Here he is delivering his speech at the Official Opening of the Expo, which was held at the Expo's River Stage on 30 April 1988, in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen, Prime Minister of Australia the Honourable R.J.L. Hawke MP, as well as the President of the BIE, His Excellency Monsieur Jacques Sol-Rolland and over 4,000 VIPs.
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| From "Expo 88 Memories" Sydney G Hughes Publisher |
The speech he gave at the Opening Ceremony is reproduced here:
Opening Ceremony
The Hon Sir Llewellyn Edwards, Chairman of World Expo '88
IT IS JUST FOUR AND A HALF YEARS SINCE I RECEIVED THE COMMISSION, AS CHAIRMAN OF WORLD EXPO 88, TO CONDUCT AN EXPOSITION OF WORLD STANDARD WITH AN AUSTRALIAN FLAVOUR AND IDENTITY THAT WOULD CATCH THE IMAGINATION OF THE WORLD, OUR TARGET WAS 30 GOVERNMENTS AND 10 CORPORATE PAVILIONS. WE DEVELOPED A TEAM TO PLAN AND WORK AGAINST SOMETIMES INCREDIBLE ODDS AND DIFFICULTIES, BUT AS OUR STRATEGIES EMERGED AND OUR TEAM GREW, WE FELT EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM BEING BORN.
AT TIMES, THERE WERE PERIODS OF DARKNESS BUT WE, AS A TEAM, NEVER DESPAIRED. AT TIMES WE WERE LONELY, BUT WE DID NOT SHIRK OUR CHALLENGE. AT TIMES THE FUTURE SEEMED INSECURE AND UNCERTAIN, BUT WE HAD A VISION TO BE REALISED.
TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THAT REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT - OPENING DAY OF WORLD EXPO 88. 52 GOVERNMENT PAVILIONS, 34 CORPORATE EXHIBITS, 2 THEME PAVILIONS, A SURPRISE IN EVERY METRE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SITE - ALL OUR MOST OPTIMISTIC DREAMS REALISED AND EXCEEDED.
YOUR MAJESTY, WHEN YOUR GREAT GRANDMOTHER OPENED THE FIRST GREAT EXHIBITION IN LONDON IN 1851, THERE WAS AN AIR OF EXPECTANCY CREATED. IN AN UNCERTAIN AND FRIGHTENED WORLD OF THOSE DAYS, IT WAS HOPED THAT, AS A RESULT OF NATIONS COMING TOGETHER TO EXHIBIT THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS TO PROMOTE BETTER WORLD UNDERSTANDING AT THE WORLD FAIR, THE WORLD AHEAD WOULD BE PEACEFUL AND ACHIEVE UNDREAMABLE GOALS.
HISTORY MAY SHOW THAT THIS DID NOT OCCUR, BUT IN 1988 AS YOU OPEN THIS WORLD EXPO 88, IN NOT ONLY AN ERA OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY, A PERIOD OF MEDICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS, BUT ALSO A PERIOD OF UNCERTAINITY AND, IN SOME CASES, FEAR. WE HERE AT WORLD EXPO 88 HOPE THAT A NEW RELATIONSHIP WILL BE BORN. A RELATIONSHIP WHERE MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS WILL FEEL THE WARMTH OF BROTHERHOOD, THE CHALLENGE OF TOGETHERNESS AND THE HOPES OF OUR FUTURE, WHERE THEY SEE PEACE AND HAPPINESS DOMINATE OUR FUTURE AND, AS A RESULT, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DISADVANTAGED WILL BE ASSISTED, THOSE WHO HAVE FEAR WILL BE STRENGTHENED, THOSE WHO LEAD WILL BE AWARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW WILL BE INSPIRED BY SUCH LEADERSHIP TO WORK AND CARE AND GIVE, SO THAT THE WORLD OF TOMORROW IS A WORLD OF PEACE, OF HOPE AND OF INSPIRATION BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS AND REBUILDING BRIDGES.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE IN GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT, THOSE IN THE INTERNATIONAL AND CORPORATE AREAS FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT AND THOSE OF MY WONDERFUL TEAM WHO HAVE PLANNED AND WORKED WITH ME TO PRODUCE THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM.
WORLD EXPO 88 WILL SOON BE OPENED AND AS THE SPIRIT OF EXPO INVADES THIS CITY, THIS STATE AND THIS COUNTRY AND, INDEED OUR WORLD, MAY THERE BE IGNITED IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF MEN AND WOMEN EVERYWHERE A NEW SPIRIT OF OPTIMISM, OF FAITH AND OF COMPASSION.
ON BEHALF OF ALL THE EXPO FAMILY, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING PART OF THIS GREAT CHALLENGE AND I HOPE THAT OVER THE NEXT 184 DAYS THAT ALL THE WORLD WILL BE INFLUENCED BY THE GOODWILL, THE COOPERATION AND THE BENEFITS FROM WORLD EXPO 88.
NO SACRIFICE AND NO EFFORT HAS BEEN TOO GREAT TO BE PART OF AN EVENT THAT WE HOPE WILL INFLUENCE HISTORY AND TRANSFORM IDEALS FOR THE FUTURE. TOGETHER WE'LL SHOW THE WORLD.
