Light on the Hill exhibition
Published on 01 October 2024
The Light on the Hill exhibition is now open at Chifley Home and Education Centre.
The exhibition celebrates one of the most important speeches of Bathurst’s Ben Chifley, delivered when he was Prime Minister.
In 1949, at the NSW Labor Conference, Ben Chifley delivered his iconic “Light on the Hill” speech, which still stands today as a guiding philosophy for the Labor Party.
The exhibition, which explores the politics of Ben Chifley and the impact of the speech, was opened on Saturday 21 September by Hon Ed Husic MP, Federal Member for Chifley in Western Sydney, and Minister for Industry and Science.
“Ben Chifley holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Bathurst – one of our own made good,” said Ali Wright, Coordinator of Bathurst Rail Museum & Chifley Home and Education Centre.
“This speech has echoed through the decades since 1949, and is still relevant today. It speaks of supporting his community, through access to medical care, employment and housing, and of his desire, as part of the labour movement, to see better conditions for all Australians,” she said.
Ben Chifley was Australia’s 16th Prime Minister, from 1945-1949. His time in the Cabinet of the John Curtin government and as Prime Minister was a time of change in Australia, through the end of World War II, and the years following.
He held a significant role in the recovery of Australia following World War II. His initiatives included the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme, the establishment of Australian National University, and Commonwealth State Housing Agreement, along with the precursors to medical access legislation such as Medicare and the Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme.
The exhibition “Ben Chifley: Light on the Hill 1949-2024” is on at the Chifley Home and Education Centre, 10-12 Busby Street, South Bathurst. Open: 11am-3pm daily, closed Thursdays. Open seven days per week during NSW school holidays.
Image: Bathurst Rail Museum and Chifley Home and Education Centre Coordinator Ali Wright with Hon Ed Husic MP, Federal Member for Chifley and Minister for Industry and Science at the opening of the Light on the Hill exhibition.