David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to wish the Chinese-Australian community in my electorate of Banks all the best for the upcoming Moon Festival to be held on and around 8 September. Preparations for events are already well underway.

My electorate has the highest proportion of people of Chinese background of any electorate in Australia, with about 20 per cent of all residents being of Chinese background, and the local Chinese community adds enormously to the fabric of our society. Moon Festival, which is also known as Mid-Autumn Festival, dates it origins back literally thousands of years. It has been celebrated since at least the Zhou dynasty around 1,000 BC and is the second most important event in the Chinese calendar after, of course, Chinese New Year.

There are many stories about the origins of Mid-Autumn Festival. The one most associated with the festival is the story of Hou Yi and Chang'e, which is a story of heroism and love. It is a day of family reunion when people from all around the electorate get together to celebrate and to enjoy delicious moon cakes, which are a tremendous savoury pastry that I can highly recommend. There are lots of events coming up. To everyone in Banks who is preparing for Moon Festival, all the best for the season.