With support from the Federal Government, the Encounter 2002 project will celebrate the very substantial contribution made by both Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin not only to South Australia's but Australia's scientific history.

The project gives us an opportunity to celebrate our bilateral relations particularly with France and to strengthen further our bilateral commercial, cultural, scientific and people-to-people links.

The meeting between Flinders and Baudin marked one of the earliest examples of scientific interaction on our continent, interaction that continues today in the strong scientific and technological cooperation between Australia and the European Union. Indeed, two of our biggest European partners in this field are the home countries of the two seafarers - the United Kingdom and France.

In conjunction with the French Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is actively promoting the international dimensions of Encounter 2002, including through the following activities:

• the Baudin promotional launch at the Australian Embassy in Paris in June 2001 to be attended by the Premier of South Australia, and significant French personalities;
• further promotion of Australia's cultural diversity and rich cultural heritage, giving prominence to Encounter 2002's indigenous Australian projects;
• the involvement of Australian and French navy ships in the Encounter re‑enactment in April 2002;
• the visit to Australia by Michel Rocard, the chairman of France's Terra Australis Committee (organisers of the Baudin program in France) under the Department's Cultural Award Scheme (CAS);
• visits to Australia by French journalists under the Department's Media Visits program; and
• the Baudin lecture (on an exploration-linked theme) to be hosted by the Australian Government including participation by a significant French visitor.

My Department has also been actively exploring with Australian cultural organisations an overseas cultural initiative to commemorate the Bicentenary (it is premature to indicate details until funding has been finalised).

Activities in France are naturally focused on Nicolas Baudin, and our Paris Embassy is also developing a number of joint activities, such as:

• the development of a joint commemorative stamp (Australia Post and its French counterpart);
• twinning/friendship arrangements between South Australia and France;
• a major publishing project to reproduce Baudin's personal journal; and
• networking and other linkages between the Australian and French business communities.

I am also involved in promoting business sponsorship of Adelaide University's proposed Flinders-Baudin Research Station on Kangaroo Island, and the related Flinders-Baudin scholarships. I am happy to say that the University has managed to secure corporate sponsorship for its scholarship program and, further, that the response from business on the research station project looks very promising indeed. I can think of no better way to build a lasting monument to the Encounter 2002 commemoration, and one that can have real benefits for South Australian business people.

Encounter 2002 will mark an event of great significance for South Australia, and for Australia, and will leave a legacy of lasting benefit for our community.

Inquiries:
Matt Francis (Ministerial) 02 62 77 7500