Across Australia, Cypriot communities gathered over the weekend to mark the 51st anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus — a tragedy etched into the collective memory of Hellenism. From Melbourne to Sydney, Adelaide to Brisbane, the message was unmistakable: “Δεν ξεχνώ. I do not forget.”
Melbourne: From reflection to resistance
In Melbourne, commemorations began with a morning liturgy at St Efstathios Greek Orthodox Church in South Melbourne.
The faithful then gathered at the Australian Hellenic War Memorial for a solemn wreath-laying ceremony under the crisp winter sun. Father Kyprianos of Forest Hill led prayers, as about 50 attendees stood quietly, accompanied by children from the Pegasus Dance Troupe waving Greek and Cypriot flags.
Recently returned from Cyprus, Loukas Nikolaou handed out
pamphlets on Kyrenia. “A reminder,” he said, “of what was lost and must never be forgotten.”
At the Cyprus Community Centre in Brunswick, SEKA Victoria’s General Secretary, Yiannis Milides, shared his personal memories of the invasion as a 15-year-old boy. “I woke up to the deafening sound of jets. Turkish warplanes were flying over, shooting, bombarding, launching rockets… Every year, on this day, those memories return. Not just for me. For all of us who lived through that horror.”
Milides acknowledged the traditional owners of the land, drawing a stark comparison: “I imagine they, too, one day woke up to the sight of strange people in uniforms, holding guns. That was their first contact. They, too, endured unimaginable hardship.”
Stavroula Gonopoulou, widow of SEKA’s first secretary Kostas Gonopoulos, reflected on the movement’s early years. “From school days, I remember dressing girls in black to represent Cyprus. We are one, Greek and Cypriot, united.”
Wreaths were laid by Betty Dimitropoulos and Spiridoula Demetriou on behalf of the Panarcadians and the Greek Community of Melbourne, respectively.
Young voices echoed the sentiment. St John’s College student Haritini Trifonos, 11, said, “Even though I haven’t been to Cyprus, it’s in my heart. Maybe if the invasion never happened, I would have been born in Cyprus. Not so many people would have been killed. Cyprus would be whole.”
Milides also held up a black-and-white photo of Adamos, the first Cypriot soldier killed in the 1974 invasion for refusing to fire on his own people. “Our memory is the only punishment he will ever face,” he said, before reading a powerful poem dedicated to the special forces of Pentadaktylos.
Other community leaders followed with statements of unflinching resolve. SEKA President Tony Kyriakou rejected any two-state solution and condemned the ongoing occupation. John Christou from the Northern Suburbs Cyprus Community warned of the “Islamisation of the north” and destruction of Christian churches.
Andreas Grigoriou, the Cypriot government’s representative, praised the diaspora for preserving culture and tradition. High Commissioner Antonis Sammoutis encouraged unity, recalling a childhood verse: “If they are thirty, we will be forty. If they are fifty, we will be sixty. If needed, we will be more.”
Students Savina Koumidis and Georgia Vardavakis spoke about inherited trauma and family stories. Around them, artworks by Adamantios Diamantis, father of modern Cypriot painting, lined the walls, observed in silence by his grandson Gregory.
Educators Anthi Tzani and Vicky Petala presented Milides’ bilingual book, Getting to Know Cyprus. “Ask for a PDF and I’ll send it. There is no copyright,” Milides said, urging cultural transmission. He also encouraged petition-signing calling for Australia to condemn the occupation and uphold UN Resolutions 541 and 550.
Despite the pride and solidarity, unease lingered. “I do not forget. But I fear we are being forgotten,” one attendee whispered.
National Voices: A shared grief across Australia
In Sydney, the Cyprus Community of NSW in Stanmore hosted speeches, music, and poetry. President Andrew Costa told a packed audience, “Cyprus is not a memory — it is a wound.” Letters from survivors were read aloud. A message from Archbishop Makarios reminded attendees:
“Australia’s Cypriot community stands as a moral compass reminding the world of what impunity looks like.”
In Adelaide, the Cyprus Community of South Australia hosted a panel of former MPs and experts who warned about global apathy and the creeping acceptance of partition. In Brisbane, the Cyprus Club of Queensland presented a photography exhibition titled Cyprus: Before and After 1974, while local schoolchildren performed poems.
President Maria Stylianou called on Australians to demand action from their leaders: “This isn’t just about history. This is about dignity and human rights.”
Memory as protest, unity as strength
Throughout all commemorations, a common thread wove through speeches, prayers, and tears: remembrance as resistance.
As Milides declared: “Our stories are resistance. Our memory is justice. This is not just remembrance. It is protest.”
The call echoed across the continent. Cyprus lives in the hearts of its diaspora, and the demand for justice will not be silenced. The message remains: “We do not forget. We will not forget.”
