Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak about our community’s recent celebration of Australia Day. I was pleased to attend another Australia Day citizenship ceremony in my electorate of Calwell. All our monthly citizenship ceremonies are important and I always enjoy attending whenever possible, but the Australia Day ceremony is always very special.

In celebrating our Australian story, we always pay respect to the traditional owners of the land on which this modern nation was formed. We pay respect to their elders past and present and we acknowledge that Australia Day is not necessarily a day of celebration for many in our community.

Sixty-one years ago, a new chapter was composed in the Australian story which would change the face of Australia’s social, economic and cultural landscape. Thanks to the vision of Arthur Calwell, Australia’s first minister for immigration, the concept of a distinct Australian identity, embodied in the value of citizenship, was born. I stand here this evening proudly representing my constituents of the electorate aptly named after Arthur Calwell, and I am proud that it is an electorate largely composed of a very large migrant constituency. This constituency—and I am sure your neighbouring electorate, Mr Speaker, has a very similar demographic—has helped build the modern Australia that has ushered in this nation’s fortunes in the 21st century.

In 1948, the introduction of the Nationality and Citizenship Act created, for the first time in this nation’s history, the concept of Australian citizenship. This was introduced on the back of the Displaced Persons Scheme of 1947, which marked one of the first tentative steps towards this country’s departure from the White Australia policy. When the first citizenship ceremony took place on 26 January 1949, it was the then Prime Minister of Australia, Ben Chifley, who received the first citizenship certificate from the Minister for Immigration, the Hon. Arthur Calwell.

Thanks to the foresight of past leaders such as Arthur Calwell, migration has since become a core feature of the modern Australia and is the foundation upon which this country’s social and economic prosperity is built. People from all over the world, from a mosaic of cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, have come to adopt a common Australian citizenship. I myself am part of this Australian story and am therefore always proud to be present when an average of 100 people per month become Australia citizens in my electorate of Calwell. We have a very high uptake of citizenship in my electorate and I want to particularly welcome the emerging communities from Iraq, as well as migrants from as far as Denmark, Hong Kong, Turkey, Ireland, Eritrea, Lebanon, China, and the list goes on. In its 61 years the Australian citizenship story has been a resounding success and unique in the world.

This year’s Hume City Council’s Australia Day celebrations awarded the Hume Citizen, Hume Young Citizen and Hume Community Event of the Year at the Broadmeadows Town Hall to their deserving recipients. As such, I would like to put on the record our community’s recognition of our Citizen of the Year, Gwen Wilson; our Young Citizens of the Year, jointly shared this year by Elizabeth Marr and Romina Martiniello; as well as the community’s recognition of Refugee Week as our Community Event of the Year.

While Elizabeth and Romina work tirelessly within our community for young people and are a shining example of this country’s future leadership prospects, it is Gwen Wilson to whom I would like to pay special tribute this evening. Knowing Gwen quite well, I can say with confidence that this 71-year-old dynamo of a woman has worked tirelessly for our local community for the last five decades. Gwen not only raised a family but also helped raise a community. In her humble acceptance speech for the award—read on her behalf by daughter Kaylene—Gwen described how starting off with small things would empower her, fire her up and keep her going.

Among her many contributions, Gwen started Westmeadows’ first kindergarten; was the first Westmeadows District Commissioner of the Girl Guides; headed up the Mayoress Charity Committee; sat on the first school council at Erinbank Secondary College; and worked on the Neighbourhood Watch group. Gwen’s contribution to our community stands tall even to this day. As the current treasurer of the Terminate Tulla Toxic Dump Action Group, she now helps oversee the area’s rehabilitation, remaining focused on safety for our local residents and for our environment. Gwen faces the greatest challenge ever as she battles lymphoma and bone cancer but her spirit is strong and I know that her contributions will one day fill the pages of our community’s officially documented history. She is truly a deserving recipient. I want to congratulate Gwen Wilson and I want to thank her on behalf of our community for her contribution.

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