Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about an important local event held in my electorate last Thursday, which was the dedication of new plaques at the memorial walkway at Kingscliff and the presentation of a portrait of Rowan Robinson to his parents, Marie and Peter Robinson. I would like to thank the Kingscliff RSL sub-branch, in particular Vice President Brian Vickery, for inviting me to the dedication and also for the honour of presenting a portrait of Rowan to his parents. Sapper Rowan Robinson was serving with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan when he was tragically killed in action on 6 June 2011. The presentation reflected our community's heartfelt condolences for the Robinson family, and it also reflected our community's strong respect and admiration for the outstanding young man that Rowan was.

Rowan Robinson was a Kingscliff man who was very active and connected to the Tweed, having attended schools in both Murwillumbah and Kingscliff. He also went to nippers at the local surf club and graduated to the senior club as a patrolling member. He was an exceptionally talented sportsman who did very well at both rugby at school and golf, which he continued right up until he joined the Army. Rowan was a fit, healthy, active young man who was always a team player. I am told he was extremely popular as a person, as a competitor and as a worker who set an outstanding example for others. Rowan joined the Army in 2006, and it was on his second deployment to Afghanistan that he was tragically killed in June 2011. Rowan's commanding officer said of him:

Everything he turned his hand to produced outstanding results. Without fail, he would jump at the challenge of leading our operators to their objective, risking his life so that others may live.

It is important that we as a community and as a country always remember Rowan's service and sacrifice. That is why it was an honour to have been involved in the presentation of the portrait at the memorial walkway.

The portrait was painted by Jason Swain, an Australian artist who lives in America. Jason had written to the Kingscliff RSL and advised that he was undertaking the project to paint the portraits of Australian diggers who were killed in action in Afghanistan. The Kingscliff RSL took the opportunity to present this portrait to Rowan's parents in the very special place that is the memorial walkway, which was established in 2007. Kingscliff RSL designed the walkway and plaque dedications to reflect Australians at war in numerous settings. Each year new plaques are added, and each year local schools are involved in new projects for the new plaques.

I would like to acknowledge the role of the Wommin Bay nursing home and also the Tweed Shire Council and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. The original idea for the walkway had been for carers and staff from the nursing home to be able to walk patients to the beach along the walkway and to view the ocean. It is a wonderful, accessible memorial that is very much a part of the local community and, in fact, it is not just used by residents of the local nursing home—locals and visitors use the pathway, and it is wonderful in the sense that it is a living memorial. The plaques are there for the people to see as they walk along the walkway either to the beach or to the view out to the ocean. I would particularly like to thankful and acknowledge the work of the Kingscliff RSL for both these latest additions to the memorial walkway and the portrait presentation. It was an absolute honour and a privilege to attend.