The leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper (at the back on the left in this photo from APEC’s site), donned some ceremonial garb for their annual “family photo” taken today on the steps of the Opera House in Sydney, Australia.
Here’s the skinny on what they’re wearing:
All the leaders are wearing Driza-Bone (TM) jackets. The first Driza-Bone (as in “dry-as-a-bone”) jackets were sewn more than 100 years ago by sailors. The sailors would use old windjammer sails as the material for these jackets. You’ll note that while the jackets are all the same colour, each leader has a colour lapel. The leaders were free to choose that colour and it looks like our man Harper chose blue.
The blue, APEC organizers say, is a slate blue, representing Australia’s vast coastline. The mustard yellow colour represents Australia’s sun and sand; the red ochre represents the colour of outback sand; and the green represents the famous Australian eucalyptus.
At lunch, on the of this photo, the leaders ate lunch at Guillaume at Bennelong. On the menu:
Barramundi with endives, mushrooms, pearl of vegetables, yabbies, scallops and a light ginger emulsion followed by Roasted Saddle of Lamb with field mushrooms, kipfler potatoes, confit of tomato and thyme jus and a selection of Australian fruit and cheese
The winelist (I’m pretty sure Harper drinks wine) 2004 Mount Pleasant ‘Maurice O’Shea’ (a single bottle costs about 50 Australian dollars) and 2004 Tyrell’s ‘Vat 47’ from the Hunter (about AUS$40 a bottle).
Now that was just lunch. Here’s what’s going down for dinner, which will be held at the Opera House itself:
The dinner setting features traditional Lady Jane Silver Cutlery and simple Waterford Crystal Glasses, dinner will be served on a classic white Villeroy & Boch dinner service.
A cream and gold Jacquard table runner will run the length of the table over a white line table drop, which is complimented by golden Kingsgrove Jacquard dining chairs covered in an elegant Florence Broadhurst design especially adapted for this occasion.
The finishing touch of a gold tassle on the rear of each chair completes the setting. Flower arrangements give the setting an Australian native feel.
The Tracey Wan Quartet will perform for Leaders as they dine on a feast of Rolled Yellow Fin Tuna, Western Australian yabbies and Sterling caviar and Grainge Angus Black Label Wagyu Beef Striploin and on a bed of ratatouille and salsa verde.
2006 Cullen Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, 2004 Tarrawarra Chardonnay, 2004 Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz, 2005 Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir and 2007 Mt Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling will be served. Vanilla and nougatine semifreddo and raspberries and candied orange will be served for desert.
And when Prime Minister and Mrs. Harper leave Australia, they’ll be carrying back these gifts (which, incidentally, become the property of the Canadian people and not the personal property of the Harpers, according to the rules).
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Three limited edition prints by Australian artists. Selected with the assistance of the National Gallery of Australia, the artists are Tim Djandjomerr, Pamela Griffith and Peter Kingston.
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A specially designed and handcrafted identification pin by renowned jeweller Margaret Kirkwood. The pin is worn by Leaders whilst in Sydney and is an interpretation of the APEC Australia 2007 Star.
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An Akubra felt hat, the only complete fur-felt manufacturer left in Australia.