It was like old home week for the Australian contingent attending Wednesday night's "Tiger Ball," the Asia Society Texas Center's annual black-tie fundraiser. The evening and accompanying business conference saluted that commonwealth and the big guns came in for the action.

Australian Ambassador to the United States Kim Beazley, Australian Consul General in New York Phillip Scanlan, former U.S. Ambassador to Australia Tom Schieffer of Fort Worth and Hugh Morgan, esteemed Australian businessman and founding chairman of Asia Society AustralAsia Centre in Melbourne, were headliners who have shared years of diplomatic and business interaction.

Leading the local section at the InterContinental Houston were Nana Booker, Australian Honorary Consul General in Houston; Charles Foster, Asia Society Texas Center chairman; and Martha Blackwelder, Asia Society Texas Center executive director. Taking bows as "Tiger Ball" honorary chairs were Robin and J. Michael Yeager.

The fundraiser honored Houston Rockets star Yao Ming with the Asia Society Texas Center Award for Contribution to the Global Community and honored, in absentia, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd with the Roy M. Huffington Award for Contribution to International Understanding. Beazley accepted the honor on Rudd's behalf.

Yao's presence was a special treat for Charles and Lily Foster's sons, Zachary and Anthony. The young men speak fluent Mandarin and were the Chinese basketball star's dinner partners. (An immigration legal specialist, Charles Foster has been Yao's attorney since he first arrived to play for the Houston Rockets.) One of the more light-hearted moments of the evening came when Mayor Annise Parker was photographed with Yao, their height difference truly amusing.

There was another Australian taking a lead, if behind-the-scenes, role in the evening — Jason Gould, research and development chef for Cyclone Anaya's. He created an Australian-inspired menu including the ubiquitous lamb.