Evening with Peter Greste to raise funds for CEFN

Former foreign correspondent and journalist Peter Greste will be the guest-of-honour and speaker at a fundraiser for the Country Education Foundation of the Namoi on March 20.

Mr Greste worked for Reuters, CNN, the BBC and Al Jazeera – with a particular focus on the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

However, Mr Greste is known across the nation for his quest for press freedom after being arrested in Cairo, along with two other Al Jazeera journalists, in June 2014.

The journalists had been accused of news reporting which was damaging to national security as well as falsifying news among other claims.

The accusations by the Egyptian authorities were refuted by Mr Greste who was initially sentenced to seven years in prison.

After the Australian government intervened, Mr Greste was deported to Australia in February 2015.

Since his return to Australia, he has enjoyed involvement with ABC documentaries as well as academia.

Mr Greste’s biographical account of his family’s efforts to free him from an Egyptian prison were detailed in Freeing Peter (2016).

The First Casualty (2017), a first-hand account of how the war on journalism spread from the battlefields of the Middle East to the governments of the west, was short-listed for the 2018 Walkley Book Award.

A new edition of The First Casualty was released in April 2025 and retitled as The Correspondent following the development of a film adaptation also of the same name.

The Correspondent had its world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival. The screenplay was written by Peter Duncan, directed by Kriv Stenders, with Mr Greste played by Richard Roxburgh.

CEFN chair Cara Stoltenberg said the organisation was thrilled to welcome a speaker of Mr Greste’s calibre to Narrabri.

“We have been trying to organise a fundraiser that would suit and inspire our local community for a couple of years now,” Mrs Stoltenberg said.

“Peter seemed to be the perfect fit for such an event.”

The fundraiser is already gathering interest with eager attendees purchasing tickets to support the much-loved organisation, which has shaped the future of post-secondary school students through education scholarships for 23 years.

In the first three years of the CEFN, three grants were given of $500 each from money raised locally. Since then, the CEFN has supported 275 local students to further their education at university or TAFE, or to start a trade or apprenticeship, totalling $644,495.

Mrs Stoltenberg encouraged people to hear Mr Greste’s incredible story first-hand at The Crossing Theatre while also supporting a great community cause.

She also thanked the generous sponsors which have contributed to the event.

“We want as many people as possible to listen to Peter’s experiences,” she said.

Tickets to the CEFN fundraiser cost just $50, thanks to generous sponsorship. Tickets include a drink on arrival as well as canapes. Live music by well known local pianist Hayley Yandell-Smith will also feature on the night.

Tickets are available to purchase through The Crossing Theatre. For enquiries, please contact [email protected]