JAKARTA — The Embassy of Australia hosted a brief visit from MAN 4 Jakarta on Monday, 13 April 2023, intending to exchange ideas and learn more about Australian culture, history, the land, its people, scholarship and the bilateral relationship with Indonesia. Bella Sunoto, the Program Officer at the Embassy of Australia led the meeting as the MC. Emma Bourke, the A/g Counsellor Media, Public Diplomacy, Scholarships and Alumni presented the whole material about Australia, its culture, land, people, and affairs with other countries. This session was continued by Aaron Player, The First Secretary Public AFfairs, who led the meeting with a delightful game involving the whole audience in the room.
Starting off, Emma first presented a brief view of the government in Australia. She explained that Australia is a member of the Commonwealth and has an English monarch. The Queen/King, however, simply functions as a symbol or a figure and plays no part in Australian politics. A governor general stands in as the Queen/King’s official representative, while the prime minister continues to serve as the head of state.
Australia, also known as one of the most multicultural countries, is famous for the long history of its native people. Australian Aboriginal groups have a lengthy history dating back more than 65.000 years, making it the nation with the most diverse population. They are regarded as experts in navigation and multilingualism. In history, decades ago, the Makassar people were able to conduct trade with the Aboriginal communities. This started with the sharing of knowledge, including language. As a result, terms like “rupiah” and “baju,” appear to have been introduced by the Makassar people, and have been assimilated by the Aboriginal people today.
Not only as a multicultural country, Australia is also part of 17 megadiverse countries in the world. It accounts for 70% of the world’s species. Interestingly, many Australian plants still have their original shapes today. There are also other indigenous species, including the kangaroo and the Tasmanian devil. The population of Kangaroo itself is substantially bigger than that of the rest of Australia.
Australia is a country that has contributed significantly to the modern world with impressive innovations, and it is often recognized for outstanding contributions in various fields. From high speed Wi-Fi, black box flight records, Google maps, bionic ear, spray-on skin, anti-counterfeit bank notes, to dual flush toilets. These inventions have not only made life easier and more convenient for people around the world, but they have also revolutionized various industries and helped establish the world we live in today.
Lastly, Emma explained that the Embassy of Australia in Jakarta is the biggest embassy in the world due to the large number of affairs between Australia and Indonesia. The Australian Embassy regulates any affairs and mutual needs between the two countries. For example, they engage in a variety of public diplomacy activities, including youth exchanges and educational programs, like the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP), the Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program (AIMEP), New Colombo Plan (NCP), campus to campus outreach, and other scholarships that has been continuing since 1953, as well as activities in the fields of sports, arts, and languages, such as Festival Sinema Australia Indonesia and Jakarta Fashion Week.
After Emma’s presentation, the meeting continued with an enjoyable game session with Aaron. We received a great deal of new information during the game about Australia’s general information and Australian slangs.
The report was written by
Aysha Rahmadani Setiawan
Alif Marsudia Alfatih
Huwaida Rafifa Yumna
Aida Fathia Kamila