MEMORY OF DAMPIER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22525, 16 September 1936, Page 15

MEMORY OF DAMPIER

PROPOSAL FOR MONOLITH

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN SCHEME

The Western Australian Historical Society has obtained the Federal Government's support for the erection of a monolith at Broome in memory of Captain William JPampier, buccaneer,' navigator and hydrographer, who was the first Englishman to land on the coast of Western A ustralia/The monolith will cost not less than £I.OO, to which the Commonwealth Government will subscribe £BO and the Historical Society £2O. It -will; be built in one of the Eastern States: under the super-' vision of the naval authorities and be sent to Broome oil; the first warship to visit the port subsequently. * The society has offered to pirepara an inscription for the stone and hopes that a couplet for it will be penned by the Poet Laureate,. Mr. John Masefield, who last Apriil presented to the National Library, lit Canberra,- books on the voyages of Dampier, on which he had worked for many years. Dampier careened his ship, the Roebuck, at Broome and stayed there for some weeks. The ibay at Broome is known as Roebuck Bay; the creek alongside the town is known as Dampier Creek, and a rock in it is named Buccaneer Rock.

The Historical Society, in a letter to the Minister of External Affairs, Sir George Pearce, wilio has since announced the Government's decision, proposed that the m emorial be unveiled witn full naval honours and pageantry and suggested that, in addition to writing a couplet for the stone, Mr. Masefield might prepare a dedicatory ova-,: tion for delivery at the unveiling cere-..,,