Australia Day Celebration with Australian National Soccer Players

Australian sport, film and art were the focus of Australia Day celebrations in Jakarta today with members of Australia’s national soccer team, the Socceroos, joining the Australian Embassy Charge D’Affaires Ms Louise Hand at a special film screening in Jakarta.

“Australia Day is a time for us to learn and understand more of our proud Indigenous heritage, and the special understanding of our land that has been handed down through countless generations of Indigenous Australians,” Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stated in his Australia Day 2009 official message.

The Australia Day celebration in Jakarta was part of Dreaming Stories, the Australian Indigenous Cultural Festival from 22 – 26 January 2009 at Blitzmegaplex Grand Indonesia.

The Festival features award-winning Australian Indigenous films and BALGO, an exhibition of contemporary Aboriginal art from the Balgo Hills region of remote Western Australia.

“People to people links are a crucial part of the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, and these links are reinforced by cultural, arts, education and sports activities through which we can share a common bond,” Ms Hand said.

The Australian Socceroos touched down in Jakarta over the weekend in the lead up to Wednesday night's AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia.

The Socceroos will also participate in a coaching clinic on 29 January with children from Madrasah Tsanawiyah Nurul Huda (Bekasih), one of 2000 schools constructed under the Australia-Indonesia Partnership.

Dreaming Stories is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in cooperation with the Australia International Cultural Council, Screen Australia and Artbank and with support from Qantas, BERRI, Weis Ice Cream, Curtin University, Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta, Cinemags and KangGURU Indonesia.

Media Enquiries:
Fiona Hoggart Counsellor (Cultural) tel. (021) 2550 5260 mob. 0811 936 302