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EMBARGO: 5.00 pm
FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 1981
ELECTORATE TALK
Earlier this year I made a joint statement with the Victorian
Premier announcing that the Commonwealth would make a gift
of $ 5 million to Victoria to mark the 150th anniversary of
the arrival of the Hentys at Portland, and the settlement
of Melbourne one year later.
Since the time of that announcement, discussions about how
the money should be spent have been held yith the Victorian
Government which in turn received advice from the Citizens'
Council of Victoria's 150th Anniversary Celebrations, under
the chairmanship of Sir John Holland. It has now been
decided that the $ 5 million will be spread between three
projects. These projects cover a wide range of interests,
and each one will be identified as an anniversary project,
funded by the Commonwealth Government as part of its contributicn
to the celebrations by the people of Victoria.
One of the projects is the development of the second stage of
the West Gate Park. This park is part of an overall plan for
the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers. It will provide unique
parkland and leisure facilities, especially for the people who
live in the western suburbs of Melbourne, and there will be
special provision for the disabled. Work on stage one is
currently under way, and stage two is especially timely as it
will lend itself to further development for Australia's 1988
bicentennial celebrations.
The second project is the development of a Gallery of Sport
along similar lines to the famous centre in Los Angeles.
This project follows up the outstanding success of the
Cricket Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Club which hasattracted
thousands of people since its establishment in
1969. The Gallery of Sport should attract many more people
and it will be a major tourist attraction. The Gallery of
Sport will be a museum and education centre for all sports,
and it will-incorporate the cricket museum. it Will be
attached to the it will be accessible to the public,
and it will also be clearly identified as a 150th anniversary
project. Since sport is so much a part of the Australian way
of life, this particular project is highly suitable * to these
150th anniversary celebrations.
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The third project relates to a proposal by the Royal
Agricultural Society of Victoria to establish an Agricultural
Historical and Educational centre at the showgrounds. Final
plans for this venture, which would display a range of
agricultural activities in a historidal and technological
context, will depend on the results of a detailed feasibility
study. The Commonwealth Government believes that these three projects
which are relevant to the concerns of the city and country
people, ~ and which incorporate a special sporting dimension
as well, gather together some of the major strands of the
history and character of Victoria. I look forward to the
completion of these projects as a forerunner to a successful
celebration of Victoria's 150th anniversary in 1984-85, and
I am delighted to announce these details of the Commonwealth's
involvement.