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>>DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC DIVISION DR TOMY FLEMING:
It's my absolute pleasure to welcome Bob Hawke to Wilkins and Antarctica. He changed
the world's mind about mining in Antarctica and we are indebted to you for that.
>>FORMER AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER BOB HAWKE: What was going to happen beforehand was a
thing called CRAMRA, which was going to be a Convention for Regulating Antarctic Mineral
Resource Activity. I said that's ridiculous, I just could not believe that civilized nations
of the world were going to really destroy the pristine quality of the last remaining
and pristine continent. You just imagine mining down here and the
accidents that could have occurred, so I was determined that this wouldn't happen. People
said we had no chance, but with the cooperation of my good friend Roccard, the Prime Minister
of France, and Felipe Gonzalez, from Spain. We just set about and we turned it over, which
was marvelous and now it's fulfilled my nomination of it as nature reserve, land of
science, and that's what it is. I am sort of prejudice of course I've got
a great sense of almost proprietorship of the place because we've been involved in
seeing that it was preserved. Therefore it's almost impossible to describe the feeling
of pride and excitement that I have being here. The other immediate impression I have
is the enthusiasm of the, all the people, that are here, they are doing a great job
for Australia. They are here with the total support and endorsement of the Australian
nation and the Australian Government. The work that they are doing is not only important
for Australia but important for the world as a whole. And they should I think feel proud
of themselves for the contribution that their colleagues in the past have made and that
they are making now. I would like to congratulate the Australian Antarctic Division. I think
the work that you are doing in protecting the Australian commitment and involvement
in this area and doing it in such a constructive way is a matter in which you should all be
very proud and all Australians should feel very much in debt to the fine work the Division
has been doing over the years and continues to do. >>JEFF HADLEY, WILKINS SUPERVISOR: This is the one, this is the one that is named after you... (sound of ice breaking and cheers).