HOLIDAY NOTICE

The Consulate General of The Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne

will be closed on :

Thursday, 01 May 2008 for Ascension Day

Tuesday, 20 May for Bhuddish Seclusion Day

 

CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

The Republic of Indonesia first established a Consulate in Melbourne in 1982, occupying a premises in Albert Road.  After a decade of service at this original location, the office was moved to its current site at 72 Queens Road, Melbourne, and the status of the Melbourne Consulate was upgraded to that of Consulate General in 1993.

 

The first Consul was Mr A. Kuntjoro Pranoto, serving from 1982-85, followed by Consul Zimran Hutagalung (1985-89), Consul Gunawan Tjiptosumiarso (1989-93), Consul Edhimurti Sunoko (1993-96), Consul General Ernest G. Rumayar (1996-2000), Consul General Boedidojo (2000-03) and Mr M. Wahid Supriyadi (2004-2007).  The current serving Consul General is Mr Budiarman Bahar, who began his term of office in March 2007.

 

Since its inception, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne has had consular jurisdiction over the States of both Victoria and Tasmania.  There are currently around 20,000 Indonesian citizens in Victoria alone, around 9000 of whom are students, whilst approximately 70 Indonesian citizens currently reside in Tasmania.

 

In the State of Victoria, around 90,000 primary and secondary school students now study Bahasa Indonesia as a LOTE subject.  Victoria is also home to approximately 28 Indonesian community groups of different kinds, including student and youth groups such as PPIA (The Australian Indonesian Students’ Association), YIMSA (The Young Indonesian Muslim Students’ Association), and STT (The Balinese Youth Club); religious fellowships such as BKS (The Indonesian Christian Cooperation Council), IMCV (The Indonesian Muslim Council of Victoria), KKI (The Indonesian Catholic Fellowship) and pbrunswick (The Brunswick Religious Study Forum); business associations such as IABC (The Indonesia Australia Business Council) and IBF-M (The Indonesian Business Forum – Melbourne); social groups such as IKAWIRIA (The Indonesian Community Association of Victoria), Gippsland Indonesia Association Inc. and PERWIRA (The Indonesian Society of Victoria); and regional associations such as SAS (Sulit Air Sepakat) and IKMSM (Ikatan Keluarga Minang Saiyo Melbourne) representing the West Sumatran community, KAWANUA representing North Sulawesi, Paguyuban Jawi representing the Javanese community and Mahindra Bali representing the Balinese community.