Chris Trevor (Flynn, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The electorate of Flynn is one of the most diverse electorates in Australia. I am proud to be its first ever federal member and proud to represent it and its people. The electorate covers some 314,000 square kilometres. By way of comparison, both Victoria and Tasmania could sit within its electoral boundaries. Most of my travelling within the electorate is undertaken by four-wheel-drive. I get to meet some wonderful people during my travels and, during my last visit with Minister Elliot to Blackall, one of my western communities, I had the honour to meet Ronan Robinson, a Blackall school student and his mum, Gillian. I presented Ronan with an Australian flag. Ronan is a very special young man. As part of a school project he wrote about World War I soldier Edgar Thomas Towner, a Blackall war hero. Following the publishing of his article the Blackall community, famous for its fundraising efforts, raised $80,000 for a statue of the war hero Towner. The statue is situated in Memorial Park, Blackall. I visited the statue. It is a great tribute to war hero Edgar Thomas Towner and his relatives and a credit to the Blackall community and, in particular, the outstanding efforts of Ronan. I thank Ronan for his outstanding efforts in recognising Blackall’s bravest son. Edgar Thomas Towner was awarded a Victoria Cross and Military Cross for his bravery in World War I. He remains the most decorated Queensland-born soldier and is now immortalised for his fine efforts and bravery in serving his country.

Blackall will not be part of the Flynn community after the next election. I wish the Robinson family well in their future endeavours, and I thank the people of Blackall for their hospitality over the last two years. I may, hopefully, get to visit them again before the next election. Time will tell. I have a feeling that Ronan will go on to do great things in his life, and I wish him well for the future.

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