Subjects: Pilgrimage to Greece and Crete
E&OE..................
Thank you very much Bruce Scott, Mrs Scott, Your Excellency the Ambassador for Greece, Your Excellency the Administrator of the Northern Territory, General Leahy, General Stevens, Bruce Ruxton the President of the Victorian RSL. And very importantly the men and women of Australia who are going in our name and in remembrance of what you did 60 years ago on this very special pilgrimage to honour the battles of Greece and Crete 60 years ago.
It is appropriate in what is proudly the largest Hellenic Centre outside of Greece that we should gather here in the city of Melbourne to farewell this pilgrimage. To say again on behalf of a grateful nation how much we are in the dept of those people who risked all and in too many cases gave all in the defence of freedom 60 years ago. The men of Australia and New Zealand with their British and Greek allies faced overwhelming odds in the battles of Greece and Crete 60 years ago. And out of that tragic but valiant encounter, there developed a bond of friendship between the people of Greece and the people of Australia that is remembered very warmly today and is symbolised by the gathering here, not only of the veterans of that campaign but so many members of the Greek community here in Melbourne.
That battle was the prelude to the Nazi occupation of Greece which was to claim through starvation some 425,000 Greek lives and the execution of some 25,000 through reprisals. It was therefore a very tragic and long remembered moment in the history of Greece and also in the alliance between the people of Greece, the people of Australia and other democratic, freedom loving countries.
But very importantly today is also an opportunity for me, on behalf of the people of Australia, not only the Government but I know that all the people of Australia to express our gratitude to the men who gave so much, to their widows and to all of those associated with that campaign 60 years ago. It was very costly in lives, it did not achieve its immediate military objective, but it cemented the bonds between the people of Greece and the people of Australia. And as the Minister has already said it brought together for the first time on the 26th anniversary of the landing of Gallipoli, it brought together the ANZAC troops, the troops of Australia and New Zealand once again fighting under the name ANZAC.
I think it is important that this country take care to honour, not only in a general way the contribution of those who fought to defend our freedoms, to preserve the Federation that we have so proudly celebrated over the last week here in Melbourne. But I think it';s also important as part of an understanding of the history of our country and the history of our fighting men and women that we focus specifically on individual campaigns. And I know that the 22 members of this pilgrimage that will go to Greece and Crete will go with many memories. It will be a very emotional occasion for them. It';s an occasion, can I say to all of you, that you should experience with unconditional pride. And you should know as you go on your pilgrimage to Greece and Crete that you go with the good wishes of the people of Australia. You go with our thanks, you go as the creators of a great legacy of friendship between the people of Greece and the people of Australia. But most importantly you go as representatives of an heroic generation of Australians who sacrificed in too many cases and in all cases risked all to defend the way of life that we enjoy here today.
So on behalf of the Australian Government and personally on my behalf I wish all of you bon voyage. I hope you enjoy it, I hope it is a source of warmth and pride and recollection and nostalgia. You also go, I know, with the good wishes of all Australians of Greek descent, for whom your deeds and your valour mean so very much in a very special way. I hope it';s a great pilgrimage and all enjoy it and all return well and nourished by such an experience.