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I think it is very fitting that the opening of a Remembrance Walk that incorporates the display of a stone taken from at least 40 of the theatres of war in which Australian Service personnel served their country and the cause of freedom, during
World War II, I think it is very fitting that so many representatives of other nations should be here.
The idea for this Remembrance Walk was Colin McKinnon's. The idea was to get something from every place in which Australia's servicemen and women served to bring it all together. We thought originally of having what the Scots call a cairn, but in the end that sort of proved not quite as feasible as this. So we now have this magnificent Remembrance Walk.
And the story of those stones was quite amusing. I mean, you'd think from Colin's introductory remarks that I personally visited each of those countries and collected them and put them in my suitcase and brought them home. Well that was only about half true because what used to happen in some cases was, I'd get a knock on the door one Saturday morning at my home in Wollstonecraft and I'd open it up and there was the Ambassador or the High Commissioner from such-and-such a country saying: look I've got something for you, and here he had a stone. I've even had Ambassadors arrive at my home in Wollstonecraft in the dead of night and leave a stone wrapped up in a little plastic bag and say here, this is from such-and-such a country.
And it is true, that my office in Gladesville accumulated this vast collection of stones from different parts of the world and we became absolutely determined that we were going to bring this programme to fruition.
Now the Australia Remembers programme was iniated by the former Keating Government and the Minister responsible for it then. And I give him full credit for the work that he did in relation to it, with Con Sciacca. And the then Opposition, the Liberal Opposition, we supported that programme as a fully bipartisan expression of Australian gratitude to the men and women who had done so much.
And we have continued the position of that programme under the leadership of Bruce Scott, under the name of Their Service, Our Heritage. And you will see so many of the badges that give expression to that notion. Remembrance should not be a one off thing. Remembrance should be a continuous motion and the more we move as a nation towards the celebration of our 100 years of Federation. The more we have reason, to not only think of the future, because the future is so tremendously important to all of us, but we also have occasion, very much, to think of the past and the massive debts that we owe to the men and women who saved this country during World War II.
And to say simply to them without their service, their sacrifice, without their legacy and without their great gift of a free Australia, this would be a nation that we wouldn't rejoice in living in a nation that would be utterly different and unimaginably different from the Australian nation that we now enjoy and which is so much the envy of the world because it has something about it that no other country has.
Now this is very much a local expression. And I think it is rather symbolic that over my shoulder is the site of the 2000 Olympics. It is a beautiful location and a marvellously appropriate choice of location. I think it will become, in time, because of the character of the Remembrance Wall, it will become, very much, a place, for not only local people to come to but for people all around the city. Anything to do with the harbour foreshores of Sydney derives very great affection, not only from the resident of those foreshores but for all of the people of the city.
Ladies and Gentleman, can I warmly thank Colin McKinnon and the Bennelong Australia Remembers Committee for what they have done. Could I also thank one other person who has worked very very hard in the background ever since the Committee was established at a time when, I think I was the Shadow Minister for something or other, through the time I was Leader of the Opposition and in the time that I have been Prime Minister, and that is my Electorate Secretary, Mrs Kay Long.
This has been no mere, sort of just another passing occasion, she really has thrown her heart and soul into this in a normally very pleasant and helpful manner, which so many people in the Bennelong community have come to know and love so much. She really has been a great power behind this and I thank her very warmly.
This is a community effort. It is a community tribute. It is a community expression of gratitude and on behalf of the Australian nation, as the Australian Government, I thank the men and women of the Bennelong electorate, in particular, for what they did in the dark days of World War II, to make the life that I have had since that war, and my wife and my children, the joy that it is to live in this country. And I know in saying that, I speak on behalf of literally millions of Australians, whatever their political persuasions may be and whatever their views may be of other things.
I hope it is a pleasant morning. I thank you all for coming and I also thank the band. An occasion like this is no good without a terrific band and I want to thank you ladies and gentlemen very very warmly for being here. You can't beat a decent army band.
Ladies and gentlemen I now have the pleasure of cutting the ribbon and declaring the Remembrance Walk officially open.