-EMBARGO-ED-U NL-I-L-L~-I-V-ERY C. H-ECK--AG; A-I-NS-T--D-E-L-I-VERYANNOUNCEMENT
OF YOUNG AUSTRALIANS TO CREW
B1CENTENNIAL SCHOONER--
THE LODGE _ 12_ FEBRUARYU-987
SIR JOHN LEAHY, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I AM DELIGHTED TO WELCOME YOU TO THE LODGE ON THIS VERY
SPECIAL OCCASION TO MARK THE SELECTION OF THE TWELVE YOUNG
AUSTRALIANS WHO WILL HELP CREW THE UNITED KINGDOM'S
BICENTENNIAL GIFT SCHOONER " YOUNG ENDEAVOUR" FROM BRITAIN TO
AUSTRALIA. SIR JOHN, MAY I BEGIN BY THANKING THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND
PEOPLE ON BEHALF OF MY GOVERNMENT -AND THE PEOPLE OF
-AUSTRALIA FOR THIS MAGNIFICENT--AND-GENEROUS-G-IFT;
THIS SPLENDID SAILING SHIP BEING BUILT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
WILL ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA IN TIME FOR OUR BICENTENARY IN
JANUARY 1988. ON BOARD WILL BE THE TWELVE AUSTRALIANS WHOM
I AM ABOUT TO INTRODUCE, AND TWELVE YOUNG BRITONS WHOSE
NAMES ARE ALSO BEING ANNOUNCED TODAY.
THIS CREW OF TWENTY FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE Wr1tL BE GUIDED BY FOUR
OFFICERS OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY AND FOUR OFFICERS TO
BE PROVIDED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN
NAVY REPRESENTATIVES LEFT LAST MONTH FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM
TO COMMENCE TRAINING WITH THEIR BRITISH COUNTERPARTS SO
UNFORTUNATELY THEY CANNOT BE WITH US TODAY.
ON ARRIVAL IN AUSTRALIA, THE " YOUNG ENDEAVOUR" WILL TAKE
PART IN ANOTHER MAJOR EVENT OF 1988 THE TALL SHIPS RACE
FROM HOBART TO SYDNEY AND THE PARADE OF SAIL, INVOLVING THE
TALL SHIPS, ON SYDNEY HARBOUR ON AUSTRALIA DAY 1988. IT
WILL THEN BE OFFICIALLY HANDED OVER TO AUSTRALIA. THE ROYAL
AUSTRALIAN NAVY HAS AGREED TO TAKE ON THE TASK OF
M4AINTAINING AND OPERATING THE " YOUNG ENDEAVOUR" AS A-SAIL
TRAINING VESSEL FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA.
THE SCHOONER'S NAME, " YOUNG ENDEAVOUR", IS HIGHLY
APPROPRIATE A NAME WHICH RECALLS CAPTAIN COOK'S SHIP " THE
ENDEAVOUR" BUT WHICH ALSO EMPHASISES THAT THIS VESSEL IS
ESPECIALLY A GIFT TO BENEFIT OUR YOUTH.
2
IN A DEEPER SENSE, THE NAME IS A REMINDER OF OUR HISTORIC
LINKS WITH BRITAIN, AND OF OUR COMMON HERITAGE. THE GIFT IS
YET ANOTHER STRIKING PROOF OF THE ENDURING AND CLOSE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS ADVENTURE CAPTURED
THE IMAGINATION OF YOUNG AUSTRALIA. AROUND 7000 YOUNG
PEOPLE, BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18-AND 25, RESPONDED IN THE
AFFIRMATIVE TO THE QUESTION " ARE YOU ONE IN A MILLION?"
T-HAT-MAGN-IF-I-CEN-T-RES-P-ONSE-SHOWED--THA-T-HE--SP-I. RE--OF
ADVENTURE STILL LIVES IN OUR YOUTH. BUT IT ALSO POSED A
DAUNTING TASK OF SELECTING THE FINAL CREW. THAT TASK FELL
TO-THE'SELECTION-COMMITTEE--ESTABL-rSHED-BY-THE-AUSTRALI-AN--
BICENTENNIAL AUTHORITY. I WANT TO THANK COMMANDER PARKER
AND HIS. COMMITTEE-FOR--THE. TIME AND. EFFORT THEY DONATED TO
THEIR TASK. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE VARIOUS SUB-COMMITTEES
IN EACH STATE AND TERRITORY WHO UNDERTOOK THE PRELIMINARY
SELECTION. AROUND 200 OF THE ORIGINAL 7000 APPLICANTS WERE CHOSEN TO
ATTEND TWO-DAY WORKSHOPS AT WHICH THEY WERE PUT THROUGH
TESTS TO DETERMINE THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PROWESS AND
THEIR ABILITY TO GET ON WITH OTHERS -UNDER TOUGH CONDITIONS.
