2
SPEECH NOTES FOR THE PRIME MINISTER AT THE OPENING OF
MURWILLUMBAH CIVIC A ND CULTURAL CENTRE, 29 AUGUST, 1975,
1. IT GIVES ME VERY GREAT PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU
TODAY FOR THE OPENING OF THIS MAGNIFICENT CIVIC AND CULTURAL*
CENTRE FOR MURWILLUMBAH. IT'S MY SECOND VISIT To DOUG'. ANTHONY'S
ELECTORATE IN TWO MONTHS, SO YOU COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR
THINKING THERE'IS A NEW COALITION IN THE OFFING. WE ARE
CERTAINLY UNITED IN OUR CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE AND PROGRESS
OF COUNTRY REGIONS LIKE THIS NORTHERN RIVERS AREA OF
NEW SOUTH WALES.
2. WHEN I WAS IN LiSMORE EARLY IN JUNE FOR THE
OPENING OF OZANAM VILLA HOSTEL FOR THE AGED, DOUG ANTHONY
TOLD ME THAT THIS CENTRE IN MURWILLUMBAH WAS CLOSE TO
COMPLETION AND THAT I REALLY SHOULD ACCEPT ANY INVITATION
TO COME AND SEE IT FOR MYSELF. IAM DELIGHTED TO OBSERVE
THAT THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR RICHMOND DIDN'T
EXAGGERATE ITS VIRTUES.
0
21
3. MIND YOU1 I HAVE A SNEAKING SUSPICION THAT HE
WANTED ME TO NOTE THE PROGRESS WHICH HAD BEEN MADE AND THE
SPENDID RESULTS ACHIEVED BY THE TWEED SHIRE COUNCIL IN
SUCH A SHORT TIMES BELIEVE THAT THE ARCHITECT WAS APPOINTED
IN' 1973 AND TODAY WE HAVE THIS SUPERB COMPLEX SO ATTUNED
TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY OF MURWILLUMBAH AND SO
COMPLEMENTARY TO THE TWEED HEADS CIVIC AND CULTURAL CENTRE
OPENED A FEW MONTHS AGO,
4. THE DEBATE -NON-PARTY, OF COURSE -ON A NEW AND
PERMANENT PARLIAMENT HOUSE IN CANBERRA HAS TAKEN MUCH LONGER.
MANY A FEDERAL PARLIAMENTARIAN WOULD HAVE TO SMILE WANLY
ON READING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY LOCAL COUNCILLORS
BEFORE THIS NEW EDIFICE CAME INTO BEING:
" THE LARGEST SINGLE ENTERPRISE-IN THE SHIRE AND
THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER OF LABOUR, NAMELY THE SHIRE COUNCIL,
HAS CONDUCTED ITS BUSINESS IN A CHAMBER THAT IS NOISY AND
ALMOST DEVOID OF COMFORT FOR THOSE WHO MAKE DECISIONS
INVOLVING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR, AND WHICH AFFECT
EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD IN THE DISTRICTS MOREOVER THE
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, WHICH HAS INCREASED IN NUMBERS TCf
MEET THE COMPLEXITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN A DEVELOPMENT
AREA, HAS BEEN WORKING UNDER CONDITIONS WHICH MITIGATED AGAINST
A HIGH STANDARD OF SERVICE," s''/ 3
I THINK YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR A LARGE INFLUX FROM
CANBERRA AS NEWS OF THIS CENTRE GETS AROUND,
BUT THE BEAUTY OF THIS CENTRE LIES NOT ONLY IN
THE ELEGANCE OF THE FORMAL MEETING ROOMS AND THE EXCELLENCE
OF THE FACILITIES PROVIDED FOR ELECTED COUNCILLORS AND
COUNCIL OFFICERS IN DEALING WITH THEIR BUSINESS OF SERVING
THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO IN THE BREADTH OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
ENVISAGED IN THE TOTAL CONCEPT OF THE CENTRE.
LIKE THE IPSWICH CIVIC CENTRE WHICH I HAD THE
PLEASURE OF OPENING LAST MONTH, THIS CENTRE INCORPORATES A
SPENDID AUDITORIUM SUITABLE FOR ALL KINDS OF MUSICAL OR
THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITIONS, AND IS ABLE TO
DOUBLE AS A VENUE SUITABLE FOR BALLS, CABARETS, SCHOOL
DANCES AND THE LIKE, IN OTHER WORDS, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
WILL BE SERVED BY THIS CENTRE, THE LIFE OF THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY, FROM SCHOOL CHILDREN TO ELDERLY CITIZENS, WILL
BE IMPROVED THROUGH ACCESS TO THIS CENTRE.
6. IT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR THE INITIATIVE OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT BODIES THAT SO MANY OF THEM HAVE SEEN THE NEED
TO CATER FOR CULTURAL PURSUITS WHEN PLANNING NEW CIVIC
BUILDINGS.
SINCE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS THE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT
CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE, IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT THIS CULTURAL
INITIATIVE SHOULD STEM FROM THIS GRASS ROOTS LEVEL.
I CONGRATULATE PAST AND PRESENT COUNCILLORS AND
THEIR ADVISERS ON THEIR VISION AND PERSISTENCE IN GETTING
THIS PROJECT OFF THE GROUND. GENERATIONS OF MURWILLUMBAH
RESIDENTS, NOT TO MENTION VISITORS, WILL HAVE CAUSE TO BE
GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEVELOPING
THEIR OWN TALENTS AND TO APPRECIATE THE TALENT OF OTHERS.
