Anzac Day Commemorations

AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY ATHENS

PRESS RELEASE

The Australian Embassy in Athens will commemorate ANZAC Day, the annual commemoration of fallen Australian and New Zealand soldiers in all wars, in ceremonies in Lemnos at the East Mudros Commonwealth Military Cemetery on Monday 23 April at 12 noon, and in Athens at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Alimos on Wednesday 25 April at 11am.

The ceremonies will be attended by Australian veterans and their families, as well as Australian members of parliament and representatives of the Australian and Greek Governments. Both events are open to the public.

On ANZAC Day around the world, Australians gather to honour the first ANZACs, Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915, Australia's first major military campaign in which 50,000 Australians participated. Nearly 9,000 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders died, along with countless others from Britain, France, India and Turkey. One in twenty-five Australians was a casualty during WW1 overall.

Lemnos was the main logistical support base for the Gallipoli campaign, home to the Australian hospital and a place of refuge for wounded Australian soldiers. Several hundreds are buried there.

As part of this year's commemorations, school students from Livadohori in Lemnos and St Spyridon College in Sydney will reflect on these bonds in an on-line communication during which they will discuss the historical links between the two nations.

Australian Ambassador Mrs Jenny Bloomfield said that this year's commemoration was an important occasion to remember the fallen soldiers, as well as the shared history between our two countries.

"From the coast of Lemnos where the first ANZACs embarked on the Gallipoli campaign which shaped our nation, to the battlefields of Crete fighting against Nazi invasion in 1941, Australians and Greeks have fought together for democracy and freedom and have formed lasting bonds of friendship".

"On 25 April as we remember those we have lost, we also remember the values that define our nation - courage, sacrifice, mateship, compassion, as well as our common humanity. These are values that Australians and Greeks both share, and which are more important than ever in overcoming the challenges currently facing Greece. Australia stands by Greece as it addresses these challenges and we believe it can emerge stronger than ever from the crisis".

ATHENS

19 April 2012