Consul-General

Diego Velasco von Pilgrimm

Minister Counselor, Consul General of Chile in Melbourne, Australia

Dear friends,

Welcome to the website of the Consulate General of Chile in Melbourne, with jurisdiction over the states of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. Here you will find useful information on the main services provided by the Consulate General, its fields of action and on regular initiatives. Among the latter, I would like to highlight the annual Chilean National Day Gala and the creation of the ‘Chile Magazine’ that has been received very warmly by the Melbournian community.

In retrospective, as from the first recorded arrival of Chilean nationals to Australia in the 1830´s, almost two centuries of close and rich exchange has taken place. In this time, we have shared three main identity characteristics that both our Peoples are distinguished for, namely a hard working attitude, an adventurous pioneer drive and a strong solidarity spirit in adversity. Of these, the solidarity and community service, such as volunteer firemen which are common heritage in Chile and Australia, seems an avenue we could well explore to promote together.

Back in history, the famous Chilean Mill that so positively influenced Australian mining during the Gold Rush -and seemingly also used in Victoria for olive seed grinding- was but one of the contributions made by Chileans to the multicultural society that received them. Standing today at nearly 7,000 nationals in Victoria alone, they comprise the largest group from Latin America in the state. Their passionate involvement with social, sporting and political activities ensures that the vibrant Chilean culture lives on in the four states attended by this Consulate General. On 18 September 2010, Chile will celebrate the Bicentennial of the Independence, and surely our communities will like to share their joy with their Australian friends and relatives. So, please get ready to join us in this historic moment.

In order to reflect the actual scope of our integration with Australia, in the website we have included a study on the resident Chileans in the country, which we hope you will find it of interest. As a complement, we have also included basic information in English for the growing numbers of Australian friends planning a visit to Chile or in need of services offered by this Consulate General. The increasing interest of Australians in travelling to Latin America finds in Chile its your natural beachhead, supported by more than 50 bilateral agreements on education, work and holidays, free trade and investments and cultural exchanges on the rise, among others.

Finally, I would like to invite both Chilean compatriots and Australian friends to contact us with their ideas and suggestions to further promote not only the social integration but also the flow of people to both sides of the Pacific Ocean.