SHAPING AUSTRALIA’S IMAGE IN THE WORLD – National Press Club, Canberra

The Foreign Correspondents’ Association [Australia & South Pacific] in collaboration with The National Press Club held a reception to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the FCA.

An event to meet Australia’s Foreign Correspondents who are

40th anniversary Foreign Correspondents’ Association Australia & South Pacific:
Shaping Australia’s Image to the World at the National Press Club. 

Canberra, 30 October 2025 – The Foreign Correspondents’ Association Australia & South Pacific (FCA), in collaboration with the National Press Club of Australia (NPC), celebrated on Wednesday 29th October its 40th anniversary with a special reception and exhibition honouring four decades of international journalism.

Held at the NPC, the event was attended by chief guest, Matt Thistlethwaite,Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. In his address, the Minister emphasised that United States of America is Australia’s partner at every level: strategically and in trade.

Some of the quotes from the Minister’s Q&A with the FCA members:

On US tariffs:

“We arethankful we’ve got the lowest level of tariffs, generally, for Australian imports into the US, but we are still expressing our view in international forums that the rules need to be upheld.”

“What the United States is doing in the trade policy area is a reaction to the inability of the World Trade Organisation to deal with the issues that their economy have faced and other nations have faced. Those arguments are reasonable and one of those is about dispute settlement in the WTO. The system has been broken for many many years.”

On QUAD: 

“Is about likeminded nations coming together to try to reinforce those rules and unsure that there can’t be any room for miscalculations and that all the actors and players and nations within the region understand the importance of that.” 

On critical minerals:  

“China has been a leader in the development and processing of critical minerals. We want to be a leader as well (…) is about Australia realising our potential and ensuring we can improve our sovereignty in the future.”

Peter Hadfield, President FCA

“Editors need context, they need to know why a story in a country is important (…) The foreign correspondent gives an angle that concern the country were its been consumed by viewers and readers.”

The celebration brought together current and former foreign correspondents, government representatives, diplomats and members of Australia’s media community to recognise the essential role of foreign reporting in shaping global understanding of Australia and South Pacific.

The evening featured an exhibition of the work of the foreign correspondents in Australia across television, radio, print and digital platforms over the past four decades. Some of the most relevant stories were: exodus of Britains for new life in Australia, the Stolen Generation, Sydney Olympic Games, rivalry between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, Lindt Cafe terrorist attack, the backpackers murders by Ivan Milat, bush fires in 2019/2020, Novak Djokovic deportation in 2022, the Voic Referendum 2023, the release of Julian Assange and more. 

Over 40 current and former correspondents from Australia, UK, Germany, Spain, Japan, India, France, Vietnam, Brazil, Italy, Peru, Switzerland and Canada participated in the exhibition, sharing images, articles and reports that have reached audiences on five continents.

About FCA: 

Founded in 1985, the FCA represents correspondents from international news organisations based in Australia and Australian journalists with extensive overseas experience or expertise in global affairs. Its membership of around 100 also includes professionals from diplomacy, academia, NGOs, and government. The Association hosts prominent political, business, and academic speakers, organises networking events, and promotes the role of foreign correspondents in Australia.

For media enquiries:
Barbara Barkhausen
Email

Curator:
Raj Suri
Email