The Holy Monastery of Preveli, to mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, decided to erect privately and under its supervision, an international memorial dedicated to the Resistance of the Cretan Population and Peace.

The Memorial was erected on the monastery's own land, on a site with a stunning panoramic view, overlooking the Libyan sea. The site is alongside the main bitumen road to the Monastery, and just 1.8 kms before the Monastery itself.

The project to build the Memorial, which is of major historical and humanitarian interest, touched many simple people from Crete and around the world who volunteered to assist its implementation in various ways.

The wish to erect a shrine in the land of the Holy Monastery of Preveli has been expressed in the past by the soldiers Tom Dunbabin and Geoff Edwards who fought in the Battle of Crete. The latter, who passed away on April 11 2000 was the main motivator of the action for the erection of this memorial.

The design of the memorial was done by the Dipl. Architect Mrs Chryssoula Stavrianoudaki, who is licensed for such projects. Mrs Stavrianoudaki, who comes from Crete, offered her services free of charge to the Holy Monastery of Preveli. The Holy Monastery has appointed volunteer Mr Manolis R. Alifierakis, Dipl. Mechanical Engineer, also from Crete, as Project Co-ordinator.

The civil local authorities supported the Monastery's initiative for the erection of the Memorial.

Metropolitis EIRINAIOS, of the Holy Diocese of Lambis and Sfakion, in whose spiritual jurisdiction the Monastery belongs, gave his blessing to this sacred project, honouring the memory of the allied forces from Greece, Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain, as well as civilian men and women of the island.

Archbishop STYLIANOS, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia, strongly supported the initiative of the construction of this memorial in Preveli and considered that it will further reinforce the strong bonds between Australia and Greece.