SPLECFKQIEIS_ Ehj2 l_ F i: Ii', 1STEi
LAULICA~ ULNIGQ EOILFL QIUHIL JIIEALXUMI LA LIALLAN[ U L"
IT IS WITH PARTICULAR PLEASURE THAT I ACCEPTED
THE INVITATION TO LAUNCH THE " GREAT AUSTRALIAN ANNUAL
Too RARELY WE GET OPPORTUNITIES TO REFLECT ON
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE LIVING IN AUSTRALIA AT THIS TIME IN
. OUR HISTORY. EACH OF US WILL HAVE hIS OWN VIEW MOLDED
BY THE PARTICULAR QUALITY OF HIS OR HER OWN EXPERIENCE.
BUT WE ALL SHARE AN INTEREST INl ARE PART OF, AND HAVE
CONTRIBUTED TO WHAT THIS BOOK TRIES TO CAPTURE NAMELY
THE SPIRIT OF CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIA,
THE WORD ' GREATIS QUITE APTLY APPLIED TO THE
ANNUAls, IT IS STRIKING IN ITS PRESENTATION, IT MIRRORS
FAITHFULLY THE RICHNESS AND DIVERSITY OF AUSTRALIAN LIFE,
IT ALSO CAPTURES THE EXHILARATION OF OUR SUCCESSES AND THE
DEPTH OF OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO DISASTER.
THIS BOOK OFFERS FASCINATING COVERAGE OF THE RICH AND
THE POW'ERFUL, SIDE BY SIDE WITH A COMPASSIONATE SURVEY
OF THES UNDERPRIVILEGED AUSTRALIA'S LOSERS.
THIS IS MORE THA . N A BOOK IT IS AN EXPERIENCE.
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ANNUAL IS A [ RECORD OF THE AUSTRALIAN
EXPERIENCE THE 1983 EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA
AT THIS TIME IN OUR HISTORY,
HERE WE DO NOT MERELY HAVE A CONVENTIONAL COFFEE-TABLE
BOOK. NOR IS IT AN ASSEMBLY OF E\ VENTS THAT OCCURRED
IN A CERTAIN YEAR. NOR IS IT AN ANTHOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY
WRITING ABOUT AUSTRALIA. A I MlS
THE ANNUAL I BELIEVE SUCCESSFULLY -/ TO EXPLORE THE
CONDITION OF THE NATION ANiD THE ATTITUDES OF ITS
PEOPLE FROM THE SUBURBANITES OF HIBISCUS AVENUE IN
KARINGAL, VICTORIA, TO THE BOUNDARY RIDERS WHO
PATROL. THE DINGO FENCE.
READING THROUGH THE ANNUAL I W1AS STRUCK BY THE CLARITY
WITH WHICH IT REVEALS THE CONTINUING STATE OF TENSION
WHICH EXISTS BETWEEN AUSTRALIANS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT. s / 3
WHATEVER ELSE 1983 REVEALED ABOUT US AS WE PLAYED OUT OUR
PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE DRAMAS, IT CERTAINLY DEMONSTRATED
THE FRAGILITY OF ANY ASPIRATIONS WE HAVE TO MASTER NATURE,
1983 WAS A YEAR WHEN NATURE, IN FAIRLY BRUTAL TER~ MS,
SHOWED US WHO IS BOSS.
THE ANNUAL UNFORGETTABLY RECORDS THIS IN WORDS AND
PICTURES. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS,
THIS IS CERTAINLY TRUE OF THE PICTURES GATHERED HERE,
YOU WILL ALSO FIND THAT IN THIS CASE EACH THOUSAND
WORDS IS WORTH AND WORTHY OF EACH PICTURE:
[ HE ANNUAL ACHIEVES A TRULY EXCITING UNITY BETWEEN THESE
TWO DIVERSE FORMS OF COMMUNICATION WORDS AND PICTURES.
THiE P ICTURES GRAB THE EYE, THE WORDS GRAB THE EMOTION AND
TOGETHER THEY EXCITE BOTH MEMORY AND IMAGINATION.
WITH THE RESULT THAT THE ANNUAL FUNCTIONS AS A SORT OF
DYNAMIC MIRROR WHICH PROVIDES NOT JUST A REFLECTION BUT A
VISION OF OURSELVES IN OUR ENVIRONMENT AND. IN OUR HISTORY
AT THIS TIME.
IN A V'ERY REAL SENSE A CERTAIN UNITY IN DIVERSITY
EMERGES FROM THIS ANNUAL. a 4 4
IN THE SWEEP OF ITS PAGES WE CAN RE-EXPERIENCE THE DIVERSITY
1OTFH IS GREAT LAND ITS CLIMATE, ITS SEASONS, ITS TOWNS
AND CITIES, ITS BUSHLAND, DESERTS, PLAINS AND MOUNTAINS,
ITS FAUNA AND FLORA, ITS RESURCES AND, ESPECIALLY, THE
DIVERSITY OF OUR PEOPLE COLOUR, RACE, CREEDS, AND
PURSUITS, IN CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF THIS AUSTRALIA OF UNIQUE
CONTRASTS, THE ANNUAL ALSO MANAGES TO SUGGEST THE UNDERLYING
SENSE OF UNITY WHICH EXISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS UNITY WAS VIVIDLY REFLECTED IN THE SHARED EXCITEMENT
WHICH SWEPT THROUGH THE WHOLE CONTINENT AS WE REJOICED
WITH THE CREW OF AUSTRALIA II., THEIR VICTORY WAS A
SUPERB EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE AUSTRALIA ARE CAPABLE OF,
THE TECHNOLOGICAL SOPHISTICATION OF OUR PRODUCT BACKED
BY SKILFULL, DEDICATED AND UNTIRING EFFORT ELICITED
NEW INTERNATIONAL RESPECT FOR AUSTRALIA S CAPABILITIES.
