On August 9, 2022, The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry, joined Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, and Australia's High Commissioner for Solomon Islands Dr Lachlan Strahan at a service for HMAS Canberra
This event is one of three four events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Guadalcanal campaign of WWII.
In the darkness of the early hours of the morning on 9 August 1942, the HMAS Canberra was severely damaged off Guadalcanal in a surprise attack.
84 Australians were killed, many who were never recovered and remain here – making this a sacred place.
On 9 August, 2022, The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry held a press conference in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
On August 8, 2022, The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry visited a number of Australian assisted projects in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
He met 20 Solomon Islanders who were undertaking ‘Introduction to Meatworks’ training prior to deploying to Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
He also met students from the Australia Pacific Training Coalition; Australia’s technical and vocational training program.
He visited the Honiara Senior High School to see the work being done to rebuild following the damage caused by the unrest under Solomon Islands in November 2021.
The Education Sector Support Program is a partnership between the Governments of Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand.
This video compile features all of these events
On August 8, 2022, The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry, joined Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, and Australia's High Commissioner for Solomon Islands Dr Lachlan Strahan at a service at the Bloody Ridge National Peace Park.
This event is one of three four events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Guadalcanal campaign of WWII.
The Minister joined US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman and US Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, Both have close personal connections to Solomon Islands and the Guadalcanal campaign through their family histories. Ms Sherman’s father, Mal Sherman, served as a Marine and was wounded in Guadalcanal, while Solomon Islands Scouts famously saved Ms Kennedy’s father, then future US President John F Kennedy, when the Japanese sank his PT109 patrol boat.
On August 7, 2022, The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry, joined Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, and Australia's High Commissioner for Solomon Islands Dr Lachlan Strahan to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Guadalcanal campaign of WWII. On this day in 1942, United States and Allied forces landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Florida in Solomon Islands. This was America’s first major amphibious landing of World War II. It ignited a ferocious struggle with the Japanese marked by seven major naval battles, numerous clashes ashore and almost continuous air combat. The Minister joined US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman and US Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, at an early morning commemorative service. Both have close personal connections to Solomon Islands and the Guadalcanal campaign through their family histories. Ms Sherman’s father, Mal Sherman, served as a Marine and was wounded in Guadalcanal, while Solomon Islands Scouts famously saved Ms Kennedy’s father, then future US President John F Kennedy, when the Japanese sank his PT109 patrol boat. This video compile features the ceremony held at the US Memorial, the Solomon Island Scouts and Australian Coastwatchers commemoration and a ceremony held at the Japanese memorial.
Thai Van has dedicated his life to rescuing wild critically endangered pangolins—one of the world’s most trafficked creatures. Together with Australian vet, Leanne Wicker, and Australian volunteers, he has set up a state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre and Vietnam’s first anti-poaching team. Their partnership aims to prevent Pangolin extinction and international trafficking and to tackle human health threats from illegal wildlife trade, which spreads viruses across borders from animals to people.
