History of the FCA

The FCA was established in 1985 to promote the professional interests of correspondents from overseas news organisations based in Australia. It has expanded over the years to include Australian journalists, who have spent a significant part of their career abroad or who are specialists in international affairs.

The FCA also includes professional associates from the diplomatic corps, NGOs, public relations firms, government agencies and other organisations interested in connecting with the FCA. Its membership list is used by government and business organisations to facilitate their media contacts.

The FCA has a membership of around 140, mostly based in Sydney. Through regular briefings, the FCA attracts political and business leaders and other prominent guests from around Australia and the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The Association also organises a wide range of social functions and it's dedicated to raising the profile of foreign correspondents in Australia.

The FCA website provides up-to-date information on the FCA's many activities: Special trips, news conferences, briefings, social events, and trip reports and features. The members' database is arranged in a format to enable users to search not only by name, but also by country and the organisation they represent.

Most correspondents' today face increasing work demands, but little in the way of back-up. That's where the FCA can help. It has forged a number of new alliances to provide benefits to members. These include State Tourism Bodies that regularly host media trips. Each trip is carefully planned to produce the maximum number of news leads and interview opportunities.