Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We had 10 wonderful recipients of Queen's Birthday Honours recently. Firstly, Alan Ferguson, a great friend and mentor, was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the parliament. He was our state Liberal Party president from 1990 to 1992 and was appointed to the Senate on a casual vacancy in that year. He contested another three elections successfully and served as President of the Senate from 2007 till 2008 and, following that, as deputy president until his retirement in 2011. Alan still has many friends in this place and in the other. He made friends here, not enemies, right across the parliament.

Lyn Breuer was awarded an OAM. She was the member for Giles for 16 years from 1997 and served as the first female Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly from 2010 to 2013. She may have been a member of parliament but she was always the member for Whyalla first, and, shortly after her retirement, when long-serving mayor Jim Pollock died, she put her hand up and won the mayor's position because she came to the fore. It was a particularly testing time for Whyalla during the collapse of Arrium. Well done, Lyn.

Nyurpaya Kaika Burton was awarded an OAM for her service to Indigenous visual arts. She was born at Pukatja in 1949 and lives on the APY Lands about 100 kilometres down the road at Amata, where there is the very highly rated Tjala Arts centre. Her works incorporate painting, weaving and installation basket making techniques, and she's also skilled in wood carving. Her work is held in a number of public collections, including at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Jeff Morgan was awarded an OAM for service to visual arts and to the community. Jeff is one of the world's great panorama painters. His gallery at Hawker has to be seen to be believed. There are two stunning panoramas, the first of Wilpena Pound and, more recently, a larger one of Arkaroola. They are not just panoramas but huge canvasses, taking visitors on an exploration of the Flinders Ranges when they go to Jeff's gallery. He was a house painter until he sustained an injury and turned his hand to another form of painting. I'm sorry he had an accident, but we are all fortunate he changed trade. He's a wonderful, committed citizen of Hawker.

Peter Mungkuri, who was awarded an OAM, was born near Mimili in South Australia. He is another Indigenous artist. He was a stockman across the lands and, drawing from his memories, he paints important landscapes reflecting his knowledge of land and country. He has exhibited extensively in Australia and was recently included in Tarnanthi, the inaugural festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art held in Adelaide in 2015.

Robert Shaw was awarded an OAM for service to the community of Whyalla. Bob has served his community of Whyalla in the aged-care sector and in the Whyalla branch of the Royal Association of Justices of South Australia, a group which caters for the needs of justices of the peace in and around Whyalla to help them get together, access training and work on their craft.

The late Mumu Mike Williams was awarded an OAM for services to Indigenous visual arts in Mimili. He was born near Kenmore Park and was a strong campaigner for the return of the lands under the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Bill in 1981. In his art he communicated a message about Anungu people having a connection to and standing strong in country.

Sergeant Trevor Milne was awarded the Australian Police Medal. Trevor had worked in both Peterborough and Whyalla in my electorate since the 1970s and made an outstanding contribution to crime scene investigation, forensic services and systems, and police working conditions. Trevor worked as a crime scene supervisor, was leader of the SAPOL fingerprint bureau and was officer in charge of the training and development section at the forensic services branch.

John Shute was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal. His award recognises more than 26 years of volunteer work with the SA Ambulance Service. The ambulance service saves lives through the efforts of dedicated volunteers like John. His commitment to this vital organisation over more than two decades is a credit to his community spirit. He has demonstrated great leadership within the organisation and has earned the respect of his community and his peers.

Last but not least—I have been clipping along at a fair rate, Mr Speaker—Squadron Leader Dave Bywater was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in recognition of his outstanding achievement in aeronautical life support equipment regulatory reform, rapid acquisition and organisational development of the Australian Defence Force. I met Dave at the Anzac Day service in 2019 at Wasleys. There is a population of about 110 people, I reckon, at Wasleys. He's a very fine young member of the Australian Defence Force. He's only 36. He's a first-class person, just like so many in our defence forces, and just like the rest of the people on this list.

House adjourned at 20:00