SPEECH NOTES FOR THE PRIME MINISTER FOR THE GERMAN-AUSTRIAN
CLUB JAHRESBALL, CABRAMATTA, 6 SEPTEMBER 1975
1. I AM DELIGHTED TO BE WITH YOU HERE TONIGHT WITH
MY WIFE, BACK IN MY OWN ELECTORATE, BACK AT THE GERMAN
AUSTRIAN CLUB FOR THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR OF YOUR CLUB
BUILDING. I WAS PROUD TO BE INVITED TO LAY THE FOUNDATION
STONE BACK IN 1965, WHEN I WAS THE DEPUTYLEADER OF THE
OPPOSITION AS WELL AS YOUR LOCAL MEMBER. I THOUGHT THEN
THAT YOU SHOWED GREAT FAITH, GREAT POLITICAL ACUMEN,
I. KNEW THAT YOU COULDN'T BE ACCUSED OF PLAYING REALPOLITIK,
BECAUSE A DEPUTY LEADER OF AN OPPOSITION CAN BE AS FAR
AWAY FROM LEADERSHIP AS THE LEADER OF AN OPPOSITION IS
FROM LEADING THE COUNTRY. BUT I LIKE TO THINK THAT SOME
OF YOU BACK IN 1965 BELIEVED THAT IN YEARS TO COME,
GOUGH WHITLAM MIGHT RETURN AS PRIME MINISTER, AND I DID, IN 1972.
2. IT WASN'T SO APPARENT IN MARCH 1965, WHEN I LAID
THE FOUNDATION STONE, THAT 1965 WAS TO BECOME A WATERSHED
IN GERMANY'S MODERN POLITICAL HISTORY. IN SEPTEMBER THAT
YEAR, 1965, JUST TEN YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, A MAN CALLED
WILLI BRANDT WAS ELECTED TO THE BUNDESTAG. BUT ALTHOUGH
HE WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, HE CHOSE NOT TO
TAKE HIS SEAT IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE HE WANTED TO REMAIN AS
GOVERNING BURGERMEISTER OF WEST BERLIN. ER WAR BERLINER,
TO RECALL THAT GREAT PHRASE OF JOHN F. KENNEDY. I HAVE NO
DOUBT THAT YOU ALL KNOW OF MY OWN GREAT ADMIRATION FOR
WILLI BRANDT. I WAS ONCE ASKED TO NOMINATE THE GREAT WORLD
LEADERS AND STATESMEN OF OUR TIME. a/ 2
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IHAD NO HESITATION IN NOMINATING WILLI BRANDT; I HAVE NO
HESITATION IN NOMINATING WILLI BRANDT. MY INVITATION TO
HIM TO VISIT THIS COUNTRY STANDS, WHATEVER HIS POLITICAL
FORTUNES. AND AS IT HAPPENS HE IS NOW AGAIN CHAIRMAN OF THE
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, JUST AS HE WAS IN 1965.
3. BUT ANOTHER EVENT OF GREAT GERMAN POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE
WAS TO HAPPEN BY THE END OF 1965, AND I DON'T MEAN THE
OPENING OF YOUR CLUBHOUSE BY THE AUSTRIAN CONSUL GENERAL,
THEN AND NOW PROFESSOR FELSER.
IREFER TO THE RESIGNATION, ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1965,
OF KONRAD ADENDUER AS HEAD OF THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATICUNION,
A POSITION HE HAD HELD SINCE 1946. HE WAS TWO WEEKS OFF
BIRTHDAY. CHRISTMAS DAY 1965 MARKED THE END OF AN
ERA IN GERMANY.
4. BUT THE LAST DECADE HAS SEEN UNIMAGINED CHANGES IN THE
WORLD, NOT JUST IN GERMANY. THE POST-WAR LEADERS WERE
ALREADY CHANGING IN 1965; SOME INDEED HAD ALREADY GONE.
HOW MANY OF THE WORLD'S LEADERS AND STATESMEN WHO WERE IN
POWER IN 1965 ARE STILL THERE TODAY? THINK OF CHARLES DE GAULLE*
LYNDON JOHNSON, SUKARNO, Ho CHI MINH.-U THANTo
EVEN OF COURSE SIR ROBERT MENZIES. IT IS SOBERING TO CONTEMPLATE.-
BUT WE CAN ALL TAKE HEART FROM THE FACT THAT THE AGELESS
MARLENE DIETRICH ! S STILL WITH US, AND MOREOVER, WITH US IN
AUSTRALIA, TONIGHT, " FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN"
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OF COURSE, I HAVEN'T HEARD HER SING ADVANCE AUSTRALIA
FAIR YET, BUT I RECALL BEING QUITE ENCHANTED, MANY YEARS AGO,
ON HEARING THE VIENNA Boys CHOIR SINGING VALZING MATILDA AND
GOD SAVE YOUR GRACIOUS QUEEN$ IN THESE DAYS OF FREQUENT
REFUGEE CRISES IT IS WORTH RECALLING THAT AUSTRALIA BENEFITED
IMMEASURABLY BY TAKING CARE OF AN EARLIER TOURING VIENNA
Boys CHOIR, STRANDED HERE AS A RESULT OF THE WAR.
