Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to celebrate and recognise the life of an Australian icon, Dame Olivia Newton-John, AC, DBE. Born in England in September 1948, Olivia Newton-John moved to Melbourne when she was five and made Australia her home. Later in life, she moved to the United States of America and was sadly lost to the world earlier this year in August.

In addition to being one of this nation's greatest musical exports, Oliva was also a well-known animal rights and environmental campaigner and a breast cancer awareness advocate. Olivia was Australia's sweetheart. Olivia was an Australian icon who captivated the globe. Her first big break was appearing on a local pop talent TV program in 1963. Slowly growing renowned, she would tour the UK and perform throughout Europe.

Olivia achieved breakthrough fame in her role as Sandy in the 1978 hit film Grease. With John Travolta starring in the role of Danny, Grease was a smash-hit musical that is now loved by many generations. The soundtrack to this film spent 12 weeks at No. 1, and I doubt there is a high school in this country that hasn't staged Grease the musical. I certainly remember it from my high school days at Safety Bay Senior High School. I didn't perform, because I don't perform, but I do remember attending. I know that it's a hit among the high school musical circuit.

Olivia was the second woman to have two hits in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, with the tunes 'Summer Nights' and 'Hopelessly Devoted to You'. The Newton-John-Travolta duet 'You're the One that I Want' was one of the top singles of all time, selling more than 15 million copies. Throughout her career, Olivia Newton-John won four Grammy Awards, along with a multitude of other awards for her musical and acting career. She had global sales of more than 100 million records.

A life of such remarkable achievement, Olivia Newton-John also suffered tremendous tragedy. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, and she dedicated herself to raising awareness and promoting treatments while offering endless love and support to others struck by the same illness. In 2008, Olivia led a group of cancer survivors on a trek of the Great Wall of China, raising more than $2 million for charity. Through her tireless campaigns, she would eventually raise almost $200 million in funds to fight cancer. She opened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne in 2012. Today, this centre provides cancer patients with the emotional support they need and provides a focus on wellbeing throughout treatment.

Olivia Newton-John Battled cancer three times and, ultimately, succumbed to the disease this year, but, through all of these battles, she continued to advocate for others. It is important that we recognise the achievements of Dame Olivia Newton-John in this chamber not as just fun and an important one of Australia's entertainment acts but also one of this nation's great campaigners. In fact, she has been recognised around the world. In 2019, she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, and, in the same year, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 2021, the Japanese government awarded her an Order of the Rising Sun, a very rare accolade in Japan for a foreigner.

Her musical and acting legacy will, of course, last forever, in school musicals, in Grease, and the frequent re-running of that musical, seemingly every six months, maybe more often on television, the movie in which she starred, a movie that can be quite challenging in terms of how it depicts relationships between teenage women and men in the late 1950s in the United States. But the soundtrack remains supreme.

ONJ was, of course, more than Sandy in Grease. She was a talented artist, an amazing campaigner for animal welfare and an advocate for cancer victims around the world, particularly in Australia. The loss of Olivia Newton-John is not just a loss for us as Australian fans but a tremendous loss for her family and friends. It's a loss to the whole world. Vale Dame Olivia Newton-John, AC, DBE.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion of condolence on the death of Dame Olivia Newton-John. It's fitting serendipitously that this motion is being debated just after we've talked about the passing of Judith Durham. In many ways, Olivia Newton-John replaced Judith Durham as one of the great Australian female singers and entertainers of the seventies, just as Judith Durham was of the sixties.

As the previous speaker mentioned, I totally agree that she's a lot more than just being Sandy in Grease, but, first and foremost, that is certainly how so many tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of people came to know her. One of those curses for any Australian who travels to America is that Americans think there are about 30 to 40 people who live in Australia, so they will often ask the question: 'You are from Australia. Do you know Olivia Newton-John or Paul Hogan?' Well, Paul lives three houses down but Olivia is two streets over in the one suburb on continental Australia.

