Global friendship

Global friendship activities

International Peace Day 2021

On Tuesday 21 September 2021 the City of Rockingham was proud to celebrate International Day of Peace by unveiling a new peace pole outside the Rockingham Arts Centre on Kent Street.

The new peace pole is the latest addition to the ‘peace trail’ in the City of Rockingham, which began with the planting of a gingko biloba tree in City Park last year. That tree is a direct descendant of a 200 year old tree that survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast in 1945. There is a plaque next to the peace pole with a QR code providing coordinates to the tree.

During the unveilling Mayor Barry Sammels was joined by the Counsul General of Japan in Perth, Toru Suzuki, along with the City's Junior Mayors Grace Trimble and Will James, as well as the Junior Depty Mayors Hayley van der Westhuizen and Junior Eaton. The Junior Council representatives each made a speech about what peace means to them.

Peace poles have become internationally recognised symbols used by communities and organisations to express hopes for lasting peace,” Mayor Sammels said.

International Peace Day Tree Planting Ceremony 2020

As part of our involvement in the Mayors for Peace Program, we planted a gingko biloba tree at City Park to recognise International Peace Day 2020 and to commemorate 75 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. 

The gingko biloba tree planted in Rockingham is a direct descendent of a 200-year-old tree that survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast in 1945. Those seeds were initially presented to the City of Fremantle by Hiroshima Mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba. The seeds were then passed on to the City of South Perth Nursery where they were nurtured into small trees. 

20th anniversary

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of our sister city relationship with the City of Ako, we have created an e-book detailing community contributions, photos of past visits and events.

Read the e-book

Sister city relationship with Ako City Japan formed in April 1997

A sister city relationship is a formal, long-term relationship based on diverse linkages between the two cities – including cultural, educational, tourism, sporting and business links. The relationship requires a high degree of commitment on both sides, as well as the active involvement of the Global Friendship Committee and Working Parties.

Friendly city relationship with Kota Kinabalu Malaysia formed in 2006

A friendly city relationship is less formal than a sister city relationship and it generally has a lower profile. It is likely to be a long-term relationship, but the level of community support and involvement is not as high and the number of links may be more restricted than a sister city relationship. For example, the purpose may be for only a particular sporting event held on an annual basis.

World Masters Games 2021 Kansai, Japan

The World Masters Games 2021 were held in Kansai in 2022.

The World Masters Games are an international multi-sport athletic competition, held every four years by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), for athletes over the age of 30 and into their middle age and senior years. These games are open to amateurs and professionals.

The games are held in the year following the Olympics. The first World Masters Games were held in 1985 in Toronto, Canada. 

For more information please email customer@rockingham.wa.gov.au or contact Governance and Councillor Support on 9528 0333.