Los Angeles may be known as the land of countless celebrities, but G’Day USA’s black-tie gala on Sunday night reminded locals that the land down under has produced its share of high-profile talent, too. The gala, which honored actors Eric Bana and Rachel Griffiths, as well as tennis player Rod Laver at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, was part of the sixth annual Australia Week, a series of events that kicked off on January 13 to promote the country’s culture, goods, services, and business opportunities.
“The object of the gala, as with most [Australia Week] events, is to showcase all things Australian to an American audience, and to provide an authentic experience of the culture,” Australia Week events manager Barbra Held said.
To that end, organizers shipped certain menu items for the evening's dinner directly from Australia, including the ocean trout Wolfgang Puck used to create one of the many appetizers circulated during a pre-dinner cocktail hour, as well as the lamb Australian chef Luke Mangan used to craft the entrée. For dessert, plates of Tim Tams, which are marketed as “Australia’s favorite biscuit,” sat on tables for guests to munch on, and Mangan prepared Lamington cake—a traditional Australian dessert.
Event producer Gary Levitt of Sequoia Productions channeled the earthy hues of the Australian outback, decorating tables with orange tablecloths and roses. The evening’s entertainment included Australian youth of the Qantas choir (Qantas was one of the evening’s presenting sponsors) and Aussie rock star Jimmy Barnes, completing an authentic Australian atmosphere for the evening’s guests.
G'Day USA relies on the gala's celebrity honorees and attendees to help attract media coverage for the whole of Australia Week, including the remainder of the festival's events, which migrate to New York today and wrap up with a second gala dinner honoring Baz Luhrmann on Friday.
