PM Transcripts

^ y'ñ-ALIA DAY
Message By The Pre Mister e Rt, Hon. Sir Robert Menzies
Australia Day is for both memory and decision.
What great events have moved across the face of Australia since
January 26, 1788.' We can look back with pride on what has been
achieved in almost every field of life. In this sense we are
the inheritors of the work of the past. But this does not mean
that we can be content merely to live on our inheritance. We must
add to it, so that future generations will look back on what we
have done with a pride similar to that with which we regard the
work of our predecessors. In this sense, Australia Day is
an occasion for renewing our determination to build soundly on
the existing foundations, to develop new resources, to build up
a wider and fuller civilisation. In short, we must see ourselves
as the present pioneers of an even botter Australian future.
Particularly in times of great prosperity, we may be tempted to
regard ourselves as beneficiaries -nd to forget that we must
be contributors as well. I have no doubt whatever that the
national character will continue to rise to the challenge of the
future, not ignoring difficulties or pretending they don't exist,
but with complete confidence in our capacity to overcome threm and
to play our part in what should ho c notable national growuli in
the years to come.
CANBERRA. January, 1963.