OPENING OF DHUPUMA COLLEGE
GOVE, N. T. 1 JULY, 1~ 72,.
Speech by the Prime Hlinister, The Rt. Hon. William ?' c. ahon
M. P.
Ladies and Gentlemen, and most importantly, boys and girls:
Thanks for the invitation to come here today to open this
school. Down south, we hear a lot about this very fast-growing
and developing part of the Northern Territory, but not enough
Australians get the chance to come up here personally to see for
themselves what is going on.
On Australia day five months ago, I made a statement about
my Government's policies for aboriginal citizens. It covered
important questions relating to the future progress of the
aborigines themselves. Some of my comments may not be known to you,
so I shall try to tell you what I said in that statement.
We had five changes to make in our programmes and policies
for aborigines. First we wanted to ensure that aborigines have
free and unimpeded access to the rights and privileges of our
society. We want to encourage and assist them to keep and develop
their own culture as a worthwhile and wholesome part of Australian
life. We want to emphasise that overy aborigine has the right to
say how closely and how-soon he will become integraded into the
mainstream of Australian society.
This is more likely to happen when aborigines retain their
own identity, traditions and their own culture.
The third point of my statement on Australia Day was that
our objectives must be based on plans which recognise the wishes
and the aspirations of the aborigines themselves; and which provides
the opportunities to develop their own personalities and abilities:
And which involve the aboriginal people themselves in the working
out of those plans.
The fourth objective is for government programmes to ensure
that aboriginal citizens manage their own affairs as much as this
is practicable in order to improve their potential and ensure
their fullest partici. ation in the national progress: And further
so that handicaps in health, housing, education and vocational
training can be reduced. / 2
We also want to remove the few rcmaining laws which
discriminate against aborigines.
I cannot emtnhasise enou,-1-01. at this statement of policy
objectives means in effect that Australian as a people, through
the Federal Government, recognise that aborigines have many problems
and difficulties notf7, ce. by '--thcr .7trnlinn. It ma ns thert w,:
will -'-ovoryt!, i1n7 * ssill see that -~ ur abor~ rri-nal citizo: ns have
th cortunities to--reach at least the sam~ e standards of living and
education as are anjoyed b~ y all other Pustralians.
The opening of a newr school is, I believe, a big event in any
community; But the opening of a new school to meet the needs of
aboriginal. communities is an evan bigger event. Soon in these
buildings there will be new, young, fresh minds who will play their
Dart inl the future of our country.
May I snpeac ow.% to the older people here, and particularly to
the parents. * You havo., and] you will see many changes -chancles which
have brought and will bring you and your families benefits as well
as problems. Your children are now grow'ing up in a very different
world to yours, and for that matter even to mine. School will
fire their minds. The: y will ask questions and perhaps question the
authority of their parents.
Seeing these chang-ms might influe'nce parents to take their
children away from schi-ool. You must not let this hap~ pen: It is
better to accerot that our children will wa nt to ' change the worlti.
Some of you may feel that knowledge will loosen the bonds
between children and their parents, and load them to neglect: their
old ways. We must try nnd haln them enjoy both the new and the
old. Schooling should teach children to resnpect both old and new
ways, and should forster a child; love and respect for his parents,
his home and his culture.
To you students I say--Work hard3 at school because every
bit of knowledcae will make you better E1Pedto face the outside
world when you have grown into youn; j men and' women.
Ohupuma College is thc second residential school in the
Northern Territory for aboriginal children. Kormilda, in Darwin,
was the first. A third college is now being built at Alice S-rings.
It will cost a lot of money, but money is not important. What is
important is the onnortunity which these colleges provide for young
UreonAe. Kormil-da means "' tomorrow" and Dhunumua, as you know, means
" looking up" t. These names are well chosen, and -will enourage you
to look up to your life of tomorrow. Twenty-eight of you young
people come fro~ m Kcormilda. I want you to bel-p Dhupuma develon in
the same way. You should think of it, nct sn much as anothe-r school,
but rather ft a place of opportunity and riewarding assocation.
Having said this, it now gives me very great oleasure to
officially declare this College npen.