PRIME MINISTER
EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
LAUNCHING OF THE NATIONAL APPEAL FOR THE
AUSTRALIAN-HELLENIC MEMORIAL
CANBERRA 1 APRIL 1987
Your ExcellIency, Your Eminence, Sir William Refshauge,
Distinguiched guests, ladies and gentlemen,
The last few weeks have been especially important ones for
the Greek-Aunstralian community.
Just over a fortnight ago, I had the pleasure of opening the
Greek Australian Conference in Melbourne. This was an
important conference, organised by the Victorian Government,
the Greek Government and the Australian-Greek community and
attended by a distinguished group of visitors from Greece
including miembers of the Greek Cabinet and Parliament, and
of business and academia.
Last week it was Greek National Day, which was celebrated in
Melbourne with the Antipodes Festival. This was the first
time the Greek-Australian cultural experience had been
celebrated Lnr this form and it was a great pleasure for me
to speak to a huge crowd in Lonsdale Street. The festival
was a magnificent success, not just for Greek-Australians
but for the whole community.
Then yesterday we saw Yiannis Kouros cross the finish line
to win the Sydney to Melbourne ultra-marathon and winning
as well, I m~ ight add, the respect of sports lovers across
Australia for a nearly superhuman performance. I am fully
aware that Cie word " marathon" is rooted in Greek history
but Yiannis Kouros' achievement of the past week I believe
at least rivals that of the original marathon runner
Pheidippides.
Tonight it is my pleasure to speak once more on an issue of
concern to the Australian-Greek community to launch the
fund raising appeal for the Australian-Hellenic Memorial.
The Greek Conference, the Antipodes Festival and the
Australian-H-ellenic Memorial all serve to remind us how
successful have been our joint efforts to build a
multicultural society which seeks to create equality of
opportunity for all Australians rather than isolated
privilege for a few.
2
Those events of course remind us specifically of the size
and importance of the contribution which people of Greek
origin have made to the Australian community.
Since the beginning of European settlement Australia and
Greece have shared many experiences. Like so many of our
forebears did, Greeks first arrived in this country in 1829
as convicts.
Since then the Greek contribution to this nation has been
felt and appreciated in virtually every industry and
occupation and in virtually every town and city and I am
proud to saiy, it has been particularly strongly felt and
appreciated in the Australian Labor Party.
Part of the reason for the success of this Greek
contribution to Australia is that the relationship between
Australia and Greece is based on our shared commitment to
the ideals of freedom and democracy ideals which we honour
in peacetime and for which we have, together, demonstrated
we are willing to fight to preserve.
it is this aspect of our relationship we remember this
evening. To thousands of former Australian servicemen, the name
Greece recalls the bloody days of 1941, when mainland Greece
and the island of Crete became crucial battlefields in the
fight against fascism.
The Australian-Hellenic Memorial is being constructed to
commemorate all those who died in the Greek Campaign, both
on the mainland and in the Battle for Crete.
It will also commemorate those who died at sea while serving
with the Royal Australian Navy and the Merchant Marine in
the Mediterranean. The Royal Australian Air Force, women of
the nursine cervices, special covert forces, as well as
those who died on Greek soil during World War 1, will also
be commemorated.
And of very great significance, the Memorial will also
recall the Greek civilians who risked their lives in helping
Australian and other allied soldiers to safety and who, for
these acts of heroism, frequently were harshly punished.
These terrible experiences Australians and Greeks shared
during wartime at least had this lasting benefit staunch
friendships were forged in those dark days and they have
endured and have been passed down to succeeding generations.
The members of the RSL have long treasured this friendship.
The newly-formed Greek branch of the RSED in the ACT, and its
active ladies auxiliary, are powerful evidence of this.
So when, Sir William, you approached the Government last
year on behalf of the Australian veterans of the Greek
campaign and the Greek community in Australia, with the
3
proposal to erect an Australian-Hellenic Memorial, we were
pleased to do what we could to help.
we have made available a site for the Memorial at the top of
Anzac Parade, opposite the War Memorial. I was proud to
announce this last year on Anzac Day in Athens, and to
receive the encouragement of Prime Minister Papandreou and
the Greek Government.
Tonight, I an pleased to launch the Fund Raising Appeal for
the construction of the Memorial.
The Austra'icin-Hellenic Memorial Committee intends to raise
all funds ior the Memorial from the community without
seeking the direct financial assistance of the Federal
Government. My Government will however be helping the Appeal. I am
pleased to announce we have decided to make donations to
this fund deductible until 31 July 1989.
Since the Committee is keen to encourage donatione of
$ 10,000 or more, it has suggested that I sign certificates
to be given benefactors of such gifts. am happy to do
this. In raising the funds for the Memorial, the ex-service and
Greek communities in Australia intend that it be a*
presentation to the people of Australia in commemoration of
those who fell in the cause of freedom.
It is expected that the Memorial be dedicated in May 1988 as
a major Bicenitennial activity and to coincide with the
anniversaryT of the Battle for Crete.
The Australian-Hellenic Memorial will be certainly a fitting
memorial to those who fought and who sacrificed their lives
in the causo of freedom.'
But it will be more: it will be a symbol of the lasting
ties between two great peoples, ties of friendship in the
past, ties rogularly fortified today through the vigour and
creativity oZ the Greek-Australian community, and ties which
will endure~ into a shared and constructive future.