Australia Day – a time to celebrate Australia’s culture and achievements

 

“Australia is celebrating Australia Day on 26 January. On this occasion, we celebrate our national achievements and character: a contemporary Australia with its diverse society and landscape, its remarkable achievements and its bright future both domestically and internationally”, says Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr Hugh Borrowman.

As part of Australia Day celebrations, one of Australia\'s most popular artists, Christine Anu, is visiting Vietnam from 24-31 January to perform at events in Hanoi, Vinh Phuc and Ho Chi Minh City.

"We are very excited to have Ms Anu here in Vietnam. Not only will we be able to share some of her music with our Vietnamese friends, but it will also be an opportunity for Ms Anu to share with Vietnam something of her unique Torres Strait Island heritage."

Christine Anu is among Australia’s most successful indigenous performers and one of Australia’s most popular recording artists, backed by an award-winning repertoire spanning across music, theatre, dance, film, television and children’s entertainment. Ms Anu is best known for the song ‘My Island Home’, which she performed at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

In addition to her concerts, Ms Anu will also conduct workshops with music students at the National University of Arts Education (27 January) and at the Hanoi Pedagogical University No2 (28 January); and visit a Vietnam Women\'s Union organisation that supports women who have been the victims of domestic violence (27 January).

Australia Day in Vietnam also provides an opportunity to reflect on our bilateral relationship and its progress and achievements over the past years. The relationship has come a long way since Australia and Vietnam established diplomatic relations on 26 February 1973 and now spans a wide range of cooperation, including political exchange, trade, investment, aid, education and defence.

A key highlight over the last year has been the cooperation between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in the Asia Pacific Leaders\' Malaria Alliance, which led to the East Asia Summit Leaders\' agreeing to a goal of eradicating malaria from the region by 2030.

Another highlight has been the launch of the New Colombo Plan (for Australian students to study in Asia) and the arrival of the first cohort of New Colombo Plan students in Hanoi.

For further background information please see below.

For more information, contact: Alison Keys ([email protected]; 0903 401 437)