Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tom Hale was a person of great wisdom, knowledge and strength who lived in the town of Bonalbo in my electorate. At age 95, Tom was one of the few remaining veterans of the Second World War. Sadly, Tom passed away recently. He served with distinction across the Pacific. Unfortunately, after fighting defensive action in Timor, Tom was one of the 22,000 Australian soldiers, Navy personnel, airmen, nurses and civilians captured by Japanese forces. He was sent to the notorious Changi prison in Singapore. He was a prisoner for three years, 11 months and three weeks, first in Changi and then on the Burma railway. He used to say: 'The only way you survived was you had to have mates. You couldn't do it on your own. When a bloke was sick, whatever extra tucker his mates could scrounge or pinch from the storeroom or the native garden at night, he got the lot until he got better. But it went around—you all got your turn.'

It was the Burmese monks and the risks they took to help prisoners whom Tom Hale recalled. 'The main ones that stuck to us were those Burmese Buddhists; they were wonderful people,' he said. 'They'd sneak stuff to us of a night when they got the chance. If they were caught, they were tortured pretty bad, or mostly they got shot—which a lot of them did—but they kept doing it. When the war finished, I was asking this old Buddhist fellow why they kept doing it. The only answer he gave us was, "Our faith."'

Coming home was tough for survivors, and not just because of the personal demons they had to overcome. Tom returned to Bonalbo, where he worked for the New South Wales Department of Agriculture on the cattle tick program from the 1940s until his retirement in the seventies. He was known affectionately as the only man who could shoe a horse and carry on a conversation with a mouthful of nails. Tom was well known in the Bonalbo community for his vast knowledge of local history. People often referred to him as the town's encyclopaedia.

Tom is survived by his wife, Elsie, who is over 100 years of age. I've had the pleasure to meet Elsie on a number of occasions. He had three children, Garry, Gayle and Anne, and stepchildren, Faye, Pam, who's deceased, and Ivy. I also had the honour to meet Tom on a number of occasions. I was always humbled to do so. This country owed him, and those he served with, a lot. The Diggers Military Motorcycle Club saluted Tom at his funeral in Bonalbo. Afterwards, at the Dog 'N Bull, when everyone toasted Tom Hale, the empty black stool was a poignant reminder of a man much loved by his community.

As an aside, Ada Baker, who is Tom's sister, is also still alive and well over 100 years of age. It was a delight to catch up with her recently. I still remember very vividly when I saw Ada on her 100th birthday and said, 'How are you?' She said, 'Kevin, when I wake up, it's a good day, and when I'm walking around, it's a great day.' Hear, hear to that!

I'd like to congratulate this year's committee of the Grafton Jacaranda Festival, which is the oldest floral festival in Australia. The last Saturday in October marks the big day. It marks the queen crowning, and it also recognises the youth in the community with the Jacaranda Children's Morning. Festivities run throughout the morning, and include the beautiful baby photo competition. Market Square is converted into a huge party zone for all the kids to enjoy.

These are this year's winners in the beautiful baby photo competition: boys zero to six months winner was Max Gray, second was Tyreece Close; boys seven to 12 months winner was Cody Want, second was Khan; boys 13 to 18 months winner was Angus Irwin; boys 19 to 24 months winner was Romeo Painter-Hookey; girls zero to six months winner was Ava Tran, second was Emii-Mae Duroux; girls seven to 12 months winner was Honey-lee, second was Indie Willow; girls 13 to 18 months winner was Emily Straw, second was Zarra; and girls 19 to 24 months winner was Lucyana Rose, second was Winter Worthington. Other wins were Aria Atherton and Arlo Hickson. Best dressed boy winner was Keenan Blood and best dressed girl was Lainey Morgan. The overall grand champion runner-up was Honey-lee, with the grand champion winner being Miss Emily Straw. I thank again the Bendigo Bank and Grafton Fast Photos for their support of the children's event and what was a wonderful day for the Grafton Jacaranda Festival.