THERE was a notable gathering at Mt. Eliza last Saturday afternoon to take part in the ceremony of opening the new public hall, erected by the residents, largely as the result of voluntary labor.
The Prime Minister, with Mrs. Bruce, whose home, “Ormiston,” is within a mile or two of the new building, arrived shortly after 3 o’clock, and were received by the president of the hall committee, Cr. Dudley Detmold, Major Geoff Grice (vice-president), and Cr. J. R. M. Walker (hon. sec.).
The attendance numbered between 200 and 300 people, and included many city visitors, as well as residents of Frankston, Mornington, and surrounding districts.
Mrs. Bruce wore a navy blue cloth coat and skirt and mole brown velvet toque. She was presented with a posy of flowers by little Millie Moseley.
In the absence of Mrs. Dudley Detmold, through illness, Mrs. Jas. Grice and Mrs. Howatson assisted at the reception.
The hall was beautifully decorated, and the arrangements generally were carried out in a highly satisfactory manner.
Cr. Dudley Detmold, president of the Public Hall Committee, introduced the Prime Minister, and said that the people of Mt. Eliza were very fortunate in having the Prime Minister of Australia to open the new hall.
Mr. Bruce, who was received with cheers, said that Mr. Detmold had got through his speech with such extraordinary expedition that he (the Prime Minister) had scarcely time to pull himself together. (Laughter).
However, he had been called on to make so many speeches lately that he was not altogether perturbed.
He was in New South Wales last week and while at Paramatta made four speeches in five hours.
He realised that this was one of the penalties attached to the exalted position he held through no fault of his own.
He was present at Mt. Eliza that day as one of the local residents. (Cheers). He could assure them it was much nicer to be among his own people than appearing before strangers who attended his meetings largely out of curiosity, asking themselves “Who is this fellow?” and “What has he got to say for himself?” (Laughter).
He participated in the present ceremony with great pleasure. A public hall was wanted in the district.
These halls should be erected throughout the length and breadth of the land. They enabled the people to get together. Our forefathers enjoyed no such social amenities, but the country was advancing, and now life was much brighter, and should be much happier.
With halls such as they were opening, the people should take the advantage offered to evolve a community spirit and community ideals.
If one could get unity in one’s own district it, was undoubtedly a step towards getting unity throughout the State and ultimately throughout the Continent.
Unity among the People of Australia was very essential today. That such unity was possible was proved during the Great War crisis when the country was in danger.
Australia at that time dropped all divisions, parties and sections. His opinion was that unity today was just as essential as it was then.
The people of Australia were under a great obligation to the men who had fought for great ideals and to the women who had made great sacrifices to the pioneers who had laid the foundations of this great Australia for the benefit of the generations who were coming after.
The present generation should realise its obligations and faithfully carry out the duty lying ready to its hand.
If the people of Australia were going to drift apart – to forget community ideals – then Australia would suffer.
This new hall was a good indication of the progressive spirit that was wanted in Australia. Unity of purpose was existent here, and this hall would stand as a monument to the people of the Mount Eliza district who were united and wholehearted in bettering present–day conditions. (Cheers).
Mr. Bruce then formally declared the hall opened.
Mrs. Bruce was presented with a bouquet of flowers by little Millie Moseley.
All present then entered the hall and sat down to tables loaded with delicacies.
After the loyal toast had been honoured, Mr. Jas. Grice, J.P., gave the toast of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce, and said all were proud of their Prime Minister who was an Australian, whose Australian education had been finished off at Cambridge.
Mr. Bruce who had fought at Gallipoli, had risen to the highest position in Australia, and was among the few parliamentarians who had never taken any payment for his services. (Cheers).
Mr. Grice paid a striking tribute to the Prime Minister’s father, the late Mr. Bruce, with whom the speaker had personal friendship.
The Prime Minister, in responding, said the gathering seemed to be taking the form of a speech-making debauch (laughter) and was likely to rival his Paramatta record before referred to. (Laughter).
He was very grateful to Mr. Grice for the many nice things said relating to his late father and himself.
Regarding his war service he said it seemed to him there were two classes who took part in the war – the one who arrived just after a battle and left before an engagement, and the other who arrived just in time to take part in the fighting. He belonged to the first class.
His experience was that he got wounded just before a big fight; but fate had an important card up its sleeve regarding his destiny – a worse fate that mutilation on the battlefield – the Prime Ministership of Australia. (Laughter).
He had accepted the office and intended doing his best.
The present government was something like the new Mt. Eliza hall. It offered a great opportunity to the people to place Australia on sure and certain foundations.
If they could build solidly and enduringly they would have done something for the country.
The government took the same conception of their task as the people did who erected the Mt. Eliza hall.
The government wanted to give an opportunity to all the people of Australia to build the national edifice and place it on foundations that would prove solid and enduring for all time.
It had been suggested in the press that he as Prime Minister had made a great number of speeches, and had really said nothing up to date!
This was most unfair, considering the time and labor those speeches had cost him. (Laughter).
His government had come into being six or seven weeks’ ago, and found Australia recovering from the effects of the war.
Things were changing from the abnormal to the normal. A number of functions and festivities arising out of the war had to be set aside.
To this government was set the task of straightening out things from the abnormal to the normal.
As soon as the government had taken stock it would look into the future.
If anyone could say what to do for Australia after a short review, he could only say that the task would be badly done.
As well as he might like to stalk up and down the country saying what should be done for Australia at the present moment he was not going to do it, as the head of the government, till he could give a policy as a complete whole. (Cheers).
When the government was in that position its full policy would be declared with complete frankness. (Cheers).
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From the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 11 & 13 Apr 1923
