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| Lee Tarlamis, President of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee (at left) and Jim Claven, Secretary of the Committee (at right) congratulating the Hon Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria, on his announcement. |
The Premier of Victoria, the Hon Daniel Andrews MP, has announced a suite of new initiatives to enhance the commemoration of Lemnos’ link to Australia’s Gallipoli story. The initiatives total nearly $180,000 in funding.This announcement was made during his recent visit to Greece.
The initiatives include a special delegation of Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize alumni who will travel to Lemnos – and to the Western Front - in 2018. The special tour to mark the anniversary will see 10 participants from the first 10 years of the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Program travel to Greece to witness the commemoration of the centenary of the signing of the Armistice of Mudros on the 30th October 1918, ending hostilities in the region 100 years ago. The Andrews Labor Government will provide $150,000 towards the tour.
The initiatives include a special delegation of Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize alumni who will travel to Lemnos – and to the Western Front - in 2018. The special tour to mark the anniversary will see 10 participants from the first 10 years of the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Program travel to Greece to witness the commemoration of the centenary of the signing of the Armistice of Mudros on the 30th October 1918, ending hostilities in the region 100 years ago. The Andrews Labor Government will provide $150,000 towards the tour.
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| The Victorian Premiers Anzac Student Prize awardees on Lemnos |
The Government will also provide $5,000 to Mudros High School in Lemnos to further strengthen the ties between Victorian and Lemnos school students developed over previous Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize Tours.
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| Lemnos students take part in the annual Anzac commemorative services on the Island. Photo Jim Claven 2014 |
The Government will also contribute $2,000 to Melbourne’s Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee to support its work in formally recognising the significance of the ‘Australian Pier’ on the shores of Mudros Bay in Lemnos. This grant will support our efforts for a permanent memorial marker on Lemnos restoring the name of this pier built by Australian soldiers in March 1915 – and still in use today.
And finally, the Government will also provide an additional $20,000 in support to the forthcoming Lemnos Gallipoli commemorative publication under production by the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee. This is in addition to an initial Victorian Government grant of $10,000 in support of the publication. As has been reported previously in Neos Kosmos, this publication will feature the reproduction of hundreds of original photographs of Lemnos taken by the Anzacs in 1915. It will tell the stories of the 148 diggers buried in Lemnos’ two commonwealth war cemeteries and the Australian nurses who served there – many of them from Victoria.
And finally, the Government will also provide an additional $20,000 in support to the forthcoming Lemnos Gallipoli commemorative publication under production by the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee. This is in addition to an initial Victorian Government grant of $10,000 in support of the publication. As has been reported previously in Neos Kosmos, this publication will feature the reproduction of hundreds of original photographs of Lemnos taken by the Anzacs in 1915. It will tell the stories of the 148 diggers buried in Lemnos’ two commonwealth war cemeteries and the Australian nurses who served there – many of them from Victoria.
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| East Mudros Military Cemetery. Photo Jim Claven |
Premier Daniel Andrews said that he was proud to pay homage to Lemnos’ special place in Australia’s wartime story. He went to explain that these initiatives would further ensure awareness and links amongst young Australians and their counterparts on Lemnos.
“The special delegation to mark 100 years since the Mudros Armistice and the end of the war in November 1918 is a wonderful opportunity for our best and brightest Spirit of Anzac Prize alumni to return to Greece and reflect on the Australians who gave their lives at war. It’s so important for our kids to learn about this time in our history and the sacrifices our veterans made – by supporting schools and organisations connected to Lemnos we’re ensuring they can,” the Premier said.
Mr. Lee Tarlamis, President of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee, welcomed these announcements.
“These initiatives will enhance the various efforts made over recent years by our Committee, the Victorian Government and the authorities on Lemnos to build awareness of Lemnos’ link to Anzac. We are thrilled with the Government’s decision.”
“The special delegation to mark 100 years since the Mudros Armistice and the end of the war in November 1918 is a wonderful opportunity for our best and brightest Spirit of Anzac Prize alumni to return to Greece and reflect on the Australians who gave their lives at war. It’s so important for our kids to learn about this time in our history and the sacrifices our veterans made – by supporting schools and organisations connected to Lemnos we’re ensuring they can,” the Premier said.
Mr. Lee Tarlamis, President of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee, welcomed these announcements.
“These initiatives will enhance the various efforts made over recent years by our Committee, the Victorian Government and the authorities on Lemnos to build awareness of Lemnos’ link to Anzac. We are thrilled with the Government’s decision.”
Mr.
Tarlamis was particularly keen to commence work on the erection of the new
memorial commemorating the Australian Pier at Mudros on Lemnos.
“It was only recently that our Secretary and
Historian, Mr. Jim Claven, was able to reveal the story of the Australian Pier.
Built by Australian soldiers in March 1915 as they assisted in the landing of
Australian medical services onto Lemnos, the pier was known locally and to the
Allied forces as the ‘Australian Pier’ as indicated by Allied maps. It remains
in use to this day and the restoration of this name will be another physical
reminder of Lemnos’ link to Anzac. We hope that it will be included in the
annual commemorative services conducted on Lemnos.”
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| HMS Agamemnon - on which the Armistice of Mudros was signed at Lemnos on October 1918. |
He added that the Government’s additional support for the
forthcoming Lemnos and Gallipoli commemorative publication will enable further
copies of the publication to be produced and its release will support the
commemoration of the Armistice of Mudros in 2018. He also welcomed the initiatives to enhance
connections between the young people of Lemnos and Victoria.
This post is an edited version of the recent news article printed in Neos Kosmos. To read and download the full media report, please click here.Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee
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