Aussie News - Issue 24 - March 2007 

Message from the High Commissioner                                                                

All good things have to come to an end. After three years and two months, Libby, myself and the family would like to express our heartfelt thanks for the hospitality, friendship and cooperation you have extended to us over the past few years. We have had a marvellous team at the Australian High Commission in Mauritius who have helped make our time here richly rewarding and we will take with us many precious memories of our time not only in Mauritius, but also in Madagascar and the Seychelles.

The terrific work of our busy Visa Section, led by Rizin Dookun, who have been dealing with significant annual growth in students numbers from not only Mauritius but other countries in our region, as well as other inquiries, needs to be acknowledged. Our Austrade Section has also done a stirling job to ensure our commercial presence is a dynamic and growing one in the region and I would like to particularly salute the work of Helene Ah-Pong and Romina Panray in promoting Australian education as well as helping Australian exporters in the region.

Within the DFAT team, the professionalism of our Finance and Accounts team, Richard Grenade and Dominique Dacruz, has been an enormous aid to our operations and we are grateful for their hard work. Dominique deserves another accolade for her excellent work as our Managing Editor of this newsletter! Ernest Morin has already successfully managed the reconstruction of the Chancery, and remodelled the face of the Residence, in a terrific stint as Property Officer. Our public face of the High Commission, Pascal Joson, as well as HOM driver, has kept the ship running at the Reception, and been a model of politeness and professionalism. Finally, as our Vice Consul, Yasmina Hosanoo, we are enormously lucky to have such a talented and diligent officer.

My two other A-based colleagues, Peter Cantwell and Gerard Oakes, have been a bedrock of support too, and will ensure that the Australian High Commission will continue to service Australians, and all our stakeholders, as well as working to further Australia’s national interests throughout the countries of the South West Indian Ocean.

My successor, Catherine Johnstone, is very much looking forward to carrying on from where we are now, and we wish her all the best in this exciting assignment. We hope to keep in contact with you all in the coming years.