Inaugural Crawford-Nishi Lecture on Japan and Australia: A Vision for the Future
18 March, 2009
Venue: The National Museum of Australia
| Sir John Crawford | HE Haruhiko Nishi |
|---|
This Crawford-Nishi Lecture Series on Australia-Japan relations commemorates the pioneering efforts by the late Sir John Crawford, then Secretary of the Department of Trade and later Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University, and Japan’s first Ambassador to Australia, HE Haruhiko Nishi, formerly Head of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador in Australia from 1952-55, to encourage the development of Australia-Japan trade.
Their efforts throughout the period of Ambassador Nishi’s assignment culminated in the Australia-Japan Commerce Agreement of 1957. While this agreement was founded in the mutually advantageous commercial interests of both countries at the time, it was also a key instrument in furthering Japan’s acceptance into the post-World War II international community. Both Crawford and Nishi understood this very clearly and were eventually able to mobilise political, bureaucratic and public support for the Commerce Agreement.
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