This year’s Battle of Crete anniversary commemorations in Australia will begin on Saturday 16 May in Sydney, with the laying of wreaths at the Martin Place cenotaph. The service commences at 1.45 pm.
His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), Governor of New South Wales, accompanied by Mrs Linda Hurley, will be attending, along with guest of honour Lieutenant General Georgios Paraschopoulos, accompanied by Colonel Vasileios Broumas of the Hellenic Defence Force.
Also present will be honoured veterans, state and federal parliamentarians and consular representatives. In addition to the Martin Place ceremony, the 74th anniversary of the Greece and Crete campaigns will be commemorated at the following locations in Sydney:
Saturday 16 May 7.00 pm
Battle of Crete Annual Ball. For bookings contact the Cretan Association of NSW on 0439 665 011 or 0408 636 107.
Sunday 17 May 9.30 am
Memorial Service. Greek Archdiocese Church, Redfern.
Monday 18 May 7.00 pm
Launch of the book Battle of Crete – the Untold Stories. Kogarah Library, Belgrave Street, Kogarah.
Sunday 24 May 11.00am
Memorial Service. Garrison Church, cnr Argyle and Lower Fort St, Millers Point, The Rocks.
The NSW commemorations are co-ordinated by the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and Greek Campaigns.
In Melbourne, official commemorations begin on Saturday 23 May with the official Battle of Crete Dinner Dance, under the auspices of the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand and in honour of Battle of Crete Veterans. The event will begin at 7.00 pm and take place at the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne & Victoria, 148 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East.
Victorian commemorations will continue the following day with the following program:
Sunday 24 May
10.00 am Church Service at the Greek Orthodox Holy Archdiocesan Cathedral of St. Eustathios, 221 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, officiated by Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis.
12.00 pm Parade and wreath laying ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance, with the participation of religious, consular and political representatives and veterans.
12.30 pm Visit to the Cretan olive tree planted by Veterans of the Battle of Crete in the Domain Gardens.
1.00 pm Ceremony at the Australian Hellenic Memorial in Domain Gardens hosted by the Australian Hellenic Memorial Foundation.
2.30 pm Luncheon in honour of the visiting officers of the Greek Armed Forces, at the Cretan Village, Pancretan Association of Melbourne, 90 Cathies Lane, Wantirna South.
The Victorian commemorations are co-ordinated by the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne & Victoria and the Pancretan Association of Melbourne.