Correspondence with Prime Minister John Howard
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Points to note:
This page is mainly a note to historians and biographers about 50 years (current analysts being sychophants more concerned about tenure) into the future. We all know it takes at least that long for an objective assessment of the performance and legacy of one, Prime Minister John Winston Howard - Prime Minister of Australia from '1996 to - let's see, he's 66 (Jungian Synchronicity note: the subject, John, unfortunately shares same birthday viz., 26 July, as the author, Peter, and the psychoanalyst, Carl) at the time of writing in '2005 - he'll survive the bombing of a few more thousand Australian children - of course he will do private polls to determine how many children, Aussie children that is (Iraqi children don't count) have to die, - probably a tens of thousands... anyway I'm predicting he'll beat Menzies' 17 years and go out at 20 years, that would be '2016. But the relevant point here is that after all the Murdoch media empire had done for him, especially to deflect attention away from his actual culpability, when he does a photo op at the 90th Annniversary of Gallipoli, he could not even pay the smallest tribute to the man who got our boys out of there - the ultimate snub to the Murdoch patriarch, Keith Murdoch, and his descendants, all the way from Rupert, to Lachlan, to the latest great grandson, Kalan. Now concerning the correspondence setting up the snubbing of Keith Murdoch: - there are 2 very different replies, the first dated 11 April the second 20 April, to the proposal dated 4 April. - the reply of 11 April tries to pass the buck, saying that it's State matter, even though clearly it is partly Federal. Amusingly, even Premier Steve Bracks tried to do a reverse flick pass and make it a Federal matter. - initially the strategy was to try to get Keith Murdoch tangible recognition in his home city of Melbourne. Then when Melboune snubbed its favourite son, it was a natural progression to go Federal and to Sydney and the need for a second airport, which would in effect be a truly National Airport. It was to all lead to snubbing at the highest level. |
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pete_tara@kxol.com.au ____________________________________ 4 April '05 The Hon John Howard MP Prime Minister Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Re: Recognition of Great Australians - Sir Keith Murdoch National Airport Dear Mr Howard Through the Victorian Premier Bracks, and perhaps Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, you have probably heard of our strong desire to give recognition in a more tangible way to the deeds of great Australians, like Sir Keith Murdoch. Please refer to attached copies of their correspondence. Alarmingly there is an increasing trend to discredit Sir Keith - clearly by the anti-Rupert clique. More and more, suposedly carefully researched works now ooze out on to bookshop floors every year for Anzac Day . Classic examples: Gallipoli by a Mr Les Carlyon, and a condensed version by his son, Patrick Carlyon, The Gallipoli Story, whose front cover proudly boasts a sticker from The Children's Book Council of Australia - Short Listed Book. Such books go out of their way to blatantly defame Sir Keith. Ths is what they say we should now be teaching Australian children: "Myth has it that Murdoch wrote a letter that prompted the British government to evacuate Gallipoli." (p147 ibid., see attached copies) What we, and Dame Elisabeth, need is for someone in Australia's government to come forward, have the whole issue looked at once and for all, and put Sir Keith up where he belongs. The recognition must be worthy of the contribution - hence changing the name of Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport to Sir Keith Murdoch National Airport. If this is not possible, how about putting up a bill that says when Australia finally gets - in the sense that it will need a load of Federal funding and high-speed rail access - a truly national airport, that's what it will be called, and that all planning is to now use that title. There are precedents. You are no doubt aware of what the Republicans did, and the arguments used for the change to Ronald Reagan National Airport. If such recognition gets some people's noses out of joint and brings the critics out of the woodwork, all the better. It would be a positive if a government sanctioned and significant recognition encourages healthy debate and people to enquire for themselves - not believe either side, but get out to the library and study the history of our great country. In naming a major landmark after Sir Keith we as a thankful nation are giving recognition to the whole Murdoch family. In particular, look at the contribution of Dame Elisabeth - all her charity work, which continues tirelessly at age 96 - what an example she sets. And for all the knockers of Rupert, he is an Australian who mixes it with the best of them on the world stage - a true worldbeater. And