PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
OPENING OF THE ' ANCIENT MACEDONIA' EXHIBITION
MELBOURNE 24 NOVEMBER 1988
Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am delighted to welcome to Australia during our
Bicentennial year the exhibition ' Ancient Macedonia,.
The ancient civilisation of Macedonia has bequeathed to the
world a magnificent store of artifacts some of them royal
works of art; some of them humble objects of daily life; all
of them items-of ancient and endurin . g beauty.
It is a remarkable fact that those skilled artisans of
Macedonia, who expressed their view of the world through
their art, did so with such eloquence that we can admire and
appreciate their work today more than twenty centuries
later.
This exhibition provides a clear window into the Macedonian
civilisation a civilisation which, as this exhibition
makes clear, valued the freedom of the human spirit and
emphasised the qualities of restraint, balance and serenity.
These truly are the qualities which describe a civilisation
as classical. Classicism is important not only for the
values and ideas it then espoused, but also for the spirit
which it bequeathed to us and which it coentinues to evoke in
us today.
The exhibition includes object s from the royal tombs of
Vergina, among them the priceless golden myrtle wreath from
the tomb of King Philip II. This is one of the finest
treasures from that high point of. Macedonian culture.
The discoveries at Vergina and Derveni in 1977 created world
wide attention, but this exhibition includes objects from
some forty sites evidence of the richness of the culture
which flourished in ancient Macedonia. I am proud to recall
that Australian archaeologists assisted with excavations at
a number of these sites. Th vat th
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There are nearly 500 objects on display, and they include a huge
variety of objects. It is one of the charms of this exhibition
that domestic objects such as bane pins-and clay spindles sit
beside royal treasures such as silver vessels and golden wreaths
of the finest and most sophisticated craftsmanship.
Some of these items have been discovered only in the past year.
It is an honour that Australia is the first country outside
Greece to have the opportunity to see them. others, like the
myrtle wreath, are so prized that they will never leave Greece
again. I thank you, M. r President, on behalf of all Australians, for the
privilege of seeing this magnificent exhibition in Australia.
Your generosity in sending us the largest exhibition of
Macedonian antiquities ever to leave Greece truly reflects the
warmth of the friendship between our peoples.
Australia's cultural heritage is rich and diverse. Australia is
a proudly multicultural nation, enriched by the work of people
who have come from more than 130 countries to make Australia
their new home. Among them, Greek-Australians have made an
outstanding contribution to Australian society in many fields.
Through the Greek-Australian community, Australia is linked to
the great classical civilisations represented by ' Ancient
Macedonia'. And through the sister city relations6hij between Melbourne and
Thessaloniki our people continue to value this historic and
continuing cultural link.
The spirit of ancient Macedonia is reki ndled by this exhibition
for it reminds us of the great heritage we share; a heritage
which now belongs to the world.
I would like to think that those great Kings, Philip and his son
Alexander the Great, would approve'of this exhibition because it
celebrates their culture in yet another nation. The exhibition
will provide many thousands of Australians with a chance to
experience that culture and will, I have no doubt, leave them
greatly enriched.
I thank all who have helped to bring this exhibition-to fruition
the Government of Greece, especially the Directorate of
Antiquities in the ministry of Culture; the Australian
Bicentennial Authority which has helped to fund the exhibition;
sponsors OTC, Olympic Airways and Australian Airlines; the
International Cultural Corporation of Australia; and not least
the Director of this Museum, Mr Bob Edwards, and his staff who
have put this very large and complex exhibition together in just
a few short weeks surely something of a record.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
it is now my pleasure to invite President Sartzetakis to declare
open this exhibition. 3763