Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to recognise the life of Jim Stott. James Stott, known to everyone as Jim, was a giant of lifesaving in bayside Melbourne. Jim spent much of his life in the ocean or as a servant of the many lifesaving clubs in Melbourne's south-east. Jim was well-known and loved at the Chelsea, Edithvale, Aspendale, Mentone and Hampton lifesaving clubs. Though Jim gave his time generously in administration, being a board member of Life Saving Victoria and the Victorian branch of Royal Life Saving Society Australia, a Life Saving Victoria district supervisor, a district officer of 15 years, a club delegate and a radio panel member, Jim's passion was volunteer development. Jim trained generations of lifesavers in bayside Melbourne.

Jim started his association with lifesaving in the 1940s when he joined the Chelsea Longbeach Surf Life Saving Club, gaining his Royal Life Saving Society Australia bronze medallion with reel and line in 1945. Jim had a lifelong passion for the ocean and later joined the Hampton Life Saving Club in 1985, where he held the position of vice-president. Jim was active in the Mentone Lifesaving Club from 1995 until his passing. At Mentone Jim patrolled and officiated for 17 years until 2012. His generous service to the Mentone community was rightly recognised with the honour of life membership at the Mentone Lifesaving Club.

Even in recent years, when Jim was in his late 70s and early 80s, he could be found at a local lifesaving club, organising Nippers classes and doing his bit training the next generation of lifesavers. He was a frequent figure at the Mentone, Edithvale and Aspendale lifesaving clubs and was always willing to lend a hand.

A few weeks ago I swam in the locally renowned club-to-club swim between the Aspendale and Edithvale lifesaving clubs. The clubs held a minute's silence for Jim in tribute to his great contribution to local lifesaving. Jim's tireless volunteering was recognised with the Royal Life Saving Commonwealth Certificate of Thanks, the Royal Life Saving Commonwealth Service Medal, the Life Saving Victoria 10 years service award and the 2013 Life Saving Victoria Assessor of the Year award.

I offer my condolences to Jim's wife, Helga, to his three children and to the Victorian lifesaving community. Jim was a much-admired club member and a legendary figure in the lifesaving community in the great electorate of Isaacs. I pay tribute to Jim Stott for his great contribution to our community. He will be missed.