Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia Day was very significant in the electorate of Bradfield, as it was around the country. Some eight constituents received a Medal of the Order of Australia, and I want to acknowledge those awards: Reverend Dr Roger Chilton of St Swithun's in Pymble for service to the Anglican Church of Australia and the community, Mr Michael McEwen for service to the community through a range of organisations, Mrs Pamela Walker for service to the Uniting Church in Australia and to pastoral care programs, Mrs Patricia Spooner for service to the community through volunteer roles, Mrs Susan Nurse for service to the Uniting Church in Australia, Ms Tiffany Thomas Kane for service to sport—she was a gold medallist at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games—Mr Yair Miller for service to the community through a range of organisations and to interfaith relations—of course, Mr Miller is a leader in the Jewish community on the upper North Shore and in the Australian Jewish community—and Dr Richard Schloeffel for services to medicine in the field of chronic and infectious disease. So I want to congratulate those Bradfield constituents who were justly recognised in the Australia Day Honours List.

Of course, Australia Day saw extensive celebrations in Bradfield. Ku-ring-gai Council organised their usual event at Bicentennial Park in Pymble, where many new citizens received their Australian citizenship, and it was a very joyous occasion. Hornsby Shire Council similarly organised a citizenship ceremony and community celebrations at Hornsby Park. So, both at Bicentennial Park in Pymble and at Hornsby Park, members of the community were able to enjoy a celebration of Australia Day with all kinds of entertainment, stalls and a genuinely joyous community feeling.

At Bicentennial Park in Pymble, Ku-Ring-Gai Council awarded the Ku-Ring-Gai Citizen of the Year award to Dr Zeny Edwards, who has made a very significant contribution over many years. She is an architectural historian, and she has been an advocate in relation to issues like the Ku-Ring-Gai Council heritage committee, the Historic Houses Trust, the National Trust and the Eryldene Trust—Eryldene, of course, being the historic home in Gordon. She is originally from the Philippines. She has lived in Australia for many years. She has made a very distinguished contribution as an architectural historian and is very deserving of the award of Ku-Ring-Gai Citizen of the year.

So Australia Day 2017 was a very happy day in Bradfield, as it was around the country.