AMES Australia staff and board members joined hundreds of community leaders, advocates, changemakers and government representatives at the Premier’s Multicultural Gala Dinner over the weekend, coming together to celebrate this year’s theme: Stories of Us.

The theme honours the unique journeys, ancestry and migration stories that shape Victoria’s vibrant multicultural community — the threads of lived experience that weave together to form the fabric of one of the world’s most diverse societies.

Beyond the Glitter

Beyond the suits, saris, speeches and selfies, the night was really about one thing: the people helping make Victoria one of the most multicultural and connected places in the world.

It was a celebration not of ceremony, but of contribution — of the countless individuals and communities whose stories, struggles and successes have built the Victoria of today.

The Power of the Shared Table

For AMES Australia, the evening carried a deeper message about how a truly multicultural society thrives.

“The best ideas don’t happen in isolation,” the organisation reflected. “They happen when different cultures, experiences and perspectives come together around the same table.”

That spirit of connection — of diverse voices sharing space, stories and vision — was at the heart of the night’s proceedings, a living demonstration of what social cohesion looks like in practice.

“That’s the kind of future we’re here for,” AMES Australia said.

A Conversation Brought to Life

The organisation extended its gratitude to the Victorian Multicultural Commission for bringing the conversation to life, praising the Commission’s achievements and expressing optimism for what lies ahead.

“We cherish what you have achieved and look forward to what Multicultural Victoria will bring,” AMES Australia said.

A Continuing Story

The Premier’s Multicultural Gala Dinner is more than an annual event — it is a recognition that Victoria’s greatest strength lies in its diversity, and that the stories of its people, in all their richness and variety, are the stories that will carry the state forward.

As the evening’s theme reminded all who gathered: these are Stories of Us — shared, celebrated, and still being written.

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