Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton for raising this motion. I was raised with books. While I wasn't raised by books, books certainly played a pivotal role in my childhood and undoubtedly sparked my imagination and shaped my development, my understanding of the world and others within it, my dreams and my goals. Enid Blyton was with me from an early age, from the Faraway Tree and the Wishing-Chair through to the Secret Seven, Famous Five, Malory Towers and St. Clare's series. I then went on to other authors, which included the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew series, and Australian classics Seven Little Australians, the Norah of Billabong series, Picnic at Hanging Rock and May Gibbs's Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Like many, there are books which played an indelible role in my teen years as well: Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, The Outsiders, The Bell Jar, Nineteen Eighty-Four and anything by Jane Austen.

As is noted in the wording of the motion moved by the member for Moreton, himself both a prolific reader and writer, reading books has the capacity to not only broaden our minds and increase our knowledge; it can also help with improving our overall wellbeing. It has been said that 30 minutes of reading has similar psychological effects to 30 minutes of yoga—and reading comes with considerably less pain! Reading is shown to reduce stress by 68 per cent, by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. It can also help to alleviate symptoms of depression, as feelings of isolation can be lessoned by switching away from your own world to an imagined one. In fact, regular readers are 28 per cent less likely to report feelings of depression.

I also note that reading is recommended as part of a healthy regular sleep routine, because the lowering of your heart rate and blood pressure can act as a physical and mental wind-down to the day, allowing your body to transition to sleep. I would note a word of caution on this, however, because there have been many times when I have been so caught up in a book that I have continued to read 'just another chapter' before switching off the light; such is the danger of a really great book that it doesn't necessarily always lead to better or longer sleep!

Australia Reads is a not-for-profit joint initiative of a number of organisations which actively promotes the joy, pleasure and benefits to be had in reading books. In addition to providing excellent resources, including recommended reading lists, for the last 10 years Australia Reads has been promoting the annual Australian Reading Hour, with the goal of highlighting the importance of reading in transforming lives. Held on Tuesday 14 September, it encouraged all Australians to set aside just one hour to read—whatever they wanted, wherever they were located and however they chose to read.

This year's theme celebrated Stories That Matter, acknowledging the vital role reading plays in both our childhood and our adult lives. The book which I was reading during Australian Reading Hour is without any doubt at all truly a story that matters: The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku, this is Eddie's memoir, chronicling his extraordinary tale of survival, escaping a death march from Auschwitz towards the end of World War II, moving to Australia in the 1950s, settling down, having a family and dedicating his life to teaching about the dangers of intolerance and the importance of hope. Eddie died just last week at the age of 101, and this is a huge loss for all. But because of his book, his legacy and inspiration to all of us will live on.

To that end, I want to finish with the final words from Eddie Jaku's book: 'Seventy-five years ago, I never thought that I would have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I was at the bottom of humanity and now, here I am. So after you put this book down, please remember to take time to appreciate every moment of your life, the good, the bad. Sometimes there will be tears, sometimes there will be laughter and, if you are lucky, there will be friends to share it all with, as I have known throughout my life. Please, every day, remember to be happy and to make others happy too. Make yourself a friend to the world and do this for your new friend, Eddie.' Eddie, rest in peace.

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