Melbourne’s Greek community came together over the weekend to mark the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete—one of the defining moments of Greek resistance in World War II and a powerful symbol of solidarity between Greece, Australia and New Zealand.
Honouring courage at the Shrine of Remembrance
The weekend of events began with a wreath-laying ceremony on Saturday morning at the Shrine of Remembrance and the nearby Australian Hellenic Memorial. Organised by the Coordinating Council for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and Mainland Greece, the ceremony honoured the thousands of Greeks, Australian and New Zealand soldiers—and the many Cretan civilians—who resisted and many paid the ultimate sacrifice against the Nazi invasion in May 1941.
Dignitaries from federal and state governments, the Hellenic and Australian armed forces, RSL representatives, church leaders, and descendants of veterans were all present. Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta and Greek Consul General Dimitra Georgakopoulou both delivered messages that linked memory with duty—urging younger generations to never forget the sacrifices made for freedom.
A living heritage through dance and music
On Friday evening, the commemorations opened formally at the Cretan House in Brunswick, where youth dance groups performed traditional Cretan dances in full costume. The performances were met with warm applause, underscoring how cultural tradition remains central to commemorative practice.
The celebration continued on Sunday at the Cretan Village in Wantirna South, where the Cretan Brotherhood and Pancretan Association hosted a dinner dance. Visiting musicians Giorgos Alexandronakis and Nikos Papadogiannis from Crete performed to a packed hall. The atmosphere was festive yet mindful, marking survival, loss, and resilience in equal measure.
Greek military delegation deepens historic ties
A key feature of this year’s anniversary was the attendance of an official delegation from the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence. Vice Admiral Theodoros Mikropoulos, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, was joined by Commander Dimitrios Lekakakos and Colonel Kyriakos Kyriakakos, Greece’s Defence Attaché in Canberra. Their participation highlighted the importance of the Cretan campaign in Greek military memory and reaffirmed the enduring relationship between the two nations.
Legacy of the Battle of Crete endures
Though Crete ultimately fell, the bravery of Cretan civilians and the solidarity between Greek and ANZAC soldiers forged a lasting bond—one of shared sacrifice, mutual respect, and resistance in the face of overwhelming odds.
That spirit of resistance and the bonds forged in battle against the Nazi occupiers still resonates across the generations of Greek Australians. For Greek Australians, the annual commemorations are not simply about looking back—they are about holding on to a history that speaks to the blood sacrifice between Greeks and ANZACS, between Greece, Australia and NZ.
