Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to pay my respect for Lance Corporal Mervyn John McDonald and Private Nathanael John Aubrey Galagher. If I may, I would like to focus my remarks today on Private Nathanael Galagher, or Nate, as he was known to his family and friends. Nate Galagher was born at Wee Waa in Western New South Wales and grew up in the Wee Waa-Narrabri area. Nate is the son of Wayne and Sally and a brother to Elanor. He is also survived by his partner, Jessie, and their unborn son.

Nate Galagher typifies a boy from the bush. As far as he roamed with his life in the military, he was still very much at home in the Black Soil Plains of Western New South Wales. It is the boy from the bush—the boy who has grown up with dirt under his nails, with a can-do attitude, with ability and with a humble nature that so typifies the young men over the generations—that has come through in Nate Galagher.

I don't know his parents, Wayne and Sally, but I know people who do—and his family is very well regarded. Indeed, I am speaking today on behalf of the residents of north-west New South Wales, to put on record their thoughts at this very sad time. Nate Galagher will be buried at Pilliga, a very small village west of Wee Waa; and he will be surrounded by family and friends and work colleagues.

While it will be an incredibly sad day, I might say, Mr Deputy Speaker, it will be a day when that community will be very proud—proud that one of their own has served with the highest of distinction in a war very far away. He will be coming home to be laid to rest, and it will be a great honour and privilege for me to be part of that ceremony tomorrow.

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