BUT TO RETURN TO ANTHEMS, I MUST TELL YOU OF THE THRILL MY
WIFE AND IFELT WHEN WE ARRIVED IN KO-LN IN JANUARY THIS
YEAR, TO BE GREETED BY A SUPERBLY STIRRING RENDITION OF
BOTH THE AUSTRALIAN AND GERMAN NATIONAL ANTHEMS.
6. WE HAD ONLY TWO DAYS IN GERMANY DURING OUR EUROPEAN
VISIT, BUT VERY FULL AND PRODUCTIVE DAYS THEY WERE, IN
BONN, K6LN AND HAMBURG. RECALLING THE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
MADE TO AUSTRALIA'S DEVELOPMENT BY MANY THOUSANDS OF GERMAN
SETTLERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS, IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT
MY VISIT To GERMANY WAS ONLY THE SECOND BY AN AUSTRALIAN
PRIME MINISTER. THE PREVIOUS VISIT HAD BEEN BY SIR ROBERT
C MENZIES 16 YEARS EARLIER. IBELIEVED IT WAS HIGH TIME TO
RECTIFY THAT STATE OF AFFAIRS. Now, MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED
TO RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE, THE VALUE OF OUR LINKS WITH
EUROPE. 7. WHILE'I WAS IN GERMANY;' I NOT ONLY HAD THE PLEASURE OF
MEETING FORMALLY WITH THE CHANCELLOR HELMUT SCHMIDT, AND
WITH THE PRESIDENT, HERR SCHEEL, IN BONN, BUT I ALSO HAD
INFORMAL AND VERY FRUITFUL DI-SCUSSIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT
OF THE FEDERATION OF GERMANY INDUSTRY ( THE [ N K6' LNI
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IN EACH CASE I WAS ABLE TO REMIND MY HOSTS OF THE GREAT
CONTRIBUTION MADE By GERMAN'Y MIGRANTS To AUSTRALIA, AND OF
THE FLOURISHING CLUBS YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED TO KEEP ALIVE
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF WHICH YOU ARE JUSTLY PROUD.
8. IN MAY WE RECEIVED A GERMAN TRADE AND INVESTMENT MISSION
LED By HERR GRUENER, PARLIAMENTARY STATE SECRETARY, AND
INCLUDING SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND REPRESENTATIVES
OF PRIVATE INDUSTRY. THIS VISIT AROSE DIRECTLY FROM THE
SUGGESTION MADE BY THE GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, HERR GENSCHER
DURING MY VISIT, THAT SUCH A VISIT WOULD BE ESPECIALLY
VALUABLE IN PROVIDING A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF)
AUSTRALIA'S FOREIGN INVESTMENT POLICY. I READILY AGREED.
IN NOVEMBER WE WILL HAVE THE PLEASURE OF THE COMPANY OF
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE, HERR MOERSCH WHO
WILL BE VISITING AUSTRALIA AS PART OF A TOUR OF SOUTH EAST
ASIA DESIGNED TO PUT HIM IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST POST
VIETNAM DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR REGION, ONE THING WHICH WILL
BE OF OBVIOUS INTEREST IS THE PROGRESS MADE BY PAPUA NEW
GUINEA, WHICH BECOMES INDEPENDENT ON 16 SEPTEMBER. SINCE
NEW GUINEA WAS ONCE A GERMAN MANDATED TERRITORY, AND SINCE
AUSTRALIA HAS HAD THE MOST RECENT TRUSTEEESHIP TASK, OUR
INTEREST IS MUTUAL,
ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT VISITOR SCHEDULED TO COME TO
AUSTRALIA IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH NEXT YEAR IS THE MAYOR OF
WEST BERLIN, HERR KLAUS SCH'UTZ... As I MENTIONED BEFORE THERE
IS A STANDING INVITATION TO -ONE OF HIS PREDECESSORS, WILLI
BRANDT, JUST AS THERE IS FOR CHANCELLOR SCHMIDT AND
FOREIGN MINISTER GENSCHER. s v
9, FIND IT GRATIFYING THAT TOP LEVEL VISITS OF THIS
NATURE BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES ARE BECOMING THE RULE RATHER
. THAN THE EXCEPTION, IT IS ONLY PROPER THAT THERE SHOULD BE
MORE REGULAR CONTACT BETWEEN THE LEADERS AND THE PEOPLE OF
GERMANY AND AUSTRIA AND AUSTRALIA. CERTAINLY MANY MORE
AUSTRALIANS ARE TRAVELLING To GERMANY AND AUSTRIA THAN WAS
THE CASE TEN YEARS AGO, NOT LEAST BECAUSE INCREASING NUMBERS
OF AUSTRALIANS ARE WANTING TO SEEK THE SNOW RATHER THAN THE
SUNSHINE DURING THE AUSTRALIAN SUMMER MONTHS.
