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| Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
Last Saturday, the 8th August, witnessed the unveiling of the first memorial erected in Australia dedicated to the commemoration of Lemnos’ role in Australia’s Anzac story – one hundred years to the day that Australia’s nurses arrived on Lemnos during the Gallipoli campaign.
The unveiling was attended by over 400 people, including many dignitaries and descendents of diggers and nurses who served on Lemnos in 1915.
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| Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
The event commenced with a re-enactment of the arrival of the nurses, to the sound of the bagpipes of Warrant Officer Archibald Monk – played by Piper Alan Leggett and Faye Theyfall and her nurse and digger re-enactors.
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| Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
The launch was accompanied by the release of a commemorative booklet detailing the Lemnos link to Anzac and Port Philip and the story of the creation of the Memorial.
The new Memorial is the work of the Melbourne-based Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee Inc. The Committee was formed in 2011 to promote awareness of Lemnos’ link to Anzac as well as Greece’s link to Anzac across both the First and Second World Wars.
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| Committe President, Lee Tarlamis. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
Mr Lee Tarlamis, President of the Committee, said it was one of the proudest moments of his life:
“Our Committee has worked over the past 4 years to build awareness of Lemnos and its role in Anzac. Our priority project was to create a lasting legacy for the future. The unveiling of the Memorial has been our signature achievement, building on our Lemnos Gallipoli Photographic Exhibition. As a both a son of a Lemnian and a descendent of a digger who served, this is a very proud moment for me and my family.”
Lee’s father was born on Lemnos and immigrated to Australia in the 1968. His mother is descended from Private Edward Tozer, an Anzac who served on Lemnos in 1915.
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| Photo Ange Kenos 2015 |
The MC for the event was Mr Ross Alatsas, Acting Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission and General Manager of the Greek Media Group. The Royal Australian Navy Band performed the Greek and Australian national anthems for the unveiling.
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| Peter Corlett, OAM. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
The Memorial is designed and created by Mr Peter Corlett, OAM, one of Australia’s most well-respected commemorative sculptors. Committee Secretary and historian, Mr Jim Claven, shared with Peter the results of his research into the Lemnos link to Anzac, the role of Australia’s nurses and their hospitals during the Gallipoli campaign, documented in the hundreds of photographs and writings of the Anzacs themselves.
Peter was able to combine these key features of Lemnos’ Anzac link, with his appreciation of Classical Greek sculpture and mythology, and produce a Memorial that speaks of this vital Hellenic connection to Australia’s Gallipoli story. And as the sculptures’ green hue echo’s Classical sculpture, so the Memorial’s stone plinth is a reminder of the stones of Lemnos’ ancient amphitheatre at Hephaestia. Describing his creation, Peter spoke of the Memorial’s debt to women:
“A key aspect of the Lemnos story is the story of women – the nurses who served here in war and healed the sick and injured diggers, and Lemnos’ mythic Queen Hypsipyle and real warrior Princess Maroula.”
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| Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
The Memorial was financially supported by many organisations and individuals as well as by all levels of government, including the City of Port Phillip, who have generously allowed the Memorial to be erected in Albert Park, not far from Princes Pier where the Anzacs departed for Lemnos and Gallipoli.
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| Photo Ange Kenos 2015 |
Cr Amanda Stevens, Mayor of Port Phillip, said that the City was proud to support the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial, given its strong links to the local community:
“Nearly 5,000 diggers and nurses who served in the First World War came from Port Phillip. Many of these served at Gallipoli and would have known Lemnos. Like Albert Park’s Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Mitchell Wilson and Elwood’s Nurse Clarice Daley who both served at the 3rd Australian General Hospital. And of course, Matron Grace Wilson, who returned from the war to be Matron of our local hospital, the Alfred. This new Memorial commemorates the service of nurses and soldiers such as these.”
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| Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
The Committee’s Secretary, historian Mr Jim Claven, addressed the crowd, explaining the historical link between Lemnos, Anzac and the local Port Phillip community. He pointed to the great archive of photographs and words written by the Anzacs themselves which lie in museums and libraries across Australia and overseas which has provided the inspiration for the Committee’s work. He pointed to the small selection featured in the special Commemorative Booklet (below) he has prepared for the event as an example of the richness of this archive.
Mr Claven bemoaned the way that Lemnos has often been left out of the Anzac story and expressed his desire that the Memorial will go a long way to expanding awareness of Lemnos’ part in the experience of the Anzac’s one hundred years ago.
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| Photo Ange Kenos 2015 |
The Hon Michael Danby, MP for Melbourne Ports, said that the Memorial was one of the most important funded under the Federal Government’s Anzac Centenary Community Grants Program and one that he was proud to support.
