Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

INE KING () (): Summer's coming and, as happens every year, my electorate of Brand is filling with festivals and markets. Between parliamentary sitting weeks and mandatory quarantine, I haven't been able to attend as many events as I would like. However, I made the most of my one week in the community last week by attending the Malibu School markets. I am continually impressed with the students' creativity and enthusiasm, and I started my Christmas shopping early by picking up some handprinted wrapping paper and snowman tea lights that the students themselves had made. I want to thank the whole community of the truly remarkable Malibu School.

Earlier this month the Rockingham Beach Cup was held along the Rockingham foreshore. This is Western Australia's first beach horserace. As always, it was terrific to see many thousands of people on the foreshore, cheering on the horses and the jockeys as they thundered along the pristine beach that we all love.

Events like this would simply not be possible without the work of community organisations and their volunteers. I want to sincerely thank the Rotary Club of Palm Beach and their members for their hard work in bringing this all together; and also to Rob McGavin, who is integral to the event that is so wonderful for the City of Rockingham. My electorate of Brand with its beautiful coastline and strong sense of community never disappoints.

Last Sunday was a particularly special day in my electorate with constituent Ivy Esther Grace Jay turning 100. Ivy was thankfully released from hospital yesterday and celebrated the occasion with her friends and family. While I've heard that she would flatly disagree, I believe Ivy has led quite an extraordinary life. She spent the Second World War stationed at Kent in the UK with the Royal Air Force. While she goes to great pains to point out that she was never on the front line, being in Britain at that time is certainly more than most of us have ever experienced.

In 1967 she moved with her mother to Western Australia to join her sister and brother-in-law, and found work making transformers in a factory in Osborne Park. It was tough manual labour, but she kept at it for many years until retiring to look after her mother who passed away at 98.

At this point, I'm sure everyone is anxious to hear Ivy and her mother's secret to a long life. I'm sure part of it is the hard work she did at the factory in Osborne Park. I've also heard that Ivy kept up her linedancing for many years, so perhaps that's something all of us in this place could consider for a long and healthy life. It's even been rumoured that she appeared on national television at 80 years old, linedancing with her friends. Unfortunately, her family have not been able to find a record of this, so if anyone has seen a group of 80-year-old women linedancing, please get in touch with my office and we'll try and get her family the tape.

I'd just like to say a very special, happy birthday to Ivy. Thanks to her family for getting in touch, and many happy returns on your 100th.

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