7, I FEEL SURE THAT THE AUSTRALIA' COUNCIL, WHICH
ADMINISTERS THE ARTS PROGRAMS OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT,
WILL DO WHAT IT CAN TO HELP DEVELOP STANDARDS AND NURTURE
TALENT IN THIS AREA. ALREADY A SUBSTANTIAL GRANT HAS BEEN
MADE TO THE ART CENTRE IN MURWILLUMBAH FOR DEVELOPING
PROGRAMS INVOLVING BOTH YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS IN THE
ARTS, WITH EMPHASIS ON SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES IN LITERATURE,
FILM AND DRAMA, AS WELL AS A SMALL ORCHESTRAL ENSEMBLE.
ANOTHER GRANT WILL ENABLE THE CURIOUSLY TITLED YELLOW BRICK
ROADSHOW TO TOUR THE NORTHERN RIVERS AREA, SO YOU CAN SEE
THAT ALL TASTES ARE CATERED FOR. S,
8, IN THE END, HOWEVER, THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE
ELEMENT OF THIS NEW CENTRE MAY PROVE TO BE THE NEW
REGIONAL LIBRARY, WHOSE ESTABLISHMENT WILL FILL AN
IMMENSE GAP IN THE CULTURAL LIFE OF MURWILLUMBAH FOR
YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE,
IT IS SOBERING TO REALISE THAT BEFORE THIS,
MURWILLUMBAH NEVER HAD THE BENEFIT AND STIMULUS OF A
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT AS SEAT OF
GOVERNMENT FOR THE TWEED SHIRE, IT WAS THE CENTRE OF THE
MOST DENSELY POPULATED RURAL SHIRE IN AUSTRALIA, WHAT A
SAD REFLECTION ON THE INEQUALITIES BETWEEN REGIONS WHICH
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO SEE RECTIFIED,
I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT IN THIS, AS IN SO MANY
OTHER QUALITY OF LIFE AREAS, THERE IS A BELATED RECOGNITION
OF THE INJUSTICE INHERENT IN THOSE PREVIOUSLY ACCEPTED
INEQUALITIES, ONLY LAST WEEKEND I OPENED THE BIENNIAL
CONFERENCE OF THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA, WHICH
WAS BEING HELD IN MELBOURNE, AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL
OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW LIBRARY SERVICES COULD BE BEST
UTILISED IN RURAL AREAS IN ORDER TO REDRESS THIS OBVIOU.' J
INJUSTICE, / 6
L
-6-
As I SAID IN MY SPEECH TO THAT CONFERENCE,
" CERTAINLY THE TASK OF PROVIDING EFFICIENT PUBLIC LIBRARY
SERVICES IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT IN THINLY POPULATED
RURAL AREAS THAN IT IS IN COMPACT CENTRES OF POPULATION
IN CITIES AND TOWNS, BUT THERE IS NO REASON WHY THE
CITIZENS OF MELBOURNE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO BETTER
LIBRARY SERVICES GREATER FREEDOM OF INFORMATION THAN
THE CITIZENS OF ECHUCA OR GEELONG." I COULD AS EASILY
HAVE SAID SYDNEY AND ORANGE OR MURWILLUMBAHI
1 WENT ON TO SAY THAT THERE IS A LONG TERM NEED
TO CO-ORDINATE AND RATIONALISE ALL LIBRARY SERVICES: AND
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE. THE RICHMOND TWEED
REGIONAL LIBRARY WAS FORMED IN 197' 4 BY THE TWEED SHIRE
COMBINING WITH LISMORE CITY AND BALLINA MUNICIPAL COUNCILS,
THUS ENSURING THE CIRCULATION OF BOOKS BETWEEN LIBRARIES
AT LiSMORE, BALLINA, TWEED HEADS, AND NOW MURWILLUMBAH.
AND THAT HAS THE EFFECT OF VASTLY INCREASING YOUR INITIAL
BOOK STOCK OF 8,000 VOLUMES TO BETTER SERVE ALL YOUR
BORROWERS. IMPROVED SCHOOL LIBRARY SERVICES IN THE SHIRE
WILL BE A FURTHER ADJUNCT TO THIS EXCITING DEVELOPMENT.,
11. FINALLY I PAY TRIBUTE TO EVERYONE ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS PROJECT, FROM THE TWEED SHIRE COUNCILLORS AND
EMPLOYEES THROUGH TO THE ARCHITECT AND BUILDERS AND SUPPLIERS
AND EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD A HAND IN THE PREPARATIONS FOR
TODAY'IS OFFICIAL OPENING. IPAY PARTICULAR TRIBUTE TO THE
CRAFTSMEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXQUISITE TIMBER PANELLING
AND COPPER INLAYS THAT ARE SUCH AN ATTRACTIVE FEATURE OF THE
COUNCIL CHAMBER ITSELF. at17
-7-
IMUST SAY THAT WHEN JOHN GORTON ONCE ACCUSED
ME OF SOUNDING LIKE A SHIRE PRESIDENT, THERE WERE THOSE WHO
CHOSE TO CONSIDER IT AN INSULT. I CONSIDE-RED IT A
COMPLIMENT AT THE TIME. AND I WOULD FIND IT A PRIVILEGE
INDEED TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE TWEED SHIRE COUNCIL ON A
DAY LIKE TODAY WITH THIS MAGNIFICENT PROJECT A REALI. TY.
I HAVE VERY MUCH PLEASURE IN DECLARING OPEN
THE MURWILLUMBAH CIVIC AND CULTURAL CENTRE. TO BORROW
YOUR OWN WORDS " MAY IT SERVE THE CITIZENS OF THE TWEED
SHIRE UNTIL WELL INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. MAY IT ENCOURAGE
THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN CULTURAL PURSUITS AND ADD TO THEIR
ENJOYMENT OF LIFE. cI I'
CIL, I
A l Q
4