PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
SPEECH AT CORRIDOR OF OAKS TREE PLANTING, JACKSON PARK
AUGUST 1995
E& OE PROOF COPY
It is a great occasion for me it may be that one's Prime Ministership is
confirmed when one plants a tree here. At any rate, we will have a tree. And
I am glad that I have had the opportunity to plant it. It's always been
that... . there are places in Australia which are quite important to the
Federation, to the nation, and also the Labor Party. And Maggie ( Deahm)
has mentioned the fact that Macquarie was an electorate which, of course,
was the home of a former Labor Prime Minister in Ben Chifley, and as well as
that, Tony Luchetti when I first went to Federal parliament, had been the
Member for Macquarie for the better part of a quarter of a century. So there
are very great Labor traditions here in the Blue Mountains, and interestingly,
we have this connection with Henry Parkes. And it was the case, of course,
in the 19th century, most people of his standing in public life had a house in
the country. And his house in the country, of course, was at Faulconbridge.
And happily, it has been preserved. And he was one of the principal people
involved in the Federation of our nation. And the notion occurred to him as it
did to many others, that there was no point in us being simply colonies, but
rather that we should federate and become a nation. And this happened, of
course, on the first of January, 1901. And he played a very proud role in it.
And Faulconbridge has kept that connection with the birth of the Federation.
And here we are now, just a hundred years later, trying to close the circle and
see us establish an Australian republic with an Australian person as our
Head of State. It shouldn't have taken one hundred years, but better late
than never.
Now, I think that in these years, when we think back upon it, that great period
of Australian nationalism was in the 1890s it was one hundred years ago.
Where we saw the big maritime strikes, one of the worst droughts, one of the
worst depressions recessions but we saw the birth of Australian
nationalism, we saw the birth of the Labor Party and that sense of the nation,
of course, we saw the Federation in 1901, and that nationalism went through
until it was snuffed out in 1914 by the First World War. And we are seeing in Q
a sense that regenerate in the 1 990s, where we have seen some of the same
characteristics: the early 1990s, the recession, the drought, but again, I think
a new sense by Australians in who we are and what we have become what
we have made for ourselves as a nation, and now, how we have come to
celebrate what we have created here in Australia. And we know that our
aspirations as Australians that the sentiments we feel and the instincts we
have will be completely represented when we represent ourself to the world,
as ourselves. And that we can't go on one hundred years later borrowing the
monarchy of another country and say here we are, making our way in Asia,
with this great opportunity, this ancient continent bequeathed to us, where
just two hundred years ago there were no people of European descent,
where this continent in a sense was saved by the Aboriginal community and
kept in trust for the rest of us. And having been kept in trust, and again
having that opportunity to go now as part of the community in Asia and say
" oh, just by the way, the Head of State of Australia is the Queen of Great
Britain". Now, it has served us, and in some parts of our history it has served
us well. But now, of course, we must make the break to do proud, to do
justice to all of the instincts which Henry Parkes had, and all of those people
interested in the Federation of the nation we now have to make that change,
and make it to an Australian republic.
And let me tell you this the moment it happens ( interrupted by train
passing) lI was going to say this that as we make this change, we will feel
good about ourselves. You know, once people understand that there is an
Australian person who represents the nation, and who is the embodiment of
the nation, it will make us feel stronger, and it will make us feel better about
ourselves it will make it more clear to us who we are and what we are, and
who we have become. So, today, I plant this tree not simply to do as other
Prime Ministers have done, but to celebrate the spirit of nationalism of a
century ago. To celebrate the fact that Henry Parkes his way up here from
Sydney, weekends and from time to time, while having in his heart and mind
the notion that we were better and deserved to be better than a collection
of disparate colonies. That we were a people and that we were a nation then,
as we certainly are today. That's why I am very pleased to be here.
I do have this collection of Henry's letters, and they are quite an interesting
lot of letters they are letters between Henry and his financier. He used to
lend him money from time to time, and a few other personal things as well.
So, all it proves is nothing changes nothing ever changes. So, can I say
also how pleased I am to be in the Blue Mountains, and particularly with
Maggie Deahm. I see her sitting next to Bob Debus part of a Labor
Government. The thing I say about the Labor Party is that it has always had
belief in Australia, and belief in Australians.
We have always seen the better instinct in. people there has always been
two categories of Australians, as Manning Clarke has always said: the
enlargers, and the punishers and straiteners. The people who have believed
in something bigger and better, who have faith in Australians, and belief in
them, that knew they could always do something more, and the people that
said " know your place, keep your eyes down, stay at your last that is our
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place in life", the straiteners. And it has always been about this. And the
enlargers have always had to pull Australia along, whether it has been into
Federation, or whether it has been into engagement with the rest of the world,
or whether it is to the republic, the enlargers whoever they might be have
always been about pulling the country progressively to the next stage. And I
was saying the other day John Olsen, the great Australian artist, at a
presentation about a year ago in Canberra, said " there are only two kinds of
Australians lovers and others, and we know what to think of the others, don't
Well, anyway, I am here on behalf of the lovers, of the enlargers, of
the people who believe in a bigger Australia. Who have faith in themselves,
have faith in these young people, in the children, who always see something
better. So, that's why I am planting the tree not simply to be part of a series,
but to be part of something new, and be part of something better. Thank you.
ends.