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Quotable
Quotes!
Expo's
leading figures - their thoughts captured in an instant
Sourced from the World Expo '88 Official Newspapers 'The
Courier-Mail' and 'The Sunday Mail'.
Sir Llew Edwards, Chair & CEO of
the World Expo '88 Authority, puts his mark on the
Expo site. Caricature by Ricardo, The Courier-Mail.
April 29, 1988. p.57.
April 29, 1988
"We are no longer the
deep north and we want to prove this to the
world at large."
- former Premier, Sir
Joh Bjelke-Petersen, October 19, 1981.
"We want Expo
88 for Queensland, but we won't be able
to stage the event without Commonwealth
(the Australian Federal Government)
backing and co-operation."
- Sir Joh, the same
day.
"They haven't
said too much yet but if I'm any
judge they're rapt."
- Queensland
Tourist and Travel Corporation
chairman, Sir Frank Moore, after
Bureau of International
Exposition officials visited
Brisbane in 1983.
"The rich
get Expo, the poor get
homeless."
-
Placard at rally to
protest about Expo,
December 15, 1983.
"That's
just what I dreamed of. You
build 'em, knock 'em down,
then you build 'em, knock
'em down, then you build 'em
again."
- Unnamed
contractor commenting on
the temporary nature of
Expo at a planning
meeting, March 1, 1984.
"Brisbane
will never be the same
again."
-
Expo chairman, Sir
Llew Edwards, soon
after his
appointment, April
5, 1984.
"It
(Expo) will
disrupt and
destroy a unique
community."
-
Concerned
Citizens Action
Group spokesman
Richard Carew,
1984.
"The
policy this
Government has
adopted is
bordering on
organised
crime."
-
Former
independent
State member
for Callide,
Mr Lindsay
Hartwig,
commenting on
the
Government's
decision to
resume
properties for
Expo, October
22, 1984.
"I
don't want
Expo at all,
at least not
in Grey
Street. When I
think of all
the places Sir
Joh
Bjelke-Petersen
could have put
it, from Cape
York to
Coolangatta
and out to
Birdsville, he
had to choose
Grey Street."
-
Grey Street
resident,
Leonard
McCartney,
commenting on
having to move
for Expo, July
2, 1985.
"Unless
the two
governments
(State and
Federal) get
together and
recognise that
they have a
crisis on
their hands,
it (Expo) is
going to
fail."
-
an un-named
senior Expo
official,
March 28,
1987.
"I
know it's a
short time.
I'm just
hoping my
enthusiasm is
going to carry
me through
that short
time and make
it possible to
do more than
would seem
humanly
possible."
-
Academy-award
winning
designer, John
Truscott, Expo
creative
director,
April 17,
1987.
"I
guess I could
stand the
frustration no
longer. I
really believe
they had no
idea what they
were getting
themselves
into when they
took on Expo."
-
Greg Lund,
after he was
sacked as
international
participation
director,
April 13,
1987.
"If
the
(Australian
State
Governments)
States don't
want to come
that's their
problem."
-
Sir Llew, July
18, 1987.
"We
are giving
them (the
States) until
the end of
August to make
a decision."
-
Sir Llew,
August 12,
1987.
"They
(the States)
have until the
end of this
week to make a
decision."
-
Sir Llew,
September 28,
1987.
"New
South Wales
will be coming
to Expo."
-
former NSW
Premier,
Barrie
Unsworth,
October 3,
1987.
(All other
States
subsequently
joined.)
October
24, 1988
"If
they (the
Federal
Government)
are small
enough to put
me behind some
boxes, then
that's their
problem."
-
Former Premier
Sir Joh
Bjelke-Petersen,
finding he
would not be
on stage for
the Expo
opening.
"The
way things are
going we
should easily
achieve our
target of 7.8
million
visits."
-
Expo Authority
chairman Sir
Llew Edwards.
(Attendance is
now likely to
be more than
15 million).
"I
am a normal
human being
full of
complexes,
skinny, old
and ugly."
-
Spanish
crooner Julio
Iglesias.
"I saw
the band and I
thought they
must be
waiting for
some
dignitary."
-
Expo visitor
number 500,000
John Smith of
South
Australia.
"I'd
like to make
it absolutely
clear to the
people of
Australia that
this is the
safest place
on earth."
-
Sir Llew,
after fire
destroyed the
Alien
Encounters
ride at World
Expo Park.
"Expo
is the safest
site in
Brisbane"
-
Sir Llew,
after the
fifth Expo
fire, also in
Alien
Encounters.
"It
has given us
one last
chance to see
the world."
-
Mr Bob
Catchpole, 79,
and wife Emma,
77, plan 100
Expo visits.
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