Press release: Friday, 3 March 2023
Yesterday the Australian High Commission marked its official national day, Australia Day, in Nairobi in front of more than 300 of its friends from across Kenya and East Africa.
The highlight of the evening was a flash mob choir performed by East Africa’s Got Talent finalist, Spellcast, who surprised the audience with a special Kenyan rendition of an iconic Australian song, My Island Home. Originally performed by the ground-breaking Indigenous Australian band, Warumpi Band, My Island Home was later made famous by the Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter, Christina Anu. Last night’s performance was the first time Spellcast has performed a flash mob choir of this kind in Kenya.
Australia Day, held annually, offers a moment to celebrate contemporary Australia, reflecting on its diverse people and cultures, and acknowledges Australia’s past including the ongoing history, traditions and cultures of Indigenous Australians whose story began over 60,000 years ago – now recognised as the world’s longest living culture.
The Australian Government is reinvigorating ties with Africa and its diplomatic presence in Kenya and East Africa was strengthened by a recent visit from the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Tim Watts MP. The visit reinforced the importance Australia places on deepening its engagement with the Kenyan Government and people, and the official opening of Australia’s new diplomatic premises in Nairobi will better serve as a base for Australia’s relationships with Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda - to which Australia is accredited from Nairobi.
Quote attributable to the Australian High Commissioner to Kenya, Luke Williams:
“Australia Day offers us the opportunity to celebrate our nation, its achievements and, most of all, its people. Our people are diverse, with one of the largest foreign-born populations in the world – over 50 per cent of Australian residents are either born overseas or have at least one parent who was born outside of the country. And Kenyans represent the second largest African diaspora in Australia.
“Last night we celebrated Australia’s historic and warm links with Kenya and our friends across the region, and we look forward to building on last week’s highly productive ministerial visit to advance our shared foreign policy, security and economic interests in East Africa.”
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For Media enquiries
Elizabeth O’Connor, Australian High Commission, Kenya: elizabeth.o’[email protected] or +254 746 437845. Meg Kauthen, Business for Development, Australia: [email protected] or +61 3 9008 9030.