08 December 2016 —Philippine Ambassador to Australia Minda Calaguian-Cruz, and First Assistant Secretary Allaster Cox of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) co-hosted the exhibit “Re-imagining Australia: Voices of Indigenous Australians of Filipino descent” in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Australia at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) on November 28.
The exhibit, attended by over 100 guests, is based on the book by Filipino-Australian Dr. Deborah Ruiz Wall OAM with Dr. Christine Choo.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Calaguian-Cruz said that while official diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Australia started 70 years ago, people-to-people relations started much earlier. She said the exhibit shares the stories of the first Filipinos to arrive in Australia in the 1860s called the Manilamen.
First Assistant Secretary Cox commended Deborah for her in-depth research and important contribution in deepening understanding of the historic linkages between the Philippines and Australia.
Author Dr. Deborah Ruiz Wall, the keynote speaker during the event, shared her journey in documenting, through oral history, the stories of the descendants of Filipino pearl divers in Broome and Torres Strait. She said this mode of storytelling complemented a narration of Australia’s social and economic policies and a review of legislation that had an impact on the lives and fortunes of Manilamen pearl divers and their descendants.
Artist Denise Ann Barry was also present during the event and her works, inspired by the Manilamenand Aboriginal art, were shown as part of the exhibit.
Guests toured the exhibit highlighting the stories of the Manilamen and their descendants and had copies of their books signed by Deborah.
This exhibit is dedicated to the next generations of Filipino-Australians who we hope will be inspired by the stories of Indigenous Australians of Filipino Descent to celebrate their Filipino identity and the warm friendship between Filipinos and Australians. END