Hosted by the Kalymnian Association of NSW, the ceremony at the ANZAC Memorial brought together the Hellenic Presidential Guard, students and the Greek Australian community to honour shared wartime history.
Sydney’s Kalymnian community played a leading role in commemorating the 86th anniversary of OXI Day, hosting a ceremony attended by the Hellenic Presidential Guard at the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
Organised by the Kalymnian Association of NSW, the event featured the raising of the Greek flag by the Evzones. It commemorated Greece’s rejection of the Axis ultimatum on 28 October 1940 and honoured the Australians and Greeks who fought together in the campaigns of Greece and Crete during the Second World War.
The Evzones marched from Elizabeth Street to the memorial, accompanied by community members wearing traditional Greek dress. Families, students and community representatives gathered around the Pool of Reflection for the ceremony.
George Karantonis, vice president of the Kalymnian Association, served as master of ceremonies. He opened with an Acknowledgement of Country to the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and thanked Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas for consenting to the Presidential Guard’s visit.
The Kalymnian association’s representatives had prominent roles throughout the commemoration. Secretary Nectaria Melas delivered an address written by association president George Michailou, who was taking part in a pilgrimage to Constantinople. Treasurer John Billiris laid a wreath on behalf of the association.
Members of the association’s executive committee and the Kalymnian Youth Society also attended, highlighting the involvement of Sydney’s Kalymnian community across generations.
Students from All Saints Grammar, St Euphemia College and St Spyridon College performed the Australian and Greek national anthems.
Addresses were delivered by Rev Father Dimitrios Papaoikonomou, representing Archbishop Makarios of Australia; Stavros Venizelos, Greece’s Ambassador to Australia; Commander Michail Tzinieris, head of the Presidential Guard mission; and Con Apoifis, president of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW.
Wreath laying and a moment of silence honoured those who lost their lives. Those attending included diplomatic and military representatives, descendants of Australian servicemen and members of Greek community organisations.
The commemoration was the flagship event of the Presidential Guard’s Sydney programme. Special thanks were extended to Hellenic Club Sydney, which hosts the Guard’s visit with support from the NSW Government.
Through its central role in the ceremony, the Kalymnian Association of NSW demonstrated the island community’s active contribution to preserving Greek heritage overseas, bringing younger generations into a commemoration rooted in the shared history of Greece and Australia.
Source: Greek City Times — Original report photography: Nick Bourdaniotis / Greek City Times.
