The Exodus of Missolonghi & Battle of Navarino honoured in Canberra

Australia’s nationalist superior played big past weekend to a bid of large presentations honouring two pivotal moments successful the Greek Revolution and combat for independency – the exodus of Missolonghi of 1826 and the subsequent large naval victory of Navarino successful 1827.

The lawsuit was organised by the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic successful Australia and held astatine Australia’s prestigious National Museum connected the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. The lawsuit was held connected the 200th day of the exodus, arsenic large exhibitions connected the exodus are besides being held astatine some Athens and Missolonghi successful Greece.

The sun shone connected a warm Canberra time arsenic the attendees assembled successful the Peninsula Room which overlooks the lake. With the lake’s waters shimmering successful the sunlight extracurricular 1 could person imagined that we were gazing connected the waters of the large lagoon of Missolonghi itself.

Eugène Delacroix’s Greece connected the Ruins of Missolonghi (1826). Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux. Image: Supplied

The capableness assemblage included Greek subject representatives – the Greek Embassy’s Military Attaché Colonel Kyriakos Kyriakakos – and diplomatic representatives His Excellency High Commissioner of Cyprus to Australia Antonis Sammoutis and the Albanian Charge d’Affaires to Australia Adrian Mara. It was besides large to spot the Greek Consul successful Melbourne Ms Dimitra Georgantzoglou marque the travel from Melbourne to be the event. One of Australia’s foremost Greek Australian Federal MP’s – Steve Georganas – was joined by 1 of his Federal parliamentary colleagues Canberra MP David Smith. Amongst the academics contiguous was philhellene Dr John Robertson and Canberra University’s Professor Frank Bongiorno. Attendees included galore who had travelled from Sydney for the event.

Battle of Navarino Memorial, Pylos. Photo: Jim Claven

The presentations commenced with an informed instauration by His Excellency Stavros Venizelos, the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to Australia. His presumption was titled The Exodus and its International Backdrop. He began by speechmaking from the moving modern relationship of the siege and exodus of Missolonghi by veteran independency combatant Nikolaos Kasomoulis and continued with an outline of the planetary discourse of the Greek Revolution starring to the conflict of Navarino.

Dr Demetriou. Photo: Embassy of Greece successful Australia

Dr Spiridoula Demetriou then addressed the assembly connected the exodus of Missolonghi. Dr Demetriou brought to her presumption her ain world study of philhellenic creation arsenic well arsenic her caller work co-curating the 200th day exodus commemorations successful Athens’ Benaki Museum. She is besides a autochthonal of Missolonghi and a Board Member of the Greek Community of Melbourne.

Ambassador Stavros Venizelos addresses the seminar. Photo: Embassy of Greece successful Australia

Dr Demetriou’s code began with a elaborate investigation of Eugene Delacroix’s celebrated coating entitled Greece connected the Ruins of Missolonghi. She explained the various iconographic elements of the coating – arsenic it referenced religious, liberal, Hellenic and orientalist themes – each adding to its philhellenic impact. She noted however it was created σύντομα aft the exodus itself and spurred connected planetary sympathy for the Greek independency cause. She expressed her gratitude that it is present connected indebtedness to Missolonghi arsenic portion of the city’s ain exodus bicentennial celebrations.

Claven addresses the seminar. Photo: Embassy of Greece successful Australia

She went connected to sermon a bid of different artworks connected the exodus that besides impacted positively connected philhellenic support. These included two exodus lithographs from 1826, 1 created by A. Merian and the different by August Flandrin, the erstwhile from the postulation of Dr Robertson. She explained their relation successful creating sympathy for the Greek cause, the second arsenic an illustration not lone of the idealisation of the exodus but besides done the merchantability of copies contributing funds for the Greek cause. She concluded with a treatment of the post-independence coating of the exodus by Theodoros Vryzakis created successful 1853 and its indebtedness to an earlier coating by Ary Scheffer entitled Young Greek defending his father, created successful 1827.

This led connected to my ain presumption connected the large naval victory of Navarino and its lesser-known Australian connections. I began by explaining however the tragedy of the exodus and different setbacks for the Greek Revolution successful 1826 straight contributed to a surge successful philhellenic support crossed Europe, particularly with the coming together of Britain, France and Russia successful the Treaty of London and its connection for an armistice successful effect to some caller Ottoman subject successes and quality of continuing civilian massacres, such arsenic that astatine Missolonghi.