AND TOURISTS COMING TO AND TRAVELLING ROUND AUSTRALIA
CAN BE IN NO DOUBT AS TO THE CULTURAL CONTRIBUTION MADE BY
AUSTRIAN AND GERMAN SETTLERS IN AUSTRALIA, THE
AUSTRALIAN DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND RECREATION PRODUCES A
PUBLICATION, N~ OW IN ITS SECOND EDITION, CALLED " AUSTRALIAA
LAND OF THINGS To THIS DEALS WITH THE ATTRACTIONS,
SCENIC, CULTURAL, CULINARY, SPORTING AND RECREATIONAL OF
EACH STATE IN TURN. IT ALSO LISTS THE FESTIVALS WHICH TAKE
PLACE IN OUR MAIN CITIES. THERE AREN'T THAT MANY, AS IT
HAPPENS, BUT THERE IS ALWAYS EITHER AN OKTOBERFEST OR A
SCHUTZENFEST, FROM DARWIN TO SYDNEY. FROM HAHNDORF TO HOBART.
AND WHENEVER I POSSIBLY CAN, I MAKE IT MY BUSINESS TO PROCURE
AN INVITATION WHICH IS VERY EASY -AND TO ATTEND -WHICH
IS OFTEN QUITE HARD.
NOW THIS YEAR I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BOTH BRISBANE'S
OKTOBERFEST, AND TO YOUR OKTOBERFEST. AND SINCE THIS YEAR
YOUR OKTOBERFEST, OUR OKTOBEFkFEST, IS COMING-HOME To FAIRFIELDAFTER
BEING HELD IN ANOTHER PLACE YOU WILL KNOW WHICH
OKTOBERFEST I WILL ATTEND. I'LL TRY TO GET To BRISBANE AS
WELL, BUT I HAVE A FIRM ENGAGEMENT TO Al [ END OUR OKTOBERFEST
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ON 4j OCTOBER, AND I LOOK FORWARD VERY MUCH TO SEEING YOU
ALL AGAIN FOR THAT ANNUAL FESTIVAL, HAVE THE FONDEST
MEMORIES OF THE MANY O. KTOBERFESTS I HAVE ATTENDED OVER
THE YEARS., AM SURE THIS WILL BE NO EXCEPTION,
11 IPAY TRIBUTE TO EVERYONE CONNECTED WITH THIS EVENING'S
JAHRESBALL, AS WELL AS THE OKTOBERFEST, AND TO ALL THOSE OF
GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN DESCENT WHO HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO MAKE
AUSTRALIA A MORE DIVERSE, A MORE STIMULATING, A MORE ENJOYABLE
PLACE TO LIVE. AT THE LAST CENSUS IN 1971, THERE WERE 23,941
PEOPLE IN' AUSTRALIA WHO WERE BORN IN AUSTRIA AND 110,811
WHO WERE BORN IN GERMANY. THIS COMPARES WITH 1902 FROM
AUSTRIA AND 38,352 FROM GERMANY WHO WERE HERE IN 1901, THE
YEAR OF FEDERATION.
' THEY AND THEIR DESCENDANTS HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH OF
THEMSELVES AND OF THEIR HERITAGE TO EACH OF THE AUSTRALIAN
STATES AND TERRITORIES IN THE YEARS SINCE FEDERATION,
THAT AUSTRALIA SHOULD BE, AND IS GRATEFUL TO THEM. YOU CAN
BE SURE THAT I STRESSED THIS ON MY VISIT To GERMANY EARLIER
THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE ALL DONE FOR MY
HEIMATLAND, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME SO WELCOME HERE AND
IN GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA.
CURRENT PENSION/ BENEFITS
PAID TO PEOPLE RESIDING IN
AUSTRIA AND GERLMANY
Social Welfare Branch
3 September 1975
Pension/ Benefit N. S. W. Total Australian Total
Austria W. Germanv Austria W. Germany
Age 13 23 33 105
Invalid 6 5 14 16
Wives 2 1 4 8
Widows 0 4 3 22
Supporting Mothers 0 1 1 2
Total 21 34 55 153