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ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 51| June 2001
19012001 Anniversary Dinner
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To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Parliamentary Library and the National Library of Australia, a dinner organised by the Joint Library Committee of the Commonwealth Parliament and the Council of the National Library of Australia was held on 5 April in the Members Dining Room at Old Parliament House, Canberra. Hosted by Senator the Hon. Margaret Reid, President of the Senate, the Hon. Neil Andrew MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Mr James Bain AM, Chairman, National Library of Australia Council, the distinguished company included members of both Houses of Parliament, members of the National Librarys Council and former staff of both libraries together with a number of friends and supporters. In his remarks, the Hon. Peter McGauran, Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation, pointed out that originally the Commonwealth Parliament Library, like the Library of Congress, was to operate both as a Parliamentary Library and as a public library. He praised the Parliamentary Library which serves all members of parliament regardless of party or rank. Certainly, I know from my days in opposition when research staff were few, the Parliamentary Library proved to be an information lifeline. Referring to the National Library, Minister McGauran said The Library has grown in stature to become one of the most respected libraries in the world. The thousands of people who have served the nation through the Library over the years are honoured here tonight. Many have been with the Library for most of their working lives and their knowledge is immeasurable. Australia has been very well served indeed by both the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library and the National Library of Australia. Many reminiscences of old days were shared in the building where both libraries were located from 1927 after the move from Melbourne until the end of 1962. Minister McGauran said that Laurie Fitzhardinge, later renowned as the biographer of Prime Minister Billy Hughes, when employed as one of the young librarians, rode his horse to work each day and was possibly the last commonwealth officer to receive a horse forage allowance in Canberra. |
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James Bain, AM, Chairman, National Library of Australia Council, at the Anniversary Dinner leads a toast to Australias two great Commonwealth librariesthe Parliamentary Library and the National Library of Australia ... from their shared beginning, both libraries have continued to flourish ... Charge your glasses, be upstanding and join me in a toast to their future success and prosperity. |
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Jan Fullerton, Director-General with Council members, Don Bourke (left) and Professor Alan Robson, Deputy Chairman (centre) at the Anniversary Dinner. |
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The dinner was one of a number of major events scheduled for the anniversary year launched last November and reported in Gateways December 2000 issue. Information about the anniversary year is on the NLA web site at www.nla.gov.au/anniversary/. |
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: dthomas@nla.gov.au