Today, as Australians around the world mark our national day, we reflect on what makes our country unique.
Australia is, in many ways, an improbable nation. We are an island continent. We are ancient in geology yet young in our modern story. We are home to the world’s oldest continuous living culture, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples having cared for our land for at least 65,000 years. Yet we are also a nation constantly being remade by waves of migration from every corner of the globe.
We have the sixth largest land mass in the world. But we have a relatively small population in a region with countries with very large populations.
Our landscape defies easy categorization—vast red deserts meet tropical rainforests, snow-capped mountains overlook golden beaches, and the Great Barrier Reef stretches along our coast as a wonder of the natural world. Yet about 95% of Australians live within 100 kilometres of the coast, clustering in vibrant cities that are bustling with activity without being suffocating or overcrowded.
This duality is at the heart of what makes Australia unique. We are simultaneously ancient and new, isolated and globally connected, naturally unique yet culturally diverse, spacious yet coastal. Our major cities have become true cultural melting pots where you can experience restaurants, festivals, and traditions from every corner of the world.
The strength of our diversity
Today, Australia is the most successful multicultural democracy, home to people from more than 200 countries, all contributing to the fabric of Australian life.
This diversity is not merely demographic—it is foundational to our national character and our strength.
Last December, Australia experienced one of the darkest days in our recent history. On Bondi Beach in Sydney, as Jewish families gathered to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, they were targeted in a terrorist attack, murdered for who they were and what they were celebrating.
In the days that followed, we saw the anger and the grief that such evil unleashes. But we also saw Australians of every faith and background stand with our Jewish community, because they understand that diversity remains our strength, not our weakness.
The international world order and our shared values
We start the new year so at a moment of significant global uncertainty. The international rules-based order faces challenges. We see rising geopolitical tensions, democratic backsliding in some regions, and the complex challenge of climate change that respects no borders.
This requires more diplomacy. And you can expect that a middle powers, like Australia, – a G20 country, with the world’s 12th largest GDP and a regional power in the Asia Pacific, with global interests – will work harder in existing and in new coalitions, and in the multilateral system, as diplomatic force multipliers.
Ghana and Australia share these fundamental values, as well as Commonwealth ties. In this environment, Australia and Ghana have both an opportunity and a responsibility. We must be voices for stability, for international law, for multilateral cooperation, and for the dignity and rights of all nations—large and small. It means continuing to support each other in regional and international forums.
Ghana-Australia
The relationship between Ghana and Australia has deepened significantly during my tenure here.
I am always happy to advocate the story of Australian companies’ contribution to the African extractives sector over the last fifty years or so. With over 170 Australian mining companies active in 30 African countries, and investments exceeding 60 billion Australian dollars, we are proud of their contribution to economic growth and community development.
It is a story of responsible investment, commitment to local communities, as well as the highest standards of occupational health, safety and environment standards.
It is a story of Australian companies working in partnership with the Ghanaian government and local communities.
Whether it is the Edikan Perseus mine that employs more than 1,100 Ghanaians or the potential of Atlantic Lithium, Ghana’s first Lithium project which is expected to create several thousand direct and indirect jobs and generate substantial tax and royalty income.
Beyond minerals and resources, it is the people-to-people connections that truly define our partnership with Ghana.
Through education, training, and professional exchanges, our people-to-people links continue to grow. Over 500 Ghanaians have undertaken study, research, and professional development at premier Australian tertiary institutions through the Australia Awards program, tapping into Australia’s leading-edge expertise in fields such as public policy, health, agricultural technologies, renewable energy and mining.
And we continue to contribute to local communities through our Direct Aid Program focusing on the economic empowerment of women, health and sanitation, education and skills training and income-generation.
I am pleased to announce that next month we will be launching the office of The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) at The Australian High Commission. ACIAR is the leading Australian government agency for the delivery of agricultural research and capacity development projects in Africa and is investing $76 million focusing on agricultural research to address the impacts of climate change on small holder farmers and food security.
But beyond programs and projects, what strikes me most about the Ghana-Australia relationship is its spirit. I’m reminded, on days like this, that the distance between our countries—vast as it may be—is bridged by shared values, mutual respect, and genuine friendship.
Happy Australia Day. May the bonds between Australia and Ghana continue to strengthen.
Op-Ed by Australian High Commissioner Berenice Owen-Jones
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
