Sydney, Australia – April 21, 2025
In a historic move ahead of the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Parramatta City Council has unanimously adopted a motion recognizing the Ottoman Empire’s 1915–1923 atrocities against Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks as genocide. The motion, introduced by Councillor Tanya Raffoul, a descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, was supported by all 15 councillors, who also committed to erecting a memorial plaque and conducting a tree-planting ceremony to honor the over 6,000 Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek residents in the Parramatta area.
Seconded by Labor Councillor Anthony Ellard (Dundas Ward), the motion was celebrated by community leaders present at the council meeting. Raffoul shared her family’s survival story, declaring, “Where they try to erase, we will preserve. For every history book they burn, we will write two more.” She emphasized that the memorial will serve as a gathering place for Western Sydney’s growing Armenian-Australian community to honor their ancestors.
The motion condemns the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians and over 1 million Assyrians and Greeks, acknowledges Parramatta’s historical ties to relief efforts, and endorses the 1997 NSW Parliament resolution recognizing these genocides. Parramatta now joins Ryde, Willoughby, Fairfield, and the state parliaments of New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania in this recognition.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) thanked the councillors for their principled stance and noted the decision’s significance for the local Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek communities.