Mark Moroney

It is with great honour and pride that I invite you to the 86th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA), to be held in Cairns, Far North Queensland, from the 11-15th October at their world-class Convention Centre. This will be a special year for our association as we gather to celebrate 90 years of Clinical Excellence and Global Engagement. This meeting represents the first time our ASM will host a “Guest Nation” delegation, as we have invited the Royal College of Orthopaedic Surgeons of Thailand in recognition of them hosting a delegation from the AOA to their meeting in 2023.

The dynamic Sheanna Maine, in her first year as scientific secretary, has curated an innovative program, which I am sure will have something for everyone. The focus for this year’s meeting will be on celebrating how far we have come as an organisation over the last 90 years. We shall also be looking towards the future of our organisation, whilst acknowledging our close ties with kindred associations all over the globe. 

From the rainforest to the reef, Cairns has much to explore and enjoy. Just an hour by car north of the city are the resort town of Port Douglas and the crystal-clear waters of Mossman Gorge. For those who wish to venture a little further north, you will encounter the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest, which at 135 million years of age makes it the oldest in the world. Its 1200 square kilometres is home to 663 animal species, 230 butterfly species and over 2800 kinds of plants – many of which are not found anywhere else in the world.

To the west of Cairns’ majestic mountains, you will find the Atherton Tablelands, the crater lakes of Eacham and Barrine, and the expansive waters of Tinaroo Dam. Further west, you can visit the limestone caves of Chillagoe, and to the southwest the Undara lava tubes, the longest of their kind in the world. To the south are Mission Beach and the unique Paronella Park. 

Cairns is a perfect gateway to explore the Great Barrier Reef, with various islands dotted throughout. These include Green and Fitzroy – which can be accessed by day charter boat – as well as islands that are further afield, such as Lizard, Orpheus, Dunk and Bedarra. I could go on… but I’ll leave the rest of the local attractions and social events to our local convenors, Ben and Danielle Parkinson, who in collaboration with our events team, led by Alison Fallon, have assembled an exciting list of social and sporting activities for you to enjoy.

Finally, I hope you will be able to make it to the Gala Dinner on the Wednesday night. As many of you know, I love a good party!