BUT OUR UNDERLYING SENSE OF UNITY DOES NOT SURFACE ONLY
FOR GREAT SPORTING EVENTS WHICH ARE PART OF OUR UNIQUELY
AUSTRALIAN LIFE STYLE.
THE TERRIBLE DIVERSITY OF DISASTER DROUGHT, FIRE AND FLOOD
WHICH TOO FREQUENTLY FEATURES IN AUSTRALIA'S HISTORY ALSO
BRINGS FORTH OUR BASIC AUSTRALIAN UNITY. THIS IS VIVIDLY
BROUGHT HOME IN THE ANNUAL S RECORD OF THE DROUGHT THE
GREAT DRY WHICH HAD HELD VAST STRETCHES OF EASTERN AUSTRALIA
IN ITS TERRIBLE GRIP FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND THEN THE INFERNO
OF ASH WEDNESDAY
THE NATION CAME TOGETHER YET AGAIN IN A SPIRIT OF
COMPASSION AND MAGNANIMOUS SUPPORT, THE CONSISTENCY WITH
WHICH AUSTRALIANS HAVE ALWAYS RALLIED IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES
REINFORCES MY BASIC BELIEF IN THE HUMANITY AND ULTIMATE
GENEROSITY OF OUR PEOPLE,
MANY OF THE QUIRKS OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHARACTER ALSO
-ARE REVEALED IN THESE PAGES.
EVEN IN THE MIDST OF CALAMITY WE CAN AT TIMES DISCOVER
IN OURSELVES A WRY SORT OF ' GALLLOWS HUMOUR' YOU ALL
KNOW THE STORY ABOUT THE FARMER WHO AFTER MONTHS OF
DROUGHT FAINTED FROM SHOCK WHEN A DROP OF RAIN
FELL ON HIM HIS MATE HAD TO THROW THREE BUCKETS OF
DUST IN HIS FACE TO REVIVE HIM,
HUMOUR HAS, ITS UNIFYING EFFECT. SO TOO DOES OUR SPIRIT
OF ADVENTURE, OUR WILLINGNESS TO ' HAVE A GO', OUR SENSE
OF FAIR PLAY AND OUR OPTIMISM AND FAITH IN DETERMINING
OUR FUTURE.
THESE ARE WHAT THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ANNUAL IS ABOUT.
THESE ALSO HAPPEN TO BE WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT.
ENCOURAGING THESE UNIFYING ASPECTS OF OUR DIVERSE
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY BY FIRST FACING REALITY, THEN
-UTILISING CONSENSUS RATHER THAN CONFLICT
-SEEKING CO-OPERATION RATHER THAN CONFRONTATION
-AND HARNESS ING THE RICH RESOURCES OF OUR COUNTRY
AND OUR CHARACTER
UNDERPINS EVERY EFFORT OF THE GOVERNMENT.
ALL THIS TO ACHIEVE A BETTER AUSTRALIA FOR ALL
AUSTRALIANS NOT JUST FOR A PRIVILEGED FEW,
C BUT I AM NOT LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN; I AM LAUNCHING
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ANNUAL SO LET ME NOW PAY
TRIBUTE TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR
TALENTS AND TIME TO ACHIEVING WHAT IS ONE OF THE
LARGEST AND MOST SIGNIFICANT PUBLISHING EVENTS IN THE
LAST DECADE,
THE EXCITING CONCEPT OF A ONCE-A-YEAR BOOK-TO BE KNOWN
AS THE. GREAT AUSTRALIAN ANNUAL WAS THE IDEA OF BOTH
KEVIN WELDON AND MAX SUICH.
AsKEVIN HAS SINCE EXPL. AINED TO ME, HE WANTED TO PRODUCE
AUSTRALIA'I S OWN ANNUAL; A BOOK AS LARGE IN SCOPE AND
AS UNIQUE AS OUR GREAT COUNTRY; A BOOK WHICH WOULD
HELP BRING THIS COUNTRY TOGETHER.
IN THIS GREAT TASK KEVIN AND MAXj WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS
FOR OVER TWO YEARS, WERE JOINED BY EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
OF FIVE MAJOR DAILY NEWSPAPERS
-THE SYDNEY MORNINRG HERALD
-THE AGE 71@
THE ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
Tf: E WEST AUSTRALIAN
THE COURIER MAIL
THEIR INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION IS REFLECTED AT EVERY
POINT IN THIS ENTERPRISE,
AS WELL THE TALENTS AND ENTHUSIASM OF OV'ER 100 OF AUSTRALIA' S
LEADING PHOTO JOURNALISTS AND FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHERS WERE
APPLIED TO PRODUCE THE STUNNING PICTORIAL ACCOUNT OF A YEAR
IN THE LIFE OF AUSTRALIA,
THERE ARE ALSO THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OVER 150 OF AUSTRALIA'S
LEADING WRITERS, TOGETHER WITH SKILLED DESIGNERS AND TYPESETTERS.
IAM CERTAIN THAT, WHEN YOU EXAMINE THIS GREAT Aq;~ TRALIAN
ANNUAL FOR YOURSELVESi YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT IT IS
A MAGNIFICENT REALISATION OF THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT AND
THAT IT HAS BEEN DONE FULL JUSTICE BY ALL THOSE WHO
ASSISTED IN PRODUCING IT.
IAM EQUALLY CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD AS
EAGERLY AS I AM TO THE ANNUALS WHICH WILL FOLLOW,
FINALLY, MAY I THANK KEVIN WELDON, MAX SUICH AND ALL WHO
SHARED IN THIS INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENT AND RECOMMEND THEIR
WORK TO ALL AUSTRALIANS.