~Photos and Article by Lismore City Council~
In a modern world, the tyranny of distance cannot hamper a friendship more than half a century old.
Lismore and Yamato Takada celebrated their 51st sister city anniversary on 7 August, with an official ceremony via Skype. The friendship was established in 1963 and was the first of its kind between the two nations.
The event included ceremonial speeches and the introduction of local principals who recently signed up to the Sister Schools Program. This is a new initiative where Lismore schools are paired with a counterpart in Yamato Takada so students can share art and culture via email and Skype.
On 7 August, Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School became the newest sister school with Okanishi Elementary School, and Indigenous Kadina High School students performed an Aboriginal dance.
The event was attended this year by some special guests – a group of Japanese students in Lismore as part of the annual Sister City Student Exchange Program. They conducted a special tea ceremony, one of Japan’s oldest and most enduring traditions.
“It’s wonderful to celebrate the anniversary of the sister city relationship while the students are on their two-week exchange,” exchange host Sue Wade said.
“We have had a fabulous time with the students so far, enjoying a tour of the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre, a tree planting at the Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens and visits to Lismore Regional Gallery, Heritage Park, Rocky Creek Dam, Protestors Falls, the Japan-Australia Centre at Southern Cross University and the macadamia factory at Dunoon.
“This week we enjoyed a fabulous trip to Kadina High School, where the students got to collect eggs from the school farm, paint boomerangs, make lamingtons and try kangaroo sausages. We also took them to Nimbin for some candle making and they have spent time at several primary schools meeting local children.
“It’s been a real pleasure showing them our region and this ceremony is a fantastic way to demonstrate that we really value our friendship with Yamato Takada and the cultural sharing we experience as a result.”
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.
