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| home | news lKim Beazley Launches Australia On The Map Website
18 June 2004 - Encouraging Australians to mark 400 years of European sightings of Australia, the Hon. Kim Beazley MP launched the Australia on the Map website at the National Library of Australia in Canberra, on Friday. Mr Beazley is Chair of the National Commemoration Council of “Australia on the Map (AOTM) 1606-2006”. AOTM is a community-based organisation promoting Australia-wide commemorations in 2006 of the 400th anniversary of the first recorded sightings of Australia. In its extensive “landings list” on the website, AOTM notes that, in 2006, Willem Janszoon in the vessel Duyfken and Louis Veas De Torres in the San Pedrico and the Los Tres Reyges both sighted Australia at Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. Janszoon charted over 300 kilometres of the west coast of Cape York Peninsula and a few months later Torres sailed through the Strait named after him. Mr Beazley said these were important, though not well known, events in our national history and that they should be known, discussed and commemorated. The AOTM website was a major step towards that. Stressing that the 2006 commemorations are for all Australians, Mr Beazley pointed to the recent approval of a $55,000 grant for a “scoping study” from the Federal Minister for Environment and Heritage, the Hon. Dr David Kemp MP, as demonstrating the bipartisan nature of the commemorations. The results of the scoping study are due in August. As well as the landings list the site contains a database about the recorded first contacts with Aborigines in the period, documents relating to the history of Australia, historic photos and details of events planned for 2006. Source: “AUSTRALIA ON THE MAP 1606-2006” (AOTM) ABOUT “AUSTRALIA ON THE MAP 1606-2006” (AOTM)The vision of AOTM is that Australians will get to know their own history better and enjoy themselves in the process. The broad aims of AOTM are:
AOTM is a community based network with links across the nation. Our National Steering Committee (NSC) is Canberra based. A Steering Committee in every State will interact with an increasing number of local committees and with event organizers and the NSC. A Commemoration Council, chaired by the Hon Kim Beazley M.P. is in the process of being formed. The website will announce the details. A word from the Chair of the Commemoration Council This project will be the most far reaching historical commemoration of this decade. Its focus on a long sequence of Australian events will make it that. It will result in a sea-change in Australians' understanding of our contact history. The all-inclusiveness of this theme is another factor that sets it apart from others. As a historian I am not only interested in individual historical events, personalities and facts, but particularly in their contexts and connections. That is where history gets its relevance for a Nation. As a parliamentarian I find it important that this is a project that can touch everybody in Australia. I am proud to be associated with Australia on the Map 1606-2006, which will have bipartisan support at all levels of Government. The Hon. Kim Beazley MP A word from the National Steering Committee Chair Who dunnit? Ask your friends: Who did put Australia on the world map? That’ll be an interesting debate. History is a debate. Different people have different perceptions. Schools in different States have taught different national histories. Or were they just State histories and was National History ignored? Through debate, looking for evidence and analysis some consensus may be reached, until new evidence or a clever book makes the debate flare up again. Different people want to focus on different historical truths or myths. The publisher will promote stories that sell well. The businessman may look for the actions of private enterprise that have been shaping Australia. Governments may focus on Government decisions that helped put our country on the map. The New Australian may look for a bilateral angle.The Aborigine might look for causes of their plight. The stamp collector may see it through small serrated pictures. Historical theorist will continue to launch new theories with or without hard evidence. The multi-generational Australian family proudly shows what their forbears contributed in the early days. The war hero may look at the impact of wars. The union member might look for the development of quality in employment and in the workplace. All have their views and evidence to provide. They will all be right, until the evidence and arguments are debated. Key events, people or contexts may have been ignored, forgotten, not taught or sparsely published and may be brought into the debate so the commonly held views are challenged. Popular theories may be debunked. Australian history is likely to get a new perspective. Now AOTM presents the option to look at Australia over the last 400 years. Most importantly we must enjoy ourselves when preparing for this and in taking part in 2006. The first challenge: Creating events and activities that become worthwhile experiences for others. Will we know and understand more at the end of 2006 about our history, geography and our contacts with the world? I am confident that we will. Peter Reynders INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION: AOTM has also sought international input from the relevant foreign missions in Australia. The Netherlands Embassy is supporting our endeavours which will dovetail with their plans to celebrate in 2006 400 years of bilateral contact between Australia and The Netherlands. Their celebrations will centre around various themes, including the Dutch explorations of the Australian continent in the17th and 18th century, Dutch contributions to Australian defence in the Pacific War and the post-war migration of some 160,000 Dutch people to Australia in the 1950-70 period. They also plan to bring to Australia examples of the best of The Netherlands' industry, arts, science and sports. AOTM and The Netherlands Embassy are working closely together. For information on the bilateral celebrations please contact the Netherlands Embassy in Canberra:
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