Her passing to me came as quite a shock. I very much regret that a few years ago I missed the opportunity to meet her when she was in this building. A lot of members will remember that she was here and attended question time, doing the great work she was doing to raise awareness in this building, like she raised so much money for cancer treatment. Of course, she succumbed to her long, long battle with cancer, tragically, but the legacy she leaves behind in this country around awareness and resourcing is truly spectacular. She was a very famous Australian but we do not merely remember her as just someone who was a very successful musician and actress, though she was. She chose to use that success to make a really significant difference in our society in Australia and, frankly, around the globe.

It is a tragedy that she passed much sooner than any of us would wish, but the legacy she leaves behind is one of many lifetimes of contribution. So with those words I pay tribute and reflect and, of course, mourn the passing of Dame Olivia Newton-John.

Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have spoken in this place about listening to my parents' records in my early years. Olivia Newton-John's album was one of the very first that I bought by myself. In 1977 her greatest hits album was released and, at the age of about 14, it was not long before I owned it. I did not realise I was listening to a crossover of country and pop but I loved those songs. I still know most of the lyrics to 'Something better to do' and 'Sam' and 'Have you never been mellow' and 'I honestly love you'.

These were the songs of my teenage years and I can picture myself sitting in the sunroom of my Strathfield home singing away, sadly not nearly as tuneful as Olivia herself. And then, of course, a year later Grease was released, an eye-opener solidifying in my teenage brain that Olivia was an absolute hero and star. The thing about the songs of your teenage years are that they return to you at different times and at different points throughout your life. As I would spend hours on the road in the mid-1980s heading between Canberra and Sydney I would rotate through music new and old, and Olivia ended up on a cassette tape, one of those mix tape with my favourites. A three-hour-plus drive provides a lot of time to sing along. So my tribute to Olivia Newton-John is a huge thank you. Thank you for being the soundtrack to heartbreak and joy, to homesickness and adventures.

It was not until I came to parliament, though, that I met Olivia in her role as an advocate for better support for cancer sufferers. She used her own experience and her own money to further that cause. She was a compelling campaigner and leaves a huge legacy for this work. From her young days to her later years she was always such a proud Australian, and I loved that she never lost her Aussie accent, even though she was an international star. She loved this country and we loved her. Rest in peace, Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE.

Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE was born on 26 September 1948 in Cambridge England to Bryn and Irene. She was the youngest of three children with Hugh, her brother, and Rona, her sister. Olivia was five years old when her family emigrated to Melbourne on the SSStrathaird. Olivia wanted to be a vet but doubted her ability to pass the science exam and turned instead to our other interest, performance.

Olivia's first solo album was If Not for You in 1971, and it peaked at No. 14 on the Australian charts and No. 158 on the US Billboard 200—quite an achievement. Her second album, Olivia, in 1972, had more success overseas, with the song 'Let Me Be There' earning her a Grammy for best country female and an Academy of Country Music award for most promising female vocalist. In 1974, Olivia represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Long Live Love'. She placed fourth, after ABBA, who won with 'Waterloo'.

Olivia's stardom would only grow, skyrocketing after she appeared alongside John Travolta in the cult classic Grease in 1978. I was 10 years old in 1978, and I'll talk about that influence a little bit later. Her most famous song was 'Physical', selling 10 million copies and earning her another Grammy.

As we know, Olivia faced a long battle with cancer, becoming one of Australia's most high-profile campaigners for the advancement of cancer research and treatment following her diagnosis of breast cancer in 1992 at the age of only 44. Cancer would return in 2013 and again in 2017. She was a pioneer in the cancer field and her legacy will continue in the work of world-leading research, treatment and care. Olivia founded the Olivia Newton-John Foundation to fund research into cancer therapies and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre, the ONJ centre, in Melbourne to support people on their journey with cancer.

Olivia Newton-John was made a dame in the Queen's New Year Honours list in 2020 in recognition of her services to charity, cancer research and entertainment. She leaves behind her daughter, Chloe, and her husband, John Easterling.

