Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to pay credit to some outstanding members of the community I represent who were awarded the Order of Australia on Australia Day this year. The first of those I would like to acknowledge is my predecessor in the parliament, the Hon. Peter Frederick Morris, of Charlestown. Peter was a member of this parliament from 1972 right up until 1998. During that period he served in a number of ministerial portfolios. He is a very active member of our community and he is currently the chair of the Newcastle Maritime Museum. He has a proud history both within the parliament and in promoting safety in the shipping industry. He is a very strong advocate for that industry.

The next person I would like to pay credit to is Commander Robert Nelson, from Belmont North in the Shortland electorate. He was chief operational officer for the Science and Engineering Challenge at the University of Newcastle between 2000 and 2010. This has encouraged young people to become interested in science and engineering and has promoted skills which will serve them well in their lives. Robert Nelson is not the first person in his family to receive the Order of Australia. His father received the Order of Australia for his service to merchant mariners, particularly in war.

Sylvia Westerman comes from Lake Munmorah in the Shortland electorate. She is a quilt maker involved in the CWA and a number of other organisations.

Dr Geoff Rickarby is a member of Belmont Rotary Club, a club I am a member of. He is a part-time psychiatrist on the New South Wales Mental Health Review Tribunal. He has been a visiting medical officer for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and he has been one of the frontrunners in child psychiatry. He is a visiting specialist in Hunter-New England and he has provided supervision and mentoring to all child and adolescent health services. He is an outstanding member of our community and he has contributed to it enormously.

I did want to mention Professor John Forbes but I will make a contribution where I spend the whole three minutes on him at a later date.