 |
Progressing the World Expo '88 Vision
- A non-government not-for-profit entity celebrating Brisbane's World Expo '88 -
Academic Forum
Opening and Closing Ceremony Speeches
"Opening Ceremony Speeches, National Day Speeches, Closing Ceremony Speeches"
Office of the Commissioner-General, World Expo '88
Opening Ceremony
The Honourable Mike Ahern MLA
Premier and Treasurer of Queensland
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT IS SPECIALLY GOOD TO BE IN QUEENSLAND. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT IS A PROUD THING TO BE A QUEENSLANDER. WE ARE EXPERIENCING SUCH TIMES RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE OPENED OUR DOORS TO THE WORLD. AND WE ARE SAYING "TAKE A LOOK AT QUEENSLAND AND ALL IT HAS TO OFFER . . . TAKE A LOOK AT THE VAST RESOURCES OF THE SUNSHINE STATE . . . TAKE A LOOK AT THE RESOURCEFULNESS OF ITS PEOPLE".
YOU WILL REMEMBER HOW, IN 1982, QUEENSLAND SHOWED THE WORLD IT HAD THE VISION, FLAIR AND EXPERTISE TO STAGE THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL COMMONWEALTH GAMES. MANY OF THE WORLD'S FOREMOST NATIONS OPENED THEIR HEARTS AND JOINED US FOR THAT MAGICAL EVENT.
NOW IN 1988, WE'VE OPENED OUR ARMS EVEN WIDER, TO EMBRACE THE PEOPLE OF SOME FIFTY NATIONALITIES AND WELCOME THEIR PARTICIPATION IN AUSTRALIA'S FIRST EXPO.
TOGETHER, WE'LL SHOW THE WORLD WE HAVE THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SKILLS AND TALENT ESSENTIAL TO FURTHER ADVANCEMENT IN TODAY'S TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY. AND CLEARLY, WE ARE DOING IT WITH A SPIRITED SENSE OF COMMITMENT, ADVENTURE AND DISCOVERY.
I CAN THINK OF NO MORE APPROPRIATE A WAY TO CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA'S BICENTENARY THAN THIS - TO DEVOTE THE FORTHCOMING SIX MONTHS OF EXPO 88 TO DEMONSTRATING HOW GENUINELY OUR NATION RECOGNISES ITS ESSENTIAL PLACE AS A WORKING PARTNER IN THE GLOBAL STRUGGLE FOR ECONOMIC SUFFICIENCY AND VITALITY . . . AND A FINER WAY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.
THERE ARE NO STRANGERS IN THIS TASK ... WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE ONE BIG FAMILY OF MANKIND. WE NEED EACH OTHER. WE NEED THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND UNITED PURPOSE EXEMPLIFIED HERE WITHIN THIS WORLD EXPOSITION.
IT IS TRUE OUR TOMORROW IS BEING SHAPED BY OUR TECHNOLOGY OF TODAY. IT IS EQUALLY TRUE THAT WE WILL ACHIEVE GREATER PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY THROUGH SHARING EXPERIENCES AND POOLING-OUR KNOWLEDGE.
THIS WE ARE DOING HERE IN QUEENSLAND AT WORLD EXPO 88. QUEENSLAND'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY HAS BEEN PROFOUND. WE'VE BECOME THE NATION'S MOST VIGOROUS TRADING STATE. WE'VE MADE THE EFFORT TO LOOK BEYOND OUR BOUNDARIES, TO ESTABLISH NEW TRADING PARTNERS, TO GAIN AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION FOR STABILITY, RELIABILITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS. IT HAS BEEN A FRUITFUL EFFORT INVOLVING BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
WORLD EXPO 88 WILL EMPHATICALLY REINFORCE QUEENSLAND'S DETERMINATION TO SECURE, FOR THE STATE AND THE NATION, ENHANCED INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING.
QUEENSLANDERS ARE HONOURED AND DELIGHTED THAT HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN HAS GRACIOUSLY CONSENTED TO OPEN EXPO 88 ON BEHALF OF NOT ONLY QUEENSLAND, NOT ONLY AUSTRALIA, BUT ALL THE COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING, AS WELL AS THOSE WHICH ARE LOOKING FOR FAVOUR AT THIS OUTSTANDING SHOWPIECE OF INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISE AND GOODWILL.
