Protocol Guidelines
16. OTHER MATTERS
16.2 Women's International Club
16.3 Australian national anthem
16.4 Australian national colours
16.5 Media releases, statements and publicity issued by missions and posts
16.6 Acceptance of gifts by public servants
16.7 Acceptance and wearing by Australians of foreign awards and decorations
16.9 Condolence books
16.9 National Days
16.10 Communication with Australian Government authorities
16.11 Notes Verbales
16.12 Diplomatic clearances for aircraft and ships
16.13 Foreign Elections
16.1 Diplomatic Contact Group
Canberra has a Diplomatic Contact Group (DCG). Its members are largely spouses of current or former members of the Department. Diplomatic spouses will be welcomed through the DCG, in the first instance (shortly after arrival), by an introductory letter from the President and a comprehensive folder of information about Canberra. A committee member of the DCG will follow up with a call on the newly arrived spouse to extend a personal welcome. The President and committee of the DCG hold regular coffee mornings to give spouses an opportunity to make friends within and outside the corps and to help with any queries.
16.2 Women's International Club
The Women's International Club (WIC) of Canberra, like its counterpart organisations overseas, fosters friendship and mutual understanding among women of different nationalities. The Club has an active program to facilitate social and cultural contacts, and runs several groups focussed on special interests such as sports, languages, cooking, arts and craft. The Club's membership is a balance between women from Australia and other countries, the latter group being drawn mainly from the Diplomatic Corps. The Club particularly welcomes participation by the wives of Heads of Mission.
16.3 Australian national anthem
"Advance Australia Fair" is Australia's national anthem. It is played on all official and ceremonial occasions where the anthem is required.
"God Save the Queen", the royal anthem, is played with the national anthem at public engagements in Australia that are attended by the Queen or members of the Royal Family. Usually, "God Save the Queen" is played at the start of royal functions and "Advance Australia Fair" at the end, unless it is more appropriate for both anthems to be played at the start.
The Vice-Regal salute for the Governor-General comprises the first four and last four bars of "Advance Australia Fair."
At the Queen's Birthday parade in Australia (including the ceremony at the Royal Military College, Duntroon) the national anthem is played on the arrival of the Governor-General. The royal anthem is played for the symbolic arrival, salute and departure of the Queen.
16.4 Australian national colours
Green and gold (Pantone ® Matching System numbers 348C and 116C as used for printing on paper) are the official colours of Australia for use on all occasions on which such colours are customarily used.
16.5 Media releases, statements and publicity issued by missions and posts
The Australian Government attaches much importance to the free flow of information and recognises that it is an accepted function of diplomatic missions and consular posts to issue public statements, including media releases, and to distribute material and publications expressing the point of view of their government on international questions.
The Department requests missions and posts to ensure that, in issuing such statements and material, they observe normal proprieties. Whether supplied from elsewhere or compiled locally, material should not be cast in terms offensive to the Australian Government, to other governments with which Australia enjoys friendly relations, or to individuals. Similarly, public statements and written material should avoid inaccuracies, provocative and abusive language, or content embarrassing to the Australian Government in other ways.
The Department requests that missions and posts provide the Department's Parliamentary and Media Branch (fax: 02 6261 1337) with copies of the publicity and media material that they distribute.
16.6 Acceptance of gifts by public servants
Officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are instructed to avoid, if possible, accepting gifts either for themselves or for members of their family. Where it is judged that refusal of a gift might cause offence, the gift may be accepted and its receipt reported in accordance with Departmental procedures. The Department appreciates that there are circumstances in which missions or posts might with to offer tokens of appreciation or goodwill to officers and/or their families, but more substantial gifts should be avoided.
16.7 Acceptance and wearing by Australians of foreign awards and decorations
The acceptance and wearing of a foreign honour (ie any honour, decoration or medal other than one granted by Her Majesty the Queen of Australia) by any Australian citizen is subject in each instance to the prior permission of the Governor-General. A request to confer an honour or award on an Australian citizen will be considered if it is made by the Head of State or the government of a country with which Australia maintains diplomatic relations.
All such requests should be directed to Protocol Branch. Each request should provide, in as much detail as possible, the reason for the proposed conferral, and a curriculum vitae for the nominee. Confirmation of the nominee's citizenship is also required. If the nominee is not Australian by birth, advice of how and when Australian citizenship was acquired should be provided. Consideration of such requests usually takes about six weeks.
In the case of Members of the Federal Parliament who are nominated to receive foreign honours, additional information is required to ensure that the award does not place them in a situation of conflict of allegiance. This is because, under the Australian Constitution, acceptance of a foreign award could result in disqualification from certain public offices, particularly should there be any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign State. The Department will therefore ask the mission or post representing the conferring government to contact the nominee seeking written assurance that acceptance of the award would not prejudice his or her parliamentary status.
