Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

or even retiring members—all those thousands of people who get enthusiastic about the opportunity to get a free picture of Her Majesty from electorate offices across the country. Of course, there are people who were excited about the Queen's Birthday in 2018 because they were part of the honours program and were recognised for their incredible community service. In Goldstein, with a community of people who care and who come together and support each other, there were plenty of recipients of awards for their contribution to their community. They deserve their full acknowledgment, and I want to congratulate them.

They included Mrs Kathryn Harby-Williams from Brighton East, who was recognised for her significant service to netball as a player, national captain, coach, commentator, board member and players' advocate. One of the things we are very proud of in our Goldstein community is the number not just of opportunities for women to play sport but, particularly, of our incredible netball teams, for which we need more investment in local support and facilities. Mrs Sara (Shirley) Glance from Brighton was recognised for her service to the community, including as co-chair of the Bayside Polio Support Group for 10 years and president of the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia Victoria.

Another thing we are very proud of in our Goldstein community is the incredible contribution of Jewish communities. Goldstein is the electorate with the third-largest Jewish community in the nation. To my good friend Ian Robert Mence from Brighton my congratulations on the recognition of his service to the Brighton community, including as a former president of that stoic organisation the Rotary Club of Brighton, former board member of Mayflower Brighton, former president of the Les Twentyman Foundation and, of course, long-term member and, yes, supporter of the Liberal Party in Brighton. Ian, we say thank you so much for everything you do and congratulations on your Queen's Birthday honour.

There were also Queen's Birthday honours awards to Mr Peter Windholz OAM from Brighton East for service to the Jewish community of Victoria, including as former Victorian state director of the Jewish National Fund of Australia; and to Ms Alison Nisselle OAM from Sandringham for service to the film and television industry as a writer and producer, with credits including Janus, Blue Heelers, Curtin, Ocean Girl, Healing and many more. And I know that you, Deputy Speaker Goodenough, are a fan of some of those programs as well. So it shows you the power of what people can do with their creative capacity—they can even inspire people over in WA!

There was an award to Mr Neil Raymond Edwards AM from Sandringham for significant service to business and commerce through corporate governance and leadership roles in the public and private sectors, including as Secretary of the Victorian Department of State and Regional Development, Executive Chairman of the Port of Melbourne Corporation, CEO of the Chifley Business School, CEO of TVET Australia, and as a former chairman of the Airservices Board of Training, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, the Victorian Regional Channels Authority, the Mission to Seafarers Victoria and the Port of Melbourne Corporation. Phew! That's an incredible list of achievements. Congratulations to you, Neil.

There was an award to Mr Ralph Davidson Butcher OAM from Sandringham for service to the community through a range of organisations, including as a member of Legacy Melbourne, Bayside, and co-founder of the Beaumaris Legacy Widows' Club, and as former president and current member of the Probus Club of Beaumaris. Ralph celebrated his 100th birthday only a couple of months ago. Congratulations to you, Ralph, on your incredible achievements. And congratulations also on receiving your letter from the Queen.

There was also an award to Mr Robert Kinleside Crawford OAM from Hampton for service to the performing and visual arts, and as an author, including as the City of Melbourne's superintendent of arts from 1972 to 1987 and organiser of the Free Entertainment in the Parks Program, and as a writer for television, and founder and co-proprietor of Planet Records. Congratulations to you, Robert.

There were awards, too, to Mr Michael Stefanovic AM from Hampton for significant service to international relations in senior investigative roles with the United Nations and the World Bank; and to Mr Robert John 'Bob' Skilton OAM from Bentleigh for service to Australian Rules football as a triple Brownlow medallist, 25 times Victorian representative and South Melbourne champion, as well as a former board member and supporter of the Melbourne Leukaemia Foundation; Corporate Relations Ambassador, the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation of Victoria; the patron of Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation; and honorary ambassador for the EJ Whitten prostate cancer foundation. Congratulations to you, Bob; you're a champion.

There was also an award to Mr Leonard Judah Yaffe OAM from Caulfield South for service to the Jewish community of Melbourne, including volunteer service to the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, the Victorian Association of Jewish Ex & Servicemen & Women, and Meals on Wheels, as well as Montefiore Homes.

There was an award to Pamela Rose Christensen OAM from Caulfield South for her service to the community of Caulfield, including as a volunteer on the elderly persons' register, Glen Eira Police Station; a volunteer guide at Rippon Lea house and gardens with the National Trust of Victoria; the founder and organiser of the Elsternwick Ladies Probus Club; a past board member and Sunday school teacher at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Caulfield; and a former board member of Caulfield Park Sports Club.

There was an award to Mrs Beverley Dawn Brown OAM from Black Rock for her service to animal welfare and the rescue and extended rehabilitation of injured grey-headed flying foxes. And I've got to say that I have a particular fond affection for Bev; she saved a grey-haired flying fox shortly I met her for the first time, and she was very kind and named it 'Tim'! I know!

Ms McGowan interjecting—

The member for Indi shows affection. And Tim was very cute. I went and visited him at Bev's home in Black Rock before he was released, and he seemed to be on the way to rehabilitation. I'm very proud to say that Bev has since not just rehabilitated Tim but also let him loose on the world, and hopefully he will have a very successful and happy life hereafter.

Finally, there was an award to Mr Robert Murray Smith OAM from Beaumaris for his service to scientific research and development, and to the manufacturing sector, including as a proprietor of Gold Peg International, which undertook the design and commercial production and distribution of the RotaTherm continuous cooking system.

That's what we have in the Goldstein community: innovators, community contributors, people who make an incredible contribution to this community, to our state and to our nation. We are so proud of every single one of them, as well as those who continue to do work, volunteer based, without any expectation of thanks in return. So today is our day to turn around to you and say thank you for everything you have done, and we are very proud of the contribution you are making to our community.

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