Victoria-Yogyakarta Memorandum of Understanding

It is an honour to be hosted by Your Majesty here tonight as we mark this important occasion.

I am looking forward to the engagements in the coming days, including a tour of Yogyakarta Palace.

The Palace here in Yogyakarta shares similarities with the Governor’s residence in Victoria.

Both were built strategically to be protected from the rivers that run adjacent to them – Government House sits atop a hill, while the Palace in Yogyakarta is surrounded by a Banyan tree forest.

Both are grand buildings with a distinct design – Government House Victoria in the Italianate style, and this Palace referencing traditional Javanese architecture.

And both mark a significant milestone next year.

It will be 150 years since the completion of Government House Victoria, and a remarkable 270 years since the Palace was built here.

Those years represent rich histories and traditions that have been sustained across time, and countless events that have taken place.

Tonight, we gather to mark a similarity of greater significance – being an agreement of common understanding about our shared future.

It was just over ten years ago that Your Majesty travelled to Melbourne to sign a Letter of Intent with the then-Premier of Victoria, the Honourable Daniel Andrews.

And it is eight years since my predecessor travelled here to sign the first Memorandum of Understanding between our jurisdictions.

Since that time, our industries have been working with one another to drive innovation…

…our educational institutions have been creating opportunities for our students to learn from one another…

…and our artistic organisations have been exchanging cultures, for the benefit of us all.

As Patron of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, it brings me great pleasure to know that the Orchestra’s partnership with Yogyakarta is flourishing.

In Victoria, the performing arts and cross-cultural connections are part of what makes our State so special – and I look forward to many more of these exchanges between our institutions in the years to come.

As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in higher education, I’m pleased to know that the University of Gadjah Mada has partnered with Victorian universities on several initiatives.

I also understand that the Victorian Young Leaders to Indonesia pilot program in 2019 was a great success but regrettably had to be put on hold during the pandemic.

I am sure there would be great interest by Victoria to restart the program and further build these invaluable links between our students.

The agreement that we witness tonight represents much more than just a statement of commonality between Victoria and Yogyakarta.

Rather, it speaks to a broader desire to learn and grow together.

With this renewed Memorandum of Understanding, Victoria brings a renewed optimism to strengthening this special relationship in the years to come.

There are many opportunities for us to share – through education, creative industries and innovation.

But they depend on strengthening our connections today to be able to pursue these better futures together.

It is a privilege to be here with you to mark this special occasion as we look forward to the next stage of our partnership.

Thank you.