Media Release

5 June 2007

New Awards Honour Diplomats’ Contribution to Australia-Indonesia Relations

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Bill Farmer, said he was delighted to be able to inform our many friends in Indonesia of the establishment of two awards in memory of Allison Sudradjat and Elizabeth O’Neill.

The awards were announced by Australia’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, in Canberra last week.

Allison and Liz, who were both senior officers in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, died in service tragically on 7 March 2007 in a plane crash in Yogyakarta.

“Allison and Liz were two very special people, loved and admired by their families, friends and colleagues,” Mr Farmer said. “As diplomats, they were dedicated professionals who worked tirelessly to strengthen the ties of friendship between Indonesia and Australia, including through their efforts in the Embassy.”

“These awards build on Allison and Liz’s most recent work in Indonesia, primarily in the fields of development and public affairs respectively. The awards will also help recognise their contribution to our important bilateral relationship.”

Allison Sudradjat was the Minister-Counsellor in Indonesia for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). Among Allison’s many accomplishments was the launch of the Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) program in Indonesia in 2006. These prestigious scholarships allow Indonesian students to study at Australian universities for a Masters degree or a PhD.

In Allison’s memory, four post-graduate Australian Leadership Awards will be awarded in her name to outstanding scholars and current or emerging leaders in Indonesia. Applications for the Allison Sudradjat Awards and 2008 ALA Scholarships are now open and close on 31 July 2007. For further information, go to www.australiaawards.gov.au.

Liz O’Neill was serving as the Public Affairs Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta at the time of her death. Recognising the influential role of the media in modern society, Liz worked tirelessly with Australian and Indonesian members of the media to foster a better understanding of both countries through accurate and informed media coverage.

To continue her work, the ‘Elizabeth O’Neill Journalism Award’ will be conferred annually on two journalists, one Australian and one Indonesian. Sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII), the award will be open to print, radio, television and internet journalists.

Award recipients will participate in a program of around three weeks in-country, which will enable them to build a stronger understanding and appreciation of the broad range of issues facing contemporary Indonesia and Australia. Each year, the program will be tailored to the journalists’ areas of expertise and reporting responsibilities in such areas as foreign and trade policy, development assistance, culture, people-to-people links, and education.

Further information:
(Australian Embassy) John Williams mob 0812 105 3989.