There are 2 things I like about the Australian Pavilion:
1. No bureaucracies among the staff inside.
2. And the exhibits are very kid-friendly.
On number one, Evelyn Killick, who is the Assistant Commissioner-General and also Communications Manager of the pavilion, easily arranged a tete-a-tete with Commissioner-General Lyndall Sachs for CNReviews.
Lyndall Sachs
I liked Evelyn immediately not just because of her fast replies but also because she can maintain a relaxed attitude even amidst the pushing visitors.
Who would not like anyone who gamely poses for fun shots like this?
Evelyn Killick
They also have charming pavilion guides who can easily work up the crowd.
Oh, it comes with the training I'm sure. But they're still charming.
As it was my first time to enter the Australian Pavilion, everything was a bit overwhelming (definitely the loud sounds inside has something to do with it). Nevertheless, trivia buffs will love going through the pavilion. Let me explain.
The pavilion is divided into 3 sections: Journey, Discover, and Enjoy. In Journey, the designers really tried to piece Sino and Aussie relations together. Around 3.5% Australians are ethnic Chinese. And both have hosted the Olympic Games in the past–China in Beijing and Australia in Sydney.
Here, I also found out bits of Aussie history like how they used radio schools for kids in the outback who have no access to bricks-and-mortar schools.
School of the Air
The outback itself sounds pretty cool, but in reality, it means isolation from the city. So how does the School of the Air work? They do not use pedal radio anymore, but the teachers still use HF (high frequency) radio to provide lessons to their students. Much of the school curriculum is covered through correspondence lessons. As in snail mail. And of course, we have the Internet now to help facilitate faster communication.
There is also the Royal Flying Doctor Service this time providing medical services to those living in the outback.
Royal Flying Doctor Service
I think efforts such as these are amazing as you really have to cater to all citizens of a country even if they are the minority.
Another way they pieced Sino-Aussie relations is through their exhibit “Sisters”. The women in the video are extraordinary women in their fields who have involvements in China and/or Australia.
This last part of "Journey" emphasizes the multicultural society defining Australia.
Evelyn introduced “People” by asking what do Australians look anyway? “Well, this is what we are.” You can not really tell someone is Australian or not just by looking at their faces. The country is one of the few heterogeneous group of people in the world. But when they open their mouths to speak, then I can tell if they are Aussie or not. Evelyn has such a thick accent that at first I had difficulty understanding her, so I almost always had to request her to repeat herself!
The second section is called “Discover”. Kids will really love this cute animation! It is a 360-degree theater where you will be able to trace Australian’s road to modernity.
“Enjoy” is mainly the souvenir area of the pavilion. There is also a balcony where performers regularly entertain the guests.
The Australian Pavilion is special in that it “uses technology in a clever way,” according to Lyndall Sachs. For example, the lights inside are not operated by on-off switches rather by motion sensors in order to save energy. Another thing is that they make use of LED lighting and solar energy to power the pavilion. Not everything is solar-powered by the way as that is not possible at the moment.
I told Lyndall I honestly could not understand the design of the pavilion, and she was very kind and patient enough to explain its concept to me. Do you know Uluru? It is better known as Ayers Rock. It is a large sandstone formation in Central Australia.
Ayers Rock
Architectural firm Wood Marsh in conjunction with creative design firm Think!OTS designed the Australian Pavilion. The exterior of the Australian pavilion is made of special weathering Australian steel by BlueScope Steel. As time passes by and with changes in the temperature, the color of the pavilion will more and more resemble the rustic, deep-red color of the Ayers Rock.
And the curves and waves?
“You could really interpret it any way you want it. For me, it is all about Australia’s landscape and diversity.”
good stuff aussie