Speeches and broadcasts

Start Date
01 January 1962
End Date
31 December 1962
Notes
The National Library of Australia is using this item to test handwritten text recognition in Trove
Physical Context
MS 4936-Papers of Sir Robert Menzies/Class. Original Consignment/Series 6/File 177
View Finding Aid

Text

12th December, 96 R- SPRINTILE, Vic.  

Speech Night  

SPRING-VALE HIGH SCHOOL  

SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER  

 

 

SPRINGVÅLE HIGH SCHOOL SPEECH NIGHT  

HELD AT SPRINGVALE, VICTORIA, ON  

12TH DECEMBER, I962.  

Speech by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. R.G. Menzles  

It seems to me that have to make personal  

explanation frhat we say in Parliament when we pretend  

that somebody has misrepresented us. ought to explain how  

come to be here because this is quite story.  

Last week at four o'clock in the morning, on Friday ....  

(I remember it well because as -was going home to the Lodge,  

the birds were twittering in the trees (Laughter) and the dawn  

was coming in from the east, oddly enough (Laughter) and  

very seldom see the dawn break) but the reason for it was that  

at four o' clock in the morning on Friday we were just finishing  

the Parliamentary Session and was wishing everybody very,  

very Happy Christmas (Laughter) and hoping little for one  

myself.  

You know, Members of Parliament, let it be admitted,  

have lot in common with schoolboys. say nothing about  

schoolgirls, have never dared to pretend that understood  

what went on in their minds, but know something about schoolboys  

(Laughter) and you fellows know perfectly well, don't you, how  

there is temptation to leave it and leave it and leave it until  

the examinations are looming up and then work like mad to catch  

up the arrears. Now that is exactly what we do in Parliament,  

(Laughter) We go along fairly leisurely, week after week,  

week after week, and in the last week, the Minister in Charge of  

the House says, "Well, if we are going to get through by Friday  

morning, boys, we’d better have few late ones," And we then  

proceed to sit up until all sorts of absurd hours. And so on  

Friday morning, at four o’clock in the morning, the Session ended  

and went Home,  

And yesterday, we had the last Cabinet Meeting  

hope (Laughter) before Christmas and we finished at something  

after eleven o’clock last night, and when we had all wished each  

other Merry Christmas and hoped that we wouldn't see each other  

again in the Cabinet room for quite time, two or three of my  

colleagues said to me, "Well, suppose you'll take few days  

off now," "Well," said, "I’m going to Springvale tomorrow  

night to school speech night", and don't mind admitting to  

you that they looked at me as if needed some medical attention  

(Laughter), "But why?" they said, "Why must you go what have  

you got to do with Springvale?" To which replied, "Well,  

nothing yet but ,,,," (Laughter) said, "I am going to Springvale,  

to the High School, for variety of reasons, but perhaps the  

most compelling one is that happen to be an old friend of the  

Headmaster, and the Headmaster is, in my opinion, not only  

talented and devoted teacher, but he’s fine friend and  

great citizen." (Applause) And said, "I think that's not  

bad reason for going out," But as he has been speaking tonight,  

I've thought of one or two additional matters.  

After had left State school in Ballarat, went to  

little secondary school which disappeared many years ago, but  

was then just struggling towards its close, don't suppose we  

had more than 32 or 35 boys at the school at that stage. There  

were six doing Intermediate or what was then called Junior Public,  

notice, Sir, that you have got through 112 in Intermediate,  

/2  

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