Remarks at opening of Australian Embassy
Distinguished guests, Your Excellencies.
It is an honour to be here to open what all Australians should consider as a slice of home away from home.
Every one of our embassies is a piece of Australia in another land – but this is no ordinary land.
President Biden once referred to Australia as a great comfort zone for the American people. He spoke of an “easy mateship”.
The feeling is deeply mutual.
My great predecessor Prime Minister Bob Hawke described it as:
An ease of contact, a readiness to trust, and an enjoyment of each other’s company which readily transcends differences.
Through the decades, through all the changes in the world, the friendship between Australia and the United States has stood so tall it even extends beyond our planet.
We are both nations of stargazers. Even our flags remind us to look up at night and be inspired.
But while we all look to the stars, the US is actually going to them – with some help from your friends Down Under.
The only footprints on another world are American. But when Neil Armstrong planted the very first one, it was Australia that beamed that giant leap to the world.
The only human-made objects to have reached interstellar space are American – but when there’s a hiccup, like there was in August, the only way to talk with both the Voyager probes and get things back on track is a radio dish in Canberra.
And many millennia from now, the first human-made object to approach an alien star system will be American.
For our planet’s sake, I hope you make a good impression.
But just as we look up, we also keep our feet on the ground.
Our embassy here is an important part of that.
This beautiful new building will carry the spirit of the old embassy, which served us for so many decades – from the depths of World War II when our alliance was forged.
Like the stars above us, the Australia-US alliance was born in darkness, during the Second World War – but it has lit our way ever since.
Ours is a true friendship and true friendship is built on honesty – which means we have the strength and the freedom to tell each other what needs to be said, even if there are times when the message isn’t as instantly loveable as an episode of Bluey.
It’s a friendship built on mutual respect, admiration – and, ever since Mark Twain first tried coming to grips with the Australian accent, moments of mutual incomprehension.
But just as true friends draw strength from what they have in common, they take joy in each other’s differences.
And we bridge the gaps with diplomacy, the true heart of foreign policy.
President Biden emphasised the importance of the US leading not just by the example of its power, but by the power of its example.
Australia’s power occupies a different tier in the world, but we are guided by a similar spirit.
It is a spirit embodied by our host, Ambassador Kevin Rudd
I had the honour of serving as Kevin’s Deputy Prime Minister.
And as long as I have known him, he has had a belief in Australia that is even bigger than our continent.
Kevin’s ambition for our nation is carefully underwritten by his understanding of the potential that we all share as Australians, and what we need to do to reach it.
It’s an ambition that is matched by his view of our place in the world, and the positive and constructive role that we can play.
Of course, no ambassador stands alone. Every embassy is a community, a team of extraordinary talent.
A team that brings to bear a great collective experience, instinct, sensitivity and strength.
Every interaction I and my team have had with you has been such a pleasure, and it gives me the greatest confidence that Australia’s presence in Washington is in your hands.
It’s a presence that is enhanced in the embassy gallery by an exhibition of Aboriginal art from the very heart of our continent.
Bearing the name Irrititja Kuwarri Tjungu, it celebrates 50 years of Papunya Tula Artists.
Each artwork is extraordinary. Gathered together, they are a profound expression of power, grace and beauty from members of the world’s oldest continuous culture. I am glad they are here to be seen, appreciated, and loved.
In Australia, we’re marking another 50th anniversary – that of the Sydney Opera House. It is worth noting that its very first performer was American – the great Paul Robeson.
Demonstrating true American momentum, he didn’t wait for the Opera House to open, but turned up when it was still a building site and sang to the construction workers, who sat on the scaffolding and hung on every word.
I don’t know if any Australian singer returned the favour as this new embassy was being brought into being. But I think we can all agree on the quality of the finished product.
From this moment, our face to the United States of America is this splendid building.
It gives me great pleasure to declare it open.