Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the great privileges of being a member of parliament is the opportunity to join with extraordinary people in volunteer organisations, cultural and sporting groups in my community as they work to make the community stronger and to support each other. Today I want to tell the parliament about Delacombe Park Cricket Club and one of the most special events that I have been privileged and proud to be a part of. It's described by the driver of the event, Bill Mallinson, as 'an event which sent waves through the club and community, an event that will be remembered for years to come as a significant day in the fight for recognition and opportunity for girls and women.' Delacombe cricket club has a girls team for the second time this year, and they want to have a women's team. They want to have a team for people with special abilities. They want to have a team for people who are vision impaired.

But their clubhouse and their culture reflected the history of men, and it didn't reflect the contributions of women and girls. Bill, Ash Hudson, Miranda Maling, the girls from the girls team, the women who are part of that club and the men from the first team came together, and on Saturday we officially opened the Women's Wall, where photographs of the first girls team, the coaches and the women who have run the canteen and been supporters were put up on that wall and everybody there was told, 'Girls and women can be whatever they want to be as long as they get the opportunity.' It was the most special event I've been to in a long time.