12th June 2013
Honorary Consuls from Australia, New Zealand and Samoa gathered in Brisbane for their annual conference and briefing on latest developments in our consular policy. I gave them an update on the current state of bilateral relations. These are local residents in cities where we do not have a consular office, who volunteer to help support […]
3rd June 2013
Thus concluded an editorial in Saturday’s Geelong Advertiser (the “Addie”). It referred to the opening of a new stand at Geelong Cats’ Simonds Stadium in Kardinia Park together with four spectacular lighting towers which will enable night matches to be played for the first time. It was a big deal for club and city, attended […]
24th May 2013
Australia is a very long way from Britain – 23 hours flying time. That can sometimes put small businesses off exploring the big opportunities in this important market. But many companies are exporting very successfully to Australia without leaving home, thanks to booming e-commerce sales. 15.7 million Australians are active online and Australia’s online retail […]
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23rd May 2013
I was familiar with Adelaide’s origins as a planned city of free settlers, but I did not know about its links with London’s famous Reform Club (the starting point for Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”) until I attended a fascinating event there organised by the Australia Britain Society while I was back […]
9th May 2013
Australian sports minister, Senator Kate Lundy, must be a glutton for punishment. She’s already had to pay a forfeit over her bet with UK sports minister Hugh Robertson about the results at the London Olympics. Now she’s signed up for further wagers with him over the forthcoming Ashes and the Lions’ tour. It was all […]
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5th May 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defence Minister Stephen Smith launched Australia’s new Defence White Paper in an RAAF hangar in Canberra. They were flanked by Australia’s senior military chiefs and defence officials, against the backdrop of some impressive looking hardware and a military band. The hangar was open to the elements, so we could all […]
26th April 2013
The silence of 35,000 people gathered in pre-dawn darkness is a genuinely spine-tingling experience. Every year more and more Australians seem to want to turn out for what is both an annual commemoration of Australia’s war sacrifices and a proud expression of national identity. Before the service, Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, one of Australia’s four living […]
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24th April 2013
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 […]
15th April 2013
Standing in his moleskins in a grove of gum trees in rural Victoria, British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Owen Paterson looked every inch the countryman. Me, in my dark suit, not so much. He was here with scientific and policy officials to look at several aspects of Australian agriculture. The […]
11th April 2013
There are few things more important than education. Our Chevening scholarships benefit the individuals who come to the UK to study, the communities from which they come, and the societies to which they return, often to play future leadership roles. So it was a great pleasure to be sending four more young indigenous Australians off […]
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