Hellenic Club Centenary Gala Ball

I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

I would also like to thank your President, Nick Hazistergos, for asking me to be part of this landmark moment in the Hellenic Club’s history.

It is such a joy to be with you tonight to celebrate 100 years of the Hellenic Club, Sydney.

To crack a century is never a matter of mere luck.

The Hellenic Club is a story written in the ink of belief, determination and hard work – by many people over many generations.

What is most telling is that when we turn the clock back to 1926, there weren’t all that many Greeks in Sydney – at least not yet. Somewhere between 1000 and 1500 in a city of a million.

But for a bunch of Greek shopkeepers who put their heads together, that was more than enough – and out of their vision, the Hellenic Club was born.

What this act of foresight amounted to was a powerful double act.

It was an honouring of the land of their roots, and a profound expression of belief in the land in which they were building their futures. It was somewhere to come together, to find comfort in the common bonds of language, faith, culture, sport, and all the other great birthrights of heritage.

And when more Greeks did start to come, the Hellenic Club was here, ready to soften the landing for the new arrivals and begin that wonderful process by which Greek migrants became Greek Australians.

And as it became the heartbeat of Sydney’s Greek community, nurturing it through sport and culture and the reassuring presence of the church, your club drew Greeks ever deeper into the big Australian picture.

It was a picture Greeks added to and strengthened through generations of hard work, aspiration and love of country – all contributing to something very big that was underway in the evolution of modern Australia.

It wasn’t always smooth, but as we grew in diversity, we eventually began to grow in harmony.

And as we rose above mere tolerance and began to celebrate each other, Australia became a bright beacon to the world.

A big part of that beacon’s glow has long been Greek.

Wherever you are across this great continent of ours, you are never far from a Greek touch.

The truth is that Australia without Greek Australians is simply beyond imagining. Let’s face it, even if you just took away the souvlaki, we would fall apart.

Mercifully, such a nightmare scenario is not one we have to imagine. Instead, we have the wonderful reality, and the Hellenic Club is part of what makes it work.

You are also part of the great living bridge between Greece and Australia, and there is much to celebrate there.

Next week, of course, we will be marking Oxi Day, commemorating the day in 1940 when Greece refused an ultimatum from the invading fascist powers.

World War II had been going for just over a year and the Nazi war machine seemed unstoppable.

The people of Greece knew the odds were against them. And yet they said no.

It’s one of those moments in which the best qualities of humanity were crystalised with strength, courage and perfect moral clarity.

It was a gift to the world when the world needed it most.

What will always endure as one of the powerful bonds between our two countries is that in Greece’s most desperate hour of need, Australians – along with members of other Allied defence forces – joined the fight.

Tyranny cannot be fought alone. So we fought together.

And ultimately, through great sacrifice, Greece prevailed – and humanity with it.

We often talk about how the Greeks gave the world the gift of democracy.

Oxi Day is when the Greeks reminded us of the preciousness of liberty.

That it isn’t something to be taken for granted, but fought for, cherished and nurtured. It’s a message that’s as resonant as it has ever been.

Importantly, it is a spirit that has long powered the Greek Australian experience.

Thanks to you, Australia has become an even better country. And what’s been at the heart of it is the Hellenic Club.

Happy anniversary. Here’s to your next hundred years.

PM&C acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.