Victorian Students to Tour Lemnos - 2016 Premiers Spirit of Anzac Student Prize Winners Announced

Our President, Lee Tarlamis, Vice President Christina Despoteris, Anzac Prize winner Spencer Glenfield from Albert Park College and myself. Photo Jim Claven 2016

On 3rd Febuary, the winners of this years Victorian Premier's Spirit of Anzac Student Prize were announced by the Hon John Eren, MP, Minister for Veterans.
The Minister spoke movingly of his participation in the Centenary services at Gallipoli last year.
I had the pleasure, along with Lee Tarlamis and Christina Despoteris, our President and Vice-President, to be invited to attend this announcement.
Also present were our Committee Patron, Lambis Englezos, Committee member, Steve Kyritsis, also of the RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch.
Lemnos
As with the last two years, this years overseas tour winners will again walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs - soldiers and nurses - on Lemnos. In 2013 Monash University's Professor Bruce Scates and myself lobbied for Lemnos to be included in future Gallipoli tours. This was agreed and in 2104 at the request of the Victorian Veteran's Unit I made a presentation detailing the Lemnos link to Anzac to the student tour group at RSL House in Melbourne. It is great to see that the inclusion of Lemnos is continuing.

Minister for Veterans, the Hon John Eren, one of the Anzac Prize winners and Sharon Knight MP, Victorian Anzac Centenary Committee. Photo Jim Claven 2016

As the Media Release states:
"The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize tour group will follow in the footsteps of our World War I veterans as they visit places of national significance at Lemnos, Gallipoli and the Western Front. The 2016 tour is a unique chance for Year 10 and 11 students to reflect on the spirit of the Australians who gave their lives for their country."
The Victorian Government has expanded the number of places for students selected for the overseas tour from 12 to 22. A further 20 students have been selected to visit Canberra and the Australian War Memorial.
Albert Park College Student Selected for the Tour
One of the winners of the overseas tour was Spencer Glenfield of Albert Park College - where our Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial is located. You will remember that the College participated in our Memorial launch last year.
A Visit to the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial?
Christina discussed with a number of the winners and their schools of the possibility of their visiting our Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial before they leave for Lemnos and Gallipoli in March 2016. What a great idea for these students to see the Memorial in Melbourne and then to visit Lemnos itself, and to tell the people of Lemnos of the Memorial to their Island and its connection to Gallipoli all the way back in Melbourne.
Well done Christina for proposing this initiative and opportunity for the students - hopefully this will occurr and become and annual event.
Discussions will be had with the Victorian Veterans Unit and school participants to see if this can occur.

Our Committee Patron Lambis Englezos, Cr Wayne Smith (and one of the teachers who assess the student's efforts), Vice President Christina Despoteris, Spencer Glenfield of Albert Park College and Lee Tarlamis, our Committee President. Photo Jim Claven 2016.

Some of the Spirit of Anzac Student Prize winners. Photo Jim Claven 2016

To read the Minister's Press Release, please click here.
Jim Claven 
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee