Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

Bankstown RSL is almost 100 years old, and for more than half a century a bloke named Bruce Pawley has been at the heart of it, looking after veterans, their families and the local community. A few years ago, I was told a story about ashes under the flagpole at the old Bankstown RSL. It is a story that's stuck with me to this day. At the old club, under the flagpole near the bowling green, there were ashes of four veterans, blokes who loved the club so much that, when they passed away, they didn't want to be buried in a cemetery; they wanted to be buried at their club. They wanted to be where their mates had a drink. They wanted to be near their friends. When the new club was built a couple of years ago, Bruce made sure that they weren't left behind. As chairman, he made sure that those ashes were put into the foundations of the new club so that these four blokes could still be with their mates. That's the sort of bloke that Bruce Pawley is. For 56 years, he's been serving our returning service men and women, their families and the wider Bankstown community, making sure that the club's not just a building but that it really is a home. But in March of this year an era comes to an end. Bruce is stepping down as chairman.

Bruce was born in a little town called Boggabri in 1947. When he was 20 years old, he was called up to serve in Vietnam, and he spent just over a year there, in the 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit and the 4th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. As was the case for so many other Vietnam veterans, coming home wasn't easy. Finding his place again was hard. But Bankstown RSL gave him that. They encouraged him to get involved, and he took on the role of sports officer. That really gave him something that he needed, a sense of belonging, and he gave back big time. Over the years he has been a director, vice-chairman and, for the last 15 years, chairman of Bankstown RSL.

If you know Bruce, you will know that he's not one for the spotlight, and if he had his way he'd be telling me to shut up right now. He certainly wouldn't want me talking about him in the Australian parliament. But, when someone gives as much as Bruce has, you have to stop and say thank you. Bruce stepping down is a big loss for the club, but it is a big win for his family: for his wife, Lyn; his daughter, Ashleigh, and son-in-law, Dave, and his four grandkids, Roy, Mabel, Paddie, and Lennox. They'll get to see a bit more of their grandad. They're the kids who have suffered enough over the years. So, Bruce, on behalf of our whole local community, thank you so much for everything that you've done for us.

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