Editing Western Australia (section)

== Sister states ==
Western Australia has five sister states:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dca.wa.gov.au/DevelopingArtsandCulture/international/inter-government-networks/|title=Sister State Relationships |website=Department of Culture and Arts|access-date=17 February 2019 |archive-date=18 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218021306/http://www.dca.wa.gov.au/DevelopingArtsandCulture/international/inter-government-networks/}}</ref>

* [[East Java]], Indonesia
* [[Hyōgo Prefecture]], Japan
* [[Andhra Pradesh|Andhra Pradesh State]], India
*[[Tuscany|Tuscany Region]], Italy
* [[Zhejiang|Zhejiang Province]], China

In 1981, a [[sister city|sister state]] agreement was drawn up between Western Australia and [[Hyōgo Prefecture]] in Japan that was aimed at improving cultural ties between the two states.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hyogo.com.au/about-hyogo/hyogo-wa-sister-state-relationship/ |title=Hyogo-WA Sister State Relationship |publisher=Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre |date=10 April 2015 |access-date=14 April 2016 |archive-date=23 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423002353/http://hyogo.com.au/about-hyogo/hyogo-wa-sister-state-relationship/}}</ref><ref name=Hyogo>{{cite web|url=http://www.wajapan.net/014_OurSisterStateRelationship_E |title=WA-Hyogo Sister State |publisher=Government of Western Australia |access-date= 14 April 2016}}</ref> To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this agreement, the Hyōgo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre was established in Perth in 1992.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hyogo.com.au/about-the-centre/ |title=About the centre |publisher=Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre |date=27 March 2015 |access-date=14 April 2016 |archive-date=23 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423013128/http://hyogo.com.au/about-the-centre/}}</ref> Prior to that, the Western Australian government opened an office in [[Kobe]], the largest city in Hyōgo, to facilitate maintenance of the relationship in 1989.<ref name=Hyogo/><ref name=garden>{{cite web|url=http://www.wajapan.net/news_e/889 |title=Japanese garden a tribute to Sister State relationship with Hyogo prefecture |publisher=Government of Western Australia |date=1 June 2013 |access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref>

Following the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] that devastated southern Hyōgo in January 1995, Western Australian groups and businesses raised funds and provided materials, whilst individuals travelled to Hyōgo to help with emergency relief and the subsequent reconstruction process.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ajswa.com.au/about-the-ajswa.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409085909/http://www.ajswa.com.au/about-the-ajswa.html |archive-date=9 April 2013 |title=About AJSWA |publisher=Australia Japan Society of WA |access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Memorial service pays tribute to Japanese earthquake victims |publisher=City of Perth |url=http://www.perth.wa.gov.au/newsroom/featured-news/memorial-service-pays-tribute-japanese-earthquake-victims |date=January 15, 2016 |access-date=14 April 2016 |archive-date=8 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508145208/http://www.perth.wa.gov.au/newsroom/featured-news/memorial-service-pays-tribute-japanese-earthquake-victims}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/hansard/hans35.nsf/c02fad1ff7f00ecbc82572e4002d0af9/8137df1a3b82a563482565ff001aa60f?OpenDocument |title=Appropriation (Consolidated Fund) Bill (No 3) - Second Reading |date=21 October 1997 |publisher=Hansard, Parliament of Western Australia |access-date=14 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422141344/http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/hansard/hans35.nsf/c02fad1ff7f00ecbc82572e4002d0af9/8137df1a3b82a563482565ff001aa60f?OpenDocument |archive-date=22 April 2016}}</ref> The two governments signed a [[memorandum of understanding]] on the 20th anniversary in 2001 that aimed to improve the economic relationship between the two states.<ref name=Hyogo/>

Further to the sister state relationship, the [[City of Rockingham]] in Western Australia and the [[Akō, Hyōgo|City of Akō]] in Hyōgo signed a sister city agreement in 1997. It is one of nine sister city relationships between Western Australian and Japanese cities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wajapan.net/015_OurSisterCityRelationships_E |title=WA-Japan Sister City Relationships |publisher=Government of Western Australia |access-date= 14 April 2016}}</ref>