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The tour party at the memorial at East Mudros
Military Cemetery.
Photo Spirit of Anzac Prize (SOAP) 2014 |
An important
milestone in Greece’s build up to the Centenary of Anzac in 2015 occurred last
week. For the first time an official delegation of Victorian school students was
welcomed to the northern Aegean Island of Lemnos to appreciate its connection
to Anzac.
The students
took part in the annual Anzac commemorative service conducted at East Mudros Military
Cemetery, which was held on 7th April.
Ms Jenny
Bloomfield, Australian Ambassador to Greece, and Australian Deputy Chief of
Navy, Rear Admiral Michael van Balen were in attendance, along with senior
representatives of the Hellenic Military as well as local Lemnian authorities and church
and representatives.
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Beaufort student Bianca Gerrard placing a poppy at
the grave of Private Chisholm, East Mudros.Photo SOAP 2014
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A moving part
of the service was the speech prepared by Beaufort Secondary College student, Bianca Gerrard.
She recounted the story of an Anzac from near her home town of Beaufort, 19
year old Private Donald Chisholm of the 23rd
Battalion, who is buried at East Mudros Military Cemetery – along with 97 other
Australians.
Her speech included a moving poem she had written
for the occasion, ending with the following touching words:
“On the beautiful island of Lemnos a safe haven was found,
The relief of relaxing on a temporary sporting ground,
Wounds were tended to,
And the nurses touch a blessing,
We remember you today,
Thank you for your sacrifice and service,
The ANZAC’s that fought for us,
Lest we forget.”
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| The Victorian Veterans, accompanied by one of the students, pay their respects at East Mudros Military Cemetery. Photo SOAP 2014 |
Commemorative wreaths
were laid, including by the two Australian veterans who accompanied the tour, Peter
Colliver and David Gilroy.
The twelve
secondary school students hailed from across Victoria were all selected by the
Victorian Government as the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize Winners for 2014.
Along with the students and two teachers, the delegation was led by Dr Bill
Sykes, MP, representing the Victorian Government. Tour historian is Monash
University’s Professor Bruce Scates, Chair of History and Australian Studies at Monash
University.
The students
were made very welcome on Lemnos – with one of the students ending her blog
post with καληνύχτα.
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| The Victorian students are interviewed by local Lemnian radio. Photo SOAP 2014 |
The students
were welcomed to Lemnos on arrival at a special dinner. Demetri Boulotis,
Deputy Mayor of Lemnos, welcomed the students on behalf of the Lemnians
municipality. This was held at the beautiful Myrina harbour – where the Anzac’s
sat and enjoyed Lemnian hospitality in 1915.
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| Bill Sykes, MP, Government Tour Leader, hands Deputy Mayor of Lemnos,
Demetri Boulotis, a framed photo of the Shrine of Remembrance, depicting the olive tree from the World War I courtyard in the foreground. Photo SOAP 2014 |
Dr Sykes
presented the Municipality with a specially framed picture of the Melbourne
Shrine of Remembrance – the design of which was based on the famed ancient
Greek Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
The students
were also welcomed by the Moudros Senior High School community, including head
teacher Ms Papapanagiotou and her students. Hopefully this will be the first of
many links between Victorian and Lemnos students researching the Anzac and
Gallipoli story.
The students
were also able to appreciate some of Lemnos’ history, with a tour of the
ancient settlement of Poliochni and Myrina’s Venetian castle. |
| The students meet some new Greek friends at East Mudros Military Cemetery. Photo SOAP 2014 |
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Some of the Victorian students
at the Ancient site of Poliochni, with the remains of the world's first
parliament in the background.Photo SOAP 2014
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Mr Jim
Claven, historian and secretary of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee,
worked with the organisers and liaised with the Lemnians authorities to make
the student’s visit a good one.
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| The view from Myrina's Venetian fortress. Photo SOAP 2014 |
“We worked hard to make sure the
student’s visited the key Anzac sites on Lemnos – from Myrina’s harbour and
castle, through East Moudros harbour, the 148 Australian graves across the two
Commonwealth Military Cemeteries and Portianou’s “Anzac cafe” to the sites of
the Australian Hospitals and the hot baths of Therma”, he said.
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| Enjoying a break at Portianou's "Anzac Cafe". Photo SOAP 2014 |
Mr Claven
said that this has given the students a great understanding of the role of
Lemnos in Australia’s Anzac story and the continuing relationship between
Australia and Greece.
“It was particular good to see that
the some of the students researched some of the diggers who died and are buried
on Lemnos as well the nurses who served there in 1915.”
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Laura Bishop of West Footscray
remembers Sister Kit McNaughton and the nurses of Lemnos by placing a poppy on
the grave of Canadian Nurse Munro at Portianou Military Cemetery.
Photo SOAP 2014 |
Apart from Bianca, Laura Bishop of West Footscray
who attends Westbourne Grammar School, selected
Nursing Sister Catherine McNaughton who served as one of the 130 Australian
nurses on Lemnos.
And Michael Manoussakis, from Mill Park who attends Marymede Catholic
College, chose to research the story of the Greek Australian digger, Peter
Rados. Private Rados was the one of the
twelve Anzacs of Hellenic heritage who saw service at Gallipoli. Born in Athens,
he was a 24 year old cook from Melbourne when he enlisted into the 3rd Battalion of the Australian Imperial
Force. He was killed at Gallipoli on 19th May 1915 and lies at in Ari Burnu
Cemetery, along with another 150 of his Australian comrades.
Mr Lee
Tarlamis MP and President of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee added
that the Lemnos authorities and Mudros Senior Secondary School were very happy
with the visit and hoped it would be the first of many.
“It’s great that Greek authorities
like those on Lemnos are telling the story of Anzac and the ongoing link
between Australia and Greece. This can only be good for both countries”, he said.
Mr Tarlamis
said that the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee was committed to working
with Australian and Greek authorities to make sure that successful tours like
this were only the first of many more to come.
The students
will now go from Lemnos to visit Gallipoli, where Michael
Manoussakis visited Peter Rados’ grave at Ani Burni Cemetery near Anzac Cove, and then on to Western France. The Lermnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee would like to congratulate the Victorian students on their successful commemorative tour of Lemnos and the Victorian Government and Tour organisers (especially Professor Scates and Patricia Pollard) for including Lemnos in this years tour. We would like to thank Ms Papapanagiotou and her students at Moudors Senior Secondary School.
And we would especially like to thank Demetri Boulotis, Deputy Mayor of Lemnos and a good friend of our Committee and the Anzac story for supporting this important tour. Well done Demetri.
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| The Victorian students, a field of Lemnian poppies and Mudros harbour beyond. Photo SOAP 2014 |
Readers wishing to follow the student’s tour can read their daily reports on their tour blog at -
2014 Premiers Spirit of Anzac Blog
Neos Kosmos recently ran a story about Michael Manoussakis, whose family trace their heritage to nearby Imbros Island, close to both Lemnos and Gallipoli. Click here to read this story.
Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee
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