Melbourne’s 25th March celebrations have been branded a rousing success after 15,000 Greeks turned out to the annual parade to the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne last Sunday.
The march was attended by Premier Ted Baillieu, Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews, Simon Crean MP representing the Prime Minister, the Greek Consul-General in Melbourne Eleni Lianidou and Bishop Ezekiel. The Greek parliament was also represented by a bipartisan three-member delegation including Ilias Karanikas, Chair of the Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Abroad (PASOK), Marios Salmas (New Democracy) and Ioannis Ziogas (Communist Party of Greece).
Chair of the Organising Committee Kostas Nikolopoulos said the crowd was close to a record turnout. “On behalf of the organising committee I’d like to thank the Greek community for turning out en masse, for respecting the Shrine, and for adding colour and pride to the National Day celebrations,” he said following the event. More than 65 schools, church groups and community organisations took part in the march, including about 3500 children.
“The striking aspect was the high number of children, of all ages, that took part in the march, including some infants in national costume,” Mr Nikolopoulos said. It was an event of firsts, with Premier Ted Baillieu and Consul-General Eleni Lianidou attending the march for the first time in their new roles.
Speaking at the event, the Premier highlighted the shared histories of Greece and Australia, and paid tribute to the Greek community’s contribution to the state of Victoria. “There is no community at all that has done more for multicultural Victoria and indeed multicultural Australia than the Greek Community, and this celebration is a part of that,” he said. “There is a great spirit of Hellenism, a spirit of 1821. It’s here on display today. It’s here in your hearts and it’s here in that eternal cry, ‘eleftheria i thanatos!’,” Mr Baillieu proclaimed to rapturous applause.
He also thanked Mrs Lianidou and the members of the Greek delegation for attending what he described as an “extraordinary, extraordinary demonstration of Hellenic pride here in the heart of multicultural Melbourne”.
Visiting Chair of the Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Abroad Ilias Karanikas, also declared the celebrations a great success. Speaking to Neos Kosmos from Greece Mr Karanikas said he was excited and encouraged by the event. “There were a lot of people, lots of children that marched but also lots of spectators, in an amazing place,” he said. “I also went to two schools and it was very touching. I don’t think it’s possible to remain unemotional when you go to the other side of the earth and hear children…singing the Greek national anthem. “I thank all the Greeks that I met there, I thank them for their warmth. It’s a community very much alive and welcoming.”
Meanwhile, celebrations also took place in other Australian capitals. Sydney and Adelaide hosted split celebrations as rifts between community groups and the church continued. Rain failed to dampen the Hellenic spirit in Sydney, however, with thousands turning out to the 29th Sydney Greek Festival at Darling Harbour. Tasmania commemorated the National Day with poetry recitals, dancing and speeches at the Centre for Hellenic Cultural Studies, while Queensland Greeks opted to donate funds to the Premier’s Flood Appeal rather than hosting their regular 400-guest reception.