24th April 2017 Canberra, Australia
A year after the end of the First World War, a beautiful baby girl, Vera Constance Parker, was born in the tiny town of Stapleford in Northern England. But even as her father Walter celebrated her birth, he was already succumbing to the devastating wounds that would eventually kill him. Walter had been mortally wounded […]
22nd December 2016 Canberra, Australia
At the beginning of this month, I was honoured to accept, on behalf of the British High Commission, the Public Affairs Asia Gold Standard Award for Diplomatic Engagement for our work supporting scholarships for Indigenous Australian students. We have been supporting the Charlie Perkins Scholarship Trust since 2010 through the FCO’s Chevening programme, and recently extended […]
15th November 2016 Canberra, Australia
It’s been a busy couple of months since I joined the British High Commission as part of the UK Science and Innovation Network. In a short space of time, I’ve worked on topics including antimicrobial resistance, genomics, clean energy and space. I’ve attended a conference on innovation in agriculture, visited a miniature satellite, and helped […]
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30th September 2016 Canberra, Australia
One of my favourite parts of being a diplomat is meeting people and hearing their stories and ideas. Today I had the privilege of meeting some bright, budding diplomats visiting the British High Commission as part of the National Capital Model United Nations Conference (NCMUN). They were here to gain insights into the UK – […]
7th July 2016 Canberra, Australia
For many in the UK, the first day of the Battle of the Somme looms large in our island story – it was the first time a mass, citizen army drawn from the population as a whole, rather than professional soldiers, was committed into an industrialised theatre of war. It was to be a terrible, […]
6th June 2016 Canberra, Australia
Having joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) just four weeks prior to the British High Commission in Canberra hosting the official celebration for Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday, attending a black-tie affair with Ambassadors and diplomats from around the globe certainly fitted, if not exceeded, my mental picture of working life in an embassy. […]
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4th November 2015 Canberra, Australia
Each year the British High Commission in Canberra helps Indigenous Australian scholars to study in the UK by lending the support of our Chevening Scholarships scheme to the Charlie Perkins Trust. We asked three of these remarkable young people – Jessica Buck, Jessyca Hutchens and Tamara Murdock – to take part in the Women of the Future […]
23rd September 2015 Canberra, Australia
As the Australian representative for the UK Science and Innovation Network one of my responsibilities is to promote the UK’s scientific excellence in Australia. Fortunately for me, both countries have a long history of collaboration and an excellent pedigree in science. I am proud to promote the achievements of both my native and (professionally) adopted […]
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28th August 2015 Canberra, Australia
Brisbane is a riot of colour, from the frangipanis to the flame trees and the blooming Jacarandas (nicknamed students’ ruin because if you haven’t started revising for your exams by the time their purple flowers bloom – it’s probably too late!). I am standing outside a hotel in the city centre – that moment all […]
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