In the presence of Yarmouk President, Professor Islam Massad, and the Australian Ambassador to Amman, Mr. Bernard Lynch, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Yarmouk University organized an exhibition of historical photographs celebrating one hundred years of friendship between Jordan and Australia. Massad acknowledged the relations of love, friendship, and cooperation between Jordan and Australia, praising Australia’s constant efforts to support Jordan and its institutions in various humanitarian and scientific fields, i.e. educational opportunities, Jordanian community support, and supporting refugees in Jordan. Massad said that this qualitative exhibition includes photo documentation that chronicles the bilateral relations between the two countries and celebrates the Australian Embassy’s publication of the book Forged Under Fire, a book that documents the permanent partnership that lasted for more than a century of bilateral participation in defense fields. He then stressed that Yarmouk University is always proactive in activating ways of partnership and networking with educational and research institutions in various countries of the world based on its philosophy of activating ties with society at the local, Arab, and international levels.

The Australian Ambassador, Mr. Bernard Lynch, affirmed the interest of the Australian embassy in empowering the existing relations between the two friendly countries, which contributes to enhancing opportunities for cooperation and cultural, scientific, and economic exchange between Jordan and Australia. Lynch then pointed out that the cooperation between the two countries is present in form of a close defense and security partnership based on the many common interests and the strong bilateral diplomatic and trade relations. Such ties, he said, help in strengthening ways of cooperation in the fields of technology, water management, agriculture, education, and culture, etc.

Moreover, during their tour of the exhibition, the Australian ambassador valued the Jordanian-Australian relations that stem from ancient cultural ties, explaining that the historical photos included in the exhibition document the contribution of the Australian forces in the Great Arab Revolt where the Australian Infantry, the Australian Air Force, and other units entered Jordan in support of the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman rule.