Indofest Adelaide
The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:28): It is a great honour today to speak about the Australian-Indonesian Association of South Australia (AIASA) and the 2019 Indofest, which was held on Sunday 28 April 2019. As honourable members will know, Indonesia is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, with over 17,000 islands and hundreds of distinct ethnic and linguistic groups. This year, Indofest Adelaide celebrated its 11th anniversary. I am pleased to report that it continues to be the largest Indonesian festival in Australia and has grown from strength to strength.
The South Australian government is once again proud to be supporting Indofest. As Assistant Minister to the Premier, I had the honour to represent the Premier of South Australia, the Hon. Steven Marshall, in extending his warmest congratulations to event organisers and volunteers. Among some of the distinguished guests who attended Indofest on the sunny day, it was a pleasure to see His Excellency the Governor of South Australia; the member for Adelaide, minister Rachel Sanderson; federal minister Senator Simon Birmingham; and other dignitaries, including Mr Derry Aman, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Republic of Indonesia, and Mr Heru Subolo, the Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia, and opposition representatives.
On behalf of the government of South Australia, I would like to offer heartfelt congratulations to the dedicated team of the Australian-Indonesian Association of South Australia for their outstanding work presenting this fantastic festival, showcasing the richest of Indonesian diverse cultures, food and performing arts.
A big shout out to Ms Amalia Sosrodiredjo for demonstrating strong leadership as the president. Special thanks to the 2019 Indofest committee chair, Ms Mei Turnip, and the tenacious Indofest team, including Diana, Olivia, Yuni, Jen, Dessy, Disa, Prilavita, Rita, Ivonne, Chadijah, Dheyo, Budi, Barry, Jane, Farhana, Christina and Amanda. The Indofest team have dedicated hours of hard work and applied their energy, skills and passion to deliver a most successful festival. I also wish to thank past presidents of AIASA, particularly Firda Firdaus, Dr Tji Srikandi-Goodhart and Rini Budiyanti, for their ongoing involvement in the association.
Indofest is the largest event held by AIASA each year. It attracted nearly 100 volunteers and 50 performers, as well as great support from the Flinders University Jembatan initiative. Jembatan in Bahasa Indonesia means 'bridge'. It is a bridging program that promotes South Australian engagement with Indonesia. I would especially like to thank Dr Priyambudi Sulistiyanto, who is better known as Pak Budi, for his leadership in supporting events such as Indofest along with delivering school outreach programs and the Indonesian International Alumni Symposium.
In 2019, the central theme of Together in Harmony permeated the entire Indofest program. The festival, held in Victoria Square, attracts thousands of visitors, with the best of Indonesian music, dance, art, tradition and, of course, delicious Indonesian food. Each year, AIASA strives to provide innovative and dynamic activities to engage visitors from all walks of life. A community space, called alun-alun, provided a harmonising centrepiece for the festival.
Another distinctive feature of this year’s Indofest was the Melanglang children’s program, an inclusive range of activities to engage children and young people with the language and culture of Indonesia. With such innovative and engaging activities, it is no wonder that Indofest has been recognised as the most successful Indonesian festival in the Southern Hemisphere and was the very deserving winner of the 2017 South Australian Governor’s Multicultural Awards.
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure to host members of the AIASA committee and Indofest volunteers for a reception and tour of Parliament House. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know the hardworking community members and learn more about AIASA’s wonderful work to foster constant engagement with Indonesian people and South Australians.
Thanks again to the Australian-Indonesian Association of South Australia and the Indofest team on hosting another incredible festival. The growth and success of the festival is a testament to the passion and vibrancy of the Indonesian community. Terima kasih!