerful victory, despite the Nazi invasion which followed in April 1941 eventually resulting in the country’s occupation.”
Commemorations ended with a one-minute silence held, and the National Anthems of Greece and Australia.
A concluding luncheon at the local RSL’s events’ hall provided the space for reflection and stories to be exchanged by attendees and ex-service men.
“We would like to thank them all for attending this special day,” the organiser Australian Ex-servicemen Association said in a statement, expressing gratitude to the Shepparton Parish and the local RSL President Bob Wilkie for generously contributing to the success of the commemorative event.
