THE Australia Indonesia Association celebrated a golden anniversary after 50 years of promoting all manner of cultural and social activities, language study opportunities and good old-fashioned friendship that is the cornerstone of this association in Canberra.

The dinner was held at Thoroughbred Park with nary a neigh to be heard in the concrete surrounds of the main grandstand as ladies in varying heights of stilettos clip-clopped up down and around to find the entrance to the event; once discovered the messages went out to friends and the Indonesian ambassador just how to get in.

The mix of stunning fabrics, rich colours, beautiful batiks traditional costumes with some blingy frocks for a bit of glamour was impressive, especially as the casualisation of evening events tends to diminish spectacular photo opportunities these days. Yetti Daly’s gold-thread stole from Sumatra was probably worth its weight in that gold while popular Indonesian language teacher Yuni Ryan sparkled as a lady in red.

Association president Les Boag was the master of organisation with Merdeka, a young local band of university students, and a group of traditional dancers there to entertain. All ages attended, which augurs well for the association’s future.