TO THOSE THOUSANDS OF FINE YOUNG AUSTRALIANS WHO HAVE NOT
BEEN SELECTED, I OFFER THIS CONSOLATION: THE SELECTION
COMMITTEE TELLS ME-THAT THE--QUALI-TY-OF THE-APPLICATIONS-WAS
OUTSTANDING A GREAT INDICATOR OF THE QUALITIES OF OUR
YOUTH AND A SOURCE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF OUR
COUNTRY. IT FOLLOWS THAT THE CREW THAT HAS BEEN CHOSEN IS OF A VERY
HIGH CALIBRE INDEED.
IT NOW GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THE NAMES OF
THOSE TWELVE CREW MEMBERS AND THE FOUR RESERVES, WHO
REPRESENT ALL AUSTRALIA'S STATES AND TERRITORIES:
[ PRESENT A MEMENTO TO EACH CREW MEMBER AND RESERVES]
[ MEMENTOS ARE NAMED AND WILL BE HANDED TO YOU]
MAY I OFFER MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL.
I WANT ALSO TO EXTEND MY THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO THE
CORPORATE SPONSORS COOPERS AND LYBRAND, W. D. SCOTT AND
ANSETT FOR THE ASSISTANCE THEY PROVIDED IN SELECTING THE
CREW. THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF-THE CORPORATE SECTOR
JOINING WITH GOVERNMENT TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF OUR
BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS. THE ABA HAS PREPARED SPONSORSHIP
PLAQUES FOR THE COMPANIES IN RECOGNITION OF THIS ASSISTANCE
AND I AM PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THEM TODAY.
[ PRESENT PLAQUES TO REPRESENTATIVE OF:
COOPERS AND LYBRAND,-
W. D. SCOTT AND
ANSETT]
WHILE ON THE SUBJECT OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP I WOULD
MENTION THAT PRESENT HERE TODAY ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF
BRITISH AND AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES WHO WILL ASSIST WITH
MEETING THE EXPENSES OF THE AUSTRALIAN CREW MEMBERS WHILE ON
THEIR JOURNEY TO AND FROM BRITAIN.
FINALLY I WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK DONE BY JIM KIRK AND
HIS TEAM AT THE ABA. GIVEN THE TASK-OF SELECTING THE YOUNG
AUSTRALIAN CREW THEY CARRIED IT OUT WITH ENTHUSIASM, FLAIR
AND-EFFICIENCY.
IN OUR TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY AUSTRALIANS HAVE
DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN MANY FIELDS OF ENDEAVOUR. IN
PART ICU-LAR, _ AS-A NATION, WE_ HAVE -A GREAT TRADITION OF
EXPLORATION ANDADVENTURE BOTH. AT SEA AND ON LAND.
THE CREW OF THE " YOUNG ENDEAVOUR" WILL CONTINUE IN THAT
TRADITION. ALL OF YOU WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE ARDUOUS TASK OF
SAILING THIS SCHOONER ARE ABOUT TO MAKE A UNIQUE
CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR BICENTENARY. WHAT'S
MORE, YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON TO DEMONSTRATE SOME SPECIAL
QUALITIES: ENDURANCE--IN -THE FACE OF HARDSHIP, COURAGE IN
THE FACE OF DANGER, ENTHUSIASM IN THE-FACE OF CHALLENGE, AND
THAT CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HALLMARK
OF OUR PEOPLE.
YOU HAVE MY BEST WISHES FOR SUCCESS IN THIS MEMORABLE
UNDERTAKING. ALL OF US WILL TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR ACHIEVEMENT,
AS A FITTING TRIBUTE TO THE BICENTENARY AND THE YOUTH OF
THIS COUNTRY.