Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight it is my sad duty to inform the House of the passing of two exceptionally fine gentlemen in my electorate of Braddon in the last few weeks.

There are those people in the community who everybody knows. Every community across Australia has them. They are those people who everyone seems to have a connection to; everyone seems to have a story about. These people are woven into the fabric of our local communities and they are more often than not the lifeblood of our towns. They are often not the mayor, not the local member of parliament, but, dare I say it, they are the real leaders on the ground who people turn to in good times and bad. They are pillars of our community. They are the members of our local football teams, they are Rotarians, they are volunteers, they are parents and friends, they are committee members, they are presidents of service clubs and other organisations, they are servicemen and they are carers.

I want to pay tribute tonight firstly to Mr Lance Cox. I am confident that if I were to stand in the Devonport Town Hall in my electorate and make the remarks I have just made, many in the room would immediately think of Lance Cox. Lance Cox passed away on 31 January in Hobart Private Hospital. Many in the Devonport community would remember Lance from the Devonport football scene. He played 389 games of footy in his career, 187 of which he played for Devonport. Through his long and distinguished football career he in fact played seven games for Richmond Football Club in the VFL as well as winning the Devonport Football Club best and fairest award in 1965. He was in the Devonport Football Club team of the century—in fact, Lance was voted vice-captain. While I have no doubt his football skills were what got him into the team of the century, it was Lance as a man of great character that led his peers to elect him vice-captain. Another local legend in my community, Paddy Martin, remarked, 'There wasn't one person in the combined sides that had something unpleasant to say about him.'

I also recall Lance's exceptional sportsmanship and contribution to the game. It was recognised in 2007 when the Lance Cox and Neil Conlan Medal was created to be awarded to the best on ground from the Devonport club for the first ever NTFL Boags heritage game against South Launceston. The story of Lance finding out that he was to have the medal named after him is one that truly reflects the his character. When Lance was asked to comment on having the best-player medal named after him he said, 'It's a great honour to have a medal named after me, but especially because it is with Neil.'

There are many in the community, I am sure, who would have similar stories of Lance. He was a humble man, a funny man, always looking to pull others into the spotlight with him rather than to bask in any glory himself. Lance's involvement in the Devonport Football Club was just one of the many roles he held and contributions to the community he gave. I know he was a large local figure, but it was not until I read all of the tributes to Lance that I realised just what an enormous contribution he had made to the north-west coast of Tasmania.

As a life member of the parents and friends committee of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Lance dedicated hundreds of hours, if not thousands, to education and the Catholic faith. Outside of education, Lance was a founding member of the NWFU 200 Club and served as their treasurer for the past seven years. In his 35 years as a member of the Rotary Club of Devonport North, Lance was a president and Paul Harris fellow. Lance was also a member of the Mersey Regional Sub-Branch of the National Servicemen's Association and, dare I say it, he was a member of the Mersey dance group called The Wrinklies.

The most significant group, though, that Lance was a member of and most proud of and most committed to was that of the Cox family. Lance was the family rock. Those in my electorate would have seen the many tributes to Lance from his closest family and, of course, friends. He was a man of principle and integrity and had a strong work ethic. Lance will be remembered as an outstanding member of the community, but most of all as a loving father, grandfather, family man and husband of Jan, who was always there to help out a mate. To quote from one of the many tributes to Lance: 'The world is poorer for your passing, but the kingdom of heaven is richer. A life well lived.'

The words I spoke earlier about the pillars of our community not only describe Lance Cox but also Laurie House. Perhaps far better known on the north-west coast as Mr Betta, Laurie passed away on 3 February after many years as an icon in the Tasmanian dairy industry. There are very few people in Braddon—very few people in Tasmania—who have never heard of the iconic Tasmanian milk brand Betta Milk. Whether they saw one of the infamous 'Tassie As Tour' ads with Frank and Nikki from the Betta Milk Protection Squad or had it every morning for breakfast, almost every Tasmanian knows the iconic milk brand Betta. The man behind the milk, Laurie House, became well-known as the man who build the Betta brand and became better known as Mr Betta.

Laurie grew up on Tasmania's east coast, in the small town of St Marys. As a young man, Laurie worked as an administrator with the Postmaster-General, where he travelled around the state taking up various postings in this role. After all the time on the road Laurie found himself on the north-west, where he took up the role with what was then the local dairy cooperative in Burnie, Betta Milk. With his background working for the Postmaster-General Laurie was a highly skilled administrator, and after he came on board Betta Milk grew and grew. By the mid-1990s Betta Milk was trading state-wide and Laurie had convinced the Betta Milk board to establish Hellyers Road Distillery, a legendary local distillery—and I make sure that I have plenty of their stock in my office.

Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hear, hear!

Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the member for Bass will attest—and I make sure that any ministers or visitors get a chance to have a taste of that earthy Hellyers Road Distillery whiskey that is a part of the dream and vision of Laurie House. You would be forgiven, though, for thinking that milk and whisky production does not go hand in hand. Hellyers Road Distillery, however, is an award-winning distillery and is the world's bestselling Australian crafted single malt whiskey. Anyone who has come into my office, will know of that, and will have seen the top shelf of my Braddon produce display dedicated entirely to produce from this distillery. Laurie never got to come to Canberra to experience that, but he knew full-well that I was a great advocate for the Hellyers Road brand.

That man behind the milk had a side that far fewer Tasmanians saw. That side was dedicated to his family and local community. Laurie served the north-west through the Burnie Emu Bay Lions Club for over 28 years. He was a laugh a minute. He had a great sense of humour, was always up for a prank and was a great man to spend time with, and he loved spending time with people and enjoying their company. Laurie also used his standing in the business community to help others, supporting and sponsoring the McKenna Park Regional Hockey Complex, just to name one.

I remember that my father, when we had a local business, had a lot to do with Laurie House. He had such high regard for the man, and that was passed on to me. I have known nothing else than a gentleman and a man of great integrity and character who was always a great support to me. He always had something to say and always had some advice to give, but always delivered it with a smiling face.

Though Laurie will undoubtedly leave an enormous hole in the community on the North-West Coast, it is his family who will obviously feel the loss the most. Laurie and his wife, Pat, had four children together: Genevieve, Caroline, Eloise and James. Laurie was an uncle, a brother, a father and a deeply loved member of the House family. I pay particular tribute tonight to his wife, Pat. Laurie did not enjoy much of the best of health over many years. In fact, his health took a great toll physically some years ago when he lost both of his legs and he spent a considerable amount of time in a wheelchair. But his smile never left his face and his wife never left his side. Their companionship continued to leave a mark on all of those who watched on. What a tremendous couple and what a tremendous testimony to commitment and marriage Laurie and Pat were.

Both of these men, Lance Cox and Laurie House, shaped the North-West Coast in their own way and in their own lifetimes. It is with great sadness that their community farewells them, but they will both be remembered into the future for the role they had in changing our place and impacting our future on the North-West Coast of Tasmania. My thoughts and prayers, and this testimony of their lives in this place, go out to the families of both men. May they both rest in peace.