Μια εξαιρετική, αρκετά πρωτότυπη και πολύ επιτυχημένη εκδήλωση οργανώθηκε το βράδυ του Σαββάτου, 19 Μαΐου 2008, στο Town Hall της Μελβούρνης από το Ελληνικό τμήμα του RSL της Μελβούρνης (Ελληνες Παλαιοί Πολεμιστές). Σκοπός της η ανάμνηση της προσφοράς της Ελλάδας και των Ελλήνων στις πολεμικές προσπάθειες της Αυστραλίας τον 20ό αιώνα.

Περισσότερα από 300 άτομα κατέκλυσαν την τεράστια αίθουσα. Πλήθος επωνύμων, Ελλήνων, Αυστραλών και άλλων, ανταποκρίθηκαν στην πρόσκληση των Παλαιών Πολεμιστών. Μεταξύ αυτών πολιτικοί, ανώτεροι αξιωματικοί του Αυστραλιανού στρατού, άνθρωποι των γραμμάτων, εκπρόσωποι οργανισμών και απλοί άνθρωποι που ενδιαφέρονται για τα κοινά.

Η εκδήλωση ήταν άριστα οργανωμένη, το φαγητό εξαιρετικό και τα ποτά άφθονα. Είναι γεγονός ότι όλοι όσοι είχαν την τύχη να παραστούν στην εκδήλωση έμειναν κατενθουσιασμένοι όχι μόνο από την άριστη περιποίηση αλλά κυρίως από το θαυμάσια οργανωμένο πρόγραμμα της βραδιάς το οποίο περιλάμβανε ομιλίες οι οποίες κάλυψαν σε μεγάλο βαθμό την προσφορά της Ελλάδας και των Ελλήνων στις πολεμικές επιχειρήσεις του Αυστραλιανού στρατού καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια του 20ού αιώνα.

Ολοι ανεξαίρετα οι ομιλητές έπλεξαν το εγκώμιο της Ελλάδας η οποία πάντοτε ήταν στο πλευρό της Αυστραλίας. Εγιναν αναφορές στον Α’ και Β’ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο, στον Πόλεμο της Κορέας και του Βιετνάμ.

Κύριοι ομιλητές ήσαν:

 Πολιτειακός Πρόεδρος του RSL Major General David McLachlan AO.

Οι Πολιτειακοί βουλευτές Jenny Mikakos και Murray Thompson,  εκπροσωπώντας την Κυβέρνηση και την Αντιπολίτευση αντίστοιχα.

Ο Υπατος Αρμοστής της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας Φίλιππος Κρητιώτης.(To πλήρες κείμενο της ομιλίας του θα το δημοσιεύσουμε σε προσεχή μας έκδοση).

Κύριος ομιλητής ήταν ο Major General Greg Garde AO, RFD QC.

Mίλησαν επίσης ο Πρόεδρος της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας Βασίλης Παπαστεργιάδης και ο Στήβ Κυρίτσης.

Χρέη Τελετάρχη εκτέλεσε με πολλή επιτυχία ο Major Terry Kanellos.

Πριν το τέλος της εκδήλωσης ο Πρόεδρος του Ελληνικού Συλλόγου Παλαιών Πολεμιστών απένειμε τις διακρίσεις «Spiro Vardos OAM Top Soldier Awards» στους στρατιώτες David John Crowe και Mark Marokoran.

Η όλη εκδήλωση έκλεισε με την ανάκρουση των εθνικών Υμνων της Ελλάδας και της Αυστραλίας  

Το πλήρες κείμενο της ομιλία του Υπατου Αρμοστή της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας κ. Φίλιππου Κρητιώτη στην εκδήλωση του Παραρτήματος Ελλήνων Αποστράτων το Σάββατο 19 Μαΐου 2008 στο Melbourne Town Hall  

90^th Anniversary Commemoration End of World War I

Hellenic Sub-Branch of the Returned and Services League of Australia Victorian Branch.

