Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to congratulate a wonderful couple in my electorate of Bass who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Faye and Vince Davis were married on 29 August 1959 in the St John of God Catholic Church in Auburn, New South Wales. Vince was a gunner in the Royal Australian Artillery and Faye a clerk typist. They married sooner than expected when the Army decided to transfer Vince to Perth as a gunnery instructor.

On return to Sydney, they started a family: Gary born in 1961 and Lisa born in 1963. Vince left the Army and joined the New South Wales Metropolitan Fire Brigade. Money was tight, but the great Australian dream finally came to fruition for Faye and Vince when they purchased a home in the Western Sydney suburb of St Marys.

Vince moved to the then Department of Civil Aviation as an airport crash rescue firefighter. In 1971, Faye and Vince moved their family to Brisbane so that Vince could take up a position at Brisbane Airport. Career highlights included promotion to airport fire officer and on several occasions being appointed the nominated rescue officer should Her Majesty the Queen's flight run into trouble. For his services to Australia, Vince has several awards, including the National Medal and the Australian Defence Medal.

Shortly after moving to Brisbane, Faye studied and trained to become a maternity nurse at the Royal Women's Hospital, enjoying a 25-year career caring for the new mothers and babies of Brisbane. On his retirement, Vince was offered a week's work grounds-keeping at Brisbane's Doomben Racecourse, but it was another five years later before he hung up the overalls. Not being people to sit still for too long, Faye and Vince indulged their love of all things Gaelic and joined the Wynnum RSL Pipe Band, where Vince played drums and Faye managed the band.

Following a health scare for Faye eight years ago, the couple relocated to the cooler climate of Tasmania where they call George Town home and continue to serve their community—Faye on the Ainslie House auxiliary committee, where she served many years as president, raising funds to enhance the lives of the elderly residents, and Vince serves the George Town RSL Sub Branch as president. Vince and his colleagues work tirelessly to benefit returned and former ADF members. This includes many hours in front of the barbecue at Bunnings to raise funds. Thanks to the Tasmanian Liberal government, the RSL now has a new home incorporating a memorabilia display after losing their former premises in 2016.

In August this year Vince was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of carcinoma, and he is currently undergoing radiation therapy in the Launceston General Hospital. Thanks to early detection, his prognosis is good. Everything they have done has been together. Today Faye and Vince have four grandchildren and one great-grandchild, with another due in January. Congratulations, Faye and Vince.

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