Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this afternoon to congratulate Club Fogolar Furlan of Thornbury, in my electorate of Batman, on its approaching 50th birthday. Melbourne’s Club Fogolar Furlan’s 50 year celebration is a significant milestone and represents its strong community presence and years of achievement. Not only is Melbourne’s Club Fogolar Furlan celebrating its 50th anniversary on 21 July; it is also the second-oldest Furlan club in Australia.

Since becoming the federal member for Batman, I have enjoyed a good relationship with the Furlan Club and am pleased to say that it is accessible to all local residents. It currently holds daily lunches for senior citizens, local sporting teams use its facilities and it runs a range of cultural events and programs. It is the second-largest club of its kind in the world, with 420 members, primarily made up of local family members, and has two remaining foundation members, Gilbert Martin and Anna Fratta.

The 50th anniversary is an achievement that displays the club’s dedication to maintaining its cultural heritage originating from the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli. The club formally introduced the oldest game, bocce, to Australia. In the 1980s it also hosted the world bocce championships and has since produced Australian and international bocce champions.

I congratulate the club’s staff and committees, and the club members on making Melbourne’s Club Fogolar Furlan such a success story. I commend the club on its historically strong community involvement and on ensuring that the club is a family-friendly venue. (Time expired)