Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the heart of my electorate of Kooyong, on the corner of Princess and High Streets in Kew, stands a memorial to Raoul Wallenberg. It was the initiative of Frank Vajda, a Kooyong resident, who, with his late mother, Maria, was saved by Wallenberg in October 1944. Few of the thousands of people who walk or drive past this statue every week would truly appreciate what a giant among men Wallenberg was. Born on 4 August 1912, Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat who served in Budapest during the Second World War. His efforts in issuing ‘protective passports’ and providing shelter to Jews in Nazi occupied Hungary is credited with saving the lives of a remarkable 100,000 people. Threatened by the fascist Arrow Cross, he moved house every night, knowing that every day for him was a test of survival, just as it was for those he sought to protect. Tragically, on 17 January 1945, when the Red Army entered Budapest, he was taken by the Soviets, never to be seen again.

Just a few weeks ago I was privileged to attend a special commemorative service for Raoul Wallenberg at the Swedish Church in Melbourne. It truly was a moving occasion, with people coming together to recognise this remarkable man. This year marks his 100th birthday. He was a man who was ‘a righteous among nations’ and whose courage and deeds will always represent a beam of light in what was one of the darkest periods in the history of mankind.