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PRIME MINISTER ( j A~
FOR MEDIA FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER
THE AUSTRALIA CENTRE IN NEW-YORK
The Prime Minister, The Rt Hon. Malcolm Fraser,
announced today that the Australian Government will establish
an Australian Centre in New York.
The Centre will be located in a prestige highrise
building now under construction at the corner of Third Avenue
and 48th Street, Manhattan.
It will accommodate both the Australian Consulate-
General in New York and the Australian Mission to the United
Nations which at present are situated in separate locations
in the city. The Prime Minister said that agreement in
principle on this has now been reached and letters of intent
exchanged between the Government, represented by the
Australian Consul-General in New York, Sir Rob~ ert Cotton,
and Mr Robert Kaufman, the principal of the building's
owners, The William Kaufman Organisation Ltd of New York.
The William Kaufman Organisation Ltd is one of
New York city's major builders. It currently ovrn and
operates nine highrise office buildings in the city, four
of which are on Third Avenue.
The agreement followed many months of negotiations
by Sir Robert on behalf of the Australian Government. The.
Secretary of the Department of Administrative Services,
M~ r Peter Lawler, and the Assistant Secretary of the Departmentis
Over.-3es Branch, Mr A. A. Hillier, visited New York last
April -to take part in the negotiations. 99~~ 4( 14,
2
Mr Fraser said the decision to lease part of the
Third Avenue 48th Street building followed detailed
examination of several other options. The site chosen offered
many attractions and advantages for Australia, he said.
The leasing agreement signed would guarantee Australian
Government representatives occupancy rights for up to 80 years.
" This building will provide a unique opportunity
to focus Australian representation in one of the world's
largest cities and most important financial centres, an d
demonstrates Australia's faith in its long-term relations
with the United States", Mr Fraser said.
" It will enable the Australian presence to be
seen ' on the street' and to be visibly identified with all
of the many activities in which Australia is involved in the
United States. " For these reasons we proposed, and the building's
c-, rners agreed, that the building should be nam ed " The
Aus-tralia Centre".
Mr Fraser said the building would be 40 storeys
high, with Australian Government representatives and agencies
occupyin-g the first six floors from street level. The
building would carry the name " Australia Centre" and the
Coat-of-Arms at the street level.
" An op en plaza at Ground floor level would be
one of the design features which would complement the
attractive buildings in the vicinity", Mr Fraser said.
The Consulate-General, administered by the Departnent of Foreign Affairs, includes
representatives of -the Department of Trade and Rtesources,
of the Australian Information Service and of the Departments
of Immigration and' Ethnic Affairs and Business and
Consumer Affairs.
Mr Fraser said that tourism and other aspects
of Australian Government activities would also be able to
be catered for by various authorities concerned which would
be invited to take space in the new building.
State Premiers and Australian Banking and Commercial
interests in New York would be advised by the Government
of its decision so that, if they wished, they could seek
space in what would be a prestige building under Australiats
name. Mr Fraser said that the Government had taken the
view that the site would be very efficient for the purpose
of a total Australian presentation in New York and for the
work at the United Nations Mission.
The existing library at the Consulate-General
in New York is an important and much used research facilitythe
biggest of any overseas post. There was also a large
lending library of Film Australia Productions. The
inclusion of these libraries in the hew Australia Centre
would provide Australian Government officers and the pu blic
easier access to these important information resources.
" Australia intends to further develop its cultural
relations with the United States, and facilities within the
new building would help achieve this," Mr Fraser said.
" For example, provision would be made for atheatrette
where Australian films would be screened, and there would
be provision for exhibitions of Australian paintings,
sculpture and other arts and crafts arranged by the
Government." 1
Mr Fraser said'he expected the Consulate-General
and the U. N. Mission to be operating from the new building
in the third quarter of 1981. He said he had taken a
continuing interest in the matter since it was first i'aised
by Sir Robert Cotton who would be returning to Australia
next year. The Department of Administrative Services, under
the supervision of TIhe H-onourable John McLeay, M. P,,
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