SYDNEY, November 2026 — The Rose Bay BBQ 2026 returned to St George Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday 7 November. Organisers welcomed fathers, children, grandfathers, and friends to the parish’s annual Fathers, Kids and Mates BBQ. This year, over 450 guests attended the day’s event.
The lunch ran from 12 noon to 5 pm at Rose Bay. It also marked St George the Minor. This year, funds raised will help restore the Holy Chapel of St John the Theologian at Prevelly, Western Australia.
Greek City Times previewed the 2025 event, which raised funds for the Battle of 42nd Street Memorial in Chania, Crete. Similarly, the Rose Bay BBQ 2026 links a Sydney parish lunch with Australia’s wartime history in Greece.
Organisers had described the gathering as “an intergenerational community event”, inviting children, fathers, grandfathers, relatives, koumbari and friends. They said guests had travelled from across Australia in previous years.
The Rose Bay BBQ 2026 menu centred on charcoal Greek cooking, with whole animals roasted on the spit. The menu also included kontosouvlia, grilled octopus, and pitas. Drinks included soft drinks, draught boutique beers, Greek wines and big-bottle premium Australian wines. The drinks list also included ouzo, tsikoudia and tsipouro.
After lunch, Dr Emmanuel Karantanis and the Koutouki Restaurant band played music for dancing. Organisers described the day as “an intergenerational community event”
At the 2026 Rose Bay BBQ, organisers drew inspiration from Greek mythology, inviting guests to “Feast like Achilles and Hector, and drink like Dionysus.”
Fundraising Tradition
The barbecue continued a fundraising tradition that had supported both parish restoration and veterans’ causes. At the 2024 St George the Minor lunch, nearly 350 people attended and nearly $50,000 was raised, Greek City Times reported.
That year, an auction of marble St George icons raised nearly $20,000. Organisers also pledged $5,000 to a new veterans’ legal service run by the North Bondi RSL Sub-Branch.
Speaking about the 2026 event, Andriotakis said, “We are committed to making this an unforgettable experience year after year.” He added, “This year marks the eleventh at Rose Bay, and we look forward to continued growth.”
Video: Ouzo Talk Podcast.
Prevelly chapel restoration
The 2026 fundraiser connected the Sydney parish with a wartime memorial more than 3,000 kilometres away. The Prevelly chapel honours the people of Crete and the monastery that sheltered Australian and Commonwealth soldiers during the Second World War.
According to organisers, Anzac Geoff Edwards fought in Crete and found refuge through the monastery of St John the Theologian. The monastery saved him and hundreds of other Australian and Commonwealth soldiers.
Edwards later dedicated the Western Australian chapel to the Cretan people and the monastery that gave it its name. He supplied the land, while former Australian and British servicemen supported the building, organisers said.
He subsequently donated the land and church to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Greek City Times has previously profiled Edwards and his connection with Preveli.
The Australian War Memorial’s Places of Pride register lists the chapel as a Second World War memorial. It records a dedication date of 4 June 1979 and names Ioannis John Georgiou as its designer.
The Rose Bay parish has its own wartime memorial history. The NSW War Memorials Register records the church’s dedication as a war memorial on 24 November 1962. The then NSW governor, Lieutenant General Sir Eric Woodward, unveiled the plaque that day.
The plaque honours Australian soldiers of Greek origin who died in the two world wars. It also remembers Australian servicemen who died in Greece during the Second World War.
Before the barbecue, organisers linked support for the Prevelly chapel to the host church’s memorial purpose.
“This support is in line with the aims and objectives of St George Greek Orthodox Church Rose Bay, an NSW State registered War Memorial commemorating Australians in WW2 that served in Greece and Australians of Greek Heritage that served Australia.”
Last year’s barbecue supported the restoration of plaques at the Battle of 42nd Street Memorial in Chania, Crete.
The tessellated holy icon auctioned off went to John Kottakis. Video: Greek City Times
Photo gallery of the event
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All photos are copyrighted by Nick Bourdaniotis for Greek City Times
The Fathers, Kids and Mates BBQ at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, Rose Bay, with one of the organisers, Nick Andriotakis.