The Ottoman refusal to judge the armistice saw the large Allied fleet face the overmuch larger Ottoman naval forces astatine Navarino Bay. The bitter engagement that erupted connected the day of 20th October 1827 saw the implicit demolition of the Ottoman fleet for minimal Allied losses. I explained however this and different subsequent subject advances successful the Greek origin led to Greek independency successful 1830.

The assemblage astatine the seminar. Photo: Vicki Kyritsis

I then went connected to picture the various Australian connections to the battle. Along with erstwhile affirmative reports connected Lord Byron and the outbreak the Revolution arsenic well arsenic the tragedy of the exodus, the aboriginal Australian property reported connected the victory astatine Navarino, publishing various accounts of the battle, including veteran accounts. Significantly such reports and references continued into the precocious 19th and aboriginal 20th centuries and adjacent later. References to the bonds betwixt Greece and Britain done the Greek Revolution – and specifically Missolonghi and Navarino – were reported successful 1940 and aboriginal 1941 to boost support for Greece arsenic it faced Axis aggression and arsenic the Anzacs departed for Greece.

I then recounted probe connected however a fig of British veterans of the conflict of Navarino came to Australia successful the years pursuing the battle. I spoke of Navarino commemorations held successful Australia, of a span successful Hobart named aft the conflict and of astatine slightest two veterans who were buried successful Australia, astatine Bendigo and Brisbane. In decision I appealed for greater consciousness of this transportation betwixt Australia and Greece.

The lawsuit concluded with a reception and accidental for attendees to prosecute with the presenters connected their addresses. I cognize I tin speak for Dr Demetriou when I accidental that the whole lawsuit was a large privilege to take portion in.

The ensuing discussions included the anticipation of holding an yearly commemoration of the conflict of Navarino successful Canberra and bringing a akin lawsuit to Adelaide, fixed its ain special transportation to this story. Watch this space.

Claven (second left) with from close Greek Embassy Military Attache Colonel Kyriakakos, Canberra University Professor Frank Bongiorno and Steve Georganas MP. Photo: Vicki Kyritsis

On a idiosyncratic enactment it was wonderful to sermon the Anzac transportation to Greece done some world wars with the Ambassador, particularly past year’s unveiling of the Mani Evacuation Memorial astatine Trahila and the associated screening of the Anzac The Greek Chapter documentary astatine the Benaki astatine Kardamyli, Ambassador Venizelos’ location town! It was besides fascinating to find that the Ambassadors wife Lara is from Batoumi successful Georgia, a metropolis with strong Greek Pontian roots, which I person explored done the story of Alexandra Lovell successful a erstwhile nonfiction successful Neos Kosmos.

In conclusion, this commemorative lawsuit organised by the Hellenic Embassy was reminder of what tin beryllium achieved by bringing together Australians and Greeks done a shared appreciation of their communal history. The presentations demonstrated however philhellenism stretched from Greece crossed Europe and the Anglo sphere, adjacent touching distant Australia.

HE Ambassador Venizelos with the speakers and different dignitaries, including the Cyprus High Commissioner Sammoutis, the Albanian Charge d’Affaires Mara, Melbourne Greek Consul Ms Georgantzoglou and Federal MP’s Steve Georganas and David Smith. Photo: Vicki Kyritsis

For those successful Greece oregon those intending connected travelling there successful coming months, the accumulation entitled MESSOLONGHI 1826: 200 Years since the Exodus is presently being held astatine the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture successful Athens until 3 May 2026. The National Historical Museum (NHM) and the Region of Western Greece, accumulation entitled Exodus, 1826–2026, is presently being held astatine the Chryssogelos Mansion successful Missolonghi until 15 October 2026. Delacroix’s Greece connected the Ruins of Missolonghi will beryllium connected show astatine the Xenokrateion Archaeological Museum of Missolonghi until November 2026.

*Jim Claven OAM is simply a trained historian, freelance writer and published writer who has researched the Hellenic nexus to Australia’s Anzac story for galore years arsenic well arsenic connection aspects of Hellenic past and civilization successful its planetary context. He thanks His Excellency Stavros Venizelos the Hellenic Ambassador to Australia for the invitation to take portion successful this event. He tin beryllium contacted via email – [email protected]