OPENING OF THE TO01ASVILLE ARMY BARRACKS
TOWSVILLE, QUEENSLAND 29TH JULY, 1966
Speech by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
Major-General Mr. Premier, my Ministerial Colleague, Chief of
the General Staff, Mr. Mayor, Parliamentarians, Ladies and
Gentlemen and all distinguished guests assembled here today:
This, as I said this morning at the first of the three
functions which are making my day in Townsville such a memorable
one for me, is a very happy occasion. Here we have symbolised
in this morning's ceremony a great new university; the first
university in the tropics of Australia. And now here this
afternoon we have what my colleague the Minister for the Army
has just described to you in some ietail as the outstanding
military establishment tD be set up in Australia, with Townsville
as its home. I think Townsville can claim itself fortunate to have
achieved this quite remarkable double. It is said that the pen
is mightier than the sword and I suppose that argument still
continues. Well Townsville has both, and Australia neeas both.
I don't know whether over the long period of years
ahead, the University of Townsville will estalish itself as
dominant over the military establishment. I suspect there will
be encounters of an enterprising kind occasionally between the
inhabitants of one establishment and the inhabitants of the other.
But I hope nothing occurs which would be contrary to good order
and discipline in either of these major establishments we are
setting up here in this great Townsville area, the show place of
the northern tropic part of Australia.
This in a way symbolises what is going on throughout
the Commwnwealth at this time. You and I can consider ourselves
fortunate, I believe, to be living in our country in a period in
which it is going through an exciting phase of development and
national progress. Included in that progress has been the necessity
to give greater emphasis to potentialities of the northern part of
Ausiralia. Historically, and for various economic reasons, the
development of the south has proceeded to a greater extent, but we
recognise that if this continent is to be held secure, if we are
to 4evelop its potentialities then we must press on vigorously
with northern development. What could more clearly express that
determination than these two major establishments, one in the
academic field and the other in that of military security.
Now, the Queenslander, and in particular the Northern
Queenslander, has always been more conscious of the defence needs
of Australia than people in any other part of the Commonwealth,
and this proceeds, no doubt, from your geographical position. Y3u
are more conscious and sensitive to the fact that you are close to
the danger areas of the north. It is much the same distance from
Saigon lo Darwin, for example as it is from Brisbane to Perth
and those who live in the northern part of Australia realise tAeir
proximity to the danger spots of Asia. And so it is appropriate
that there should be established here in this northern city of
Australia a modern, large, military establishment.
You may be interested to know Mr. Premier, if you
haven't already been told this, that the decision to establish a base
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here was not primarily a military decision. In fact, I can perhaps
for once be forgiven if I publicily narrate a military secret,
But the military advice to us when it became necessary as a result
of the expansion to which the Minister for the Army has referrel
to set up nemlitary bases the military advice which reached
us was tat this shoulid be done in the Mornington Peninsula of
Victoria. There were some good technical reasons for that, and
it facilitated co-operation with other services and it wastprobably
a considerably cheaper way of getting the military result tan a
decision to establish a militarybshe. Buwenecaet
consider this in Cabinet, we felt that there were other factors
which outweighed the purely military cnsiderations the development
of the north the security Of he north, the fact that the
people of the north had a right to feel that in their area of the
worl bi 7 things wore moving which were contributing to the growth
of Australia. These were some of the considerations which came
into our minds when we considered the technical problems. And
so the decision was taken, and I am sure it was a decision we in
Australia will never regret. Certainly Townsville will never
regret it because it will bring to your community joining the
other members of the Australian Services already here a
substantial community of people. For the most part, they will be
young, lively and vigorous people with their families, and they
will undoubtedly add to the diversity and richness of the community
life of Townsvil le.
In terms of trade, looking at these thing,, s in an
economic sense, undoubtedly this will add to the population in
a considerable way because there will be those comihg to the
district who service the people who are in a military establishment.
This is a cumulative process whereby the needs of one
have to be satisfied by the services and activities of others.
And so you will find a secondary growth for Townsville from the
establishment of the barracks here.
But today we think beyond that to the contribution
which this barracks and the people w~ ho will be mann ing it make to
the future of Australia. We have, as I stressed this morning,
only a small population in this vast continent. So we must
contrive as best we can that the people of Australia are people
of quality, are people fully trained for the tasks which t hey
are to per{ orm and that they manifest inside Australia and
out of it the ; est characteristics which we believe make up the
Australian temperament. And in what better environment for
these purposes could young men be trained in the service of
Australia than in this sunny, stimulating, invigorating atmosphere
that they have here in Townsville.
Now, it is part of my duty today to gve a name to
these barracks. gave a -reat deal of careful thoughttohi
because this in itself is a 0contribution to morale and enthusiasm
that develops in a partictlar military venue. When we discussed
the problem, we thought what could be more fittin than that we
should select the name of a very distinguished Queenslander, a
great fighting soldier and more than that, a great fighting_
administrator. These barracks will be named after a native-born
Queenslander who reached the highest level open to him in
Australian military service. He became ChiefI of the General Staff
and later Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the highest
body in the military services of this country. From there, having
g iven distinguished military service, both fightin service in
time of war and this service of leadership and1adm inistration in
a period of peace, he became the first Australian-born Governor a* / 3
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of the State of Queensland. And so it is with pride, and great
satisfaction, that I name these barracks Lavarack Barracks, after
Sir John Lavarack, the former Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff
Committee, and the former Governor of your State. I am sure it is
a choice you will all applaud.
And now as I proceed to the formal task of unveiling
the plaque which will name the barracks, may I on behalf of mself
and my colleagues of the hovernment, congratulate all those who
have played a part in promoting this great project, the work of the
Minister and his colleagues in the Army, the co-operation which
we have received, and for which we are suitably appreciative, from
you Mr. Premier and from you Mr. Mayor. This eamwork is
enali ng the wor here to go aead expeitiously and satisfactorily.
I only hope that I will be aoble to come back year by year and see
the progress which will have been made both here and at the
university. It will be a constant attraction to be added to the
many others I feel in the pull that North Queensland makes to me
when I am in the south.
Thanking you for your co-operation, I conclude with
my best wishes to all who serve in this establishment. May
Lavarack Barracks make a permanent contribution to the security
of Australia to the morale of Australian military forces, and may
it earn for itself a reputation of pride which will mark it out
amongst the great military establishments of the world.