6 May 2013

Arboretum names new pavilion after Margaret Whitlam

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Margaret Whitlam has been honored by the National Aboretum today when they named their new events pavilion after the late author, reports ABC News.

Mrs Whitlam was well-known as the wife of former prime minister Gough Whitlam, and was recognised in her own right as one of Australia’s national treasures.

She was a published author, social worker and former champion swimmer, having represented Australia at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney.

Mrs Whitlam died in 2012 aged 92 years old.

Nicholas and Judy Whitlam attended Monday’s official opening ceremony near the Arboretum amphitheatre.

The Margaret Whitlam Pavilion will be used for events and functions at the tree park.

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RadioVK said :

I would have thought that naming the pavilion after someone like Thomas Weston, who established the first plantations of trees in Canberra, would have been considered far more appropriate.

I think Thomas Weston would cringe if he thought his name was associated with the “Mount Rushmore Arboretum”

I would have thought that naming the pavilion after someone like Thomas Weston, who established the first plantations of trees in Canberra, would have been considered far more appropriate.

Mr Evil said :

54-11 said :

And as for Nicholas Whitlam, who nearly destroyed the NRMA…

He was (temporarily) banned from being a company director, as he was “not a fit and proper person to run a company”. What a ratbag he is, and I have no idea why the ACT would be involving him in our arboretum.

So poor fiscal responsibility and a lack business acumen runs in the family?

It certainly runs in the Territory Government “family”.

54-11 said :

And as for Nicholas Whitlam, who nearly destroyed the NRMA…

He was (temporarily) banned from being a company director, as he was “not a fit and proper person to run a company”. What a ratbag he is, and I have no idea why the ACT would be involving him in our arboretum.

So poor fiscal responsibility and a lack business acumen runs in the family?

And as for Nicholas Whitlam, who nearly destroyed the NRMA…

He was (temporarily) banned from being a company director, as he was “not a fit and proper person to run a company”. What a ratbag he is, and I have no idea why the ACT would be involving him in our arboretum.

Masquara said :

Labor largesse extends to its corpses!

AND Labor largesse extends to its copses!

Matt69 said :

basketcase said :

The whole thing is a joke, a facility that charges $200 a photo is so far out of touch with the real world should be named after another out of touch with reality person, “What’s inflation” M. Whitlam.

Don’t know if you are allowed to say it on The RiotACT, but the word that comes to mind is WANKERS

‘…so far out of touch with the real world…’ – Couldn’t agree more. Anyone tried to book a function at this place? I did, and gave up not too long afterwards due to their amazing lack of customer service. Real pity as I think the location is fantastic and the Pavilion is a beautiful site for special occasions – I just don’t think the management will do it justice.

Good point… so The Hoo-Ha Pavilion it is then.

basketcase said :

The whole thing is a joke, a facility that charges $200 a photo is so far out of touch with the real world should be named after another out of touch with reality person, “What’s inflation” M. Whitlam.

Don’t know if you are allowed to say it on The RiotACT, but the word that comes to mind is WANKERS

‘…so far out of touch with the real world…’ – Couldn’t agree more. Anyone tried to book a function at this place? I did, and gave up not too long afterwards due to their amazing lack of customer service. Real pity as I think the location is fantastic and the Pavilion is a beautiful site for special occasions – I just don’t think the management will do it justice.

Deref said :

😀 Wonderful tribute to a wonderful person.

I am sure she was a wonderful person but it just does not seem approriate to honour her in this way as she has little connection with Canberra and zero with the Arboretum. Perhaps you can explain why it is a wonderful tribute to her?

Mr Evil said :

Yay, the Whitlam-cult continues – paid for by the kind taxpayers of the ACT!

So, do you exit the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion through the John Kerr Memorial doors??

Evil comment by Mr Evil himself.

Jethro said :

Based on the photograph, one may wonder if a more pressing issue is the fact that the arboretum appears to be lacking actual trees.

I’ve been saying that for sometime actually.

😀 Wonderful tribute to a wonderful person.

The whole thing is a joke, a facility that charges $200 a photo is so far out of touch with the real world should be named after another out of touch with reality person, “What’s inflation” M. Whitlam.

Don’t know if you are allowed to say it on The RiotACT, but the word that comes to mind is WANKERS

Based on the photograph, one may wonder if a more pressing issue is the fact that the arboretum appears to be lacking actual trees.

GardeningGirl3:36 pm 07 May 13

Despite Whitlam’s aura of caring for the little people, they were as expendable to him as to any other politician. So as one of those expendable little nobodies I could do without seeing the Whitlam name attached to venues around my hometown.

