Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I rise today to honour a select group of community minded people within my electorate who, for want of a better phrase, are a bunch of great old bastards. The group I speak of is, of course, the Camden Branch of the Australasian Order of Old Bastards. The Australasian Order of Old Bastards was begun, fittingly, in a Sydney pub in 1968 by arch bastard Leo Bradshaw MBE and a small band of brothers. This great organisation, which believes in joviality, good friendship and charity, has been faithfully serving the community through fundraising for over 40 years.

To date, the Australasian Order of Old Bastards has raised over $5 million dollars for their communities, including over $1.3 million dollars for the Westmead Children's Hospital. Leo Bradshaw, along with his wife Joan, will forever be remembered for their strong commitment to the community by the Leo Bradshaw Renal Research Laboratory at Westmead Children's Hospital.

The Camden Branch of the Australasian Order of Old Bastards was founded on the 6 March 2010 and has already raised significant funds for sick children in the Macarthur electorate, donating over $3,000 for the Westmead Children's Hospital renal clinic and laboratory, over $10,000 for the Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation, $6,000 for the Queensland Premier's flood relief with the assistance of Harvey Norman, $550 for the Starlight Children's Foundation and $400 from members for the purchase of a new BBQ.

Working hand in hand with the Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation, the Camden Branch of the Australasian Order of Old Bastards has been able to assist Campbel­ltown and Camden hospitals with fundraising for much needed technical and specialist paediatric equipment. Their contributions hit home for the Camden branch when one of their very own, Honorary Junior Vice President Declan Robert Sheehy, now aged 10 months, suffered complications after birth and required the use of a foetal monitor incubator, oxygen crib and ultraviolet light. It was this very equipment that the Kids of Macarthur, with support from the Camden old bastards, had purchased.

Declan is now fine and leading the next generation of old bastards to come along with the other members of the junior troop Honorary Junior President Jackson Gunn, Honorary Secretary Jaymee-Lee Keaple, Honorary Treasurer Joseph Andriotti and honorary members Aaron Gunn and Riley Auglys. I hope that this junior order will continue to keep the old bastard community spirit alive for many decades to come. Little Declan's story is a very real reminder of just how lucky the electorate of Macarthur is to have so many community-minded people contributing their time, effort and hard earned money towards the many charities and causes of the region.

I would like to thank the many members and volunteers of the Camden Branch of the Australasian Order of Old Bastard, along with a number of local businesses and organisations who have helped out along the way. I thank Camden and Campbelltown councils, the Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation, Pharmacy Express Mount Annan, Rosemeadow and Camden, Harvey Norman Campbelltown and head office, Narellan and Camden McDonalds, Clintons Toyota, Dilmah Teas, Nulon Australia Products, Greg Went, Wakeboard New South Wales, Greater West Fire Exting­uishers, Bunnings Warehouse Narellan, Campbelltown Mall, the workers of Tahmoor Colliery, Kwik Copy, Hoselink Australia, Nepean Engineering, along with the support and assistance of the Camden Narellan Advertiser, Macarthur Chronicleand TheDistrict Reporter, who have helped spread the message of the Order of Old Bastards across the Macarthur region.

I would also like to thank the committee members for their hard work and dedication to the order, in particular, the President of Camden Order of Old Bastards, 'Big Kev', Mr Kevin Gunn. Being a proud member myself of the Australasian Order of Old Bastards, I think it would be fitting to end with the universal catchcry of old bastards:

Whilst ever hops grow on this earth,

Let not plain water mar our mirth.

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