Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

One of the things, which a man like me in the autumn of his years might be expected to admire, is the respect which the Japanese accord to old age; and one of those, which he might be expected to envy, is their ability to postpone its arrival almost indefinitely. There is a short poem in ancient Japanese from the Kokinshu which makes this point: Oiralw no K.omu to shiriseba Kado sashite Nashi to kotaete Awazara mashi wo Translated, this means: 'When I see old age approaching I am happy to be able to bar my gate and say "no entry": I was not, therefore, surprised to see in the spring honours list, in which my name appeared, that there was no Japanese under seventy and that the oldest was eighty-seven. A country like Australia which encourages people of seventy or even less to retire and spend the rest of their lives playing golf or lying in the sun, loses much of its tribal wisdom. The Japanese do not allow that to happen. This is but one example of how a study of Japan teaches us that 'the Aussie way' is not the only way. I have made this point in my book The Narrow Road to a Far Country, and you must forgive me if, in conclusion, I make it again: The presence of Japan in the modem world . . . makes us realise that civilisation can have different versions and alternative patterns ... Japan makes possible a different form of sociology, a different form of economy, a different form of culture, a different form of success. By looking carefully at Japan we can learn not only about an unfamiliar part of the world but about ourselves and we can look at the planet Earth from a new perspective. We in Australia must be ready to keep our perspective constantly adjusted to the realities of life if we are to meet successfully the challenges that face us in this changing and developing part of the world, in which Japan will play an increasingly important role. 3 Speech in reply to the Director, at a Queensland Art Gallery reception to celebrate Richard Austin's appointment as an Officer of the Order ofAustralia (AO), 16 February 1996 NOTE: THE FOLLOWING SPEECH WAS DELIVERED BY THE DIRECTOR, DOUG HALL, TO WHICH RICHARD AUSTIN RESPONDED: 'WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO HONOUR THE MANY ACHIEVEMENTS OF ONE PERSON, WHICH HAVE NOW BEEN RECOGNISED IN THREE DISTINCTIVE WAYS. LET ME SAY FROM THE OUTSET THAT DICK AUSTIN AND I WERE APPOINTED CHAIRMAN AND DIRECTOR, 167