Community & Business
10 September, 2025
Ooh la la! 50 years strong
DESPITE being the smallest branch in Australia, Atherton’s Alliance Française celebrated big last week when it marked its 50th anniversary.
A French-styled buffet dinner at Hallorans Hill, brought Francophiles together to celebrate the food, the culture, the language and all things French, amid bright décor including Eiffel Towers and the colours of the French flag - red, white and blue.
“We are very proud of our achievement in reaching the 50-year milestone, especially given our small size and relative distance from large cities,” Local President Dee Jierasak said.
Together with members of the group, the event was attended by special guests including Mayor Rod and Mrs Junko Marti, cr Con Spanos, President of the Alliance Française de Cairns Sandrine Manning, as well as several former teachers and lifetime members.
French Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency M. Pierre-André Imbert, was unable to attend but sent his congratulations and planned to visit at the next opportunity.
The Alliance Française d’Atherton was founded in 1975 by a group of local French natives and enthusiasts, including John Huon de Navrancourt, Grace Fong On and Bernice Montgomery.
Although part of the larger global Alliance Française network of French cultural centres, it is managed locally as an independent, not-for-profit association.
Alliance Française d’Atherton is one of just eight branches of the Alliance Française in Queensland and just 30 located throughout Australia.
If you are interested in finding out more about membership or French language classes, information is available at www.alliancefrancaiseatherton.com.au or through the Facebook page Alliance Française d’Atherton.
