March 2025 Newsletter

Dear Members and Friends,

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our 2025 International Women's Day event at Australia House on Wednesday evening. We have another sell-out crowd and an exceptional panel - astronaut and scientist, Dr Meganne Christian of the European Space Agency, Ms Grace Forrest, founder of human rights charity Walk Free, and journalist, television host and indigenous culture and peoples advocate, Ms Brooke Boney. The panel discussion will be moderated by our Deputy High Commissioner, Ms Elisabeth Bowes PSM.

I have just returned from a very busy time in Australia, having successfully avoided the worst of the winter weather in London. Amongst other things, I had an opportunity to visit the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and was given a personal tour by the Director, Mr Matt Anderson PSM. Matt was Deputy High Commissioner here in London 2016-2020. The Memorial is a stunningly presented and deeply moving tribute to Australians killed in war. The critical programme of modernisation, making the Memorial more relevant to all Australians, was the work of the Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson AO, who was Matt’s predecessor as Director. Brendan has a distinguished Parliamentary, diplomatic and business career and, as flagged last month, will speak at a very special event we are hosting following ANZAC Day at the In and Out Club (previously the Naval & Military Club) in London on Wednesday 30 April. Booking details will be released shortly so please save the date and keep an eye on your inboxes! As always, all are welcome but our B-AS Members get preferential rates and booking. To become a Member of the B-AS and to support the work we do, please click here.

While in Australia, I also had the opportunity to catch up with Michael L’Estrange AO, Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK from 2000 (when I arrived in London) to 2005 and also John Dauth AO LVO OBE, High Commissioner from 2008 to 2012. Both asked that I send their regards to our B-AS Members!

As you know, we work closely with the team at the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL). ROSL is a UK-based not-for-profit private members’ club, dedicated to promoting international friendship. Our Patron, His Majesty The King, is also the Patron of ROSL. In recent years we have held our extremely popular annual Summer Party in the club's beautiful gardens overlooking Green Park. Please save the date of 12 June for this year's event!

Given our strong links, we have a special offer this month for you. ROSL would like to offer all B-AS supporters the opportunity to join the club with a waiver of the joining fee, a saving of £705 for London members and £480 for country members. This offer will expire on 30 April 2025. To arrange a tour and discover more about the benefits of membership including the club's accommodation options, please contact membership@rosl.org.uk. ROSL is offering all B-AS supporters the chance to visit the club and attend the latest lecture in ROSL's public affairs series on 12 March at the reduced ROSL member rate. Please scroll down for booking details.

We also have a special offer this month especially for our B-AS Members! The supremely talented Australia House Ensemble are holding their first concert of the year on 14 March, 6.30pm at the beautiful King's Chapel of the Savoy. Please scroll down for further details. The ensemble was founded by Dr Margaret Mayston AM, a great friend and member of the B-AS, and aspires to be a world-class ensemble featuring the finest Australian musicians in London and worldwide and first performed at Australia House in 2019 under the Patronage of then High Commissioner, The Hon. George Brandis KC. We have a pair of tickets to give away to ONE lucky B-AS Member. The winner will be notified on Friday 7 March. Please click here to enter. For those of you not lucky enough to win this time, booking details can be found here. I have just bought my tickets and look forward to seeing many of you there.

And speaking of music, it is not too late to book for the Australian Chamber Orchestra's performance at the Barbican on Friday 21 March which is being held as part of the ACO's 50th Anniversary Season. The ACO will be joined by pianist Alexander Melnikov for an exciting concert programme featuring work by Bach and Shostakovich. Tickets are available to purchase here. I am Chairman of the ACO UK, a charity that supports the orchestra’s international tours. Last month while I was in Sydney, I had the opportunity to see an outstanding performance of works by Brahms and Beethoven, under the direction of Artistic Director, Richard Tognetti, at the City Recital Hall. There was a standing ovation. Of course, I will be at the Barbican on 21 March and look forward to seeing many of you there too.

And on 22 March, the 105th Annual Oxford-Cambridge Men's Australian Rules Football Intervarsity Match will be played at St John’s College, Cambridge and all B-AS supporters are invited to come along! First played in 1911, and then annually from 1921, this is the longest running annual Aussie Rules football match outside Australia, having only been interrupted once due to the COVID pandemic. Incredibly, 6 minutes of the game were telecast by the BBC in 1954, four years prior to the first telecast match in Australia. Tickets are free and there were will be food and drinks available to purchase. The organisers ask that you kindly register via this Link if you intend to attend.

I am also delighted to let you know that our annual President’s Reception with Lord Hague of Richmond has now been scheduled for 1 October. As acknowledged in the February newsletter, Lord Hague has recently been appointed to the very prestigious position of Chancellor of the University of Oxford and we are flattered that, despite the enormous commitments demanded of this new role, he continues as our President. Given the incredible challenges to the “world order” and the various scenarios we are now facing, it will be a privilege to hear from Lord Hague. Members will, of course, have preferential rates and priority booking.

Finally, congratulations to Dame Sarah MacIntosh DCMG on her appointment as British High Commissioner to Australia. Dame Sarah will take up her post in Canberra in April and we hope to organise an event for you all to meet her at some future point. Congratulations also to Lord Spellar of Smethwick who has been appointed as the new UK Trade Envoy to Australia. Lord Spellar was a special guest at our B-AS 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner in 2022 and attended the Australia Day Gala in January. John is also the long-standing Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

I always love to hear from our Members so if there is anything above you would like to further discuss, please get in touch.

Best wishes

Damian Walsh

Chair