Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to pay tribute to a local and much loved man, Darcy David Goodwin, who passed away on 7 August 2012. On 8 August, in our local newspaper, the Northern Star, in an article written by Rodney Stevens, he was called 'Darcy, defender of the poor'. Darcy had a van and out of that old van he fed and comforted many. His service was called the Five Loaves Mobile Soup Kitchen and he tended to many.

I want to pass on some quotes from locals that describe this wonderful man. Two pastors officiated at his funeral: Pastor Horace Evans and Pastor Keith Jackson. Pastor Evans summed up Darcy's philosophy on life by saying, 'Darcy's true gift was that he valued people more than material possessions.' Pastor Jackson said:

He was a genuine Christian through and through and somebody to be admired and respected for sacrifices he made, forsaking comforts to improve the lives of others.

Michael Fox said, 'I have never seen so many Indigenous people in my life love a whitefella.' Laurie Marriott said, 'I have known Darcy for 20 years. Darcy was a good man and an angel who treated everyone like a king.' Claire Chatfield said, 'I'm very sad. I loved Darcy. Darcy has been a good friend for six years. I will miss him.' Katherine Moyes said, 'I met him nine years ago at SCU, he was serving students food. His real life stories were so inspirational.' Garry Berri said:

He saved me and my son once when we were in a flood out at Tuntable. He gave us food and supplies. He was a good friend who will be sadly missed.

Colin Ellis said:

This man has devoted all his time to God to look after and care for other people. It's going to take big shoes to fill what he was doing.

Jilda Winwood said:

He was a very kind and compassionate man. One day I did not have any tea towels and he gave me some tea towels. He was an inspirational man.

Marnie Bonner said:

Very sad … he was, as usual, at the market on Sunday, doing anything he could to help people who needed it. He asked to book a charity of the day … here's hoping his work will be continued. RIP, Darcy. He will be missed most especially by his loving, loyal wife, Marge.

One thing I want to say about Darcy is that he always used to talk about being on the journey, as he called it, and out on the highway. What I said publicly was:

Darcy was pure goodness and that is how he lived his life. He always said to me that out on the 'highway', as he called the journey of life, all was good and we had to help our fellow travellers. He did more than his share. May he rest in peace for a job and a journey well done.

He is survived by his wife, Marjorie, and surviving children Glen, Barry, Carol and Bev, having sadly lost baby son Paul at 10 months and his adult daughter Narelle in 1995.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for constituency statements has concluded.