• Home
• About us
• Visas and migration
• Travelling to Australia
• Services for Australians
• Doing business with Australia
• Study in Australia
• Media
• About Australia
• Events

 

INAUGURAL SPEECH BY THE AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, MR PAUL TIGHE

‘60 YEARS AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR II: GREEKS AND AUSTRALIANS IN THE COMMON STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM’

7 June 2005

 

 

MR PRESIDENT, MADAME SPEAKER, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, DISTINQUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

FIRSTLY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE HELLENIC PARLIAMENT FOR THE OPPORTUNTITY TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE PARLIAMENT IN BRINGING THIS EXHIBITION TO YOU.

THE ITEMS YOU WILL SEE IN THE EXHIBITION ARE FROM A TIME OF BATTLE AND STRUGGLE IN DEFENCE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY. WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER AND HONOUR THE BRAVERY AND SACRIFICE OF OUR COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN FROM GREECE, AUSTRALIA AND ALLIED COUNTRIES WHO FOUGHT IN THAT STRUGGLE SOME SIXTY YEARS AGO. WE OWE THEM A GREAT DEBT.

THE IMAGES OF OUR FOREFATHERS, THE ARTEFACTS AND OUR FOREFATHERS’ WORDS WHICH ARE FEATURED IN THIS EXHIBITION FOCUS NOT ON THE HORROR AND LOSS THAT WAR BRINGS, BUT INSTEAD ARE INTENDED TO HONOUR AND COMMEMORATE THE HUMANITY AND CIVILITY OUR FOREFATHERS SOUGHT TO DEFEND. THE EXHIBITION IS ALSO ABOUT COURAGE AND COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER FOR A GOOD CAUSE. YOU CAN SEE THESE QUALITIES IN THE FACES OF THE PEOPLE SHOWN IN THE EXHIBITION – IN THEIR SMILES AND IN THEIR DEMEANOUR TOWARD EACH OTHER AS THEY SHARE A DRINK OR COMRADERY WORD.

THE EXHIBITS TELL A COMPELLING STORY OF WHY GREECE AND AUSTRALIA SHARE SUCH A STRONG AND PASSIONATE COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM. THAT COMMITMENT IS TIMELESS AND IS IT BASED ON PRINCIPLES AND IDEALS, NOT GEOGRAPHY. IT IS A COMMITMENT THAT HAS NOT WANED OVER THE YEARS. NOR, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS THE NEED TO DEFEND THESE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES ENDED. WE CONTINUE TODAY TO FACE CHALLENGES TO OUR FREEDOM AND SECURITY, WITH MANY OF THOSE CHALLENGES, SUCH AS THE SCOURGE OF TERRORISM, HAVING A GLOBAL DIMENSION.

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM SOME SIXTY YEARS AGO TO ENSURE THAT THEIR GREAT LEGACY IS NOT LOST TO NEW THREATS AND THAT THE VIRTUES AND COMMITMENT THEY SHOWED STAY WITH US.

JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, THE EXHIBITION ALSO DEMONSTRATES A COMRADESHIP, A BOND AND A WARMTH BETWEEN THE GREEK AND AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE. THAT BOND HAS NOT ONLY ENDURED BUT HAS BECOME STRONGER IN THE PAST SIXTY ODD YEARS, FED ALSO BY OUR LONG AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL MIGRATION RELATIONSHIP.

AUSTRALIA REMEMBERS STILL THE COURAGE AND DIGNITY THE GREEK PEOPLE SHOWED IN 1941 AND WHICH REMAINS A HALLMARK OF THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF GREEK BACKGROUND THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE AUSTRALIA THEIR HOME.

GREECE AND AUSTRALIA HAVE DEVELOPED A TRULY MEANINGFUL PARTNERSHIP BASED ON A SHARED COMMITMENT TO IMPORTANT VALUES AND A REAL WARMTH TOWARD AND RESPECT FOR EACH OTHERS’ PEOPLE.

IT IS A PARTNERSHIP WE IN AUSTRALIA VALUE HIGHLY AND WE ARE DELIGHTED TO SEE IT CELEBRATED IN THIS EXHIBITION.

FINALLY, MR PRESIDENT AND MADAME SPEAKER, MAY I THANK AGAIN THE HELLENIC PARLIAMENT, ITS STAFF AND ITS ADVISORS, ESPECIALLY THE DIRECTOR OF THE PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY, MRS ABADJI, FOR THEIR COLLABORATION WITH THIS EXHIBITION.