PRIME MINISTER
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AUSTRALIAN BICENTENNIAL EXHIBITION MELBOURNE
Vol 6 SEPTEMBER 1985
I am delighted to be here today to launch the Australian
Bicentennial Exhibition, a major project in the
Commonwealth Government's National Bicentennial Program.
The Commonwealth will provide $ 19 million towards this
exciting, innovative project with a most significant
contribution of $ 6 million being made by BHP. It is
fitting that Australia's largest company should choose
to support this the largest exhibition ever to tour
Australia. Like BHP, the Bicentenary is an Australian enterprise.
Both the Commonwealth Government and the State and
Territory Governments are shareholders in the
Bicentenary, and all Australians have a special stake in
the planning and implementation of our celebrations in
1988.
Only a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being present
at BHP's Centenary Dinner. On that occasion I mentioned
how the development of BHP has mirrored the development
of Australia itself. BHP and the strength of the
Australian economy are closely intertwined.
BHP is taking a most welcome initiative through its
commitment to the Bicentenary. The company's generous
contribution to the Exhibition is a mark of its
confidence in this nation. I have no doubt it will
provide an incentive for other Australian companies to
invest in our Bicentenary and I strongly urge them to
join with BHP and the Australian Government and get
behind our celebrations.
The returns on our investment in the Bicentenary will be
substantial and lasting. The dividends will be a
greater pride in our nation, in our heritage, in our
skills and in our achievements. And all Australians
will be the ri ' her for it.
The Bicentenary will also 1 ovide a unique opportunity
for a national stocktake. It will be a time not only
for celebratioi but for reflection, a time to learn from
the past so th~ it we can better plan for the future.
The Bicentennial Program wilL facilitate this process in
a number of exciting ways.
The Terra Australis to Australia Conference will
bring togeth 0 experts in different fields from
around the wqrld to examnine our history and our
relationshipiwith and pe! rception of our unique
environment. The Australian Studies Project will review the
teaching and research of Australian studies in our
schools and tertiary institutions.
An extensive publications program will enrich our
understanding of Australian life and culture.
The Australian Bicentennial Exhibition will invite
Australians throughout the country to participate in
this national stocktake. The Exhibition will offer new
insights into what it means to be an Australian, it will
communicate the uniqueness of our country and its
enterprise, and will tell the story of those who have
shaped our nation. It will also encourage us to turn
our minds to the future through its use of the latest
Australian technology and communications systems. The
Exhibition will be tribute to Australian ingenuity. Its
unique structure will lead the world in-the development
of travelling museum technology and will provide a
legacy long after 1988 has passed.
I believe it is especially important to put on record
* the fact that the Bicentennial Program will provide a
wide range of activities involving the arts,
entertainment and sport;
A feature will be the tall, ships event.
Magnificent sailing ships ' from around the world
will take part in a spectacular parade of sail on
Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1988. While in
Australian waters they will visit many ports around
Australia. There will be special international sporting
events, for example in football, cricket and
cycling. There will be military tattoos and air displays in
capital cities a~ ross the country.
There will be toirs by the very best of Australian
and overseas artists and performing companies.
A major Bicentennial project here in Melbourne
is the construction of a new home for the
Australian Ballet, to which the Commonwealth
and Victorian Governments will each contribute
$ 2.6-million under the Commonwealth/ State
Bicentennial Commemorative Program.
So too will ho-Australian Bicentennial Exhibition
provide a feast of exciting entertainment. Some of the
highlights have already been outlined the theatrical
performances, the concerts, the laser beam displays and
the audiovisuals. There will indeed be something for
everyone.
The planning for the Exhibition is an excellent example
of the way in which the Bicentennial Authority is
developing its projects to achieve something of value
for the Australian community.
Planning for this project began back in 1982. In a cooperative
effort co-ordinated by the Authority, a
Working Group of australian scholars, historians,
business people and advisers from many different fields
came together to develop the proposal as the centrepiece
of the celebrations.
The Exhibition continues to be a product of united
effort. The Commonwealth Department of Housing and
Construction is acting as a project manager for the
design and construction phases. The Exhibition
structure has been designed by one of Australia's
leading architects, Daryl Jackson.
The Australian Bicentennial Authority is seeking
assistance from many other areas of government and
private enterprise in this venture. It is seeking a
selection of unique Australian artefacts and items from
museums and collections around the country.
It is seeking assistance from experts in such fields as
the transport and catering industries; from
manufacturers of technical and display equipment; from
local government authorities who will host the
Exhibition as it traverses the countryside, and most
importantly, it is seeking the participation of
communities across Australia.
In this way and in many others the Exhibition fulfills
the Bicentennial theme of " Living Together". This theme
was chosen to reflect a co-operative effort by every
Australian. It speaks of our rich and varied heritage,
and draws attention to the importance to our way of life
of relations between AustraliaEns of different ethnic
origins, between country and city people, between one
state and another, and between Australia and other
nations. It is a forward looking theme which refers to
a process that is as yet uncompleted.
The Exhibition will carry this message throughout the
nation encouraging the widest possible involvement of
all Australians in our celebrations. It will visit more
than fifty cities And towns in each State and Territory.
Its arrival will provide a stimulus for community
activities and will give a special focus to celebrations
in outback areas.
These activities will be greatly assisted by local
Bicentennial Community Committees, almost 500 of which
have already been established in local government areas
across Australia. The Commonwealth Government and the
Australian Bicentennial Authority are very much aware of
the importance of encouraging this grass roots
involvement in our celebrations. With this in mind, an
amount of $ 17.5 million has been allocated from the
National Prograim funds for the Bicentennial Local
Government Initiative Grants scheme.
The Bicentenary and this Exhibition will also focus
attention on our relationships with our neighbours and
the rest of the world. We can look forward to a
significant international participation in our
Bicentenary.
The Government is of course aware of the recent
criticisms of planning for our Bicentenary. Much of
this has been proposed in a constructive way, and has
been taken account of in our approach to the
Bicentenary. W'hat I believe will be achieved is a
Bicentennial Program that has something for everyone.
It will be both purposeful and exciting. The projects
will be both large and small. They will involve our
whole, diverse community. They will be of lasting
benefit to future generations of Australians. All
Governments will be involved; all political parties
will be involved; private enterprise will be involved;
and above all the people themselves will be involved.
Again, I pay tribute to the generous contribution of BHP
in this venture a venture which will link BHP's
enterprise with the national goals and aspirations for
this special year. And, may I add, the increasing
international vision and involvement of BHIP itself
reflects the fact that our bicentennial celebration will
not be simply introspective but will enable us to see
ourselves as part of an increasingly inter-dependent
world. It is with confidence, pride and pleasure that I now
launch this Australian Bicentennial Exhibition.