In 1978 I was 10 years old, and I vividly remember the impact that Olivia Newton-John—or Livvy, as Australians fondly called her—had on me as a young girl from a low socioeconomic background living in South Australia. To see Olivia Newton-John, with her curly hair and her leather pants, transform from Sandy, the girl next door with her hair in a ponytail, into a superstar up on the big screen was something of an inspiration—not just for me but for young girls across the country and, indeed, across the world, ultimately. Songs like 'Hopelessly Devoted to You', 'Sam' and 'I Honestly Love You' were songs that inspired me during high school to actually become a singer, and I enjoyed a career as a saxophonist, as many in this place know—

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And a good one.

Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

thank you; I'll take that interjection—and, of course, a vocalist. A lot of that was largely due to the inspiration of Olivia Newton-John.

She was someone that everybody wanted to be near. She was someone that everybody wanted to be like. The songs that I outlined were those that I diligently learned in my singing lessons every week, making sure that I could belt out Olivia Newton-John's 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' at school concerts—of course, in the music room at lunchtime on the piano. To this day, I still do have in my office at least half-a-dozen Olivia Newton-John songs and a piano, so I invite any of my colleagues to come in and have a bit of karaoke—even you, Member for North Sydney—and sing 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' in my office.

But those memories of Olivia—as a superstar, as a singer, as the girl next door, as a role model—remain. She had such a massive impact on me—and on my sister as well, who was older than me at the time, and on our young lives and on what we wanted to do with our lives. Olivia was a fierce advocate for cancer, and I realised a childhood dream when I met her in September 2019 when she came to this place, Parliament House. We were able to meet her in the Dame Dorothy Tangney Alcove and talk with her about her cancer research and about how much money and energy she had put into that for others.

She was a kind soul. She was a talented woman. She was a much-loved mother and wife. She will be sadly missed. She was a movie star. She was a singer. But most of all she really was Australia's favourite daughter. Olivia's been part of our lives for as long as I can remember—I was inspired by her as a young girl. She means different things to so many different people around this country but she will always live on in our hearts forever. Vale, Olivia Newton-John.

Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 8 August 2022, Australia and, indeed, the world learned of Olivia Newton-John's passing. While we recognise her great contribution as an Australian artist, she was an Australian artist who had an impact the world over. Born in Cambridge, England, she emigrated to Melbourne as a young child. I learnt when researching this that she went to primary school with Daryl Braithwaite, another Aussie talent. It was in these early years of Aussie education that she was drawn to performing, and so many of us are so fortunate that she was. Her talent took her across Europe with a range of different joint and solo acts.

It was in 1978 that she took the role of Sandy in the film adaptation of the musical Grease. That changed her life, and it changed cinema. It was also such a huge moment for Australians, seeing an Australian accent in a big-budget blockbuster film. Grease became the biggest box office hit of 1978. The soundtrack was arguably even bigger. Then, from that film onward, Olivia's image was known across the world.

Her musical career then transitioned in the 1980s. Xanadu, the musical fantasy film which draws strong opinions in this place, baptised the decade in that year of 1980. It was one contribution. But it was the breakthrough double-platinum album Physical which really cemented her status as an international pop icon. She managed to get that song banned by two Utah radio stations during the peak of its popularity. Artists have to try a lot harder to have their music banned today.

She was a well-known Carlton supporter. Clearly, one of her proudest achievements was to perform at the 1986 VFL grand final between Carlton and Hawthorn.

Then her life changed again in 1992, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She would take that in her stride and become known globally as an advocate for people affected by breast cancer. In large part, she drove large investments in breast cancer research. She knew the grief, she knew the illness and she connected so deeply with many Australians who were going through that grief and illness themselves. Again, she touched the lives of so many, but, in particular, she touched the lives of people here in Australia.

I just want to share a few of her reflections on some of those iconic moments I mentioned. When talking about the success of Grease she said: 'The young kids are rediscovering it every 10 years or so, it seems.' That definitely has been true over the 44 years during which that film has been out in the public, and I'm sure that, in the future, every 10 years or so, that film will continue to be rediscovered. People will read it in different ways from how it was read when it was first written, but it still is one of those great, iconic musicals with a uniquely Australian flavour.

