Barry Haase (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to remind this House of the very hard and important work done by service clubs around Australia and, specifically, I wish to bring to the House’s attention the work done by the Geraldton Rotary Club. It is 70 years ago this year that, on 19 November, 645 officers and crew of the HMAS Sydney II perished. Therefore it is 70 years this year that we will recognise that occurrence. This year we will celebrate and reflect upon that incident at the magnificent memorial on high ground overlooking the city of Geraldton-Greenough. We can do that because of the hard work of the Rotary Club of Geraldton. Its members today number just 35, and they, as we like to say, punch well above their weight.

Back in 1988, there was a monument created on top of the same hill, recognising the commitment of the crew of Sydney II, but the Rotary Club of Geraldton decided they would go one step further: being the last Australian port of call for the officers and crew of the HMAS Sydney II, they decided that there ought to be a national monument to the officers and crew in the city of Geraldton-Greenough. A lot of hard work, a lot of dedicated fundraising, a lot of assistance from the then Howard government and funds under the Regional Partnerships Program created with the assistance of sculptors Mr and Mrs Smith what is truly a magnificent monument. Every member of this House ought keep in mind the fact that we truly have around this nation some incredibly empathetic and reflective monuments.

This 70-year anniversary will be more significant because this is a year that we will create the last element, the fifth element, of this commemorative monument. It will be a reflective pool with some 644 seagulls engraved in black granite in a circle around the pool and one stainless steel three-dimensional seagull rising from the reflective pool and the eternal flame. It is well worth seeing. I would like to think that many Australians will take the opportunity on 19 November 2011 to be part of the respectful celebrations of the sinking of the Sydney II.

I would like to share with you just one point: back in 1988, when the original site memorial was being dedicated, the crowd assembled on quite a bright Geraldton-Greenough day and a very large mob of seagulls hovered over the crowd. They remained motionless in the onshore wind. It was a hair-raising moment. No-one counted the 645 seagulls, but it was hair-raising. So much so that this was remarked to the sculptors of the final memorial, which led them to create a dome of remembrance on the top of this hill featuring 645 seagulls.

It is a terribly emotional moment when anyone visits this site and realises the significance of the monument and the empathy it has with the occasion. Of course, it is all down to the hard work, the vision, the foresight and continued dedication of the members of the Rotary Club of Geraldton. We all should applaud their work because it is the work of such regional service clubs that creates so much of the goodwill and infrastructure of remembrance in our regional centres right around this nation. I applaud their continued work and trust that everyone will return to Geraldton-Greenough on 19 November this year. (Time expired)