On the evening of 2 November, Taronga Zoo’s Centenary Celebration Dinner was held by the City of Nagoya and Nagoya City Assembly at the Tea Room, a popular place to relax in the CBD of Sydney. Guests included Mr. Cameron Kerr, Chief Executive and Director of Taronga, Mr Keizo Takewaka, Consul-General of Japan in Sydney and other VIP guests of Taronga Zoo, Sydney Council and the Sydney-Nagoya Sister City Committee. In all, about 50 people attended. The participants had a great time and also enjoyed a film on the 32-year-old history of animal exchanges between Taronga Zoo and Higashiyama Zoo, which started with Taronga Zoo donating two koalas to Higashiyama Zoo.
Moreover, Dr David Butcher, the Chair of the Sydney- Nagoya Sister City Committee was given an award by Mr Keizo Takewaka for promoting mutual understanding and deepening the friendship between Australia and Japan.
Dr Butcher, in fact, was responsible for transporting the first two koalas to Japan. He has devoted himself to strengthening the relationship between Australia and Japan and was deeply involved in the 35th sister-city anniversary between Sydney and Nagoya and homestay for Nagoya high school students whilst they were in Australia.
