Army Minister visits Kapooka DPR/TV/345

Recruits at the Army's 1st Recruit Training Battalion at Kapooka, near Wagga, NSW, received two distinguished visitors yesterday. A visit to the establishment by the new Minister for the Army, Mr Malcolm Fraser, happened to conicide with a visit by Miss Australia, Miss Sue Gallie, of Sydney, who is making a tour of country areas in Australia before going overseas. Mr Fraser spent four and a half hours looking around the camp, accompanied by the Commanding Officer, Colonel D B Dunstan, and the General Officer Commanding, Eastern Command, Major-General T J Daly. He watched National Service recruits training on the parade ground and in the field and inspected all messes, the recruits accommodation blocks and their 1000 man mess hall. He spoke freely with the recruits and joined three for a milkshake in their canteen. He said later he had found all the recruits he met happy and enthusiastic about the Army life. In the camp hospital, Mr Fraser met Miss Australia and both spent some time chatting with patients and staff before continuing their individual inspections. Also identified are recuits John Parsons of Ayr, Qld, Darol Parks of Bankstown, NSW and Mike MacGowan of Manly, NSW talking with Mr Fraser.