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| Photo Ange Kenos 2015 |
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| Photo Ange Kenos 2015 |
The event was addressed by the Hon Gavin Jennings, MP, Leader of the Govenrment in the Legislative Council, representing the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, and Ms Christina Simantiraki, Consul-General of Greece. Ms Simantiraki said that the Memorial was a symbol of the long history of the connection between Greece and Australia and one that deserved to be commemorated with its own dedicated sculptures.
The Committee read out a message of congratulations from Brigadier General Kaperonis Panagiotis, Director of Athens War Museum, who announced the Museum’s decision to mount a permanent section of the museum dedicated to telling the Lemnos Gallipoli story and looked forward to working with the Committee on future commemorative activities. During the Anzac Centenary commemorations in Greece, the Committee gifted a copy of its Photographic Exhibition to the Athens War Museum.
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| Former Premier and Chair of the Victorian Anzac Centenary Committee, the Hon Ted Baillieu. Photo Jenny Claven 2015 |
The event was also attended by the Hon Ted Baillieu, former Premier and Chair of the Victorian Anzac Centenary Committee. Ted has been a long-term supporter of our work, having launched our Memorial project at Parliament House a few years ago. Committee supporter, Mr Murray Thompson, MP for Sandringham, also attended the unveiling representing the Victorian Opposition Leader.
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| Dr David Weedon. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
One of the highlights of the event was the participation of many descendents of the actual diggers and nurses who served on Lemnos, with many attending the event from inter-state. Dr David Weedon, a descendent of Matron Grace Wilson, addressed the event and shared some personal memories of Grace, who was well-respected by the nurses she served with. Dr Weedon was a major financial supporter of the project.
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| Our Memorial is unveiled. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
Dr Weedon concluded his address by assisting the President of the Committee, Mr Lee Tarlamis, pull the cord and unveiling the new Memorial.
Here are some other great photographs from the unveiling:
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| Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
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| Our nurse-digger re-enactors. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
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| Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
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| Photo Sonja Kilkenny 2015 |
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| Ms Alison Lendoudis, whose great aunt Nurse Olive Hall, served at the 3rd AGH on Lemnos in 1915. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| Our Sculptor Peter Corlett with Phillip Taylor, a descendant of Private Joseph Lemon of the 5th AIF Battalion, a 21 year old labourer from Footscray who is buried in Lemnos' Portianos Military Cemetery. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| Some of the Wilson family. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| Lee with the Daley-Lawrence family - Richard Hall, Glen and Amy Chapman. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| Judith Gunnarsson and Dr David Weedon at the Memorial. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
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| Judith Gunnarsson and Deb Stewart being interviewed by Nick McCallum of Channel 7. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
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| Dr David Weedon and Judy Campbell of the Wilson family. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
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| Photo Jenny Claven 2015 | |
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| Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
The unveiling was followed by a special cultural and commemorative event, combining Greek refreshments, traditional Greek music and dance and reminiscences by the descendents of the nurses and diggers who served on Lemnos and others.
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| The Hon Martin Foley MP listens to Ms Judith Gunnarsson. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
These included speeches by Ms Judith Gunnarsson, the daughter of Nurse Evelyn Hutt, who served with Grace Wilson at the 3rd Australian General Hospital on Lemnos, Ms Helen O’Connor, a descendent of St Kilda’s Trooper Albert Bent , Nick Dwyer, a descendent of Grace Wilson, and the Reverend Richard Hall, who addressed the assembly on behalf of the families of Nurse Clarice Daley and Sergeant Ernest Lawrence, who were famously married on Lemnos during the Gallipoli campaign.
Judith remarked on the great respect that her mother had for Grace Wilson and that she had retained strong memories of her time on Lemnos. Helen recounted how our Committee's website had enabled the return to the family of the medals of her relative Trooper Albert Bent. Rev Richard Hall talked of holding Nurse Clarice Daley's hymn book from Lemnos.
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| The Rev Richard Hall. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| Helen O'Connor and brother Jim, with the medals of their relative St Kilda's Trooper Albert Bent. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
Former Victorian Anzac Student Prizer Winner, Mr Michael Manoussakis, recounted the story of how he visited the grave of Private Peter Rados, a Hellenic Anzac from Asia Minor, who was one of the 12 Anzacs of Greek-birth or background who served at Gallipoli.
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| Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
Two students from Albert Park College also addressed the crowd, recounting the stories of Corporal Albert Jacka VC who would return to be Mayor of St Kilda, and that of Albert Park’s Corporal George Finlay Knight, who is buried in Lemnos’ East Mudros Military Cemetery.
