Australia’s participation at world expositions
International expositions, also known as expos or worlds fairs, have been held for more than 150 years. The inaugural expo, the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, opened in London in 1851 and ran for six months. Since then, expos have been the principal opportunity for nations to gather and promote themselves to visitors from around the world.
In 1928, the Bureau International des Exhibitions (BIE) was established by diplomatic convention to regulate the frequency and quality of international exhibitions. The BIE is located in Paris and Australia is a full voting member. BIE‑approved expos include registered and recognised exhibitions. The former are currently held every five years and last up to six months. Each has a theme that is explored by participating countries in their pavilions. Recent themes include the environment, technology and discovery. Recognised exhibitions are also themed but are shorter in duration and smaller in scale than the registered expos.
Australia—an expo host
Australia has a long history of involvement in international expositions and has hosted two. The first was the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, Agricultural and Industrial Products of All Nations, held in Melbourne from October 1880 to April 1881. The Royal Exhibition Building, purpose-built for that occasion, is still in use today.
More than 100 years later, Australia again hosted an international exposition, Leisure in the Age of Technology, held in Brisbane in 1988. It featured 36 countries and 80 pavilions and attracted 18 million visitors. Brisbane’s hosting of the expo was a milestone in the city’s transformation into a place with international profile and appeal.
Australia’s participation at previous expos
Australia participates actively in expos in which there is a clear national interest. Australia has been represented at six expos since 1985, including the most recent event, held in Aichi near Nagoya, Japan, in 2005.
Australia’s multi-award-winning pavilion was one of the most popular national pavilions at Aichi, consistently ranking in the top five in independent Japanese surveys. It was visited by more than 3.5 million people and Australia organised 217 trade, investment and sponsor-related events during the six-month expo period. Australia’s extensive arts and entertainment program, offering 750 live performances, attracted large crowds.
Innovative street theatre by the Australian Resident Company, the pavilion’s resident performance troupe, was a key attraction and was supplemented by events showcasing 200 visiting artists. The VIP area of the pavilion hosted more than 10 000 guests. In keeping with the expo’s theme of ‘Nature’s Wisdom’, the pavilion featured a 12-metre platypus sculpture symbolising Indigenous Australia’s focus on the creation of a sustainable future for all creatures on earth. The pavilion’s spectacular façade was lit to evoke stars in the night sky. The Australian pavilion won three awards, including a silver Nature’s Wisdom Award for Best Pavilion in Category from the BIE.
Shanghai World Expo 2010
In 2010, Australia will participate in the first universal world expo to be held since the expo in Aichi, Japan, in 2005. (A smaller, specialised expo will take place in Zaragoza, Spain, in 2008.)
The Shanghai World Expo 2010 will be the biggest in history, with an estimated 70 million visitors during the six months of operations from 1 May to 31 October 2010. At least 170 nations and 40 international organisations will exhibit at the expo park, which will be on the waterfront of the Huangpu River, between the Nanpu and Lupu bridges, in downtown Shanghai.
Participation at the expo will enable Australia to highlight its advanced economy and display the nation as a sophisticated society with some of the world’s most liveable, dynamic and environmentally friendly cities.
The theme, ‘Better City, Better Life’, will provide an opportunity for Australia to demonstrate its capacity in design services, clean energy technology and other areas of innovation.
Extensive business and cultural programs in and around the Australian pavilion will be a key part of Australia’s participation. The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in conjunction with a wide group of stakeholders, including state and territory governments and other federal government agencies, will coordinate these programs.
Australia’s presence will reflect the breadth and depth of our relationship with China, highlighting the comprehensive economic, social and educational links between the two countries.
The department has established a website (www.expo2010.com.au) containing news items and information on the latest Shanghai World Expo 2010 preparations and commercial opportunities.
Further information
This fact sheet is also available to download (PDF)
Last updated April 2008