ÃÂ ÃÂ· ÃÂMBARGO:  5.00 pm

PRIME MINISTER

FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 1981

ELECTORATE TALK

Earlier this year I made a joint statement with the Victorian  Premier announcing that the Commonwealth would make a gift  of $5 million to Victoria to mark the 150th anniversary of  the arrival of the Hentys at Portland, and the settlement  of Melbourne one year later.

Since the time of that announcement, discussions about how  the money should be spent have been held with the Victorian  Government which in turn received advice from the Citizens1   Council of Victoria's 150th Anniversary Celebrations, under

the chairmanship of Sir John Holland. It has now been  decided that the $5 million will be spread between three  projects. These projects cover a wide range of interests,  and each one will be identified as an anniversary project,

funded by the Commonwealth Government as part of its contribution  to the celebrations by the people of Victoria.

One of the projects is the development.of the second stage of  the West Gate Park. This park is part of an overall plan for  the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers. It will provide unique  parkland and leisure facilities, especially for the people who

live in the western suburbs of Melbourne, and there will be  special provision for the disabled. Work on stage one is :   currently under way, and stage two is especially timely as it  will lend itself to further development for Australia's 1988  bicentennial celebrations.

The second project is the development of a Gallery of Sport  along similar lines to the famous centre in Los Angeles.  This project follows up the outstanding success of the  Cricket Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Club which has  attracted thousands of people since its establishment in

1969. The Gallery of Sport should attract many more people  and it will be a major tourist attraction. The Gallery of  Sport will be a museum and education centre for all sports,  and it will incorporate the cricket museum. It will be  attached to the M.C.G., it will be accessible to the public,  and it will also be clearly identified as a 150th anniversary  project. Since sport is so much a part of the Australian way  of life, this particular project is highly suitable to these

150th anniversary celebrations.

.  .  ./2

2

-  Â· .  Â· , ÃÂ  : '  Â· '  Ã¢ÂÂ   .  '  '  .*Ã¢ÂÂ  Ã¢ÂÂ   Â· .  , - .  - .  .

The third project relates to a proposal by the Royal  Agricultural Society of Victoria to establish an Agricultural  Historical and Educational centre at the showgrounds.  Final  plans for this venture, which would display a range of

agricultural activities in a historical and technological  context, will depend on the results of a detailed feasibility  study. Ã¢ÂÂ

The Commonwealth Government believes that these three projects  which are relevant to the concerns of the city and country  people, ""and which incorporate a special sporting dimension  as well, gather together some of the major strands of the

history and character of Victoria. I look forward to the  completion of these projects as a forerunner to a successful  celebration of Victoria's 150th anniversary in 1984-85, and  I am delighted to announce these details of the Commonwealth's

involvement.

— oOo—

