"It all seems to be happening
in Tennant Creek."

The Governor General Sir William Deane spoke to the delegates
and locals at the LGANT conference.

I'm a little overcome for the reason that while most pleasant things have happened to me since I've become Governor General coming on three years ago, this is the first time anyone has given me a key to a city, a town or a village. And I must say I really couldn't think of a nicer place to receive a key from.
The one thing that has been impressed upon us since we arrived here early this morning, and looking around, the impression has been reinforced, is that Tennant is obviously the centre of the Northern Territory. Just about everything seems to be happening here either today or tomorrow and certainly just about everybody seems to be here, even if in the case of some I can't say much about them because they're electioneering and I have to keep out of that!
But can I say a couple of things in serious vain. First I'd like to thank the Mayor, the council and particularly Dr Ali Khan for the way they've organised our visit. The organisation I might say, began when the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and Dr Ali Khan called on me in Canberra and made it quite clear that they weren't leaving until I agreed to come to Tennant Creek to open the conference.
The invitation was one that I was anxious to accept because while I've been coming to the Territory for many years, first as a barrister, then as a Federal judge hearing appeals from the Northern Territory Supreme Court and more recently as Governor General when the opportunity comes, I'd never had the opportunity of coming to Tennant Creek. The closest had been to Katherine on the one side after the recent floods and to Alice Springs on the other.
I've been extraordinarily impressed by what I've seen today in terms of a community that seems to me to be really working together in harmony. Sometimes an outsider gets the wrong impression but more often than not, an outsider can get the feeling of a place and I'd simply like to say the feeling about Tennant is very, very good.
I don't propose to make a speech so having said those things I'll simply conclude by saying to the Mayor and the council thank you very much, I regard this as an honour.
My term as Governor General is due to expire on the 1st of January 2001, the effect of this gift which makes me an honourary citizen of your town is that I will certainly make a special effort to come back here before the 1st of January in 2001 to see if the key fits anything! Thank you very much."