Mayor promotes Bathurst-Cirencester Ties to Australian High Commission
Published on 01 May 2024
Bathurst’s Friendship with Cirencester Town Council has been put in the spotlight with Mayor Jess Jennings meeting with Australian High Commissioner, His Excellency Stephen Smith to promote Bathurst’s Sister City relationship with Cirencester Town at Australia House in London.
Cr Jennings is currently on a self-funded trip to England.
“I had the pleasure of introducing Australia’s High Commissioner Stephen Smith to Council’s growing relationship with Cirencester in England, which is founded on shared history dating back to the 3rd Earl Bathurst and whom our city is named after because he was the British minister for War and Colonies when Bathurst was founded by Governor Macquarie in 1815.
Interestingly the 3rd Earl Bathurst was Governor Macquarie’s political boss, but also The Duke of Wellington’s political master at the time Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in June, 1815.
“The catalyst for our Sister City relationship with Cirencester started with the current 9th Earl Bathurst when he and Lady Bathurst visited in 2015 (for our 2015 bicentenary), as did the 8th Earl Bathurst in the 1980s.
“Our Sister City relations have developed markedly despite distance and the global pandemic, which completely skittled the original delegation of over 30 people from Bathurst community heading to Cirencester in May 2020.”
“Since then, we’ve seen exchanges of various kinds bringing us closer together, along the areas of business, tourism, sport, and culture exchange, such as residencies and work placements of young people from Cirencester funded by the Cirencester Community Development Trust. Alice Chandler lived and worked on a local cattle station in 2018 and Harry Janssen has been employed as a paralegal by Kenny Spring Solicitors since October 2023."
“There’s also an MOU between Charles Sturt University and Hartpury University that is looking to expand, as well as areas of common interest in cyber security, regional banking, and sport. This weekend on 11th May we have the first jointly organised international cycling event Bathurst Gravel happening across CSU campus and Cirencester Park on the same day, with a live handover between the finish of Bathurst’s ride and the start of Cirencester’s event," Cr Jennings said.
,” Cr Jenning said.
Media contact: Therese Ryan Manager Corporate Communications P: 02 6333 6202 M: 0437 958 478 E: therese.ryan@bathurst.nsw.gov.au