A suggested form of words for this purpose follows:
"In recognition of ......................, my Government has in mind to honour you with the award of ...................... Before proceeding with the nomination, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has requested that you provide a written assurance, addressed to the Embassy of ................., that acceptance of the award will not prejudice your parliamentary status in accordance with Section 44 (I) of the Australian Constitution. You may wish to consult with your personal legal advisers on the implications of accepting a foreign award."
16.8 Condolence books
While recognising that the decision to open Condolence Books lies with the mission concerned, the Department's strong preference is for missions to open Condolence Books only on the death, while in office, of a Head of State, a Head of Government or a Foreign Minister, or upon the death of a distinguished statesman of world renown. Where the Department does not sign a Condolence Book, individual officers of the Department may nevertheless sign on a private basis.
16.9National Days
Representation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at National Day functions hosted by foreign missions will normally be by the Chief of Protocol and the Assistant Secretary of the relevant geographic branch. The Chief of Protocol will propose a toast to the Head of Government/Head of State of the host mission but will not make a speech. The preferred order of proceedings would be for the Head of Mission to invite the Chief of Protocol to propose a toast. The Chief of Protocol then proposes a toast to the Head of State and the people of the country, followed by the national anthem of the country. The Head of Mission then proposes a toast to “the Queen and the people of Australia”, followed by the Australian national anthem.
16.10Communication with Australian Government authorities
In order to facilitate the work of missions, the Australian Government does not object to their conducting routine official business directly with the relevant departments and agencies. However, in accordance with Article 41(2) of the Convention, the Department wishes to be consulted in all matters of a policy nature which could impinge on relations between the two countries, whether in the field of bilateral or multilateral trade, or foreign relations in general.
16.11 Notes verbales
To ensure efficient handling, diplomatic missions should send notes verbales directly to the appropriate area of the Department. For example, legal matters including extradition and divorce should be sent directly to the Legal Branch (LGB) and matters concerning international organisations, including candidacies, should be directed to the International Organisations Branch (IOB). Responses to notes verbales received from the Department should be addressed to the sending area, whose identity can be determined from the prefix of the departmental note number. Only notes on substantive protocol matters should be sent to Protocol Branch.
16.12 Diplomatic clearances for aircraft and ships
Missions seeking Australian diplomatic or other clearances for non-scheduled aircraft operations, warships and military auxiliary vessels and government owned or chartered vessels not engaged in commercial activities should apply directly to the Australian authorities responsible as follows:
Aircraft
In the case of State aircraft (this category includes State aircraft or chartered aircraft engaged in military, customs, or police activities, and State or chartered aircraft tasked with the transportation of a Head of State, Head of Government, Defence Minister or other very senior dignitary), enquiries and applications should be directed to:
Headquarters Air Command
RAAF Base
Glenbrook NSW 2773
(Attention : Staff Officer Diplomatic Clearance)
Telephone
:
(02) 4737 7242
Fax
:
(02) 4737 7371
e-mail: acowatch@drnex.defence.gov.au
In the case of other non-scheduled aircraft (this category includes aircraft other than State Aircraft provided they are not operating scheduled services), enquiries and applications should be directed to both the Department of Transport and Regional Services and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority as follows:
General Manager
Aviation Markets
Department of Transport and Regional Services
GPO Box 594
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone
:
(02) 62747739
Fax
:
(02) 62746749
AND
Operations Officer International
Air Transport Group
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Telephone
:
(07) 3318 7211
Fax
:
(07) 3318 7290
Note, if mailing rather than faxing or phoning CASA, use the following Canberra address:
GPO Box 2005
Canberra ACT 2601
Ships
In the case of warships and auxiliary vessels applications and enquiries should be directed to:
Military Strategic Commitments
MAR2 - MSC
Department of Defence
Canberra ACT 2600
Telephone
:
(02) 6266 7515
Fax
:
(02) 6265 3622
In the case of government owned or chartered vessels not engaged in commercial activities, applications and enquiries should be directed to:
Sea Law, Environment Law and Antarctic Section
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Canberra ACT 2600
Telephone
:
(02) 6261 3718
Fax
:
(02) 6261 2144
16.13 Foreign Elections
Diplomatic missions and consular posts may open polling stations on their premises for elections in their home country without the need for special authorisation under Commonwealth laws. Local regulations may apply where polling stations are located away from the premises of the mission or post, in which case missions and posts should check with local authorities regarding any state or territory regulations, or municipal by-laws that may be relevant to the conduct of polling.
Protocol Branch should be informed in advance by diplomatic note so that it can inform relevant security authorities of the polling date and venue. Should any special security measures be considered necessary, those authorities will advise the relevant mission and posts in due course.