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| Image Courtesy and Copyright Brisbane City Council # BCC-T35-288 |
Sir Llew's speech preceded the official opening by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as pictured above.
The Queen's speech can be read here:
Opening Ceremony
Her Majesty the Queen
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE HERE IN BRISBANE AND OPEN A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION AND A HIGHLIGHT OF AUSTRALIA'S BICENTENNIAL CALENDAR.
THE FIRST EVENT OF THIS KIND WAS HELD IN LONDON IN 1851 IN THE CRYSTAL PALACE, WHICH WAS SPECIALLY BUILT TO HOLD IT.
IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT PRINCE ALBERT BEGAN THE TRADITION OF INVITING COUNTRIES TO COME TOGETHER TO SHARE: CULTURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL IDEAS, AND A NUMBER OF WATER COLOURS IN THE ROYAL LIBRARY AT WINDSOR CASTLE RECORD THE 1851 OPENING AND MANY OF THE EXHIBITS. SINCE 1851, THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL WORLD FAIRS, AND EACH ONE OF THESE HAS BEEN A GREAT DISPLAY OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF ITS AGE. THEY PROVIDE A DRAMATIC RECORD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY CHANGES WHICH HAVE OCCURRED.
THE "GREAT EXHIBITION" OF 1851 FEATURED SUCH NOVELTIES AS THE TELEGRAPH AND THE SEWING MACHINE. IN AUSTRALIA'S CENTENNIAL YEAR, 1888, MELBOURNE HOSTED A GREAT EXHIBITION. AS WELL AS SERVING AS A SHOW-CASE FOR THE SKILLS OF THE THEN EDISON PHONOGRAPH, THE PETROL ENGINE, THE SWITCHBACK RAILWAY AND AN AUTOMATED CREAM SEPARATOR. BY THE TIME THE OSAKA EXHIBITION OPENED IN 1970, THE SUBJECTS OF GREATEST INTEREST WERE LASERS, COMPUTERS, SPACESHIPS, AND ROCK BROUGHT BACK TO EARTH FROM THE MOON. EACH MARKED, IN THIS WAY, SUCCESSIVE AND DRAMATIC STEPS FORWARD IN THE POWERFUL FORCES OF TECHNOLOGY, CHANGING EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES.
WORLD EXPO 88 HAS SPECTACULAR DISPLAYS OF ELECTRONICS, COMMUNICATIONS, TOURISM, SPORT AND THE ARTS. IT CHALLENGES US LAYMEN NOT ONLY TO UNDERSTAND, BUT ALSO TO MASTER THE PROCESSES OF CHANGE.
THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851 IS REMEMBERED EVEN TODAY BY A PERMANENT ROYAL COMMISSION WHICH EXISTS TO PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC AND ARTISTIC EDUCATION. IT WAS SET UP FROM FUNDS DERIVED FROM THE PURCHASE OF A KENSINGTON ESTATE, WITH A HANDSOME SURPLUS LEFT OVER FROM THE EXHIBITION. ITS FORTUNES ARE PRESIDED OVER TODAY BY THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.
EXHIBITIONS TODAY ARE EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE TO MOUNT THAN THEY WERE IN THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY, BUT IF YOU ARE SO FORTUNATE AS TO FIND YOURSELF AT THE END-OF THE DAY WITH A SURPLUS TO HAND, I DON'T DOUBT THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION WOULD BE HAPPY TO ADVISE YOU ON ITS BEST USE FOR THE FUTURE.
I CONGRATULATE THOSE WHO HAD THE VISION TO CONCEIVE THIS SECOND WORLD EXPOSITION IN AUSTRALIA, AND THOSE WHOSE DEDICATION AND TALENT WENT INTO ITS ORGANISATION, PLANNING AND SETTING UP. ALL THOSE WHO VISIT IT WILL TAKE AWAY LASTING AND AFFECTIONATE MEMORIES OF THE WARM WELCOME EXTENDED BY THE PEOPLE OF BRISBANE AND QUEENSLAND. I SAY THAT WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE, BECAUSE EACH TIME I COME HERE I AM MADE TO FEEL TRULY WELCOME. I AM TOLD YOU LIKE TO CALL YOUR STATE THE SUNSHINE STATE - BUT I PREFER TO THINK OF IT BY ITS ORIGINAL NAME - "QUEEN'S LAND".
I NOW DECLARE WORLD EXPO 88 WELL AND TRULY OPEN.
From the Foundation Expo '88 Academic Forum:
http://www.foundationexpo88.org/openingceremonyspeechhermajestythequeen.html
Here is a photograph of the Queensland (at left) and Australia Pavilions (at right) behind the Expo '88 River Stage on opening day.
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| Here one can the numerous VIPs seated for the Opening Ceremony at the River Stage forecourt, and the iconic shape and colours of the Australia Pavilion at centre background, reminiscent of Uluru. Part of the iconic Ken Done designed AUSTRALIA letters can be seen at the right-hand side. The River Stage is at front right. From "Expo '88 Memories", Sydney G Hughes Publisher, Image Courtesy of Mal Lancaster, R.A.A.F. Public Relations |
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