Australia

_{25 November, 2008}

AUSTRALIA
Ms JARRATT (Whitsunday—ALP) (11.55 am): Once in a lifetime a movie is made that seeks to
paint the character of a nation and that holds the potential to alter the destiny of a country. The Baz
Luhrmann epic Australia is such a movie. Along with a relative handful of privileged people, I was fortunate
to be present at the premiere of this amazing movie in Bowen, where parts of the epic were filmed. I was
very proud to represent the Premier on the night and to be amongst the first in the world to watch a movie
that spoke to so many parts of the Australian psyche. The movie has romance, drama, humour and action.
It captures the spirit of the larger-than-life characters who actually still live in the far-flung corners of this
country. Some of our best actors including Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown and David Wenham were called
upon to deliver the roles that make this movie a quintessentially Aussie experience.
Many who have seen the movie agree that the real star is 12-year-old Brandon Walters, who plays
the character Nulla. Nulla and his grandfather, played by David Gulpilil, were for me standouts in the movie
who, under Baz Luhrmann’s directorship, provided a social anchor for the movie that was both challenging
and uplifting. The movie also depicts the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese—an event that brought
World War II to the shores of this country. This part of the movie was filmed in Bowen, so it was incredible
to see such a familiar vista transformed into a scene of fiery Armageddon. The movie does of course have
a special place in the hearts of the people of Bowen, who saw their sleepy foreshore transformed to
represent the Darwin waterfront. Many residents took their place beside Nicole Kidman and Hugh
Jackman as extras for the movie while others formed a fabulous brigade of volunteers showing visitors
around the set and helping the cast and crew in many and various ways.
I am also proud that our government showed its faith in this movie through a $500,000 contribution.
It has been money well spent—a great investment in a movie that will repay the state many times over. In
a rare opportunity, Baz Luhrmann has given his blessing for Tourism Australia to feature the movie
Australia in a major international campaign to lure tourists to our shores. The advertising campaign has
been rolled out around the world in cinemas, on television, in print and online. According to the federal
Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, this campaign will be the highest profile and most sophisticated
campaign ever undertaken by Tourism Australia. The federal government is investing around $40 million in
the campaign, which will have major benefits for tourism in this state.
Apart from dedicated advertising campaigns, the movie has also generated a great deal of media
interest in all aspects of the movie’s making, including the locations in which it was filmed. In this regard,
the pay-off has already begun, with Bowen being featured in Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph last weekend as
well as in a host of other newspaper, magazine and online articles. While I know the world is full of
sceptics, I believe this movie will be a huge international success and the catalyst for a resurgence of
interest in tourism for our state.
Ms Boyle: Bigger and better than Gone with the Wind.
Ms JARRATT: Absolutely. I take that interjection from the minister. One thing is for sure: when the
visitors arrive we have a plethora of world-class experiences and destinations for them to explore.
Speech by Jan Jarratt extracted from Hansard of Tuesday, 25 November 2008
File name: jarr2008_11_25_57.fm Page : 2 of 2
While I congratulate everyone who became a finalist or who won a category in the state tourism
awards, I want to pay special credit to a large number of our Whitsunday entrants who became finalists this
year, because it has been one of the toughest years they have had for a long time. I like to compare the
tourism industry to the graceful swan: it is all polished and attractive on the surface, but the little webbed
feet are paddling at 100 miles an hour to keep it afloat. That is what it has been like for the tourism industry
this year. So it is a huge credit to so many operators in the Whitsundays that they have reached the finals
in this year’s tourism awards.
Special credit must go to Greg and Naomi McKinnon and their extended family for their outstanding
win in the tourist and caravan park category of this year’s awards. Their BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday
Resort, or the frog caravan park as locals know it, provides a real oasis for the weary traveller or the family
on holidays. It is the friendly service that is offered by that caravan park that tops off the whole experience
for them. This was a well-deserved gong for the McKinnons in a very competitive field.
The other special mention must go to the wonderful volunteers from the Proserpine museum for
their high commendation in the heritage and cultural tourism category. This was a just reward for a group of
dedicated and hardworking volunteers who have become the custodians of local history in the
Whitsundays. The Proserpine museum is a magnificent facility and a must-see for all visitors to the area.
In conclusion, I simply congratulate all the entrants in this year’s state tourism awards and wish the
very best of fortune to those who will represent this state in the national awards later this year.

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