0 SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER9 THE RT. HON. R. G.
MviENZIES AT T'HE OPENING OF THE RUSSELL OFFICES)
CANB QI. T1J__ SDAY, 17TH NOVEMBEH, 1960.
Sir, Your Excellencies, Parliamentary colleagues and ladies
and gentlemen: I have many reasons for being very pleased to be
invited to do this task. One of them is that it is one of the
rare occasions on which I can see the Diplomatic Corps sitting
quietly, respectably, respectfully and with no grievances to
ventilate. That makes it a very notable occasion.
But there are other better reasons than that,
speaking with very great respect.
First of all this, or these buildings, this first
one in particular, as the first of the four, represent a very
remarkable phase of development in the national capital.
The transfer of departments, so that we may have in
Canberra almost literally, side by side, the great departments
of State; so that no longer will it be necessary for chiefs of
staff and those who toil with them to make long journeys to
Canberra, to be consulted, or insulted, according to the mood
of the moment. Here we are! We will r, 11 be together my o. m
Department, the Department of External Affairs, the Departments
of Defence, the Treasury the great Departments of State being
brought in to this one capital city. This rcpresents a
movement in national feeling, and in national efficiency which,
perhaps, some people in Australia don't yet recognise. io, for
ourselves, are determined to make the capital of Australia one
of the fine capitals of the viorld. Because we believe thatif
Australia is to take her place, more and more, as a nation in
the world not a large nation, not unduly significant you may
tell me, but still with a future then we must, so far as we
can express our national instinct in concrete visible terms
that appeal to the imagination.
The creation of a national capital in this lovely
spot is one of the great things to be done in the performance
of that task. I must confess I have very little patience with
people who appear to grud everything that is spent on
buildings of this kind not that they are elaborate but
buildings of this kind.
The moaning that goes on about the imminent
creation of a lake which will give to this city character,
and make it a city around alake, as nothing else could make it,
a coherent whole: I don't have any sympathy with those ideas
at all. I believe that the future of this country, just
l1D the future of any other democratic country, is largely
associated with creating the national capital as a focus of
intexest, as a focus of pride, as a place which will attract the
best possible men and women, not only for Parliament, for the
Public Service, but for all the activities that are associated
with Government on the grand scale.
So I believe that all the investments that we are
making in Canberra are dividend-paying investments in the best
sense of the word.
2.
There is another reason why I am very glad to be
here. Something pretty good happened in Canberra not so long
ago. do had enough wit to establish a Commission; and we had
enough wit to make Mr. Overall its Chairman.
Now this man Overall occasionally frightens me. Ho
looks to you to be a mild and disarming character. Ho has
associated with him Commissioners of great talent who arc
equally mild and disarming. But I'll tell you the great secret
of this man: when he learns on the telephone that the Cabinet
has approved of something, some scheme, some project, that
concerns him, he has the bulldozers in on the site next
miorning. He knows of politicians, even by instinct
certainly not by expe. ience ( Laughter) but by instinct he
knows them. He has given us imagination, and drive in the
development of Canberra for which I, for one, as the Prime
Minister, w. ill be eternally grateful to him. And I say that for
him, and for his Commission.
SThis conception, now beginning to take shape.-the
offices here, the bridge, the other bridge that will go in, the
lake, the whole city grouping itself with, I hope, ioro fine
buildings in the future this is something that appeals to the
imagination. I am only sorry that I have reached such advanced
years now that I won't be able to come back in 50 years' time
and see the fruit of all these labours, a marvel, and a pride,
and a joy to Australians.
But over here, we are doing something, we are here
at a very remarkable step. Im delighted with it. I'n sure
you are delighted with it. I am proud of everybody rwho has
boon connected with achieving it. I am delighted to think that
my colleague, Mr. Freoth, is able to be here on this matter
he's had much to do with it and I: m vey grateful to think
that my colleagues in Cabinet, and the Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia, have, in the most practical wiay,
supported these develop: mnts,
So here we are a growing city; a greator, and
more scientific aggregation of the people who work for us; a
vision of the future; and a remarkable :. chievomrnt in the
present. All these are great matters. They give me great
personal joy and satisfaction, and they will explain to you why
I am delighted to declare this building open. ( Applause)