Rebuilding New Orleans - Roundtable discussion with Prof. Edward Blakely

15 December 2005

Prof. Edward Blakely, Director, Planning Research Centre, University of Sydney spoke at the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney on December 15, 2005 on “Rebuilding New Orleans.”

Prof. Blakely, one of the world’s leading urban planners, provided a firsthand account of the rebuilding task ahead for New Orleans. He had flown to Louisiana immediately following Hurricane Katrina to lead a workshop for the American Planning Association on “Planning for Prosperity: Opportunities in Post-Katrina Louisiana.”

Webchat: U.S. Non-Immigrant Visas

1 December 2005

A Consular Officer from the Visa Section conducted an on-line chat session from 2:00pm to 3:00pm to answer questions on non-immigrant visas. Questions answered included info about the new visa for Australians to work in the U.S., the E-3 visa.

The Marine Forces Pacific Band

21 November to 4 December 2005

The Marine Forces Pacific Band visited Sydney, November 21-December 4, 2005 performing at the Glebe Street Festival, Martin Place and Westmead Children’s Hospital. The band also held music clinics for students at Bondi Beach Public School and Manly High School.

The Marine Forces Pacific Band is stationed Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

International Education Week: Pre-departure Orientation - Nov 22, 2005

22 November 2005

Consul General Stephen Smith welcomed 42 undergraduate university students to the Consulate for a pre-departure orientation on November 22. The three-hour session was organized by the EducationUSA Advising Service and provided information on healthcare, banking, academic life and the visa application process. The students are participating in university exchange programs and will begin their studies in the U.S. in January 2006.

Sculpture-by-the-Sea

17 November 2005

A record 400,000 people visited the 2005 Sculpture-by-the-Sea exhibition (November 3-20, 2005), held on the coastal walkway between Bondi and Bronte beaches. The Consulate General was pleased to support U.S. sculptor Moira Geoffrion, whose piece, The Tide, was a collaborative work undertaken with Australian artist Jon Tarry and U.S. artist Alan Skees.

Australia 2005: Blow Glass Down Under

April to May 2005

The Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) was blowing glass “down under.” The first time out of the United States, the Museum’s state-of-the-art mobile glassblowing unit is on a multi-city Australian tour, ending with an appearance May 7-9 at the 2005 Glass Arts Society’s 35^th Annual Conference in Adelaide.

Melbournians interested in witnessing the fascinating process of glass blowing up-close and with a clear explanation by knowledgeable professionals attended an event on April 22-24 at The Docklands.

For more information on the tour, visit the Corning Museum of Glass website.