Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Friday, 15 August I attended the Belmont Hospital Auxiliary’s 40th anniversary, and it was a very special day. The Blue Ladies have worked tirelessly at Belmont Hospital for 40 years but, in actual fact, their contribution to the hospital started earlier than that. They fought and fundraised for the hospital before it was built, and they were leaders in the community to see that a hospital be built at Belmont. Since the hospital has been built, they have raised in excess of $1 million. Over the last year they raised $77,000. In 2006, the Blue Ladies were the Lake Macquarie community group of the year and they were honoured at the Australia Day ceremony at Lake Macquarie. June Chapman is the secretary of the Blue Ladies and Dot Butler is the new president. Dot replaced Olive Jackson, who was the president for some time.

One thing which impressed me on the day was that, when they were handing out their 10-year, 20-year and 30-year certificates, it was announced that Daisy Burrows had actually been a member of the Belmont Blue Ladies for the entire 40 years that they have been officially in existence. Another worker, Alice Wallace, who is now in her 90s and has been the buyer and a member for almost 40 years, goes to Belmont Hospital and works with the Blue Ladies.

Over the last couple of years there has been a change in the culture and the way the hospital works. The Blue Ladies at Belmont Hospital now make some of the best cappuccinos, flat whites and lattes in Belmont. They purchased a cappuccino machine when there were changes to the way they could serve and deliver food. They have shown their enterprise. Not only have they continued to operate but they have grown stronger.

I would like to put on the record of this parliament my gratitude to these fine women—I say ‘women’ but there are men as part of the group, which is welcomed. I really value their service and the community really values their service. They are role models for everyone within the community.

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