I've migrated to @bluesky. You can find me at @stevenjphipps.bsky.social - come and join me there!

Please join us in welcoming the crew, cadets and researchers of the Umitaka Maru to Hobart. Open Ship Tour Saturday 8 February, 2-4pm, Macquarie Wharf, Hobart https://t.co/o25L0tkRUE BBQ Sunday 9 February, 1-4pm, Tolosa Park, Glenorchy https://t.co/z63BFm3oxc

Catching the shinkansen from Tokyo Station. I'm going to be spending the next four days on the trail of 19th century Tasmanian pirates and the first recorded contact between Australia and Japan.

I was honoured to attend the Imperial Palace in Tokyo yesterday for the New Year Greeting by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

Join the Australia-Japan Society of Tasmania next Sunday for a joyous celebration of Japanese Culture Day!

For our 2024 Government House Lecture, Mike Burgess AM, Director-General of Security, will reflect on the circumstances of ASIO's establishment, the important work ASIO has done for 75 years, how this work has changed and why it matters. Registrations: https://t.co/6ZTBFceilq

Thank you to everyone who joined @AIIATAS for our AGM last night. Professor Marcus Haward was elected as President and I was honoured to be re-elected as Senior Vice-President. Afterwards, Professor Nicholas Farrelly gave us a presentation on the ongoing turmoil in Myanmar.

Government House provided a spectacular venue for yesterday's AGM of Australian Red Cross Tasmania. We presented awards and celebrated the contributions made by our members, volunteers and staff. I was also honoured to be re-elected to the Tasmanian Divisional Advisory Board.

Please join us on Tuesday 15 October to hear Senator Wong take a deep dive into international relations, policymaking and the importance of Australia's role in an ever-changing global landscape. Secure your tickets early to avoid missing out:

I'm thrilled to share the news that this year's Plimsoll Lecture will be delivered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong. The Sir James Plimsoll Lecture is a prestigious annual event organised by @AIIATAS, in conjunction @UTAS_ and @dfat.

Last night, the Australia-Japan Society of Tasmania was honoured to host the Tasmanian farewell dinner for Consul-General Junji Shimada and Mrs Kaoru Shimada. It has been our enormous pleasure to work with them both and we wish them all the best for their future adventures.

I enjoyed a divine lunch at Sachié Café in Hobart today. Thank you to Sankaku for creating such a delicious fusion of Japanese cuisine and Tasmanian ingredients!

Through ceremonies such as this, we express a collective desire for peace and a determination that the world will never again have to experience such horrors. Just two days before the spring equinox, the cherry blossoms were also in full bloom.

I attended a ceremony at Peace Park in West Hobart this morning. Five years ago, seeds from a ginkgo tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima were donated to the City of Hobart. Those seeds have been carefully nurtured and the first of the trees was planted today.

We were delighted to share lunch today with Mr Steph Lysaght, British Consul General, Mrs Oonagh Lewis, British Deputy Consul General, and Mr Frank McGregor, British Honorary Consul for Tasmania. The wide-ranging conversation covered the many links between the UK and Tasmania.

The Australian Institute of International Affairs Tasmania is delighted to present this special event with Professor Gretta Pecl AM. Please join us on Wednesday 25 September to hear her talk about climate change in Tasmania and beyond. Registrations: https://t.co/bDBjFzz43C

Please join the Australia-Japan Society of Tasmania and the Japan Club of Tasmania for our annual picnic beneath the cherry blossoms in Deloraine.

I was delighted to be part of today's Leadership Lab on Complexity in Tasmania, organised by @TasLeaders. There were plenty of thoughtful and inspiring conversations on the leadership skills that we all need to navigate complexity in the modern world.

A great opportunity to work in Japan! The Australian Academy of Science invites applications from Australian early-career researchers for the 2025 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowships. Applications close 4 Nov 2024.

We are delighted to be hosting an informal dinner with Senator Catryna Bilyk on Tuesday 30 July. Senator Bilyk will discuss the Australia-Japan relationship and share her insights on this vital partnership between our two countries. Please register here: https://t.co/863o37iNkp