CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY '-EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
FOR THE OPENING OF THE NEW WALTER AND ELIZA HALL
INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
MELBOURNE 8 NOVEMBER 1985
SIR ANDREW, MR PREMIER, MINISTERS, PROFESSOR NOSSAL,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I AM GREATLY
HONOURED TO BE HERE TODAY ON THIS MOST SIGNIFICANT OCCASION.
IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT A PRIME MINISTER CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH
AN EVENT INVOLVING AN AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTION ABOUT WHICH
THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT AS TO ITS UNRIVALLED WORLD REPUTATION.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE
CONTINGENT OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTISTS TO HELP CELEBRATE
THIS MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WALTER AND ELIZA HALL
INSTITUTE SHOWS THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN. MY VERY HIGH REGARD
FOR THE INSTITUTE AND ITS RENOWNED WORK.
I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE IF, AT THE BEGINNING OF MY
ADDRESS, I DEVOTE SOME TIME TO TRACING THE BACKGROUND AND
EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THIS GREAT AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTION. FOR
IT IS AN INTERESTING STORY THAT INVOLVES A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES; PUBLIC SPIRITED
PEOPLE, ALL OF THEM, WITH VISIONS OF WHAT WAS NEEDED IN THIS
COUNTRY AND HOW AUSTRALIANS COULD GO ABOUT MAKING THESE
VISIONS A REALITY.
AUSTRALIA WAS INDEED FORTUNATE THAT, SO SOON AFTER ITS BIRTH
AS A COMMONWEALTH, THERE HAD DEVELOPED A DESIRE TO FOUND A
NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO ADVANCE THE HEALTH OF
AUSTRALIANS. MUCH OF THE CREDIT IS DUE TO THE PROFESSOR OF PATHOLOGY AND
DEAN OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE,
SIR HARRY BROOKES ALLEN. HE SAW THE NEED FOR CLINICAL
LABORATORIES FOR ROUTINE DIAGNOSTIC WORK AND FOR RESEARCH AT
THE MELBOURNE HOSPITAL NOW THE ROYAL MELBOURNE.
BY A HAPPY SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE
OTHERS WHO M4ADE THIS DREAM A REALITY.
THE STORY OF WALTER HALL, OF COURSE, IS PART OF THE ROMANCE
OF AUSTRALIA'S DEVELOPMENT. WALTER HALL ARRIVED IN
AUSTRALIA IN 1852 AS A PENNILESS MIGRANT. BY THE TIME OF
HIS DEATH IN 1911 HE HAD MADE A FORTUNE INITIALLY FROM
INVOLVEMENT WITH COBB AND CO. COACHES AND LATER FROM
INTERESTS IN THE MOUNT MORGAN MINING VENTURE IN QUEENSLAND.
AFTER HIS DEATH HIS WIDOW, ELIZA, MAINTAINED A PRACTICAL
INTEREST IN SOCIAL WELFARE, THE RELIEF OF POVERTY AND THE
ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION. AS THE HALLS HAD NO CHILDREN, MRS
HALL WAS RECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA OF BEQUEATHING A SUBSTANTIAL
SUM TO SET UP A CHARITABLE TRUST FUND.
THROUGH THE WORK OF SIR HARRY ALLEN AND A PROMINENT
MELBOURNE BUSINESSMAN, RICHARD GARDNER CASEY ( WHOSE SON WAS
TO BECOME LORD CASEY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF AUSTRALIA) THE
HALL TRUSTEES AGREED THAT PART OF THE INCOME FROM THE
HALL BEQUEST OF ONE MILLION POUNDS, WHICH INITIATED THE
WALTER AND ELIZA HALL TRUST FUND, SHOULD BE USED TO
ESTABLISH THE WALTER AND ELIZA HALL INSTITUTE.
THE INSTITUTE WAS ESTABLISHED IN MELBOURNE IN 1915. WORLD
WAR I INTERVENED, HOWEVER, AND AUSTRALIA'S FIRST MEDICAL
RESEARCH UNIT, ALTHOUGH OFFICIALLY ' FOUNDED' FIVE YEARS
EARLIER, DID NOT GET DOWN TO SERIOUS WORK UNTIL 1920.
THE EARLY YEARS OF THE INSTITUTE WERE NOTABLE FOR THE WORK
OF DR CHARLES KELLAWAY, THE DIRECTOR FROM 1923, WHO
ATTRACTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION FOR HIS RESEARCH INTO
VENOMOUS SNAKES AND ANTI-VENENES. KELLAWAY'S EFFORTS LED TO
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND FROM
THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION.
THIS INTERESTING BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE WALTER AND ELIZA HALL INSTITUTE.
