50th anniversary photo exhibition

Australia-ASEAN formal relations have spanned five decades, marked by various historic milestones and achievements.

The Australia-ASEAN Council has supported the production of a photo exhibition and photobook to celebrate the 50th anniversary ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations. This photobook and exhibition tells the story of the evolving ASEAN-Australia relationship since 1974, showcasing people-to-people connections, development cooperation, business, trade and investment, and government and diplomacy.

The photo exhibition was displayed at the 2024 Special Summit and a digital version will be used in embassies and at events across Southeast Asia during the 2024 commemorative year. The accompanying photobook profiles an array of significant milestones and events, and showcases the various initiatives and programs throughout our 50 year dialogue partnership with ASEAN. 

Australia's Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs 1974

1974: First meeting between ASEAN Secretaries-General and Australian officials in Canberra

Poster for the First ASEAN Trade Fair in Sydney, Australia, October 1978

1978: Poster for the first ASEAN Trade Fair in Sydney, Australia

ASEAN group looks at food handling systems in Indonesia, 1980

1980: ASEAN group examines food handling systems in Indonesia

ASEAN TV trainees make a film at Fairbairn Air Base, Canberra, 1983.

1983: ASEAN TV trainees make a film at Fairbairn Air Base, Canberra

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bill Hayden, with delegates at the Eighth ASEAN-Australia Forum in Canberra, 1984.

1984: Delegates at the Eighth ASEAN-Australia Forum in Canberra

Singaporean conservator attends conservation course at the Canberra College of Advanced Education, 1986.

1986: Singaporean conservator attends conservation course in Canberra

ASEAN journalists visit the World Expo ‘88 site, 1987.

1987: ASEAN journalists visit World Expo ‘88 site

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gareth Evans, attends the opening of the Eyes on ASEAN exhibition in Melbourne, 1994.

1994: Gareth Evans attends the opening of the Eyes on ASEAN exhibition in Melbourne

ASEAN film and sound archivists on a one-month course at the Australian Film and Sound Archives in Canberra, 1995.

1995: ASEAN film and sound archivists on a one-month course at the Australian Film and Sound Archives in Canberra

Indonesian hydrographers on an Australian study tour, 1995.

1995: Indonesian hydrographers on an Australian study tour

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Syed Hamid Albar, and ASEAN Secretary-General, Ong Keng Yong, following Australia’s signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, in the margins of the 11th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, 2005

2005: Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs signs Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia

Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, joins fellow leaders at the signing ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the East Asia Summit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 14 December 2005.

2005: Australian PM, John Howard, joins fellow leaders at the signing ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the East Asia Summit

Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, attends the Fifth East Asia Summit in Vietnam, 30 October 2010

2010: Australian PM, Julia Gillard, attends the Fifth East Asia Summit in Vietnam

The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Maritime Security Field Training Exercise, Sydney, Australia, 2013

2013: ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Maritime Security Field Training Exercise in Sydney

The inaugural ASEAN–Australia Education Dialogue, supported by the Australian-ASEAN Council, was held in Penang, Malaysia, in 2018

2018: Inaugural ASEAN–Australia Education Dialogue held in Penang, Malaysia

ASEAN Leaders and Australian Prime Minister, Malcom Turnbull, at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, 2018.

2018: ASEAN Leaders and Australian PM, Malcom Turnbull, at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit

Young Matildas player, Susan Phonsongkham, challenges for the ball at a friendly match between the Thailand ASEAN Champions and the Young Matildas U19 Football team in Sydney 2018

2018: Young Matildas player, Susan Phonsongkham, in a friendly match with Thailand ASEAN Champions

First Nations Peoples’ performance at the opening of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney, Australia, 2018.

2018: First Nations Peoples’ performance at the opening of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney

Inaugural ASEAN-Australia Young Leaders Forum held in Jakarta, November 2019

2019: Inaugural ASEAN-Australia Young Leaders Forum held in Jakarta

ASEAN-Australia Women, Peace and Security Dialogue in Hanoi Vietnam, November 2020

2020: ASEAN-Australia Woman, Peace & security Dialogue in Hanoi

In 2020, Smallholder farmers harvest crops in the southern Philippine province of South Cotabato, Mindanao, as part of research funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

2020: smallholder farmers in South Cotabato, Mindanao, harvest crops for Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Program supported the first bilateral meeting between the Royal Thai Police and the Royal Malaysia Police on cases of cross-border trafficking in persons, 2021.

2021: ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Program at the first bilateral meeting between the Royal Thai and Malaysia Police

Frontline responders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand 2021

2021: Frontline responders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand

Leaders attend the First Annual ASEAN-Australia Summit on 27 October 2021

2021: Leaders attend the First Annual ASEAN-Australia Summit

Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, Will Nankervis, joins an information and discussion session at a local community in Prey Veng, Cambodia, with prospective and returned migrant workers, 20 September 2022.

2022: Australian Ambassador Nankervis at an information session with migrant workers in Prey Veng, Cambodia

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn, and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, open the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative Office at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, 12 July 2023

2023: Opening of the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative Office at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta

Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts, and recipients of Aus4ASEAN Scholarships at the official launch of the Aus4ASEAN Scholarships 2023 at Old Parliament House, Canberra, 9 August 2023.

2023: Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts, and Aus4ASEAN Scholarships recipients at the official launch

Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, participated in an ‘ASEAN Way’ handshake at the ASEAN-Australia Summit in Jakarta in 2023.

2023: Australian PM, Anthony Albanese, participated in an ‘ASEAN Way’ handshake at the ASEAN-Australia Summit in Jakarta

Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, meets Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, on the sidelines of the 2023 East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

2023: Australian PM, Anthony Albanese, meets PM of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia