The Domain, Sydney
[ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OMITTED]
It's a great honour to join you for Greek Independence Day.
The Greek struggle for independence which began in 1821 not only freed a nation - it inspired the world.
When the Greek people fought for the rights and liberties “graven ... in the hearts of all men” you won the admiration of all free people and it is an admiration you have never forfeited since.
This is a day of seriousness and also of enjoyment: a day to commemorate great patriots and a day to celebrate what they won and what their descendants have built around the world.
It's strange to think that at the time of independence, most Greeks had not even heard of Australia.
Back in 1832 a Greek geography textbook advised that “very little is known about [Australia] ... And scarcely anything is worth mentioning”.
Fortunately for us, your ancestors didn't believe that!
Instead, you've come here, throughout our history, stayed here, raised families and built a proud community.
This Government works with you: we support Greek language in the national curriculum, our National Culture Policy is accessible to your community, our aged care programs are culturally and linguistically sensitive.
It's also no surprise that the people who invented the very idea of citizenship are among the most enthusiastic of all our migrant communities to become citizens of this country.
Let mecongratulate the local Greek community and Government of Greece for revivingour joint military heritage - especially rememberingthe island of Lemnos as the base for the Gallipoli campaign, as well as remembering the Greek campaign and the Battle of Crete in the Second World War.
This has quite a personal aspect for me, as some of you know.
During World War One, my mother's father, Alexander MacKenzie, fought alongside the Greeks in the Salonika Front in northern Greece.
When my grandfather left Barry in Wales in 1915 he left as a very young man ready to fight for freedom - when he returned home after three years of war he brought home with him the wounds he earned in service.
He also brought home a great privilege - the memory that he had fought for freedom alongside the Greeks, the knowledge that he had fought for freedom in freedom's home.
He witnessed your people's great courage and sacrifice and I was proud to commemorate that with you today.
My grandfather also witnessed the great generosity of people who know how to celebrate, and I am very glad to see this hasn't changed!
In what is now Thessaloniki it would have been the first time he tasted feta cheese and olive.
BeingWelsh he certainlyenjoyed Greek hospitality with local wines, beer and the tsipouro.
So enjoy that too!
I know many families are focused on economic issues in Greece and Cyprus. We wish them well.And we wish peace and justice for Cyprus.
My congratulations on today's magnificent occasion.
It's a marvellous day to commemorate and celebrate!
A great day to remember - and to have fun.
Enjoy.