Britain–Australia Society

London based friendship society

The Britain–Australia Society was established in 1971 as a friendship society to promote historic links between the United Kingdom and Australia. It has headquarters in the Australia Centre within Australia House in London, and branches throughout the United Kingdom.

In 1971 Sir Robert Menzies and Sir Alec Douglas Home, former Prime Ministers of Australia and the United Kingdom, re founded the pre existing Australia Club to form two apolitical and non commercial societies, based in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Branches are maintained in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Portsmouth, and the West Country. Regional functions are held by these branches in addition to centrally organised activities.

A primary activity is organising events including diplomatic dinners, seminars, and social gatherings. The West Country branch arranges an annual service of remembrance and lunch in Bath honouring the memory of Admiral Arthur Phillip.

The Society grants an occasional Britain–Australia Society Award to recognise a person who has demonstrated a long term contribution to relations between the United Kingdom and Australia. Past recipients have been Barry Humphries, Lord Hague, Kylie Minogue, David Attenborough, Lord Carrington and Samantha Cohen.

As a non commercial society, administration and events are funded by membership subscriptions, management fees and corporate sponsors, including Australian Government agencies and businesses and organisations with an Australian interest in the United Kingdom or a British interest in Australia, such as the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.