PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH, ST. JOSEPH'S SCHOOL, MOOREBANK, N. S. W.
13.4.1975 It's true that the parish priest revealed that I was looking up
the article on Thomas Moore, not the one that is usually referred
to in this circle, not the saint but the land-owner. He was a
very good citizen. In 1810 he was declared a magistrate for
Liverpool, and he accompanied Macquarie when Macquarie later in
December 1810 surveyed the whole of this area and declared
Liverpool one of the original Macquarie towns.
So in Australian terms, the terms of settlement, European
settlement in Australia, Liverpool and Moorebank, are significant
indeed. But while I must concede, and of course I am a separated
brother too, it might be embarrassing to refer to the fact that
Thomas Moore, the Australian one, had left his property to the
Church of England, and had thus endowed Moore Theological College,
and I must confess that some of the priests who come from there,
are just as tough on me as some of those who come from the
Catholic Centre.
But I did notice, this is why I brought it here, he did in this
district, contribute toward ' s the building of a two-storey church
school and a court house opened in 1813, a Catholic Chapel in
1821 and a Presbyterian Church in 1826, a very early but significant
ecumenical attitude. But how this district has grown. I've
represented it now for well over 20, years and one of the great
joys one has is coming to the opening of new buildings and it's
now possible to an extent that one would never have dreamed when
I first became the Member to get a good education, to have the
whole range of recreation, occupation, education close at hand
in areas like this.
This is a very beautiful use of this site. A high site, an% from
here, one can look over the buildings which are over a century and
a half old, and yet one can be quite close to some occupations
which are as old as that and others which are quite new. We are
living in an area and the children who come to this school will be.
living in an area which is old, but which is perennially new.
And I think they're very fortunate to live in an area * which is
still being developed with a good regard to the environment,
preserving the old and making the new fit in with it.
I notice on the program, and immensely flattering, that I am to
declare the school open. I think we've been beaten to it a bit.
I think the children have been using it to very good purpose for
some time. But nevertheless, I can't help saying that there have
been times in my career and not going back twenty years or so ago
when it would have been utterly unthinkable for a person of my
politics to be asked to declare open a Catholic School, and I
hope you'll forgive me for saying that TI think now by our deeds
you can judge us.
You can see that a very great numaber of the things which were
said about us were not factual as well as not being particularly
charitable, and it is true enough as Father Duncan said that
there is inflation and so oni but quite apart from inflation,
the amount of money which is being spent on education is
incomparably greater than would be required by any compulsion
of population or migration.
Three years ago, the amrount of money being spent by the Federal
Governmrent on Catholic education throughout Australia was barely
million. This year it is three and a half times as much.
It is over'$ 100 million. Now that is certainly very much more
than would be required by an increase in enrollment or an
increase in inflation during that period, and the principle that
we have adhered to throughout is that it should be possible for
children wherever they live, whatever their parents' means,
whatever their parents' beliefs, whatever their parents' occupatign,
it should be possible for their children to have as good an
education as this country can provide.
And the basis upon which we make that provision is perfectly open.
It's under an Act of Parliament. It is administered by a
Commission, whose membership is appointed by the government of
the day. I've never heard any criticism of the people, the men
and women, both lay and religious who have been appointed to
that Commission. It is a very diligent Commission. It's had
a very serious job to do, and we are shortly to receive the
recommendations that it makes for the school-years 1976 and 1977,
but the ones that it made for 1974 and 1975 have, I believe,
transformed education in Australia, and I would be able to say
that if I went to any State school, if I went to any Catholic
school, or if. I went to any non-government, non-Catholic school.
The fact is we are wanting to see the children, irrespective any of
their faith or means are able to get a good education where they
live. If they're isolated and can't have it where they live, then
there is assistance for them to have it as boarders where the
proper form of education will be available for them. There are
a very great number of other programs, disadvantaged schools,
handicapped children, migrant children, children who don't speak
English at home, where additional special assistance is being made.
Ladies and Gentlemen, three years ago, if I'd come along and said
that there would have been a very great number of doubting Thomases
among you, and -what I-. said would have been received with scepticism
if not disbelief, and it is a very great pleasure on this occasion,
after seeing what has been done, what we've put through the
Parliament, not without difficulty, not without a very great deal
of criticism of " Where's the money coming from, doesn't Government
expenditure produce inflation?", all this sort. of argument.
We'll have it still more when the next recommendations come in
this year's budget, from the Schools Commission for the school
years 1976 and 1977. I think I can say with complete conviction,
we will not be deterred from government expenditure on things
such as education.
The very best investment that a country can have is in the rising
generation, and having represented areas like this for a long
time, I'm determined to see that areas like this which didn't
have all the schools or as good schools as were needed in the
government or Catholic sectors that they will get as good as any
other areas.
But I can say that at any school. I can say that at any area.
The pattern is open. It is unremitting. It gives me very great
pleasure indeed to see that the young children of this area, this
historic area, this still beautiful area will be able to come to
a good useful, yquthful school. A good staff, good equipment, gqod
grounds, good building. But always I trust getting better. It is
a very great pleasure to have been asked here and it is an immense
compliment to have been asked to declare St. Joseph's Primary
School, Moorebank, officially open. I do so with the greatest
pleasure, and I am sure that all the staff and the parents will
be proud of this school and the children will have a very much
more useful life as a result of going to such a good school.