Australia / New Zealand Region
Introduction
There are two National Organizations as partners in the Australia / New
Zealand Region of WBFF – Australian Associated Bonsai Clubs (AABC)
and New Zealand Bonsai Association (NZBA). At the beginning of 2004, there
are about 47 individual clubs in AABC and around 20 individual clubs in
NZBA.
The two National Organizations have combined to form Australia / New Zealand Bonsai Federation (ANZBF). ANZBF exists solely to provide Regional support to WBFF; to disseminate all WBFF information to the membership of ANZBF; and to act as liaison between the ANZBF membership and the WBFF Board of Directors.
The Regional Director of WBFF, Lindsay Bebb of Brisbane, Australia, the President of AABC, Lee Wilson of Sydney, Australia, and the President of NZBA, Colin Churchill of Christchurch, New Zealand, manage ANZBF.
Lindsay Bebb, Regional director or WBFF and Lee Wilson, President of Australian Associated Bonsai Clubs signing the Charter and Bylaws of the newly formed Australia-New Zealand Bonsai Federation
Colin Churchhill, President of New Zealand Bonsai Association, signing the Charter and Bylaws of ANZBF.
Australia
Australian Associated Bonsai Clubs has been an active National Association
since 1980. From 1980 until 1986, they conducted National Bonsai Conventions
each 2 years with invited guests from overseas, including John Naka, Tom
Yamamoto, Khan Komai, Yuji Yoshimura and Papa Kaneshiro and a team from
Hawaii.
From 1987 till 2000 AABC started conducting annual Bonsai Seminars using only local talent as the Headliners, and then in 2001 they started using a mix of local and overseas Teachers for the Seminars. Since 2001, those guests from overseas include Nick Lenz, Hu Yun-Hua, Ernie Kuo, Chase Rosade, Chiu-Chang Chiang, I.C. Su, Jurgen Zaar and Roy Nagatoshi. This year (2004) Canberra Bonsai Society will host the 17th National Bonsai Seminar with Walter Pall as the Headliner.
New Zealand
The New Zealand Bonsai Association was formally constituted at their National
Convention in New Plymouth in 2002, and recently had their constitution
formally accepted and registered by the regulatory authority. Although the
association has only recently been formalised, they have been operating
as such for many years. NZBA also conducts annual conventions with invited
guests from overseas. They rotate the Host Clubs between the North and South
Islands.
Conclusion
Being just a little isolated down under, it is vitally important that both
Australia and New Zealand have programs that involve our inclusion in the
World bonsai community. All WBFF Conventions have had strong Australian
and New Zealand representation, as have many other international conventions
since the early 80’s.
There has been strong bonsai contact between Australia and New Zealand for many years due mainly to our proximity to each other, and both bonsai communities are pleased to be active partners in the World bonsai family through our membership in the World Bonsai Friendship Federation.