$ 1.6 Million raised for post-grad students for more than an Australia Vacation.

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov 18, 2008 -
More than 600 people gathered in New York City on November 12th for the American Australian Association's Benefit Dinner to celebrate its 60th Anniversary resulting in $1.6 Million being raised for post-grad students

“Without doubt, the dinner was a wonderful success - over $1.6 million was raised and is heading toward the Association's Education Fund,” said John Chilton, a member of the Association.

The Association encourages intellectual interchange; the fellowships for US and Australian post-grad students are intended to build on the strong social and economic partnership between Australia and the United States. The American Australian Association Education Fund awards individual fellowships of up to $25,000 each year in engineering, medicine, mining, and life sciences, with a special emphasis on oceanography/marine sciences and stem cell research.  

During the dinner there were many experiences to be had, including an exclusive preview of the upcoming Baz Luhrmann movie epic Australia starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, the presentation of awards to the Association's Education Fellows, recognition of past honorees and an inspirational speech by Rupert Murdoch - chairman and CEO of News Corp., the parent company of Fox 5 and MyFoxNY.com.

Australia, the eagerly awaited action-romance-adventure movie centers on English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), who a bit reluctantly joins forces with a rugged cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to save her inherited outback cattle station from the clutches of local cattle barons. The two embark on an inspiring journey to drive 2,000 cattle across Top End Australia, only to find themselves in the bombing of Darwin, Australia's only World War II battle fought on home ground. The movie is being used to promote Australia vacation packages with the tag line: :Lose yourself in the movie, Find yourself in Australia.

Chilton said the evening also featured a performance by Michael Johns, an Australian-born rock/soul singer-songwriter and the eighth place finalist on American Idol.  Michael, one of the first expatriates to make the Top 12 (along with Carly Smithson who is one of his favorite friends on the show), was eliminated – to the disappointment of many -from the show on April 10, 2008.
Special guests at the evening included Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan, Wendy Turnbull MBE (Grand Slam Tennis Champion), Damien Mudge (Doubles Squash Champion) and many other business leaders, government officials and dignitaries.

The American Australian Association’s purpose is to broaden, strengthen and encourage ties across the Pacific through corporate, educational, economic, social and cultural activities.
Established in 1948 by newspaper publisher Sir Keith Murdoch and a group of like-minded Australians and Americans, the Association is the largest public not-for-profit organization devoted to building strategic alliances between the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
The Association’s corporate membership includes many of the most prominent commercial and financial institutions engaged in business between the United States and Australia and New Zealand.