Honouring fifth anniversary of unveiling of George Treloar (SPC 1900) statue

This year, St Patrick’s College was honoured to be invited to the fifth anniversary of the unveiling of the George Devine Treloar (SPC 1900) statue in Sturt Street in Ballarat.

This statue commemorates the remarkable contributions of George Devine Treloar (SPC 1900), who was appointed the League of Nations representative for refugees in northern Greece after WWI, and who, from 1922 to 1926, resettled Greek refugees from Asia Minor. Through his efforts, over 108,000 individuals, including destitute survivors of the Hellenic, Armenian, and Assyrians, were saved from starvation and disease. George provided them with food, shelter, medical care, and the opportunity for resettlement.

He was inducted as Legend of St Patrick’s College in 2019.

The Pontian Greek community and the City of Ballarat worked to honour George’s birthplace and humanitarian effort by appointing a sculptor, Lis Johnson. With the financial support of Litsa Athanasiadis, Lis Johnson completed the statue for the unveiling on September 8, 2019, located on Sturt Street’s central medium strip closest to Errard Street.

The magnificent bronze statue depicts George standing alongside a young girl named Lemona, holding a jug. This statue represents the vulnerability of thousands of refugees from the Pontus region in Asia Minor who were displaced after World War I and the disastrous events that followed, ultimately finding themselves in northern Greece under dire conditions and displacement.

John Richards, Acting Assistant Principal, Community Engagement, spoke at the event on Sunday 20 October –

“George is an Old Collegian of our great school, and he embodies many of the values that we aim to instil in our boys: honour, respect, empathy and hopefulness, and a deep value of human life.

At St Patrick’s, we hold the story of George Devine Treloar as an example to our boys of what is possible if you have sound values and an orientation towards considering others,” Mr Richards said.

Sponsored by the Pontian Greek Commemoration Committee in collaboration with St Patrick’s College, the George Devine Treloar Award for Community Service is presented annually to a student. The award has been honoured each year since 2017.

The College takes pride in its historical connection and ongoing relationship with the Pontian Greek community, Litsa Athanasiadis, President of Merimna Pontion Kyrion of Oceania, Chair of the George Devine Treloar Memorial Committee, Eleanor Lacey, granddaughter of George Treloar, and the City of Ballarat who continue to support our rich history. Thanks to College Archivist Halina Sztynda for this story.