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The Royal Australian Mint’s commemorative Battle of Crete coin presented to the Archbishop of Australia

July 16, 2026 · 1 min read

A commemorative coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint to mark the 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete was recently presented by the Ambassador of Australia to Greece, Ms Alison Duncan, to Archbishop Makarios of Australia.

Through the initiative to issue this collector’s coin, the enduring bonds forged between Australia and Greece during the historic Battle of Crete, fought on the island during the Second World War, are being honoured.

Archbishop Makarios, who is of Cretan origin, received the commemorative coin with great emotion.

For her part, Australian Ambassador Ms Duncan acknowledged that the people of Crete, particularly those at the Holy Monastery of Preveli, risked even their own lives to shelter, care for, and assist Australian soldiers in avoiding capture and escaping the island following the German occupation.

Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou

Source: Orthodox Times · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (5) 🌐 Show original

Paul Johnson

Nice to see the Mint honouring that history with a coin. The courage of the folks at Preveli Monastery sheltering our soldiers always stands out in those stories. Archbishop Makarios being Cretan himself must have made the presentation hit even closer to home.

Helen Anderson

I agree, Paul — that Preveli story still gives me chills every time I read it. My uncle was in the 2/7th Battalion and always said the monks treated them like their own sons. Nice that a Cretan archbishop got the coin in person; must have meant the world to him.

Luke Hall

The Preveli monks hiding those diggers in the olive groves was proper bravery. My old mate from the RSL club had a grandfather who got away thanks to them — said they even gave him a monk’s robe to blend in. Good on the Mint for putting it on a coin instead of just another sports thing.

Irene Wilson

My uncle was with the 6th Division too and always spoke of the monks at Preveli hiding them in the olive groves. The coin going straight to Archbishop Makarios feels right, given his roots there. Did your uncle ever mention what they ate while they were sheltered?

Mark Wilson

Yeah, that story about the monk’s robe always gets me. My uncle served in the 6th Division and reckoned the Cretan locals were the reason half those lads made it back to Egypt. Nice to see the Mint honour the monks instead of another footy coin. Did your mate’s grandfather ever go back to Preveli?