But apart from that, I really don’t see the relevance anyway. Menzies Walk is fair enough. Off the top of my head wasn’t Menzies quite involved in Canberra developing from an artificially created city to a place people call home? I remember a story about his daughter complaining about the lack of footpaths making it difficult to get around with the pram? So naming a footpath in the Parliamentary Triangle after him seems appropriate. I’m going to check dungfungus’s link to see I’m right.

The better choices for a name for the arboretum pavillion in my opinion would have been either Marion Mahony Griffin, someone with a connection to botany or Canberra’s history or both, or a relevant indigenous name.

I think I’m going to refer to it as the Hoo-Ha Pavillion as suggested in the first reply. 🙂

dungfungus said :

This sets an undesirable precedent.
The place is supposed to be an arboretum not a memorial theme park for apolitical figures.
If buildings have to be named why can’t people with a botanical or Canberra-centric background be recognised? What has Margaret Whitlam ever done for Canberra apart from being a part time resident here? I wasn’t aware she was an author either.
This move ensures the naming of other buildings there will be overweighted with people from the non-conservative side of politics. I can just imagine “The Bob Brown Biodegradable Toilet Pavillion” etc.

Would you prefer “The Fire Before the Big Fire Memorial Hut”

Yay, the Whitlam-cult continues – paid for by the kind taxpayers of the ACT!

So, do you exit the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion through the John Kerr Memorial doors??

HiddenDragon12:20 pm 07 May 13

MissChief said :

Or there’s this idea…

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/follies-that-might-have-been-20130324-2go02.html

a long overdue memorial to Marion Griffin.

Another good suggestion, particularly given Marion Griffin’s aesthetic appreciation of the Canberra landscape.

Another option might have been a suitable indigenous name.

Postalgeek said :

Maybe a nice quiet stroll along the R G Menzies Memorial Walk by the lake might help give this none-issue some perspective.

The reasons the NCA named the RG Menzies Memorial Walk are at this link http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=211&Itemid=201
It’s a bit of long bow to compare Margaret Whitlam’s contribution to Canberra to that of Menzies.

Or there’s this idea…

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/follies-that-might-have-been-20130324-2go02.html

a long overdue memorial to Marion Griffin.

Maybe a nice quiet stroll along the R G Menzies Memorial Walk by the lake might help give this none-issue some perspective.

Benaresq said :

HiddenDragon said :

I don’t (really don’t) want to make a political point here, but there are other less prominent women who might have been more appropriate – Nancy Burbidge, for instance.

There is already a Burbridge Amphitheatre at the Botanic Gardens.

So what? There is also a Manning Clark Theatre and a Manning Clark House in Canberra (another Labor man).
Naming the buiding the Nancy Burbridge Pavilion would have been most appropriate.
The way things are going, the arboretum itself will probably be named after our current prime minister who forked out a lot of public money towards its development. Next thing they will be propagating shoots from the Tree of Knowledge to plant all over the aboretum.
And somehow the names of Stanhope and Mackay will have to be prominently involved.
I would like to know what the current expenditure is (to the nearest 100 million dollars).

Another example of Labour using public money to glorify their own. Hopefully the building will be named something more appropriate when Labour is gone. I like the idea of a Canberra based botanist. I wonder if the Greens were asked what they thought.

I love how this city is so accepting and positive on issues that really have no bearing on an otherwise small sheltered world.

Congratulations to the Whitlam family. I bet you’re all proud as punch to have your mother/grandmother recognized in such a way.

HiddenDragon said :

I don’t (really don’t) want to make a political point here, but there are other less prominent women who might have been more appropriate – Nancy Burbidge, for instance.

There is already a Burbridge Amphitheatre at the Botanic Gardens.

This sets an undesirable precedent.
The place is supposed to be an arboretum not a memorial theme park for apolitical figures.
If buildings have to be named why can’t people with a botanical or Canberra-centric background be recognised? What has Margaret Whitlam ever done for Canberra apart from being a part time resident here? I wasn’t aware she was an author either.
This move ensures the naming of other buildings there will be overweighted with people from the non-conservative side of politics. I can just imagine “The Bob Brown Biodegradable Toilet Pavillion” etc.

HiddenDragon10:49 pm 06 May 13

I don’t (really don’t) want to make a political point here, but there are other less prominent women who might have been more appropriate – Nancy Burbidge, for instance.

Labor largesse extends to its corpses!

GardeningGirl8:48 pm 06 May 13

Why? I don’t see any relevance.

I’m upset they didn’t call it The Hoo-Ha Pavilion. Margaret famously went on TV in 1974 – when Gough was PM and Australia was caught up in the world oil-shock recession – and said that she “couldn’t understand all this hoo-ha about inflation” which at that stage was running at 20%.

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