O U N D A T I O N   E X P O  ' 8 8
Progressing the World Expo '88 Vision
- A non-government not-for-profit entity celebrating Brisbane's World Expo '88 -

Return to Table of Contents

Academic Forum

Opening and Closing Ceremony Speeches
 "Opening Ceremony Speeches, National Day Speeches, Closing Ceremony Speeches"
Office of the Commissioner-General, World Expo '88



Closing Ceremony

The Honourable Sir Llewellyn Edwards
Chairman of World Expo '88

MR PRIME MINISTER, MR PREMIER, MY LORD MAYOR, MINISTERS, SIR EDWARD WILLIAMS, DR DE LARIO, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, MADAME DEFRENE, COMMISSIONERS-GENERAL, COMMISSIONERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

IN JUST OVER ONE HOUR WORLD EXPO 88 WILL BE CLOSED. THE HARD WORK SO MANY OF YOU HAVE
GIVEN OVER SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED. THE EXCITEMENT AND FUN EXPERIENCED BY OUR VISITORS WILL SOON BECOME A WONDERFUL MEMORY. TOGETHER WE HAVE STAGED ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EXPOSITIONS IN HISTORY. THIS SUCCESS HAS BEEN BROUGHT ABOUT BY A REMARKABLE COMMITMENT AND CO-OPERATION BY MANY PEOPLE. I WANT TO USE THIS MOMENT TO THANK THEM.

WE PAY TRIBUTE TO OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS, WHO HAVE SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO
 PRODUCE THE HIGH STANDARD PAVILIONS WHICH OUR VISITORS HAVE ENJOYED SO MUCH. THE CO-OPERATION WE HAVE RECEIVED HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING. TO THE STATES AND THE TERRITORIES AND THE STATES OF OTHER COUNTRIES, I MUST SAY WE HAVE BEEN VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND I WISH YOU MANY LONG-TERM BENEFITS FROM THE MARVELLOUS ROLE YOU HAVE PLAYED IN WORLD EXPO 88.

I ALSO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE CORPORATE SECTOR FOR YOUR SUPPORT, FOR THE PAVILIONS PROVIDED
 AND FOR THE SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT.

OUR MERCHANDISING OUTLETS AND THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE OUTLETS HAVE ALL UNDERTAKEN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT BY PROVIDING A WONDERFUL SERVICE FOR OVER EIGHTEEN MILLION VISITORS.

I MUST ALSO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT FOR THEIR CO-OPERATION WITH
WORLD EXPO 88. THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE WAS FREE OF ANY INDUSTRIAL DISPUTATION, WITH NO TIME LOST. THIS IS A FIRST FOR A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE IN AUSTRALIA AND SHOWS WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH UNDER­STANDING AND COMMUNICATION.

THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LANDMARK AGREEMENT FOR THE OPERATION OF THE SITE, WHICH ADDED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE EXPOSITION AND ESTABLISHED CLEARLY THE PRINCIPLE THAT MANAGEMENT AND UNIONS CAN WORK TOGETHER AND MUST WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF AUSTRALIA AND PARTICULARLY OUR GROWING TOURIST INDUSTRY.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY TO SUCCEED IN THIS AREA OF INTER-GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIPS, BUT THE COMMITMENT BY OUR PRIME MINISTER AND OUR FORMER MINISTER, JOHN BROWN, AND OUR PRESENT MINISTER, SENATOR RICHARDSON, HAS LEFT NOTHING TO BE DESIRED.

TO YOU, MR PREMIER AND YOUR PREDECESSOR, THE HONOURABLE SIR JOH BJELKE-PETERSEN, AND
THE HONOURABLE BILL GUNN, OUR PRESENT MINISTER FOR EXPO, WE OFFER OUR THANKS. WE HAVE APPRECIATED YOUR INTEREST AND SUPPORT AND WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALREADY CONSIDERING WAYS TO KEEP THE SPIRIT AND BENEFITS OF EXPO ALIVE IN QUEENSLAND.

AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, WE THANK THE LORD MAYOR OF BRISBANE, ALDERMAN SALLYANNE
ATKINSON, AND HER ALDERMEN FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND INTEREST. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS CO-OPERATION IN THE POST EXPO DEVELOPMENT.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE MEDIA FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND COMMITMENT TO US. THEY
 HAVE BECOME PART OF THE FAMILY OF EXPO AND THEY HAVE BEEN FAIR AND JUST IN THEIR REPORTING OF THE EXPOSITION AND WE THANK THEM FOR THIS.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK SIR EDWARD WILLIAMS AND HIS STAFF FOR THEIR CO-OPERATION AND
 ASSISTANCE.

I NOW TURN TO THE STAFF OF EXPO. WHAT A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE THEY HAVE BEEN.
FIRSTLY, THE VOLUNTEERS - YOU HAVE MADE AN OUTSTANDING AND MAGNIFICENT CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD EXPO 88. WE APPRECIATE THAT COMMITMENT AND ENORMOUS SUPPORT, RANGING FROM THE GROUP ORGANISED BY FRANCIS AND MARIE AT WORLD EXPO HOUSE, TO THE HOST AND HOSTESSES SO ABLY LED BY JUDY CHAPPELL, AND OUR ON-SITE VOLUNTEERS ORGANISED BY THE LORRAINE MARTIN ORGANISATION. ALSO I PAY TRIBUTE TO THE HUNDREDS OF HONORARY AMBASSADORS WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR US PROMOTING THIS GREAT EVENT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. YOU HAVE ALL BEEN MAGNIFICENT.

