Mrs South Asia-Australia 2017 India winner is making her mark – by Marie Pietersz Organisers of the Miss South Asia-Australia 2017 Pageant are proud to announce the achievements of Moira Furtado from Adelaide, South Australia. Moira is the Mrs India winner in the Country Winners 2017 category of the Pageant. She has been very active within her community and a great ambassador for the values of the Pageant. The Pageant provides a platform and supports young adults to launch their careers and through community activities showcase their South Asian heritage in multicultural Australia. Some of Moira’s adventures include speaking at the Share the Dignity program alongside Mrs Australia-World, Love Kareer, and at the recent Liberal Women’s Council meeting. Congratulations to Moira for securing the role of Campaigns Manager for Liberal Party candidate for Taylor, Sarika Sharma, in the upcoming SA State elections. Moira is also a Justice of the Peace and is making a significant contribution to ...
Marie Pietersz
A touch of Lanka in Australia Day Parade – by Marie Pietersz (Melbourne) Participants of the Miss Sri Lanka-Australia Pageant (MSLA) and Miss South Asia-Australia Pageant (MSAA) 2017 provided a splash of colour when they marched in the Australia Day Parade on 26 January 2018 as a post-Pageant activity. Wearing Kandyan sarees and Nilame suits (Mul Anduma), crowns and sashes, the Sri Lankan winners showcased Sri Lankan culture, walking for the fourth consecutive year under the Sinhalese Cultural Association banner, and greeting people with the traditional “Ayubowan”. It was a new experience for the Miss South Asia-Australia Pageant winners in the first year of this Pageant. Winners with Indian and Bangladeshi heritage walked with their respective groups. The contingent of walkers included eight contestants, male and female, dressed and styled by Savish Traditional, managed and photographed by Vishni Perera-Jainudeen and led by Savindi Perera-Jainudeen, Pageant Executive, carrying the Sri Lankan flag. Nilame costumes represented the Australian flag colours of ...
Celebrating 70 years of Sri Lanka’s Independence – by Marie Pietersz (Melbourne) National Independence Day celebrations included Miss Sri Lanka-Australia Pageant 2017 winners greeting guests at the 70th anniversary of the Independence of Sri Lanka 2018 celebrations held in Victoria. Dressed in sarees and sarongs, and with families in attendance, they assisted the Consulate Office with guest management activities for the fourth consecutive year. The Miss Sri Lanka-Australia Pageant provides participants of Sri Lankan heritage the opportunity to understand the history and culture of Sri Lanka, mingle with fellow citizens, VIPs and community heads and, as future leaders, participate in official events to get a first-hand experience of the responsibilities of leaders. Participants included Savindhi and Vishni Perera-Jainudeen, Nishi Mangan, Yashodi Wickrama, Poorni Bandara, Rashmi Wijesekare, Harshini Boyagama, Jen Jayaseelan, Damsara Menuwara, Kanila Senadhera, Malan Mudalige, Dilshan Nanayakkara, Niral Kauhendiwela, Tarini Lewke and Benjamin de Silva. Applications will open on 1 March 2018 for the two Pageants in the ...
Andrew de Silva at his Prince Extravaganza tribute show – Video, Thanks to Marie Pietersz ...
Combined Colleges of Sri Lanka choir at their 20th year performance at the Reformed Church Dandenong – performing Christmas Carols 2017. Video, Thanks to Marie Pietersz ...
My Fair Lady turns 95 – By Marie Pietersz: Melbourne My Fair Lady turns 95: by Marie Pietersz Gwen Pietersz (nee Bertus), the matriach of the Pietersz family, celebrated her 95th milestone birthday recently, choosing a private party in Ringwood to share with her heritage of four generations of Pieterszs. Her cake was a tribute to her long life and relationship with her family, the message reading, Queen Gwen, 95 Years Loved. Gwendoline Amelia Bertus was born in Colombo (Ceylon) on 27 October 1922 to parents Llewellyn (Lula) Bertus and Emma James. Gwen is the oldest sibling of a family of eight children, Pam Koch (dec), Cynthia Pereira (dec), Herbert Bertus (dec), Dickie Bertus (dec), Ron Bertus (dec), Dulcie Namasiyavan (dec) and Bernard Bertus. Growing up in Sri Lanka, Gwen attended St Matthew’s College, Baseline Road, Borella, and on completing her education worked as a stenographer in legal firms until this quiet, demure lady met and fell in love with Lloyd Pietersz, ...
Andrew de Silva – home-grown icon: a review – By Marie Pietersz : Melbourne If you missed seeing Prince live on stage, the next best thing is to see Andrew de Silva (Fan at the Flying Saucer Club for Prince Tribute show) crowds are loving Andrew Andrew de Silva and father Conrad Andrew and Conrad perform together November has been month in which Melbourne has serenaded young stars with Sri Lankan heritage, not least of all Australia’s very own home-grown icon, Andrew de Silva, doing a season of Prince tribute shows in Victoria following an interstate season. Andrew’s vocal versatility with his ability for voice layering and falsetto, has seen him picked to play lead roles in tribute shows, most recently Prince and Marvin Gaye with great touring Australian musicians. He is a much sought after artiste recently replacing an original member as lead singer in the Australian band Boom Crash Opera. Andrew has many musical strings ...
Danielle de Niese, international soprano – a personal reflection “Danielle’s wonderful voice was a gift from God,” : Johnny Young (The Observer) – By Marie Pietersz: Melbourne Melbourne has been agog with excitement at the return of Melbourne-born, internationally recognised Danielle de Niese (Danni to friends) for her Australian debut to star in the lead role of The Merry Widow. Huge street posters, some gracing Federation Square, Glen Waverley (near her former Melbourne home) and Keysborough, and banners lining St Kilda Road near the Arts Centre, Melbourne, are testimony to the welcome home Opera Australia had for this diva who left Melbourne as a little girl and returned home as an adult and international star, described by some as the opera world’s answer to Beyonce. Poster advertising The Merry Widow Danielle didn’t disappoint and delivered the results Opera Australia and her Australian fans wanted and expected. She slipped into her part with a talented Australian cast with ease and received encore after encore for her own inflection ...
Another first for Camberwell’s coffee roaster and cafe ‘1961 Street’ By Marie Pietersz CoffeeHead, popular coffee roaster and cafe, has added another dimension to the already multicultural dining feast available for eating out in Camberwell, Victoria’s beautiful inner-east suburb – Street Food cuisine from around the world – now available here in the City of Boroondara, and all under the one roof. CoffeeHead has opened for breakfast and lunch for the past six years. Now a new liquor licensee, it is offering Camberwell and surrounding suburbs something different in the evenings. With a clientele of office workers looking for some ‘time out’ on a lazy Friday evening and a place to whet their whistle and appetite and still have change in their pockets, owners Shiroma and Ash Nathan are offering ‘Around the World in Street Food’ themed dining in addition to their already popular Friday night Happy Hour. ...
The Race that Stops the Nation – will you be there? Story and pictures by Marie Pietersz The Melbourne Cup – The Race! The Melbourne Cup – The Race! Melbourne Cup Grand Stand Melbourne Cup jockeys Melbourne Cup mounting yard Melbourne Cup the big screen The AFL and NRL finals have been played and won and our distracted sporting minds now turn to the next activity on the social calendar, the Spring Racing Carnival. We drag our attention away from the fierce barracking for our favourite teams and players to following the best horses vying for a place in the unmissable event, the world famous Melbourne Cup, run on the second Tuesday of November each year. Punter or not, you will be affected by the excitement of it all and no doubt have a a bet on the day, based on form, a tip, a name, a number, ...
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