PM Transcripts

Jj, AUSrQA* LIA-i
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 10 Iarch 1987.
JOINT PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE MINISTER FOR
SCIENCE> I BARRY JONES,
The Government is delighted to announce a $ 750,000 five-year
sponsorship by Shell Australia Limited for the travelling
component of the National Science and Technology Centre.
The Prime Hinister received a cheque for the firot instalment of
the sponsorship from the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Shell Australia, Mr Kevan Gosper, in Canberra today.
The sponsorship will be used to establish a permanent travelling
science exhibition, to be known as the Shell Quoctacon Science
Circus. A1 prototype of the travelling exhibition, sponsored by
Shell, has already visited a number of State capitals and
provincial centres.
Shell is to be commended for its foresight in sponsoring the
travelling exhibition, which will go on the road frorm January
1988. Tho permanent National Scienco and Technology Centre in
Canberra uill open during the second half of 1988.
The Governomnt's central task over the last four years has been
restructuring the Australian economy.
This requires in part the development of knowledge-based
industries, which will in turn require a greater proportion of
Australian youth to undertake higher education, particularly in
the science and technology fields.
The National Science and Technology Centre must play a role in
raising scientific literacy across all age groups in the
community.
We congratulate and thank Shell for its continued support of this
important national projectø
The Science Circus will give all Australians that opportunity by
bringing science to them and demonstrating that science and
technology are not esoteric subjects of interest only to
white-coated people in laboratories.