Friday, 8th of April 2005
 

The Ambassador of Australia,
The Australian Embassy,
4 Rue Jean Rey

PARIS 57015

FRANCE
 
 

Your Excellency,

I am writing on a matter of utmost interest to your country, Australia, and my own, France.

I am writing about a Frenchman who came to your country and discovered the richest gold mine in Australia.  This mine is now known as the Telfer Gold Mine, which lies in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia, and has yielded billions of dollars to your country.

This man, to this day, has never received any offical recognition by your country for his discovery.  Instead he has been ignored, vilified, and heaped up with the most disgusting and despicable abuse by your country, the Mining Companies, which appropriated his discovery; the Politicians of Australia, as well as the media.  He has suffered the most ignominious treatment at the hand of these people.

I do not wish to burden you with a long letter, but I hope that you will give it some consideration.

I got in touch with your Embassy a few days ago, through the telephone, and spoke to one of your Staff, who did not identify himself.  I was given the assurance that the then Ambassador would look into this matter.  I know, from the person I spoke to, that you are the new Abassador to France, and that your duties are many and heavy.  Hence I do not wish to add additional burden to it.   I would simply beg from your Excellency that  you look into this matter very carefully and do whatever is in your power to redress this blatant injustice brought against a man of utter integrity, who came to Australia with the true pioneering spirit and gave so much to your country.

I wish to outline a few things, namely the following:-

  • Jean-Paul Turcaud, the discoverer of the Telfer Gold Mine, recently wrote a letter to your Embassy, outlining his position.  Dated 1st march 2005.  He never got an answer.
  • A letter from Dr Don Finlay, PhD in Geology, appealing to your Embassy for some sort of support and justice for Jean-Paul Turcaud, dated 19th March 2005.  Unanswered.
  • My numerous letters and visits to the Parlieament of Western Australia, with numerous talks to Politicians, the Mining Companies, spread over the last eight years, which led nowhere.
  • A book, written by Mr Bob Sheppard, called  "The Golden Rule", published in 2001, which tells the truth about the discovery of the Telfer Gold Mine.  Mr Sheppard is a Geologist, an Historian and a writer well-known in WA, and a man of the utmost integrity.  The book was well received by the community at large, but never acknowledged by the Mining Companies or the successive Governments of WA.  Of course...
  • I believe that on the part of the Mining Companies and the successive WA Governments, starting from the early 70's, which is the date of the discovery of the Telfer Gold Mine by Jean-Paul Turcaud, this great mining pioneer of Australia, with the aim of destroying him and eradicating any trace of his trip through the Great Sandy Desert, which eventually led to the discovery of the Telfer Gold Mine.


    • I am asking for recognition, compensation and justice for this man!  Before it is too late!

    I am appealing to you.

    The book,  "The Golden Rule", is now placed into La Grande Bibliotheque Francaise in Paris, for all the French to read!

    And if this is not enough I shall be writing to the French Newspapers (Canard Enchaine, Figaro, etc)

    And if this is not enough, a book I am writing now, that will shed some light on the treatment Australia metes out to us immigrants!

    You may or may not answer my letter. I sincerely hope you will, Your Excellency!

    It would be a great taint upon the history of Australia if it did not acknowledge the pioneers that came from all the corners of the earth and brought so much wealth to your country.

    I am respectfully yours,

    Jacques PHILIPPE
    (Address supplied)
    AUSTRALIE

    Retired clinical psychologist.
    (BA., B.Psych-University of Western Australia;
    (DESS in clinical psychology, Paris, France.)