NOTES FOR THE PRIME MINISTER
FOR THE OPENING OF EBER BUNKER'S HOUSE, COLLINGWOOD,
LIVERPOOL, 6 SEPTEMBER 1975
1. I IMAGINE IN MELBOURNE TODAY THERE WOULD BE
A MUCH BIGGER CROWD TO SEE COLLINGWOOD THAN
THERE IS HERE IN LIVERPOOL. IN MELBOURNE
THEY HAVE A MUCH GREATER SENSE OF HISTORY.
COLLINGWOOD FANS ARE NUMBERED IN THEIR
THOUSANDS-ESPECIALLY ON SATURDAY AFTERNOONS,
2. COLLINGWOOD WAS THE HOME OF CAPTAIN EBER BUNKER,
THE FOUNDER OF THE AUSTRALIAN WHALING INDUSTRY.
I HOPE NO ONE WILL CONFUSE EBER BUNKER
WITH CLEAVER BUNTON. ONE LIVED IN A HOUSE IN
LIVERPOOL AND THE OTHER SITS IN A HOUSE IN
CANBERRA. BOTH HOUSES HAVE 19TH CENTURY
ASSOCIATIONS AND ARE BADLY IN NEED OF REPAIR.
3. LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE LIST OF FORMER OWNERS
OF COLLINGWOOD, AFTER EBER BUNKER, I FIND THERE
WERE INDUSTRIALISTS, PASTORALISTS, MEAT TYCOONS,
LANDOWNERS AND DEVELOPERS, A FORMER TREASURER
OF SIR SAUL SAMUEL, AND A SECRETARY OF
THE AUSTRALIAN JOCKEY CLUB, GEORGE ROWE. THEY
WERE ALL ADMIRABLE CITIZENS BUT NOT THE SORT OF
PEOPLE WHO NORMALLY SUPPORT MY GOVERNMENT.
WERRIWA WASN'T SUCH A SAFE LABOR SEAT IN THE OLD
DAYS. SO IT'S AN UNEXPECTED HONOUR TO BE ASKED
TO PERFORM THIS OPENING. ,/ 2
14. WHENEVER I AM GIVEN THE KEYS TO A HOUSE, THE
P-RESS AND THE OPPOSITION ACCUSE ME OF ACQUIRING
ANOTHER OFFICIAL RESIDENCE. THE LODGE,
KIRRIBILLI, AND NOW COLLINGWOOD, I WANT IT TO
BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT WHILE COLLINGWOOD
IS IN MY ELECTORATE, IT IS NOT FOR MY PERSONAL
USE. IHAVE TO MAKE THAT CLEAR BECAUSE WE
ARE SPENDING A LOT OF PUBLIC MONEY ON THE
RESTORATION. MANY PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS HAVE BEEN0
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SPLENDID PROJECT. THE
FIRM OF STOCKS AND HOLDINGS HAVE COLLABORATED
WITH LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL IN THE
RESTORATION. STOCKS AND HOLDINGS HAVE GIVEN
$ 10,000 AND CARRIED OUT RESTORATION WORK TO
THE VALUE OF $ 3,000. My GOVERNMENT HAS MADE
GRANTS TOTALLING $ 35,000 THROUGH THE NATIONAL
ESTATE PROGRAM. THE FINAL COST OF THE0
RESTORATION WILL BE ABOUT $ 110,000.
6. WE HAVE BEEN SLOW TO GRASP THE IMPORTANCE OF
OUR HISTORIC HOUSES AND BUILDINGS. ALL TOO FEW
OF THEM HAVE BEEN PRESERVED OR RESTORED,
IAM DELIGHTED THAT ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
AND FAMOUS OF OUR OLD BUILDINGS IS BEING
PRESERVED HERE IN LIVERPOOL, A PART OF SYDNEY
WHICH FOR ALL ITS HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS Is
LACKING IN EXAMPLES OF HISTORIC ARCHITECTURED s / 3
7,
89 -3-1
IAM HOPEFUL THAT FURTHER FUNDS WILL BE X/' j) Q "
AVAILABLE FROM THE NATIONAL ESTATE PROGRAPI.
THE COUNCIL'S REQUEST FOR A FURTHER GRANT
' OF $ 15,000 HAS 8EEN REFERRED TO THE INTERIM
COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL ESTATE, WHO WILL
SHORTLY BE FORMULATING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS
TO MR UREN ON TH E 1975/ 76 FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE PROGR AM. AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE
NEXT NATIONAL ESTATE PROGRAM IS NOT EXPECTED
BEFORE NOVEMBER,. AFTER THE APPROPRIATION
BILLS HAVE BEEN PASSED AND PROGRAMS APPROVED
BY STATE AND AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTERS.
My GOVERNMENT FROM THE BEGINNING HAS GIVEN
STAUNCH SUPPORV-TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE
NATIONAL ESTATE -THE UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL
THINGS, THE THINGS WORTH KEEPING IN OUR
COUNTRY IN OUR FIRST FULL FINANCIAL YEAR,
1973-74, NO FEWER THAN 101 NATIONAL ESTATE
PROJECTS WERE APPROVED AT A COST OF $ 2.5 MILLION.
LAST FINANCIAL YEAR WE PROVIDED $ 8 MILLION
FOR NATIONAL ESTATE PROJECTS, ( I17576 ( hAd 3e7 a// a cqe
ILOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN THE RESTORATION OF
THIS BUILDING IS COMPLETED AND IT CAN BE SEEN
IN ALL ITS FORMER DETAIL AND PAST GLORY. IT
WILL DRAW VISITORS To LIVERPOOL FROM ALL OVER
AUSTRALIA. IT WILL BE A FITTING REMINDER OF
ONE OF OUR GREAT PIONEERS AND THE SUPERB
ARCHITECTURE OF A PAST AGE.-I CONGRATULATE
ALL THOSE WHO HAVE MADE POSSIBLE THIS PROJECT.