E&OE................................................................................................
Well thank you very much Peter McGauran. To Dr Bob Edwards, Andrew
Sayers, to Gordon and Marilyn Darling, my other Parliamentary colleagues,
Kevin Newman, the Chairman of the Old Parliament House Council, other
distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman. Janette and I have had
the opportunity of a, albeit brief inspection of the exhibition and
I can only express to you a sense of excitement about the quality
of the exhibition and a sense of excitement about tonight. It is an
important event in the cultural life of Australia. It's an important
event in the history of our nation. We join only three other nations
that have national portrait galleries. Those in Washington, London
and Edinburgh. And this gallery expresses the history and the experience
of the Australian people in so many ways. And it is appropriate that
it be located here in the Old Parliament House.
To many Australians Old Parliament House provided portraits of a certain
group of Australians. We looked upon it for so many years as the centre
of politics and of national life from a government point of view in
our nation. Just over a year ago when we had the Constitutional Convention
here it displayed yet a more diverse group of Australians, each offering
in their own way a passionate view about the future of this country.
And I think it is entirely appropriate and I'm so pleased that
the decision was taken that the National Portrait Gallery should be
located here. And I do want to take the opportunity of paying particular
tribute to the energy and the zeal and the vision of Marilyn and Gordon
Darling because without that energy and zeal and that commitment it
would have simply remained a set of dreams and a vision rather than
the fulfillment which is brought to us tonight.
I certainly share the view of others that we are particularly privileged
to have Andrew Sayers as the gallery director. The way in which people
have spoken so warmly and positively of his contribution to the gallery
and his understanding of what is needed to turn it into a first class
attraction and first class manifestation of Australian culture is
well deserved.
All of us like to collect portraits of our loved ones and through
the years we've done it in different ways. We've done it
through what are now faded photographs on mantlepieces, and in albums,
and in drawers. We've done it through home movies and more recently
through home videos. And just as we collect portraits of our own lives
and we collect portraits of those we love, so this gallery houses
the portraits of those who've loved Australia in a special way
and have made a contribution to Australia in a special way. It is
a gallery that recognises excellence. It's also a gallery that
recognises the ordinary and the typical and that is how it should
be as a gallery which is designed for all of the Australian community.
This gallery will take its place alongside some of the other great
cultural institutions of our nation. We are all conscious as we approach
the centenary of the Federation of our nation, that where ever we
come from in Australia, and whatever view we have about the nature
of the Australian nation and the character of the Australian people
, we have a gathering pride of growing intensity in the history of
our nation and of what this country has achieved. And this gallery
will offer to its visitors a snapshot of that through the images and
the portraits of so many Australians who in so many different ways,
of infinitely various ways, have made a contribution.
The Government has provided very strong financial support to Old Parliament
House and through that to the National Portrait Gallery. It is without
doubt one of the best investments this Government has made. I really
am very excited about what I've seen tonight. I'm not only
excited about the concept, I'm very excited about the reality
of it.
I do want to thank people who've made contributions, from the
corporate sector who've made contributions to the gallery. I
want to encourage others also to make contributions. You may have
heard me before on the subject of partnerships and coalitions between
governments and the corporate sector in achieving good public outcomes.
And I do thank those who've invested and supported it. I particularly
again very warmly thank Marilyn and Gordon for their contribution.
And Janette and I remember very well that afternoon in Washington
in July of 1997 when they accompanied us on a tour of the National
Portrait Gallery in Washington, and all the while making some entirely
appropriate, and can I say highly effective comments. Highly effective
comments about the value of national portrait galleries and how valuable
they are for the esteem of the Government's who's during
whose term they are opening, and he did it very well and he did it
very very eloquently.
So to you Marilyn and Gordon, to Dr Edwards, to Andrew Sayers, to
all the other members of the Council of the National Gallery, thank
you for your contribution to this great Australian institution. Thank
you for contributing to something that will give us a particular sense
of the luster and the achievement of our nation and of the quality
of the people who've contributed to its history and to its success.
It is therefore with particular pleasure that I declare open the National
Portrait Gallery of Australia. Thank you.