B.A. Santamaria's Contribution to Australia's Culture Wars (Essay‪)‬

I propose to comment upon the history of the Movement led by Mr B.A. "Bob" Santamaria (1915-1998) and the leadership it has provided in Australia for nearly seven decades. In doing so, I should like to remind my listeners * that I am not necessarily the most suitably qualified person to perform this function. This is because I arrived in Australia in the second half of the 1970s and, therefore, I was largely unfamiliar with the work of the Movement and its contributions to the religious and political events of the 1950s and 1960s. Even if I had been in Australia at that time, I would have been too young to realise the importance of the Movement's work. Nevertheless, I am delighted to take part in the inauguration of the B.A. Santamaria Library, to highlight the Movement's considerable contribution to Australia and to honour the Movement's undisputed leader, Mr Bob Santamaria.