THE NEXT STAGE WILL ALWAYS BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NAME OF
SIR MACFARLANE BURNET WHO WILL FOREVER BY HIGH ON THE HONOUR
ROLL OF AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL RESEARCH. I KNOW THAT MANY OF
YOU WILL SHARE MY SADNESS THAT HIS RECENT DEATH MEANT THAT
HE COULD NOT BE WITH US TODAY.
UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1965, SIR MACFARLANE SERVED FOR MORE
THAN 20 YEARS AS DIRECTOR OF THIS INSTITUTE. HE WAS
INSTRUMENTAL IN DEVELOPING RESEARCH EMPHASIS IN IMMUNOLOGY;
EXTENDING VIRUS RESEARCH INTO AREAS SUCH AS INFLUENZA,
MURRAY VALLEY ENCEPHALITIS, HERPES AND POLIOMYELITIS. IT
WAS FOR HIS WORK IN IMMUNOLOGY THAT SIR MACFARLANE RECEIVED
THE NOBEL PRIZE IN 1960.
SIR MACFARLANE BURNET'S LONG PERIOD OF SERVICE WAS FOLLOWED
BY THAT OF SIR GUSTAV NOSSAL, WHO NOW HAS COMPLETED HIS
SECOND DECADE IN OFFICE. SIR GUSTAV HAS MAINTAINED THE
INSTITUTE'S COMMITMENT TO BASIC AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY AND
HAS EXPANDED ITS WORK TO TAKE IN A MAJOR EFFORT IN CANCER
RESEARCH; INITIATIVES IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETIC
ENGINEERING; STUDIES IN TROPICAL PARASITIC DISEASES
PARTICULARLY MALARIA; AND TRANSPLANTATION TECHNIQUES FOR USE
IN TREATING DIABETES.
WITH A STAFF OF MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE AND A BUDGET EXCEEDING
$ 7 MILLION, THlE WALTER AND ELIZA HAL. L INSTITUTE TRULY HAS
ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF GREAT INSTITUTIONS
OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IN THE WORLD.
THE INTERNATIONAL STANDING OF THIS INSTITUTE IS EXEMPLIFIED
BY ITS OUTPUT OF PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE ACHIEVED
INTERNATIONAL DISTINCTION. IN ADDITION, THE RESIDENT TEAM
OF HIGH CALIBRE SENIOR PERSONNEL HAS ATTRACTED VISITING
RESEARCH FELLOWS AND ADVANCED TRAINEES TO THE WALTER AND
ELIZA HALL INSTITUTE, INCLUDING, IN RECENT YEARS, FROM THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS.
THE INSTITUTE IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL
COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS IN BASIC RESEARCH AND IN APPLIED
SCIENCE. SUCH COMMITMENT HAS LED TO BOTH INTERNATIONAL
RECOGNITION AND TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
IN THIS REGARD, I MUST MAKE SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE
JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION OF CHICAGO
WHICH ENDOWED THE INSTITUTE WITH A MAGNIFICANT GRANT OF $ 2
MILLION RESULTING IN THE DEDICATION, EARLIER TODAY, OF THE
MACARTHUR LABORATORY. I SHOULD PAY TRIBUTE, AS WELL, TO THE
ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION OF NEW YORK, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF HEALTH OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANISATION AS PARTICULARLY FAITHFUL LONG-TERM SUPPORTERS.
TURNING NOW TO THE AUSTRALIAN SCENE, THE WALTER AND ELIZA
HALL INSTITUTE SHOULD INDEED BE PROUD OF ITS STATUS AS A
PIONEER OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IN THIS COUNTRY. MEDICAL
RESEARCH, BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS AND UNDOUBTED BENEFITS IT
BRINGS TO INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES, IS
PERCEIVED AS A VERY WORTHWHILE ACTIVITY AND ONE DESERVING OF
STRONG AND CONSISTENT SUPPORT.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES, HOWEVER, WHEN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS,
FOR WHATEVER FINANCIAL OR PHILOSOPHICAL REASONS, HAVE NOT
GIVEN MEDICAL RESEARCH IN FACT THE ARTS AND SCIENCES IN
ALL THEIR EXPRESSIONS WHAT MANY WOULD CONSIDER TO BE THEIR
PROPER ENTITLEMENT FROM THE COMMONWEALTH BUDGET.
I BELIEVE MY GOVERNMENT CANNOT BE CHARGED WITH SUCH A SIN OF
OMISSION. IN 1983, WHEN THIS GOVERNMENT TOOK OFFICE, THE ALLOCATION TO
THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STOOD AT
JUST BELOW $ 30 MILLION. IN SUCCESSIVE BUDGETS WE HAVE
INCREASED THIS TOTAL BY 72% TO JUST OVER $ 50 MILLION IN THE
1985/ 86 BUDGET.
TRULY A REMARKABLE DEMONSTRATION OF OUR GENUINE COMMITMENT
TO MEDICAL RESEARCH AT A TIME OF ACUTE BUDGETARY PRESSURE ON
THE GOVERNMENT.
