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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

24th April 2013

How Anglo is Australia?

HE Paul Madden speaking at the NSW Community Relations Commission

This was the interesting title I was asked to talk about by the NSW Community Relations Commission. In Parramatta, unofficial capital of Sydney’s sprawling Western Suburbs, home to some 10% of Australia’s population and the heartland of the “new Australians”, I met young leaders from a range of different communities: Iraqi, Afghanistani, Indian, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Chinese, Malay, Jewish, Polish.

In my speech I talked about four things: Australian uniqueness; the strength of modern Anglo-influences; Australia in the world; and immigration and multiculturalism. I noted that you could equally well ask “how Anglo is Britain” nowadays. One in four Australians may have been born outside the country. But so have one in eight Brits. We are both diverse, cosmopolitan societies.

HE Paul Madden speaking at the NSW Community Relations Commission
HE Paul Madden speaking at the NSW Community Relations Commission

The physical Anglo legacy is obvious, from place-names to statues of Queen Victoria, all juxtaposed with Australia’s extraordinary landscapes. But there is a huge cultural familiarity too. In the 2011 census, a large majority of Australians described their ancestral background as from the British Isles.

Apart from the historic settlement, over a million Brits came to Australia between 1945-70, the famous “ten pound poms”. And they continue to come, with 25,000 settling permanently last year. But in 2012 they were only the third largest group of arrivals, after Chinese and Indians (who topped the list for the first time with 29,000).

The vibrant multicultural nature of modern Australia is evident every time you walk along the streets of major cities. Among the reasons they come is the attractiveness of some of the values codified in its constitution and laws, around democracy, rule of law and personal freedoms. They may have started out as “Anglo” values, but have now become much more universal.

Nowadays Australia has very important economic and political ties with its Asian neighbours, both bilaterally and through emerging institutions like the East Asia Summit, just as Britain is a leading member of the European Union. Indeed it is a highly connected global nation. But not surprisingly, many Australians, whatever their family history, appear to find an ease and familiarity in working together with Anglo countries like the UK, US, Canada and NZ.

It was fascinating talking to the lively group of young people. We covered many topics including: Asylum seekers; the balance between multiculturalism and integration; languages; terrorism; community policing; the influence of ethnic groupings on foreign policy; and national identity. It was good to hear them speaking so positively about what it means to be Australian in 2013.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.