Fix this text
gfch November, 1962 - LITHGOW, NSW
Fix this text9 Oth anniversary
Fix this textSMALL arts factory-
Fix this textfiftieth ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Fix this textOF THE SMALL ARMS FACTORY, LITHGOW,
Fix this textN.S.W. ON 5 TH NOVEMBER, I96?.
Fix this textSpeech by the Prime Minister, the Rt® Hon« R a G® Menajes
Fix this textSir, Ladies and Gentlemen %
Fix this textI was just making a little precautionary investi»
Fix this textgation, and do you know, improbable as it may seem, there
Fix this textare cigars in it 0 (Laughter) As a matter of fact, I don’t
Fix this textquite know what I am supposed to do this afternoon® I
Fix this texthaven’t been given adequate instructions. Usually when I
Fix this textattend something of this kind, I have to declare something
Fix this textopen« I won’t get out of the habit and, therefore, I begin
Fix this textby saying that I declare the Small Arms'Factory to have been
Fix this textwell and truly opened fifty years ago, (Laughter) (Applause)
Fix this textI Suppose that on a day like this, a beautiful
Fix this textday in a beautiful setting, one gets the best possible
Fix this textimpression of the place and the work and the people, and I
Fix this textwould like to say a few words to you about each of those
Fix this textmatters whilst I have the floor*
Fix this textFirst of all, the place* I suppose that the
Fix this textpeople who live in Lithgow tend to take it for granted®
Fix this textI don’t know« Lithgow hae a remarkable history,, a history
Fix this textwhich in itself embodies the development of Australia from
Fix this textone stage of activity to another right down through its
Fix this texttime® It was here in Lithgow * I think X am right in saying -
Fix this textthat the first iron and steel industry was established,
Fix this textalways to be associated with the great Lithgow name of Hoskins®
Fix this textAnd I sometimes wonder whether it was the fact that this
Fix this textexisted and that there was coal here that induced the Govern-
Fix this textment of the day, fifty years ago, to establish this factory,
Fix this textin its initial form, in this place® But the fact is that
Fix this textever since then, this factory, through all sorts of
Fix this textvicissitudes - it has had its'ups and downs in the course
Fix this textof its time - has become increasingly famous for the quality
Fix this textof its work«
Fix this textToday when I was walking around, I couldn’t help
Fix this textrubbing shoulders occasionally with a number of men prominent
Fix this textin engineering and other activities in Australia, all of them
Fix this textfeeling pretty amiable, all of them quite prepared to have a
Fix this textfriendly word with me « that’s not always the case (Laughter) -
Fix this textbut all of them taking the opportunity of commenting on the
Fix this textexcellence oí the work that is done here® I think myself,
Fix this textMr® Minister, that this not unassociated with the history
Fix this textof Lithgow or the spirit and character of its people® This
Fix this texttown has tradition, this town has made a great contribution
Fix this textin its own way, much bigger than its population, to Australian
Fix this textlife and Australian development, and they would be very poor
Fix this textpeople of Lithgow who didn’t feel a pride in the fact that
Fix this texthere is a place, known all over Australia, a place that has
Fix this textbeen able to contribute to activities and skills all over
Fix this textAustralia® Now, I think that is a matter for great pride,
Fix this texta matter for great celebration®
Fix this textThere are people, of course, in the world - a great
Fix this textnumber of them to be found in Australia - who are"knockers®”
Fix this textWherever you go, you meet a ”knocker"® Nothing is any good®
Fix this textNothing is ever as good now as it used to be® They talk
Fix this textabout the "good old days”® If they had to live in the good
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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