Ballarat Arch of Victory

THE HON CATHERINE KING MP
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BALLARAT
SPEECH FOR THE OFFICIAL REOPENING OF THE BALLARAT ARCH OF VICTORY
BALLARAT, 6 NOVEMBER 2011

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet and I pay respect to their elders, both past and present.

I would like to acknowledge:

• Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce and Mr Michael Bryce – welcome to Ballarat.
• Cr Craig Fletcher, Mayor, City of Ballarat
• Distinguished guests.
• Ladies and gentlemen.

I am very pleased to join you today.

One of my favourite images of this very special place comes to us courtesy of the National Sound and Film Archives.

The original footage of the opening of the Arch of Victory in 1920 by Prince Edward the Price of Wales shows Ballarat in all its complexity.

Hundreds of people from every walk of life cheering, commemorating and celebrating.

My favourite part of that footage is of the Lucas girls - whose extraordinary efforts raised the money for the avenue.

There they are in their Sunday best, laughing, curtseying and just a little bit cheekily presenting the Prince of Wales with a pair of silk pyjamas that they have specially made to commemorate his visit.

It is a lovely image that captures a very particular point in history.

The original idea to build this very fitting and historic memorial and its restoration today says as much about who we are as a city as it does about how we commemorate World War I.

We are, whist modern citizens, very much products of our past, of past generations who have shaped the nature of this city.

The Avenue of Honour commemorates every one of those beautiful boys and some girls who left our town.

Who left their mothers, their fathers, their sisters and their friends to embark on what they thought would be a great adventure.

Many of them never to return and those that did would forever be changed by their experiences.

This Arch marks the Avenues beginning and it is our city's constant reminder of that sacrifice.

For that reason alone its restoration was important.

For over 90 years the Arch of Victory has been part of our landscape and it has sewed as a beacon to the community to remember our nation’s service men and women.

But it has also come to be more than that. It is very much a symbol of Ballarat.

No one who has lived here - on seeing an image of the Arch — can fail to recognise that - it is home.

That is also why its restoration was so important.

It is a symbol of us. Of both our past and the confidence we have as a city in our future.

It is a symbol of those Lucas girls — Ballarat factory workers who wanted to build something extraordinary so that none of us would forget - one of the most awful parts of our history.

The decision to restore the Arch of Victory and the commitment by the Australian Government of over half a million dollars, recognises its significance both historically to the nation but emotionally to the people of Ballarat.

I am sure that the future generations of Ballarat residents many of whom are part of this commemoration today — will look after her wisely.

Thank you.