Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's an honour in this chamber to tell the RedFest story, on behalf of Redland City, which is probably Australia's closest agricultural heartland to any CBD capital, at just 20 kilometres from the CBD. Of course, before the world wars, in Redlands, like most places, one travelled by cart or walked. The farmers rose early to the morning sun and worked until dark, their houses lit by candles. They survived by working together as families to generate the produce that was taken to markets, and it was often a two-day trip back then. In 1850 they dreamed big and partnered with other parts of Queensland to be a potential alternative capital to Brisbane for the colony of Queensland. While that dream never materialised beyond an arrival from the New South Wales governor, who sunk knee-deep in mud and said that no capital cannot have a decent port, we continued with our agricultural heritage nonetheless. In 1889 the railway line brought visitors from Brisbane down for the first time to start to enjoy the benefits of excursions to places like Wellington Point and Ormiston, where custard apples were grown, as well as sugar. These cheap excursions began what was that romantic connection between Redlands and the Brisbane CBD.

By World War I, with most of the working-age men serving overseas, women stepped forward to form the Women's Land Army. There's a wonderful anecdote that a minor royal came to visit the work of the Women's Land Army, I believe in Victoria Point, but there was slight spits of rain, so the women working in the fields elected to come up and meet Her Highness, because she wasn't going to get out of her vehicle in case she spoilt her bonnet. The agriculture continued. The showgrounds became the centre of what were to become the strawberry festivals, the first one held in 1958, then moving to the Redlands Showgrounds in 1965.

The 60th anniversary was in 2018, and it was a very important date, with name changed to RedFest. It broadens the offerings, as you can imagine. The one we are most proud of is the strawberry-eating competition. In my first year as an MP, I was warned, 'Do not enter, for goodness sakes—the photographs won't be attractive.' That's quite right: with all that strawberry and cream flying around, it's probably best that the elected representatives be commentators for the event rather than participants, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. This is the most famous, most notorious part of the strawberry festival, and we continue to recognise this amazing fruit. Farmers have now had a continuous connection for nearly 150 years. Farming is the beating heart of Redlands, and it's a Stronger Communities grant that makes RedFest possible again this year.