«Representatives of the Federal Government and Opposition of the Commonwealth of Australia .

Representatives of the Victorian State Government and Opposition.

Members of the Executive and National Officers of the Returned and Services League of Australia .

Members of the Executive of the Hellenic Sub-Branch of the Victorian Branch of the RSL

Representatives of the State Congresses and Advisory Committees of the RSL,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour and pleasure for me to have the opportunity to address this distinguished gathering which commemorates the end of the ‘Great War’ and honours the Australians of Hellenic background who have contributed to the Australian war effort.  

I may also take the opportunity to remind you of the role my compatriots played in this effort.  

When the Great War broke out, there were no more than 500 Australians born in Cyprus living in this country. Even so, records from the National Archives of Australia indicate that during World War I, 5 Cypriots joined the Australian Army. It must be remembered that during the Great War, 16.000 Cypriots volunteered to fight on the side of the allies.  

In the Second World War, the conscription lists indicate that 75 Cypriots joined the Australian forces. They joined the numbers of some 30.000 Cypriots who fought in the Cyprus Regiment, which was created by the British Government during WWII.  

These  Cypriots fought alongside the numerous Greeks and many other Australians born overseas who joined the Australian Army in both campaigns.  

From the very beginning of the shared history between our two people, comes the exceptional case of the Cypriot Hector Vasyli. He was an eleven year old young boy hit by a car while welcoming Australian soldiers in Brisbane in June 1918. Vasyli died while demonstrating his loyalty to his adopted homeland and in his honour the RSL along with Greek Associations of Brisbane, built a monument in Brisbane , commemorating his death with an inscription in English and Greek. The inscription reads, “Ανδρών επιφανών πάσα γη πατρίς”, which translates to “ for men of eminence, all of the earth is their homeland.”.  

This special bond between the people of Cyprus and Australia continues to this very day from a chapter which opened in May 1964, 40 police from Australian State and Territory forces, including what was then called the Commonwealth Police (since renamed the Federal Police), took part in the first United Nations Police Contingent on the island.

Forty four years later, there are still 15 Australian Federal Police Officers serving with UNFICYP.Their presence has always been important in helping and monitoring civil activities and community occurrences. In no way has the need for their presence diminished. They are needed for as long as the current situation with the Turkish occupation of 37% of the island prevails. More than anybody, and not withstanding our love and respect for the Peacekeepers, we all hope for the day when a solution to the Cyprus problem is found that would make their further presence as peacekeepers not necessary.  

Noting this, it is with a sense of pride that we become involved in the commemoration and acknowledgement of "the contribution of the Hellenes to the Australian war effort in the 20th century". We also take this opportunity to honour the 594 Australians who were killed on Greek soil during the Second World War, along with hundreds more who were wounded or taken prisoner.  

We recognise the honourable history of the Returned and Services League of Australia, the RSL, formed in 1916 by troops returning from the Great War, to honour the memory of the fallen and to help those who returned to resume their lives. The social historians recognise, that, as welfare services were not organised during those years, the RSL was instrumental in the creation of the support infrastructure the returned soldiers and the families of the fallen found great comfort in then and they still do in our days. In doing so, it became the first institution administering and providing welfare in Australia .  

As we approach the 25 April we also come to pay our respects to Anzac Day, which marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. On that occasion of national commemoration, we reflect on the many different meanings of the war.The symbolism from that momentous historical occasion is of a nation that respects sacrifice, which in itself demands our profound admiration.  

In similar terms, we also are given the opportunity today  to recognise and reflect on the heroism of the Greeks and the sacrifice of the Australians on Greek soil and beyond. At the same time, we also pay tribute to the Returned and Services League of Australia and the Victorian Hellenic Sub-Branch who have organised the Melbourne ceremonies to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of World War One and to commemorate the contribution of the Hellenes to Australia ’s war effort.  

Thank you very much.»