Tuesday, 11 August 2026

 Bronwyn HALFPENNY (Thomastown) (15:26): 2 August was the anniversary of Ilinden and the subject of week-long celebrations by Macedonian Australians living in the electorate of Thomastown. In the words of a Macedonian Australian, Aneta:

Ilinden remains one of the most significant commemorative dates for Macedonians worldwide, marking the 1903 Ilinden Uprising against the Ottoman Empire and a long-standing commitment to self-determination, cultural identity and democratic participation. For Macedonian Australians, it is both an historical commemoration and an important expression of community identity and continuity.

Although the Kruševo Republic, as it was called, was short lived, the significance of Ilinden has lived on and is universal. It honours the courage, sacrifice and the determination of ordinary people and their right to decide their own future – a people who refused to surrender their language, culture and history. For more than a century Macedonian Australians have enriched Victoria’s social, cultural and economic life. They have built churches, businesses, community organisations and sport clubs. Their contributions live on in the communities they have built, the institutions they sustain and the generations they have raised. This success is also a testament to the success of multicultural Victoria. As Macedonian Australians celebrated Ilinden on 2 August, I acknowledge their enduring contribution to Victoria and wish everyone a proud and meaningful Ilinden: Среќен Илинден.