Page 1003 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 2013
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I have on my bookshelf in my office a small book called Downer@50: the suburb and community, past and present. It is compiled by members of the Downer Community Association and is full of pictures and stories of ordinary parks, schools and houses, pictures of the original fields before the houses were built, of the Downer Primary class 6F from 1977, of a spring fete, of a community growing. All over Canberra there are similar communities with thousands of stories which will never make the annals of history but which are equally important in the growth of our city.
It was the constant growth of our city that led us to take the steps to self-government, of standing on our own two feet, no longer cosseted by the commonwealth but independent, proud and able to determine our own development. There is no doubt that that was an interesting time in our growth. A sizable portion of the first Assembly was made up of no self-government representatives—I am not sure if we have any here today; I think not—who realised with a shock that running on a platform of no self-government might actually result in that member being elected to parliament.
I recognise those in the gallery today who have formed part of this Assembly and who have made it what it is. We are the beneficiaries of your hard work and I thank you. It is great to see three members of my own class of 2008 here again today as well.
I would also like to acknowledge the Mayor of Queanbeyan, Mr Tim Overall. Our relationship with Queanbeyan and our local area has played an important part in our growth as a city and it will continue to do so. It is wonderful to see you here now.
We have now become a mature democracy with an Assembly able to tackle the big issues of the day without losing sight of the small matters that mean so much to our fellow citizens. On this day, it is also time to look to the future—to take the next steps along the path, and to make Canberra as great in the next century as it has been in the last.
We in this place now and those who follow have an important role in shaping what that future will look like. It is a weighty responsibility, and as we engage in the various debates about our future, let us ensure it is with a mind to keeping the Assembly focused on the needs of those who live in this city and not necessarily be distracted by ideological crusades that may not serve the interests of the broader community.
As we build this city and shape its growth, let us make sure we stay as just as focused on our local streets and local parks which to thousands of Canberrans are just as important as some of our grander infrastructure, like arboretums and stadiums. Let us endeavour to maintain the nature of our bush capital and, as we grow, be sure to retain the sense that we are both a city in our amenity but a big country town in our character.
This year has been promoted as one very big year, and, indeed it is. It marks the anniversary of a very big day that occurred 100 years ago. The famous King O’Malley wrote of the significance of those events:
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