THE debate over whether or not Australia’s mining boom is over begs the question of just how prosperous our nation might be if, or when, the industry dries up.
As a community vitalised through a gold rush, Ballarat makes a fair claim that a community can succeed long after the boom passes.
Indeed, these are much different times to the 1850s and the stakes are extremely high.
Our nation’s reliance on mining to underpin the economy is unhealthy, particularly when burgeoning markets such as China and India remain financially exposed to world trends.
But predictions of its demise are premature. Either way, taking steps to ensure the remainder of the Australian economy is developing would be prudent now.
Taking a look at just how Victoria’s goldfields region developed could provide food for through for those charged with ensuring the ongoing success of the current boom towns.
Armstrong embodied spirit of exploration
NEIL Armstrong’s words when stepping foot onto the moon might be the most replayed recording of the 20th century. “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.” Yet few people knew his face.
Armstrong, the man was a reluctant hero. He preferred his actions to speak louder than his famous words.
An estimated 600 million people watched the grainy black and white television broadcast that showed Armstrong climb down the lunar module’s ladder on to the Moon’s desolate surface.
Few knew that Armstrong was a decorated pilot long before his space voyage. A US Navy aviator, he flew 78 missions in the Korean War.
He studied Aeronautical Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana, and later earned a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Southern California. In 1955, he became a test pilot at the High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Seven years later, Armstrong was selected by NASA to train as an astronaut in Houston, Texas.
The achievements of the Apollo crew became a symbol of unlimited boundaries, of vision and of success.
It was Armstrong who embodied the spirit and soul of a world exploring new frontiers.