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September 2016 / Newsletter #25

State Visit to Australia & New Zealand


31 October - 9 November 2016

At the invitation of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima will pay a state visit to Australia. The visit will take place from 31 October to 4 November.

At the invitation of the Governor-General of New Zealand, they will then pay a state visit to New Zealand from 7 to 9 November. The visits will focus on the Netherlands’ historical and wide-ranging bilateral ties with Australia and New Zealand.

The King and Queen will be accompanied by Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders. A broad economic mission will take place at the same time, headed in Australia by Minister for Foreign Trade Lilianne Ploumen and in New Zealand by Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp.

In preparation of the state visit, a group of Australian journalists of SBS News, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Financial Review, The West Australian and The Canberra Times visited the Netherlands and had a meeting with His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. Articles about the visit were published by, amongst others, The Sydney Morning Herald and SBS News.


Economic mission to Australia with Lilianne Ploumen and Henk Kamp


31 October – 9 November 2016

As well as the state visit of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima, the economic mission with Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, and Henk Kamp, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, is also getting closer!

In two weeks, more than 100 Dutch companies will visit Australia and discover business opportunities.

One strongly represented sector is Agriculture and Food. Not surprising, as the Netherlands is one of the world's largest exporters of agricultural and food products, thanks to its innovative agrifood technology. The Dutch agrifood sector is a sustainable source of healthy, safe food that is produced with respect for nature and the environment.

Other sectors that the mission will focus on are Horticulture, Water, Life Sciences and Health, Logistics and Infrastructure, Sport and Smart Cities.

Where:  Adelaide/Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

When:  31 October – 4 November


Short news

Concert of Jussen brothers and Sydney Symphony Orchestra at Sydney Opera House

During the State Visit of Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Australia, Their Majesties will host a concert in the Sydney Opera House on the evening of Wednesday 2 November 2016.

Dutchmen Arthur and Lucas Jussen are two young but renowned Dutch classical pianists who have accompanied Their Majesties on several occasions. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra obviously needs no special introduction.

 




They will play works by Adolfo Berio, Prokofiev, Mozart and Igor Roma. Their Majesties will attend the 1.5 hour concert in an orange lit Sydney Opera House.

Those who would like to attend the concert and who have not received a personal invitation, can purchase a ticket by clicking here.

Please also refer to this link for more information about the evening.

 

Join Bicycle NSW for free!

In collaboration with the Consulate-General in Sydney, Bicycle NSW is pleased to welcome you to their local community of bike riders with a complimentary individual membership from today through until 31 March 2017.

Since 1976, Bicycle NSW has been working on behalf of bicycle riders to improve conditions and create a better and safer environment for cycling. Their annual program of events include the iconic annual Spring Cycle ride across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Discovery Rides that explore cycling in regional NSW.

 

 

Usually $115 per year, the Consulate-General and Bicycle NSW have arranged for you to activate your new membership right now at no cost. If you have a family, you can upgrade this free offer to a Household membership for just $40. The membership covers all members wherever they live in Australia with worldwide bike riders insurance for personal injury and public liability (excludes bike races).

Join Bicycle NSW by clicking here.




 

"Dirk Hartog's landing in Western Australia": a lecture by Wendy van Duivenvoorde

On 20 October, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Netherlands Embassy and Consulate-General are hosting Dr. Wendy van Duivenvoorde, senior lecturer in maritime archaeology at Flinders University and Deputy Director of the Australian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres. Dr. van Duivenvoorde will present a talk focusing on ships of exploration and Indiamen, which includes the archaeological remains of Western Australia’s Dutch East Indiamen shipwrecks.

This lecture is part of a series of Dirk Hartog 2016 lectures by Dr Van Duivenvoorde that mark this 400 year anniversary.

You can buy tickets for the event here.

 

 

Dutch "Masters of Light" in Melbourne


From 22 October until 4 December, Dutch photographers Erwin Olaf and Hendrik Kerstens will exhibit in the Monash Gallery of Art. The Dutch “Masters of Light” have previously exhibited their works at the Customs House in Sydney.

Inspired by the manipulation of light and shadow, these photographers have created a series of emotionally charged portraits. Come visit Melbourne and enjoy these masterpieces! Read more by clicking here.

The exhibition, which has been featured in the award-winning Gallery magazine will be opened by Nicoline van Cann from the Consulate-General of the Netherlands in Sydney.

 

 

Dutch VOC maps exhibited in Smithfield

The entire month of October, the Fairfield City Museum & Gallery in Smithfield will exhibit full size replicas of Dutch VOC maps of the 17th century as a way of celebrating Dirk Hartog 2016!

There will be full size replicas of some two dozen old maps on display, mostly produced by cartographers of the Verenigde Oost-Indie Company (VOC) during the 17th and 18th centuries. They show the progress of the around 50 landings by a great variety of Dutch ships visiting and mapping the Australian coast line in that period. These maps will take you back more than 150 years prior to the arrival of Captain Cook in 1770 in Botany Bay.

The exhibition, organised by the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre, was festively opened by Consul-General Willem Cosijn.

Admission is free! Read more here.
 

 

Viktor&Rolf go Down Under!

The spectacular and avant-garde creations of Dutch fashion designers Viktor & Rolf are on display in Australia for the first time in an exhibition organised by the National Gallery of Victoria in close collaboration with the designers. Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists features some of the Dutch design duo’s most show-stopping and innovative works, drawn from the Viktor & Rolf archive as well as museum collections in the Netherlands.

The exhibition will be displayed in Melbourne from 21 October 2016 until 26 February 2017. As the Consulate-General is very active in promoting and supporting Dutch-Australian collaborations in the creative sector, the exhibition will be opened in the presence of Nicoline van Cann of the Consulate-General of the Netherlands.

Buy your tickets here!

 

 

"Concord of Strangers": Dirk Hartog at the Sydney Opera House

On 9 September, Dirk Hartog 2016 was beautifully celebrated in the Sydney Opera House with a concert of the Song Company called “The Concord of Strangers”! The performance combined music portraying Dirk Hartog’s maritime journey to Australia in 1616 with contemporary Australian music and was preceded by a short speech by Consul-General Willem Cosijn about Dutch-Australian history. A night to remember!



 

A Dirk Hartog night at the Royal Australian Historical Society

Celebrating the 400 year anniversary of Dutch-Australian relations, Willem Cosijn attended a seminar called ‘In the wake of Dirk Hartog - the contribution of Dutch exploration to Australia’s history’ at the Royal Australian Historical Society in Sydney. The speakers, among whom keynote speaker Dr Edward Duyker OAM, FAHA, presented on a wide range of topics; from the significance of the Tasman Map to the History and Operations of the VOC in Indonesia. A great way to celebrate the Dirk Hartog year!

 

Special Dirk Hartog edition of the West Australian

In 2016, we mark our Australian-Dutch history and celebrate our joint future! Check out the special souvenir edition about Dirk Hartog 2016, released by The West Australian in Perth.




 

 

In this magazine you will find many stories and event announcements, as well as an editorial by Ambassador Erica Schouten, and an article on our mission to further intensify relations with Western Australia.

Read the issue here. Enjoy!

 

 

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