Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I want to pay respect to Dawn Hurst, my husband's grandmother and my children's great-grandmother. Tomorrow Dawn turns 98. In some families there's a larger-than-life matriarch who holds the family together and creates an inextricable link and friendship between their children which is passed down from generation to generation. Both my grandmother and my husband's grandmother are incredible matriarchs. Dawn—or Nanna, as my husband calls her—is a compassionate, sensible, steadfast, thrifty and community minded woman. She holds herself with gravitas and has an incredible intellect. In fact, she and her daughters played Scrabble once a week until her mid-90s.

Dawn has a thirst for knowledge and was homeschooled until the age of nine, when she moved in with her grandparents to go to formal school. She relished the opportunity to socialise with girls her own age and the access to more books to read. She devoured the books and in fact was caught reading books by candlelight in bed. She was swiftly told off and was banned from reading books for a week.

My family did not grow up doing crosswords and playing Scrabble. My excuse is that I love numbers and struggle with words. But, upon reflection, I have no excuse to not play Scrabble. You see, Dawn finished her formal schooling at 14, which was the norm for country girls in the 1930s.

Despite not completing high school, Dawn is the epitome of a lifelong learner. I think that missing out on formal education made Dawn want to make sure that her children had the education opportunities that she did not. I know that Dawn is proud of the jobs that her children got, which were helping other people. Anne Bennett worked as a tax consultant. Bev Hurst was a prolific primary schoolteacher. Carol Wiles ran early childhood education centres. Steve Hurst is a mechanic doing roadside assistance. Geoff Hurst, my father-in-law, is a Uniting Church minister.

Many here in this place would know that my story would not be possible if not for a Whitlam government. Similarly, for Dawn and her children, their success was because of a Whitlam government. Following on from this, people would not be surprised to learn that Dawn is a card-carrying member of the Labor Party. Labor believes that, wherever you live, whatever your income and whatever your gender, that should not hold you back from getting an education. I hope that Dawn is proud that I am part of a government that has introduced 180,000 fee-free places at TAFE and allocated more than 20,000 university places for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Dawn taught her children to be kind, busy, useful and, really, just get on with things. The truth is my father-in-law puts other fathers-in-law to shame. When he visits Perth, he helps with cooking, shopping and dishes; he fixes things around the house; and he actively plays with my kids. Because of the man that my father-in-law is, you can imagine the kind of husband that I have, and I could not do this job without the support of my husband or the broader Hurst family—and the legend that Dawn has created.

Dawn cares deeply about her community, and this was seen through her volunteer work, which included Meals on Wheels, community food and pastoral visits. She has worked prolifically and was recognised by local council as Citizen of the Year. I remember when I met Sam's aunties and uncles, and Nanna, also known as the formidable Dawn Hurst. The Labor and community values were obvious to me, and it made me understand what had made my husband the incredible man he is. But I also had a sense of belonging and knew that this family would become my extended family. Dawn, you're an incredible woman. Thank you for the legacy that you've built.

The other thing that I'll note is that, when Dawn took the time to write her biography, she started by acknowledging the ongoing connection of the Nawu people in her home town and acknowledged the disruption caused by colonisation. I see this as an important piece of truth-telling as we look towards the upcoming referendum on constitutional recognition for our First Nations people. I think we can count on Dawn's support for this.

So, Dawn, on the final day before your 98th birthday, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and thank you for the legacy you've built. This legacy is something that will continue for future Hurst generations.

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