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Benefit Dinner Australia 2006 Inaugural Benefit Dinner - Sydney
On November 14, 2006 to celebrate the establishment of the American
Australian Association Limited in Australia, an inaugural Benefit
Dinner was held
in Sydney
honouring
Rupert
Murdoch AC, with the
then Prime Minister the Hon. John W. Howard, M.P., as Special Guest.
The benefit dinner
was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney,
Australia. Sir Keith Murdoch was one of the Founders of the US based
American
Australian Association established in New York in 1948.
In addition to recognizing Mr. Rupert Murdoch's contributions to the United States
and Australia's strong bilateral alliance, the American Australian Association
Benefit
Dinner was an opportunity to raise funds for the Association's Education
Programs in Australia which provide fellowships for Australians and US post graduate
scholars to study in the US and Australia respectively.
The Dinner Chairmen for the Association's dinner were: John Hartigan,
Chairman & CEO, News Limited, Andrew N. Liveris, Chairman, President & CEO,
The Dow Chemical Company, Frank Lowy AC, Executive Chairman, Westfield Group
Limited, Ralph Norris, Managing Director & CEO, Commonwealth Bank Group,
James D. Packer, Executive Chairman, Consolidated Press Holdings Limited, THe
Hon. Warwick Smith AO, Executive Director, Macquarie Bank Limited, Sol Trujillo,
Chief Executive Officer, Telstra Corporation Limited, Noel Williams, Chief Executive
Officer, The Dow Chemical Company (Australia) Limited and Michael Ullmer, Finance
Director & CFO, National Australia Bank Group.
The Benefit Dinner also marked the announcement of the University of Sydney as
the host university for the Australian Government and the Association's joint
initiative to create a United States Studies Centre in Australia. The Prime Minister
announced the Government's AUD25million commitment to the initiative in Washington
in June this year. Additional monies are being sought from business and private
individuals in both Australia and the United States to support the Centre. The
NSW Government and the University of Sydney have both made major contributions
to the Centre.
2007 Benefit Dinner - Melbourne
Charles Goodyear, Chief Executive Officer for BHP Billiton Limited, was honoured
for his contribution to U.S.-Australian relations by the American Australian
Association Limited at the Association's secondbenefit dinner on Wednesday,
28th November 2007, held in Melbourne at the National Gallery of Victoria.
In addition to recognising Mr. Goodyear, the benefit dinner raised funds for
the Association's Education Programs. Over US$1million has been awarded to 40
Education
Fellows as a result of private sector contributions to education scholarship
exchanges between the U.S. and Australia.
Mr. Goodyear oversaw the world's largest diversified resources company with operations in 25 countries. During Mr. Goodyear's five year tenure, he completed a merger with South Africa's Billiton and acquired Western Mining Corporation Resources.
Mr. Goodyear is an American who joined BHP in 1999 as its Chief Financial Officer. He was later appointed Chief Development Officer and joined the boards of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc in November 2001. He was named Chief Executive Officer in January 2003. Previous to BHP, Mr. Goodyear was the President of Goodyear Capital Corporation and was a former Executive Vice President and CFO of Freeport-McMoran Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Yale University and an MBA from The Wharton School of Finance. He is a Member of the International Council on Mining and Metals and the National Petroleum Council.
The Association in Australia will follow the model established in New York
of having benefit dinners, recognizing prominent Australians and Americans
who have made a contribution to the relationship between the US and Australia.
Proceeds from these dinners continue to build the Association's Education Fund. The
American Australian Association in New York commenced Annual Benefit Dinners
in 1998 to mark the Associations' fiftieth anniversary. The first dinner recognized
Mr.
Rupert
Murdoch AC and
proceeds were used to establish the Education Fund.
Subsequent honourees in New York have been:
· 1999 Jill Ker Conway author and educator
· 2000 James D. Wolfensohn KBE AO President Emeritus World Bank
· 2001 Geoffrey C. Bible Chairman Emeritus Philip Morris Companies
· 2002 Peter S. Lowy CEO Westfield USA
· 2003 Douglas N. Daft AC Former Chairman & CEO The Coca-Cola Company
· 2004 Greg Norman AO world famous golfer
· 2005 Andrew N. Liveris President & CEO The Dow Chemical Company
· 2006 Paul M. Anderson, Chairman & CEO, The Duke Energy Company
· 2007 W. James McNerney Jr, Chairman, President & CEO, Boeing Corporation
