To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the sister city relationship established in August 1988 between Sasebo City in Nagasaki Prefecture and Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, Official Welcome and Tree Planting Ceremony, and the Civic Dinner were held in Coffs Harbour on 25 August. A delegation of 31 individuals from Sasebo City, including Mayor Daisuke Miyajima, city officials, city council members, and members of The Japan-Australia Society of Sasebo, visited Coffs Harbour for this occasion.
The sister city partnership between these two cities had its origins in the involvement of Sisters from Australia in the establishment of Seiwa Joshi Gakuin, the private school in Sasebo City. This led to the beginning of exchanges between the school and Australia. While the members of the chorus club from the school, who participated in the previous 30th anniversary commemorative event, could not be part of this anniversary events, a recorded video of their choir performance was presented during the dinner, which was highly appreciated by the local attendees.
CLAIR Sydney participated in these commemorative events in Coffs Harbour, providing an opportunity to reaffirm the strong friendship between the two cities. It is expected that this friendship will continue to thrive through future student and citizen exchanges.
From the 3rd to the 13th of December, eight selected swimmers from the Fukuoka Swimming Association visited NSW, where they participated in joint training sessions with a local school and competed in the 2024-25 Speedo NSW Senior State Age Championships.