FROM THESE FUNDS, OF COURSE, COME THE COMMONWEALTH GRA' 4TS
WHICH, IN TOTAL, AMOUNT TO 50% OF THE RECURRENT FUNDS
REQUIRED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR ITS FUNCTIONING.
4
ON THAT NOTE IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO ANNOUNCE THAT, FOR
1986, THE GOVERNMENT, ON THE ADVICE OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH
AND MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, HAS INCREASED THE ALLOCATION
TO THE HALL INSTITUTE TO $ 5,040,498. THIS TOTAL INCLUDES A
SPECIAL GRANT, FOR 1986 ONLY, OF $ 150,000 FOR THE PURCHASE
OF EQUIPMENT.
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT IS GRATIFIED AT THE WAY IT HAS BEEN
ABLE TO INCREASE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH IN
AUSTRALIA, IT KNOWS THAT ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY WOULD VOTE IN
FAVOUR OF MORE FINANCIAL RESOURCES BEING PROVIDED FOR THIS
IMPORTANT PURPOSE: AND, IN PARTICULAR, FOR THE COMMONWEALTH
TO CONTRIBUTE EVEN MORE FUNDS.
ONE FEATURE OF SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA
PERHAPS AN UNFORTUNATE FEATURE IS THAT IT IS FAR MORE
RELIANT ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING THAN IS RESEARCH IN THOSE
COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE ARE MORE CLOSELY RELATED AND
EQUATED. AND I SAY THIS WHILE RECOGNISING THAT MANY
AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES, INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATIONS HAVE
ASSISTED GENEROUSLY THE CAUSE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH.
NEVERTHELESS, THIS IS CLEARLY ONE ASPECT WHICH REQUIRES
CAREFUL CONSIDERATION BY ALL ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL
RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA.
HOWEVER, AS WELL AS INCREASING FUNDING FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH,
THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN IMPORTANT INITIATIVES WHICH, BACKED
BY THE EFFECTIVE LOBBY OF THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COMMUNITY,
SHOULD GIVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSUME A
LARGER ROLE AS A PARTNER IN RESEARCH FUNDING.
AS FROM THE FIRST OF JULY THIS YEAR, COMPANIES SPENDING
MONEY ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA ARE ELIGIBLE
FOR A 150% TAX DEDUCTION. INDIVIDUAL DEDUCTIONS ARE
AVAILABLE UNDER THE EXISTING TAXATION ACT FOR GIFTS TO
PUBLIC AUTHORITIES ENGAGED IN RESEARCH. THE NATIONAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME-RESEARCH GRANTS SCHEME GIVES
PREFERENCE TO RESEARCH PROPOSALS WHICH INVOLVE DIRECT
COLLABORATION WITH AUSTRALIAN-BASED INDUSTRY.
THESE MEASURES ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE A FILLIP TO
NON-GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OF MEDICAL RESEARCH AS A SIGNIFICANT
COMPONENT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA, AND, I HOPE,
SOME NEW TARGETS AS YOU CAMPAIGN FOR INCREASED FUNDING OF
MEDICAL RESEARCH.
I UNDERSTAND, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THE BANKING SECTOR SUPPORTS
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
WITH RISK CAPITAL. I WOULD EXHORT THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY IN
GENERAL TO DIRECT THEIR EFFORTS TOWARDS CONVINCING NATIONAL
BANKS AS WELL AS THOSE INTERNATIONAL, BANKS WHICH HAVE
ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES IN AUSTRALIA, AS A RESULT OF MY
GOVERNMENT'S DE-REGULATION OF THE BANKING SYSTEM TO
CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH.
THAT, OF COURSE, IS A MATTER FOR THE FUTURE. AND THE FUTURE
IS WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TODAY. WHILE JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF ITS
PAST, AND ITS PRESENT, THE WALTER AND ELIZA HALL INSTITUTE
OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IS, LIKE THE GOVERNMENT, EQUALLY
CONCERNED FOR THE FUTURE. THIS MAGNIFICANT NEW BUILDING
WILL PHYSICALLY EQUIP THE INSTITUTE TO CHART OUT ITS COURSE
IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
THE OPENING OF THIS NEW BUILDING FOR THE WALTER AND ELIZA
HALL INSTITUTE REFLECTS A CLIMATE OF PROGRESS AND EXPANSION
AND, I AM CONFIDENT, MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR A
RECOGNISED LEADER IN THE INTERNATIONAL FRATERNITY OF MEDICAL
RESEARCH. AFTER YOUR PREMIER, JOHN CAIN, HAS SPOKEN I SHALL HAVE
PLEASURE IN JOINING HIM IN OFFICIALLY DECLARING OPEN
THE NEW WALTER AND ELIZA HALL INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL
RESEARCH.