I WISH EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH WORLD EXPO 88 THE SUCCESS THEY DESERVE. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING YOUR FAITH IN US. WE CHERISH THE HOPE THAT OUR CLOSE ASSOCIATION WILL STRENGTHEN TO BECOME AN EVEN FIRMER AND MORE PERMANENT BOND OF FRIENDSHIP, BASED ON TRUST, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AHEAD.
YOU WILL REMEMBER HOW, IN 1982, QUEENSLAND SHOWED THE WORLD IT HAD THE VISION, FLAIR AND EXPERTISE TO STAGE THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL COMMONWEALTH GAMES. MANY OF THE WORLD'S FOREMOST NATIONS OPENED THEIR HEARTS AND JOINED US FOR THAT MAGICAL EVENT.
NOW IN 1988, WE'VE OPENED OUR ARMS EVEN WIDER, TO EMBRACE THE PEOPLE OF SOME FIFTY NATIONALITIES AND WELCOME THEIR PARTICIPATION IN AUSTRALIA'S FIRST EXPO.
TOGETHER, WE'LL SHOW THE WORLD WE HAVE THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SKILLS AND TALENT ESSENTIAL TO FURTHER ADVANCEMENT IN TODAY'S TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY. AND CLEARLY, WE ARE DOING IT WITH A SPIRITED SENSE OF COMMITMENT, ADVENTURE AND DISCOVERY.
I CAN THINK OF NO MORE APPROPRIATE A WAY TO CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA'S BICENTENARY THAN THIS - TO DEVOTE THE FORTHCOMING SIX MONTHS OF EXPO 88 TO DEMONSTRATING HOW GENUINELY OUR NATION RECOGNISES ITS ESSENTIAL PLACE AS A WORKING PARTNER IN THE GLOBAL STRUGGLE FOR ECONOMIC SUFFICIENCY AND VITALITY . . . AND A FINER WAY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.
THERE ARE NO STRANGERS IN THIS TASK ... WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE ONE BIG FAMILY OF MANKIND. WE NEED EACH OTHER. WE NEED THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND UNITED PURPOSE EXEMPLIFIED HERE WITHIN THIS WORLD EXPOSITION.
IT IS TRUE OUR TOMORROW IS BEING SHAPED BY OUR TECHNOLOGY OF TODAY. IT IS EQUALLY TRUE THAT WE WILL ACHIEVE GREATER PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY THROUGH SHARING EXPERIENCES AND POOLING-OUR KNOWLEDGE.
THIS WE ARE DOING HERE IN QUEENSLAND AT WORLD EXPO 88. QUEENSLAND'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY HAS BEEN PROFOUND. WE'VE BECOME THE NATION'S MOST VIGOROUS TRADING STATE. WE'VE MADE THE EFFORT TO LOOK BEYOND OUR BOUNDARIES, TO ESTABLISH NEW TRADING PARTNERS, TO GAIN AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION FOR STABILITY, RELIABILITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS. IT HAS BEEN A FRUITFUL EFFORT INVOLVING BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
WORLD EXPO 88 WILL EMPHATICALLY REINFORCE QUEENSLAND'S DETERMINATION TO SECURE, FOR THE STATE AND THE NATION, ENHANCED INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING.
QUEENSLANDERS ARE HONOURED AND DELIGHTED THAT HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN HAS GRACIOUSLY CONSENTED TO OPEN EXPO 88 ON BEHALF OF NOT ONLY QUEENSLAND, NOT ONLY AUSTRALIA, BUT ALL THE COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING, AS WELL AS THOSE WHICH ARE LOOKING FOR FAVOUR AT THIS OUTSTANDING SHOWPIECE OF INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISE AND GOODWILL.
I WISH EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH WORLD EXPO 88 THE SUCCESS THEY DESERVE. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING YOUR FAITH IN US. WE CHERISH THE HOPE THAT OUR CLOSE ASSOCIATION WILL STRENGTHEN TO BECOME AN EVEN FIRMER AND MORE PERMANENT BOND OF FRIENDSHIP, BASED ON TRUST, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AHEAD.
WORLD EXPO 88, HAPPILY, HAS BROUGHT US ALL TOGETHER, IT HAS BROUGHT THE WORLD TO QUEENSLAND. IT HAS MADE THIS A PROUD MOMENT TO BE A QUEENSLANDER.