The City of Ryde is home to nearly a quarter of Australia’s Armenian population. On Saturday, May 2, the community came together to mark the 111th anniversary of one of history’s most devastating tragedies—the Armenian Genocide.
The Armenian Genocide was a systematic campaign carried out by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, involving the mass killing and forced deportation of Armenians. Between 1915 and 1922, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives, many through deliberate starvation and violence under Ottoman rule.
While the City of Ryde and the NSW Government formally acknowledge the Genocide, which began on April 24, 1915, the Australian Government has yet to officially state its position.
The commemoration was attended by local mayors, councillors, Federal Member for Bennelong Jerome Laxale, and other prominent community leaders, who joined members of the Armenian community in remembrance.
Mark “Hendo” Henderson also spoke with Anthony Gulvartian, a local Armenian community member and friend to 2RRR’s Armenian program, Voice of Nor Serount, reflecting on the significance of the occasion.
“Our soul target is for the current Turkish government specifically, to acknowledge their ancestors have done such a tragic act of…commencing a genocide against a peaceful Christian, Armenian nation.”
“If you notice, none of the current Armenians that live within Ryde have relatives within the western Armenia or current the day Turkey…the logic is that Armenians were moved out from those areas,” said Gulvartian.
Have a listen to the full interview with “Hendo” below: