North America

Events

Brief report on recent North America dinner.

ORDER of AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION NORTH AMERICAN GROUP EMERGES FROM COVID TO CELEBRATE THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY

During COVID, the Chairman of the OAA North America Group, Gregory Copley AM has been communicating with member, last month (June) he hosted a face-to-face black tie dinner at the Army & Navy Club in Washington DC for members and guests to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday.

His Excellency Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos, AO, the Honorary Vice-Patron of the Group (the Governor-General is the Patron of the OAA US and a keen supporter of the OAA’s work, and Mrs (Elizabeth) Sinodinos, attended the dazzling event in the Pershing Room of the Club.

The dinner was to honour the Official Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II of Australia. The dinner was co-hosted by Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) in the Americas, and messages were read to the group from OAA National Chairman Maj.-Gen. Barry Nunn AO, in Perth, and ACM Convenor Prof. David Flint AM, in Sydney.

Gregory Copley and Ambassador Sinodinos paid tribute to the widely-spread group of holders of ranks in the Order of Australia Association in North America, for the work they do in improving US-Australian relations, and furthering the prestige and reputation of Australia. The cadre of the Order in North America includes US and Canadian citizens who have held high posts in their own governments or educational institutions and have helped further bilateral relations and promoted Australian art and literature. One such US honoree at the dinner was the distinguished Prof. Jeanne M. Liedtka, OAM, who attended with her husband, Randy Salzman.

Guests at the dinner received commemorative tea caddies and commemorative mugs honouring Her Majesty the Queen’s 95th year, and tribute was paid to her leadership and service, while remembering the passing this year of her Consort, the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

As Gregory Copley noted: “We are thankful to be back in operation, and to resume the work of our Group, which is to represent Australia in the Americas.

At the same time, we took the occasion to mourn the loss of one of our great members, former Australian Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the US, Andrew Peacock, AC, who passed away on April 16, 2021 at his home in Austin, Texas.”

A more details report of this event will be included in the August 2021 edition of our national magazine The Order.