if he is just an American citizen now, why does he keep appointing Australians to senior executive positions. (David Hill at DirectTV just the other day). And the difference about the Murdochs is that they are not typically ostentatious as is usual with the wealthy - Rupert doesn't show off a fleet of expensive cars; Dame Elisabeth, likewise an old Puegot, still types out her own letters on her trusty typewriter, and has kept the same curtains though now fraying for 70 years, and there's still no central heating in Cruden Farm. Sir Keith and Dame Elisabeth meticulously set up an altruistic culture in their family - 'to be useful in the world'. The famous clause of his will only allowed Rupert to inherit News if such was clear to the trustees. And as KM put it in his last few days "I think the boy has got it". You could do it. Be seen as acting decisively - it's the perfect timing - make the announcement at the dawn ceremony at Gallipoli on Anzac Day, with words that hit the mark: "...A lot has been written about Gallipoli by so-called historians - 'it oozes out on to bookshop floors every year for Anzac Day'. Some of it is good, but some of it, well, with my 40 odd years experience in public life, I know a thing or two about what is myth and what is a witch-hunt - often with an ulterior motive (by people who have failed in their own lives). The time has come to give tangible recognition to the man who, I have no doubt whatsoever, really did get 'our boys out of Gallipoli'... [then using a line similar to John F Kennedy "before this decade is out ... a moon landing..."] "Before the dawn of the Centenary of Anzac Day, work will begin on Australia's National Airport and it will be called, Sir Keith Murdoch National Airport I will commission a design (through a competition) that must convey to visitors to our great southern land that "I have landed, not in a major State capital, but a truly national airport..." (I could write the whole speech if you like!) Did KM really play the spearheading role in getting our boys out? I have looked at the arguments on both sides and believe I have found the 'rosetta stone' that clearly shines on KM. The British War Office knew they had a mess when the Naval operation failed and when the landing force of 25 April failed to advance. It was the same stalemate as the Western Front. When they knew they had a mess on the Western Front they didn't evacuate. No British officer (like Dawnay) or journalist (like Ashmead-Bartlett) was going to force an evacuation of the Western Front or from Gallipoli. In fact it comes down to a simple characteristic that made the Australians superior as a total force, and thus much sought after - Australia had a policy of compulsory high quality military training, but a volunteer AIF. Other countries had a force with a large proportioin of poorly trained conscripts. If the British War Office didn't take KM's letter to the Australian Prime Minister seriously, they would have jeopardised that supply of high quality troops. The Murdoch family have tried to do things to honour their patriarch - a recent biography by Rupert's HarperCollins publishing company, a $5 million donation to the State Library of Victoria, American Australian Association Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowships, and much more. But the anti-Rupert clique and perhaps the tall-poppy syndrome that pervade our culture make that increasingly difficult. What was needed was initiation of the campaign by independent Australians, who for years have been trying to get people to respect the deeds of our ancestors over impostors - in particular recognition of the Billjim. And these men got their chance to perfom epochal deeds through KM getting them out of Gallipoli - they are of course the Australian Light Horse (3 ALH made the famous Nek charge without their horses) and Cameliers - who we call Australians of Arabia. They included Dame Elisabeth's uncle Lt. Col. Nowell de Lancey Forth, Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, Camel Corps. And of course you are well aware that KM continued to try 'to be useful in the world' all his life. There are so many other areas which add weight to giving this special recognition. He cared deeply about Australia maintaining a place in world affairs. One example that must be particularly dear to you is that he did so much to develop closer ties with the U.S. Like everything he took on, he did more than wish, he set it in stone, in this case by developing the Australian American Association - Dame Elisabeth is still the patron. In finishing off, we are all Australians, even though we have differing viewpoints on many issues (ironically some of us share the same birthday July 26!) that of course makes for a democracy, along with freedom of speech - to be able to get your opinion heard if it has merit at the highest level, even if you are one the plebeians - that's probably what Sir Keith valued most. Sincerely Tara & Peter Hogan |
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Keith Murdoch National Airport