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OPENING OF OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOL
WOY WOY, N. S. W. 19 OCTOBER 1968
Mr. President, Distinguished Guests, Members of Parliament, Ladies
and Gentlemen: There has been one lesson I have learnt during theltime
that I have been opening various buildin gs, swimming pools and things
of that kind. That lesson is that I am usually so pleased and relieved
to have reached the end of whatever it is I have to say, and I know that
everybody sitting around is so pleased and relieved that I have reached
the end of whatever it is I have to say, that I generally forget to declare
open whatever it is that is supposed to be declared open! Now somebody
has got to remind me on this occasion because there is a button there
which I need to press.
This occasion has something quite unique about it. Very
often one comes along and opens whatever it is, and in fact it has been
in use for weeks or even months before one gets there. I gather that on
this occasion this pool has not been in use at all and that this really will
be an opening. That is another reason for me not to delay too long so
all those excited children who want to get in can do so. All of you, too,
who I am sure want to get in and se~ e how magnificent it is, will in fact
be able to do so. Those members of the Pool Committee, must feel some
sense of pride and satisfaction today as their minds go back to the time
when they banded together and decided they would do something to help
the community in which they live, and as they remember the work that
they did and the time that it took. I am sure many evenings were engaged
and much travelling was entailed I hope that today they feel a full sense
of satisfaction and a full sense that what they have done has been worthwhile,
as indeed it has been.
We, as Mr. Bridges-Maxwell has said, are going to build between us all a really great Australian nation for Australians, and that will require from those of us who are now able to work and from those who are at school and being taught, that will require a considerable amount of effort, a considerable amount of concentration, a considerable amount of hard work. But a life for a country is no good if the whole of it is engaged in hard work and effort, necessary though that is. There must be room along the way for play and laughter and gaiety and song as well as the hard work; and for the provision of sporting facilities. such as this pool, or football ovals or the beaches that you have and I hope will preserve. These are the things which give. to our growing generation that opportunity for healthy recreation, that opportunity for building up their muscles which will in turn enable them to turn their minds and efforts to building a country and advancing it for their children.
paricuar ote think this has been a magnificent effort. I have taken paricuar oteof a suggestion that at some future time I might be invited
back. Now that appeals to me not because I have seen much of the Shire of Woy Woy, but because I have felt since I got out of the car today' that I
have met a great number of people who are friends and whom I would like
to see again if I could come back here. So all I need is an invitation again from the Mayor. Now amnot going to delay you any more. I remember four
lines of poetry which my wife keeps dinning into me whenever I am about
to become engaged in making a public speech. What she says is: " Listen,
look at those people out in front of you and something like this is running
through their minds:-
" I love the finished speaker
I really, truly do.
1 don't mean one who's polished
I just mean one who's through."
And I think it's time I was through and the pool opened. So I do declare the pool open.. I remembered'