SECONDLY, THE STAFF ON SITE. THE SKY RIDE TEAM - CLEANERS - SECURITY PEOPLE - ATTENDANTS
 - MAINTENANCE PEOPLE AND MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO BRING TO FRUITION THE DREAMS OF THOSE WHO PLANNED THIS GREAT EVENT. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR YOUR PERFORMANCE OVER THIS VERY BUSY SIX MONTHS AND WE PAY YOU A HIGH TRIBUTE TODAY.

TO THE WORLD EXPO 88 AUTHORITY STAFF, THE GENERAL MANAGER, BOB MINNIKIN, THE DIRECTORS
OF THE EIGHT DIVISIONS - RICHARD JOHN, PETER GOLDSTON, JANE BRUMFIELD, KEN POPE, TONY PHILLIPS, RIC BIRCH, ROSS GIVEN, GRAHAM CURRIE AND ALL THE STAFF WITHIN THEIR DIVISIONS - YOU HAVE ALL BEEN PART OF A MAGNIFICENT TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOUGHT EXCELLENCE AND PROVIDED AN OUTSTANDING RESULT. NO LEADER COULD HAVE ASKED FOR ANY MORE AND I AM SO PROUD TO HAVE BEEN YOUR CHAIRMAN, YOUR LEADER AND A PART OF THIS GREAT TEAM FOR THE STAGING OF THIS REMARKABLE EVENT. WE HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU TREASURE THE REWARD OF HAVING BEEN PART OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EVENT IN AUSTRALIA'S HISTORY AND KNOW THAT THE CONTRIBUTION EACH OF YOU HAS MADE HAS BEEN DEEPLY APPRECIATED.

FINALLY, TO THE AUTHORITY BOARD - THEY HAVE BEEN UNDER­STANDING AND LOYAL AND HAVE
SUPPORTED ME AS CHAIRMAN OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PROJECT IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY AND I PAY THEM A HIGH TRIBUTE AS WELL.

MR PRIME MINISTER AND MR PREMIER, THIS EVENT, AS IT DRAWS TO A CLOSE, WILL BE REMEMBERED AS A GREAT EVENT IN OUR HISTORY. WE BELIEVE THAT AUSTRALIANS HAVE SHOWN GREAT PROFESSIONALISM IN STAGING THIS EVENT. WHEN WE ASKED FOR EXCELLENCE, INITIATIVE AND PERSEVERANCE FROM OUR STAFF IN THEIR PERFORMANCES WE RECEIVED IT, AND THERE IS RIGHTLY A STRONG NATIONAL PRIDE AMONG PEOPLE ALL ROUND AUSTRALIA FOR THE STANDARDS WE HAVE SET IN THIS SIX MONTH INTERNATIONAL FORUM. ABOVE ALL, WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE FORGED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE NATIONS PARTICIPATING HERE WHICH WILL HAVE AN IMPACT FOR MANY YEARS. WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS, BUT WE HAVE COME TOGETHER AS ONE PEOPLE IN CREATING THIS GREAT EXPOSITION OF EXCELLENCE, OF PRIDE AND OF PERFORMANCE. WE HAVE BECOME ONE FAMILY AND THAT SPIRIT OF WORKING TOGETHER MUST CONTINUE IN THE YEARS THAT LIE AHEAD.

IT IS NOW THE TIME FOR WORLD EXPO 88 TO COME TO AN END. 184 DAYS HAVE PASSED QUICKLY
AND TOGETHER WE HAVE GIVEN TO THE WORLD PLEASURE, EDUCATION, CELEBRATION AND FUN. WE HAVE MADE PEOPLE SMILE AND WE HAVE MADE THIS THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH IN 1988.

AS WE NOW SHARE THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF WORLD EXPO 88 AND THE SUN FADES ON THIS
MAGNIFICENT SITE AND THE LIGHTS GO OUT FOR THE LAST TIME, IT IS MY FURTHER HOPE THAT THE SPIRIT OF WORLD EXPO 88 WILL NEVER FADE AND WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT THE SPECIAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE ENJOYED THROUGH WORLD EXPO 88 BECOME PART OF OUR DAILY LIVES FROM NOW ON. THE STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE, THE COMMITMENT TO DOING OUR BEST EACH DAY, THE TAKING OF TIME TO ENJOY THE COMPANIONSHIP OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES, OF BRINGING MORE FUN AND HAPPINESS INTO OUR LIVES AND THEIRS. FOR ME THIS HAS BEEN A UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE. NO PERSON COULD HAVE HAD A GREATER RESPONSIBILITY OR A GREATER PRIVILEGE AND I HAVE BEEN HONOURED TO SHARE THIS WORK WITH SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

FINALLY, MR PRIME MINISTER AND MR PREMIER, I PAY TRIBUTE TO THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE AND
OUR VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. WE HAVE HAD OVER EIGHTEEN MILLION VISITS HERE AND DETAILS OF THOSE WILL BE GIVEN BY THE PREMIER AS THE FINAL RESULTS COME TO HAND IN A FEW MOMENTS. BUT, FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO HAVE COME HERE, WE HOPE THAT YOU TOO WILL TAKE THE SPIRIT OF EXPO WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE. IT HAS BEEN A
PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH YOU AND, AS WE PART AND SAY GOODBYE TO THE MANY WONDERFUL FRIENDS WE HAVE WORKED WITH, I AM SURE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A LITTLE CORNER IN YOUR HEARTS WHICH IS WORLD EXPO 88. I KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE IN MINE.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED AND MAY THE LIGHT OF WORLD EXPO 88 NEVER
REALLY FADE.