Malcolm Turnbull and Michael McCormack attendance at Corowa 125-year federation conference doubtful

Mr Turnbull and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack were issued with formal invitations by Federation Council in March this year to attend the event which includes a dinner at the Corowa RSL Club on Saturday night.

But organisers haven’t been notified to date whether they will be attending.

"Council is yet to receive correspondence in relation to the formal invitation sent to the prime minister to invite him to the upcoming Federation 125th celebration dinner,” council general manager Adrian Butler said.

“Council remains hopeful that the prime minister, or a suitable delegate will attend the event to join us in celebrating 125 years of federation."

Twenty-five years ago, Labor PM Paul Keating visited Corowa and spoke at the centenary event held in the Oddfellows Hall where the federation conference of 1893 was held.

Corowa is recognised as the birthplace of federation with the Federation name adopted when Corowa and Urana shires merged two years ago.

The two guest speakers the 125-year event will be Dr Jeff Brownrigg and Dr James Warden.

Dr Brownrigg will speak about Robert Garran, who is credited with being Australia’s first public servant when federation commenced on January 1, 1901.

Mr Garran met one of the architects of federation in Corowa, Sir John Quick, and together they wrote a history of the Federation movement and guide to the new constitution.

Corowa library has a copy of the publication.

Dr Brownrigg also attended the 1993 centenary anniversary dinner in Corowa.

Dr Warden will be speaking about Quick and major events in Corowa’s history from around the time of federation and beyond.

Cr Paul Miegel said in March he fully supported any attempt to bring Mr Turnbull to Corowa.

“Any opportunity we get to cement our place in history and place on the map as something of note we should take,” Cr Miegel said.

“Perhaps to remind the federal politicians where it actually all started and pay a little bit of homage to the fact the conferences held in this town were the reason they are in the positions they are in now.”