Commonwealth Day Council






President's Message Welcome to the Commonwealth Day Council of NSW. What a year we have ahead celebrating Commonwealth Day and Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee – marking 60 years as Head of the Commonwealth. Our Commonwealth Day lunch will be held on 12 March at NSW Parliament House with our special guest speaker Mr. Edmund Capon AM OBE, former Director of the Art Gallery in Sydney, Australia. More information on the lunch is available here. Each year there is a different theme for Commonwealth Day. For 2012 the theme is ‘Connecting Cultures’ celebrating our Commonwealth, a global community of over two billion people of differing beliefs and traditions, with cultural expression a vibrant means of identity and exchange. We welcome communities from across NSW to join with us in celebrating their diverse and dynamic cultures on Commonwealth Day. Our Tom Harvey Award for Citizenship for 2012 recipient is Brittany Joyce, an outstanding young person who has dedicated her time to assist those in need in a small Kenyan village of Kisumu. Brittany will receive her award at the Commonwealth Day lunch in March and tell us more about her story. Read more about the great work of Brittany. Once again our debate will be held in the Legislative Assembly commencing at 10.30am - all are welcome to attend. The final teams and topic will be announced closer to the event. Further information on the debate can be found here. I would like to thank our Major Sponsor, Southern Highlands Wines for their ongoing support to the Commonwealth Day Council of NSW. You can enjoy their special wines at our lunch. Please come and join us to celebrate Commonwealth Day in 2012. Janet Stewart President, Commonwealth Day Council of NSW About the Council The Commonwealth Day Council of NSW was established in 1984 to promote and celebrate Commonwealth Day, which is held on the second Monday in March each year. The purpose of the Commonwealth Day Council of NSW is to: - Promote the benefits of the Commonwealth and its countries - Support the Australia Youth Trust. The Patron of the Commonwealth Day Council is Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO, Governor of New South Wales. The Host of the Commonwealth Day is the Speaker of the House, the Honorable Richard Torbay MP and the President of the Legislative Council, the Honorable Amanda Fazio, MLC. One of the key functions conducted by the Council is the Annual Commonwealth Day Lunch held March each year to commemorate Commonwealth Day. Key speakers and guests have included: Her Majesty The Queen The late Diana, Princess of Wales Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC, CVO, Governor of New South Wales Mr. Mick Keelty, APM, Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and Deputy-Chairman of the Australian National Council on Drugs The Hon Justice Michael Kirby, AC, CMG, Justice of the High Court of Australia General Peter Cosgrove, AC, MC, Australian Defence Forces Professor Ian Plimer, B.Sc.(Hons), Ph.D. Sir Ian Turbott AO, CMG, CVO Mr Robyn Williams AM Mr Alan Jones AO The Council has a unique partnership with the Australia Youth Trust, which is a charitable organisation that raises money to assist youth in the commonwealth. Council Members 2011-12 Ms Janet Stewart President Mr David Harvey Vice President Mr Jason Collins Vice President Mr Andrew Isaacs Secretary Clr Peter Cavanagh Treasurer Ms Suzanne Blake Mr David Bennett Ms Marilyn Cameron Mr David Elliott Clr Simon Frame Sir Trevor Garland AM Mr Frank Gartrell Mrs Pat Keill OAM Dr Paul Scully-Power AM DSM Sir Ian Turbott AO CMG CVO The Hon Max Willis RFD ED CSI