Timor-Leste Friendship Program - The VLGA has been the driving force behind the establishment of Friendship relationships between communities in Australia and Timor-Leste. There are now over forty-five friendship relationships, involving more than sixty Local Governments, service clubs and community leaders in Australia, some of which have been operating for nine years. The aim of the relationships is to develop friendship and cross-cultural understanding between the people of Australia and Timor-Leste through Local Governments and their communities. Unlike more formal ‘sister-city’ relationships between Governments, the Timor-Leste Australia Friendship groups bring together ordinary people, service clubs and Local Governments from both countries.

Friendship Conference - In June 2008 two friends of Lolotoe from Mount Alexander Shire, Deanna Neville and Cr Phillip Schier, attended the ‘Strengthening Community through International Friendship’ (link) conference in Dili, Timor-Leste. The Friendship Conference was the culmination of five years of planning in Australia and Timor-Leste brought 125 East Timorese and the same number of Australian leaders together. Needless to say it was a huge success. Representatives of Australian Local Governments and Friendship groups were able to meet face-to-face with their Timor-Leste counterparts, often for the first time, and plan for the future.

A book to say ‘hello’ - The Mount Alexander Friends of Lolotoe community group wished to bring our own community together to gather images of our shire to share with the people of Lolotoe. A collection of images was collected and a book created as a gift to the people of Lolotoe. These pictures show some of the people, places, activities and landscapes that make up our community. Through this book we wish to say ‘hello’ and that we hope you can visit us some day. We are very happy to be part of the Friendship Program with Lolotoe and to forge a long and meaningful friendship with you now and into the future.

The photographers who have contributed to this book are:
Arlo Johnston, Beth Roberts, Chris Barkla, Davide Michelin, Deanna Neville, Deb Cazalet, Deb Jacob, Diedre Palmer, Helen Wakefield, Ian Pollard, Janna Mow, Kalia Laycock-Walsh, Kath Wheat, Kaye Dixon, Leah Mow-Yoffee, Michele Berry-Murley, Pie Rankine, Richard Wallis, Sheridan Jones, Children from Taradale/Elphinstone School.