Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful function, the Grand Claremont Garden Party, run by the newly formed Glenelg Historical Society in my electorate. Claremont House is a historic house in Glenelg and is currently owned by Thelma, who very warmly opened her house to the society and all the invited guests for this wonderful garden party. His Excellency the Governor of South Australia attended the function and it was truly a great occasion. I congratulate the society on this wonderful event.

The Glenelg Historical Society is run by its president, Ms Jan Smith, and has been set up to engage community interest and to help cultivate a philanthropic attitude towards Glenelg's history and built heritage. Its objectives include:

Promoting the protection and preservation of buildings, works, movable cultural heritage and sites of historical significance in the precinct of Glenelg together with the commissioning of historical research and historical discourse.

Encouraging increased community interest, education and involvement in Glenelg's history.

Assisting in the collection, recording, preservation and public display of works, movable cultural heritage including source material and artefacts of all kinds relating to local history.

As the Glenelg Historical Society says:

Glenelg has always enjoyed a tourism focus on its historic origins, but an active community history association can ensure the continuing importance of heritage and history in an era of changing dynamics.

And I think this is indeed an important and worthwhile cause. Jan has been an avid campaigner on issues of historical significance for Glenelg for quite some time now. Just recently, the society successfully lobbied the City of Holdfast Bay Council for the return of the 1929-built H class 'red rattler' tram to its historic home in Glenelg. Tram 361 was gifted to the City of Holdfast Bay Council by the state government in 2006 and it has been stored at the St Kilda Tramway Museum in recent years. It is now set to have a new home, which the society has worked hard to ensure, in the heart of Glenelg.

I am delighted to be able to support the society's work. I know that they have also applied to become an organisation eligible for deductible gift recipient status and that the department is currently considering that application. I look forward to the minister's response and to working with the Glenelg Historical Society in the future towards the preservation and celebration of our collective heritage.

The society does some great work in the area. For example, it is an extraordinary fact that the great racehorse Phar Lap rode on that tram that is being brought back to Glenelg as the Morphettville racecourse is very close by. (Time expired)