24 July – 20 September 2026On 6 April 1941, German forces attacked Greece, vastly outnumbering the allied forces. As part of Britain's earlier guarantee to support Greece, 58,000 Australian, British and New Zealand troops were deployed in defence of Greece. In March 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated that their deployment was “a great risk in a good cause”.
17,125 Australian and 7,700 New Zealand troops formed part of this doomed contingent, and as the campaign became a fighting retreat from the northern town of Vevi, they fell back through some of the most famous landscapes in the world to the beaches of the Peloponnese, before the final, brutal act on the island of Crete.
LUSTRE: Australians in Greece is an exhibition that brings together artists from Australia and New Zealand, some with Greek heritage and family connections to soldiers who served during the Second World War. In October 2025, the artists undertook a two-week journey from Northern Greece to Crete, retracing the footsteps of Australian war artist William Dargie, who documented the sites where ANZAC forces fought during the 1941 Greece and Crete campaigns. In response to the landscapes, battlefields and contemporary Greek communities, the artists created new works reflecting on shared histories of endurance, protection and sacrifice.
Participating Artists:
ImagesAbove: Amanda Penrose Hart-Mindan Royal Rd Kalliktatis & Srkia, Crete 2026, oil on linen, 62 x 91cm. Below: Euan Macleod Deluge - Corinth 2026, Oil on polyester, 150 x 180 cm