CHENNAI : Be it cosy winter days or sweaty summer mornings, passing time by the beach changes our perspective with every wave that hits the shore. Sarah Kirlew, Australian Consul-General, Chennai, shares a similar sentiment. Growing up in Sydney — another city with beaches aplenty — Sarah made an instant connection with namma Chennai. As her tenure at the office comes to an end this week, she talks to CE about her professional and personal growth in the last three years.
Excerpts follow:
What made you come to Chennai?
I had served in India previously; I had a posting in New Delhi between 2008 and 2011. During that time, I spent a lot of time in the south. When the opportunity came to be the Consul General in Chennai, I already had a positive impression of the city.
What did you do first when you came here?
One of the first things we (the family) did was drive along Beach Road to see some of those beautiful architectural buildings and also the way beaches or recreation spaces are used. And, of course, Australians love the beach. It was nice to revisit it.
Were there any difficulties in settling in?
When I came in 2021, we were making a big cultural effort. We were working to send Australian citizens back to the country. This gave a sense of bonding that everyone was in it together. And I had to do a lot of my meetings with key people on Zoom or WebEx. It was a different way to make a connection but the level of education is very high here, making it easy to communicate.
Are there any noticeable changes that you have seen in the city since?
One thing that struck me is the Metro; it’s a great asset for the city. When I took the Metro, I was impressed. It will make a big difference here. But what I like about the city is the mix of heritage and the modern overlay.
Have you learnt to speak in Tamil?
‘Vanakkam’, ‘Nandri’, ‘Romba nandri’, ‘Konjam wait pannunga’, ‘Pirandha naal nal vazhthukal’ are a few phrases that I have learnt.
Have you participated in any of the regional festivals here?
At the office, we celebrate Diwali, Onam, and Christmas, but I had a really good day at the Panguni Chariot Festival. We try to bring some of the Australian festivals or special days to Chennai. Our annual commemoration for our service people and war veterans, Anzac Day, takes place every year in April. Wear It Purple Day is a day to show support for children who have diverse identities and the LGBTQIA+ community. Also, Australia and India share national days. Australia Day is the 26th of January, the same as India’s Republic Day. I get to go to the Republic Day Parade, and there’s a part of me that thinks it’s nice that Australians are celebrating on the same day.
How about the Margazhi season?
I’ve seen some Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music performances. It’s a very beautiful and unique aspect of the culture, including how much people enjoy and value it. There are also a few Australians now who come back and perform for Margazhi.
Your take on Chennai’s food?
One of my ambitions, before I leave, was to learn how to cook idlis. I’ve just learned how to do that!
A place you take your family and friends here?
I do think that more people should visit Chennai because this city reveals itself in layers. One place I like to take people is the Luz church, because people are often surprised to know that it was the Portuguese who came first and then the Europeans to Chennai. And they were welcomed, and all of these other layers of history have built up around them to create this wonderful city.
Tell us about your work in encouraging women to take up leadership roles.
It is important for any inclusive society to capture the economic potential of women. Tamil Nadu has some impressive statistics of women in the workforce at the national level, supporting this. I have done speaking engagements encouraging women to think about how they can support each other, the barriers to a career, and how to overcome them. When you are able to build that agenda, it becomes a self-fulfilling and positive cycle. But there is always more that we can do together.
Can you tell us about the rise in Australia-India relations in the last three years?
There’s never been a more prospective time. Across all portfolios — trade promotion, maritime security and promoting Australian values — we’ve seen a real shift. In terms of economics, the Free Trade Agreement (ECTA) entered into force at the end of 2022. It is a strong signal for business. It shows how seriously our governments take the intent to engage economically and to look at new opportunities for trade and investment. And we have seen growth in bilateral trade resulting from that.
Another strength is advanced manufacturing. Australia is not a large manufacturing economy but a resources and services economy. I do see companies with a design in Australia making Indian models where they can access the scale of the Indian market and potentially also export to other countries.
We also established a new centre for Australia-India relations in 2023. So, I think that people understand that it’s important to engage with the diversity of Indian states, that each state government offers something different, and that Tamil Nadu offers something quite special.
Tell us about the future of Australia’s engagement in south India, and the opportunities you anticipate?
The Indian diaspora community in Australia has one lakh people speaking Tamil, with some of them coming from Sri Lanka or parts of Southeast Asia. The diaspora link becomes a human bridge as they know to engage here and it’s also a driver for business.
The knowledge partnerships between our universities are strong. The way our university courses are structured is similar, opening possibilities for joint degrees and PhDs, and models where students might study for a couple of years here and finish their degree in Australia.
Australia has been blessed with large supplies of lithium and its periodical table, thereby utilising it to the development of a supply chain that takes lithium, processing it and using it for the electric vehicles manufactured here in Chennai.
One thing that I wanted was to have a direct flight from south India to Australia. We have now a Qantas flight that goes from Bengaluru to Sydney. The next goal is from Chennai to Australia or Perth.
We’ve planted the seeds for these projects and are waiting to see how strong the collaboration grows.
As her term in the city as the Australian Consul-General nears its end, Sarah Kirlew looks back on the memories she has created over the three years, and shares her expectations of India-Australia relations.