E RGY PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
POINT NEPEAN HANDOVER CEREMONY
PT. NEPEAN 18 SEPTEMBER 1988
ed s Premier John Cain,
Joan Kirner,. Minister for Conservation,
and Forests and Lands,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
in For the past one hundred and eleven years the people of
Victoria have been unable to enjoy the magnificent landscape
of Point Nepean because this spectacular piece of Victoria's
natural environment has been devoted to defence purposes
rather than to recreation.
In 1877 the land was gazetted to allow the Army to build
fortifications here.
Those were the days when the fleet of the Russian navy was
expected any day to appear through the Heads. Forts were
built here and at Queenscliff, Williamstown and elsewhere in
Y. Port Phillip so that during the 1890s, the era of marvellous
Melbourne, it was claimed that Port Phillip was the most
fltry heavily defended port in the British Empire south of the
equator. Upon Federation in 1901 the Commonwealth acquired the land
and Point Nepean came ultimately to be devoted to the Army
officer Cadet School.
Now that the cadets have been transferred to Canberra the
land has at last been freed up so that with the exception
of the parcel being retained for the Army School of Healththis
land can be returned to the people of Victoria.
So it is a very great pleasure to be here and to hand over
this land to the people of Victoria and to join with my
friend and colleague, John Cain, in opening Point Nepean
Park. Point Nepean Park is a project in which the Commonwealth and
Victorian Governments have co-operated closely and well to
provide the public with access to a beautiful part of
Australia's natural heritage. 2067
This is an important site in the history of this State and
of this nation especially because of the unique role it
played in the First and Second World Wars.
Point Nepean fortress was operated and staffed from 1892
until the end of the Second World War. But only two angry
shots were ever fired from these six inch guns the first
Australian shots of both world War I and World War II were
fired from Point Nepean.
Gun Barrel number 1489 fired the first shot of World War I
to prevent the German steamer Pfalz leaving the bay on
August 1914.
Gun Barrel number 1317 fired the first Allied shot of
World War II as a warning shot at a Bass Strait trader which
had failed to identify itself.
It is my pleasure to announce that these historically
significant guns will be given by the Commonwealth on
permanent loan to Victoria.
These guns, which belong to the Department of Defence and
have for years been located at the entrance to this
property, will be relocated to a site very close to their
original emplacements. The guns were restored by cadets at
the former Officer Cadet School and will provide visitors
with an authentic experience of the historic Fort Nepean.
Point Nepean Park also includes Cheviot Beach from which the
former Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming
in 1967. As part of the restoration work, the memorial to
Harold Holt will be relocated from the beach to Cheviot
Hill.
Apart from its historical value, this area is also justly
famous for its spectacular rugged landscape. This is an
area of virtually undisturbed coastal vegetation. It is the
habitat for some unique species of flora and fauna, and is
the only known breeding site of the Dominican Gull. It
looks now much as it must have looked to the Aboriginal
inhabitants of this area when they first saw Lt. John Murray
sail through the Heads in 1802 in the Lady Nelson.
My Government has always placed strong emphasis on joint
conservation activities with State and Territory
Governments. It is encouraging that Victoria gives such
high priority to the protection and preservation of the
natural environment so that it can be enjoyed by all
Australians. Local residents may be the principal beneficiaries of this
new Park they are already lucky because of the tremendous
natural attractions of the Mornington Peninsula but Point
Nepean Park will without doubt attract visitors from the
rest of the State and the rest of Australia.
2068 I
For all these reasons, it is very appropriate that Point
Nepean Park is one of the major projects in the
Commonwealth-State Bicentennial Commemorative Program.
Under the Program the Commonwealth and the States are
jointly funding lasting, accessible and practical legacies
of the Bicentenary.
Victoria has undertaken a number of innovative projects
which provide better access to the State's natural
environment. Walking and cycling tracks have been
established and upgraded along Melbourne's waterways, and
tracks in the alpine region and along the routes of the
explorers, Major Mitchell and Baldwin Spencer, have also
been developed.
I congratulate the Victorian Government for developing such
innovative projects under the Commonwealth-State
Bicentennial Commemorative Program.
I am very happy to be here today to hand over to the Premier
and the people of Victoria the Commonwealth land for the
Point Nepean Park. 2069