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| Trooper Albert Bent. NAA |
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| Nurse Clarice Daley an Sergeant Ernest Lawrence on their wedding day, Lemnos 1915. AWM |
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| Grave stone of Corporal George Finlay Knight, East Mudros Military Cemetery. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
The Memorial also honours those ordinary men and women who served – like Elwood’s Nurse Clarice Daley, St Kilda builder’s labourer Trooper Albert Bent and electrician Corporal George Knight. This is one of the reasons that three trade unions – the Electrical Trade Union, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation have been strong financial supporters of the creation of this Memorial.
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| Sponsors plaque, Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial, Albert Park. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| The Cretan Brotherhood Dance Group. Photo Cretan Brotherhood 2015 |
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| The Pontiaki Estia Melbourne Victoria Dance Group. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| The Pontiaki Estia Melbourne Victoria Dance Group. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
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| The Hellenic Cultural Association of Melbourne (A Periklis) Dance Group. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
A feature of the cultural event were performances by three dance groups – the Hellenic Cultural Association of Melbourne (A Periklis ) Dance Group, the Cretan Brotherhood Dance Group and the Pontiaki Estia Melbourne Victoria Dance Group.
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| The Cretan and Asia Minor volunteers on Lemnos 1915. State Library of Victoria |
These traditional performances were in honour of the Greek contribution to Anzac – by the Lemnians who supported the Anzacs on Lemnos, by the Cretan and Asia Minor volunteers – as well as Private Peter Rados – who fought alongside their Anzac allies all those years ago.
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| Mezzo-soprano Karen van Spall, with composer Mr David Kram. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
The event concluded with a special performance by renowned Melbourne mezzo-soprano Karen van Spall singing the Grace Wilson aria, written by Mr Kevin O’Flaherty and accompanied by composer Mr David Kram.
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| Some members and supporters of the Committee at the Memorial. Thanks to Eleni Kydas and Michael Ciprian for dressing in traditional Lemnian costume for our event. Photo Anthony Leong 2015 |
Mr Tarlamis said that the unveiling of the Memorial was a tribute to work of the many members and supporters of the Committee.
“The Memorial builds on the work of our Committee in raising awareness of Lemnos’ role in Anzac both in Australia and in Greece over the past 4 years and our landmark Lemnos Gallipoli Photographic Exhibition which has been launched in Athens and Melbourne and will soon tour Australia.”
He looked forward to the realisation of our next project in the New Year – the publication a major new authoritative publication telling the Lemnos Anzac story, featuring many of the photographs taken by the Anzac’s themselves and the words of the Anzacs from their diaries, letters and memoirs telling of their experience of Lemnos. This will be another major achievement for our Committee and a legacy for future generations.
Mr Tarlamis and Mr Claven thanked all the participants who contributed to the success of the event.
"The contributions of the descendents was an important part of the event and we were all honoured by their presence. We especially thank all those who traveled inter-state to be at the event - many of these descendents of the nurses and diggers of Lemnos, including many members of the Wilson family. To Alan Leggett and Faye Threyfall and her re-enactment group. To the Royal Australian Navy band for their excellent performance. To Eleni Kydas and Michael Ciprian for dressing in traditional Lemnian costume and honouring the Memorial. To the three Greek dance groups for their special contribution to the event. To Oakliegh's Nikos and Vanilla for donating their lovely cakes for the event. To Christina Despoteris who coordinated the invitations and RSVP's for the event. To Liz Kaydos of the Lemnos 1915 group in Sydney who has been a tireless worker promoting Lemnos and who traveled to Melbourne for our event. To the City of Port Philip and its staff - especially Sandra Khazam. To our MC Ross Alatsas of the Greek Media Group. And finally to all our volunteers on the day - Helen Constas, Ange Kenos, Sam Tarlamis, Nik Kydas, Ken Volaris, Vicky Kyritsis, Terry Kanellos, Steve Kyritsis, Arlene and James Bennett, John Salpigitidis and Chris Mingos."
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| Channel 7's Nick McCallum interviewing Glen Chapman (right) and the Rev Richard Hall, descendents of Nurse Clarice Daley and Sergeant Ernest Lawrence. Photo Jim Claven 2015 |
They also thanked the media who attended and reported our event - Nick MacCallum and
Channel 7, Dina Gerolymou and SBS Radio, Chris Gogos and Neos Kosmos, Ta Nea and Babis
Petrakis and the Greek Reporter.
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| SBS's Dina Gerolymou interviews Ms Jenny Mikakos, MP for Northern Metropolitan Region and Minister. Photo Greek Anzacs 2015 |
They believe that the new Memorial will be a place of commemoration for future generations, a pointer for further learning and appreciation of the service of these thousands of young Australians, those that remain in its war graves and the Lemnians and other Hellenes who supported them.
Below are more photographs from the unveiling.
If you would like more information or like to join the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee, please contact Lee Tarlamis –
leetarlamis@hotmail.com.au; or Jim Claven –
jimclaven@yahoo.com.au.
Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee
The Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial
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