C. PRIME MINISTER
MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS'
CENTENARY OF FEDERATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Government has finalised today the membership of the Centenary of Federation
Advisory Comnmittee.
The Council of Australian Governments ( COAG) agreed last year to establish a
broadly based National Advisory Committee to advise it on goals and strategies for the
centenary of federation in 2001.
COAG decided that the Committee should comprise representatives of each State and
Territory, a Commonwealth appointed Chairperson and such further persons,
appointed by the Commonwealth, as might be needed to ensure that the Committee as
a whole was broadly representative of the community.
The Committee will be chaired by the Hon Joan Kirner, AM and will have as members
the following:
Commonwealth appointments
Mr Phillip Adams, AO broadcaster and Chairman, National Australia Day
Council Ms Robyn Archer actor and writer
Ms Marilyn Beaumont Federal Secretary, Australian Nursing Federation
Ms Michelle Grattan Editor, Canberra Times
Ms Marcia Langton anthropologist
Ms Helen Patsikatheodorou child-care and community worker
Ms Lesley Podesta management consultant
Ms Dana Wortley education consultant and education editor, the Adelaide
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State and Territory appointments
The Hon Sir Max Bingham, QC ( Tasmania)
The Hon Jennifer Cashmore, MI-A ( South Australia)
The Hon Mr Justice Sir James Gobbo, AC ( Victoria)
The Hon Bill Hassell ( Western Australia)
Mr Robert Maher ( New South Wales)
* The Hon Jim Robertson ( Northern Territory)
Associate Professor Marian Sawer, AO ( Australian Capital Territory)
Mr David Williams ( Queensland)
Under the terms of reference agreed by COAG the Committee will provide an options
paper for consideration by COAG setting out possible goals and strategies for
centenary-related activities in the years leading up to, and including, the centenary.
The Commnittee has been asked to draw on the views of the community through wide
ranging consultations. The paper is to be completed by July 1994.
The Committee is to take as an over-riding objective the building of a better sense of
national identity and purpose among Australians and is to give emphasis to activities
that will have enduring and worthwhile results that go beyond simply marking the
occurrence of the centenary.
The commemoration of the centenary of federation, and the events leading up to it, is
an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the achievements of the first hundred
years of federation and to reflect on the challenges facing our nation as we approach
the 2 1st century. I hope the entire community will participate whole-heartedly in it.
A Secretariat for the Committee is being provided by my Department. The Secretary
is Mr Gavin Fry and the Secretariat can be contacted on ( 06) 271 5128.
CANBERRA 24 February 1994
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