In June 2016, a delegation of foreign journalists from China, India, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and South Africa travelled to Australia for an International Media Visit (IMV).

The delegation visited Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to gain an understanding of Australia's science, research and innovation capabilities. They had the opportunity to visit Australia's first class science and research facilities, which demonstrated our leading edge technologies and met with talented researchers and scientists.

The journalists toured the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, viewed cutting edge research at the Synchrotron, visited the Phillip Island Research Centre and heard new research finding at CSIRO's survey science conference.

The centrepiece of the IMV was a visit to the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory. Journalists viewed the Square Kilometre Array project, which is currently designing and constructing a next generation radio telescope that, when complete, will far exceed the capabilities of any existing radio telescope. The telescope will be used by international scientists to make ground-breaking observations and discoveries about the Universe. Journalists conducted interviews with experts directly responsible for the facilities and filmed on location. The vastness of the site also enabled the journalists to get a sense of the scale and remoteness of the Australian outback.

The journalists also enjoyed Australia's vibrant contemporary culture. They viewed the Vivid light installations in Sydney, explored Melbourne's historical laneways and coffee culture, and took part in an Aboriginal heritage walk through Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Square Kilometre Array: Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory