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

This year is a very important year for Redhead, which is a very special place in the Shortland electorate. It is very important because it is the centenary year of the Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club and the centenary year of the Redhead Public School. On 31 October I attended Redhead Public School’s ceremony to celebrate its centenary. At that assembly, captains of the school from the 1980s opened a time capsule that had been sealed 25 years previously. It was really interesting to see the information that came out of that time capsule.

Redhead is a very special place. It is one of those places that has managed to keep its identity. It started as a little mining village and it still has a closeness and a strong community spirit that is reminiscent of that mining era when the community came together, worked together and lived very closely together. The working of the mine was very much a part of the way the community survived and lived. It was the lifeblood of the community. The school still has that very special feeling about it. It was a wonderful day. There were celebrations by the children and considerable reference to the history and the past events of the school. It has been a year of celebration by the school.

In December this year Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club celebrates its centenary. It was formed on 12 December 1908 by the residents of Dudley Redhead. The first president was GH Thomas and the first secretary was EJ Doyle. It was actually the fifth surf club to be formed in the Newcastle area. Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club is a very special club. It is a very strong club—it is the strongest club in the Hunter. It has performed very well at the state titles and at the national titles. It is a club that performs well not only in competition but also in patrols on the beach. On 12 December it will be 100 years old. On 6 December there will be celebrations of the club’s centenary. (Time expired)

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