On her illness, she reflected: 'My cancer scare changed my life. I'm grateful for every new, healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritise my life.' And, again, prioritise her life she did. She chose to be an advocate for people who were experiencing illness. She chose to advocate for recognising that we could do so much more for those who are suffering from breast cancer. She chose to advocate that that doesn't have to be the norm and that, through research and through investment—philanthropic, business and government—we can start to shift the dial on that disease that still, to this day, affects too many.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Back in 1981, when I got my first car, it was a little blue Gemini four-cylinder. My wife, Catherine, often reminds me that, but for her, I'd still be driving it. That's probably true. But I wasn't happy with the Holden Gemini's sound system, so I got an equaliser put in and it used to pump out the tracks. And I had some tracks. I had some cassette tapes in that car. I had Back In Black by Acca Dacca—AC/DC. I had Ol' 55. In fact, I also had the greatest hits of Olivia Newton-John. I can remember singing along with those songs, both in the car and at home with my sisters Denise and Robyn, who just loved Olivia Newton-John. And didn't we all? And why wouldn't we? She was a beautiful, beautiful person.

She was born in Britain, but we certainly adopted her. We certainly loved her—as we should. And who will forget Sandy in Grease? What a great movie. What a great musical. Indeed, John Travolta, upon Olivia's death, said:

My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!

I can remember when Olivia came to parliament. She was sitting there in question time and I was answering a question. I was being given what for by those opposite—probably the member for McEwen was the loudest. I leaned across to the dispatch box and said, 'Have you never been mellow?' Of course the next day I got criticised in various mainstream papers for, 'Who uses the word mellow?' Olivia Newton-John used that word, and she sang it beautifully. She sang everything beautifully. Vale Olivia Newton-John.

Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 8 August all Australians mourned the very sad passing of Olivia Newton-John, and I'm sure we all continue to miss her. She touched every Australian's life. She was an Australian icon. She died after a long battle with cancer. She was first diagnosed with cancer in 1992. Since then, she'd been a tireless fighter. She not only fought the disease privately, but put her dedication and fame into raising awareness and better cures for cancer.

Aside from bringing us endless joy, as we just heard the member for Riverina remind us about, with her music, films, smiles—how can you forget the movie Grease, and some of her songs as well. Olivia Newton-John was a tireless campaigner and a tireless fundraiser, especially in health and cancer research. She also launched the Olivia Newton-John Foundation to advocate for kinder treatments for cancer, including using everything from plant based treatments, research et cetera. She also lent her name to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute based at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne. This foundation aims to help people live better with cancer and to defeat it.

I had the honour of visiting this research centre in Melbourne a few years ago, when I was chair of the health and ageing committee, through the request of one of their directors that I met here while Olivia was here promoting the cancer research centre. I received an invite and saw firsthand the great work that they do. They work so hard to discover and develop breakthrough cancer therapies, and are treating people here in Australia—and all through Olivia Newton-John's tireless work to get this centre up and running.

It provides the best health outcomes for patients. At this institute, researchers work just metres away from where people receive treatment. So you've got the research centre and the hospital where people receive their treatments is right next door, so there is a connect between the researching and the people seeking this treatment. This means that these scientific discoveries are rapidly translated into breakthrough clinical therapies. This was Olivia's vision, to give kinder treatment to people with cancer through research, through ensuring that every facility that may have been required by people that were receiving treatment for cancer was at their fingertips.

I remember walking through and it was like a family atmosphere. It was a centre that was set up with kitchens, lounges, libraries—a whole range of things—so when people were there receiving their treatment they felt at home. There was space for family members as well. Speaking to some of those patients that were there, they couldn't speak highly enough of Olivia and the research centre. Olivia Newton-John was a tireless supporter of this foundation and of people living with cancer. She was also an activist for environmental and animal rights causes, so she was an inspiration to so many of us, whether it was through her movies or through the songs that she sang or through her advocacy for cancer research—she inspired all of us.

She was known for her energy, kindness and commitment to improving the lives of people living with cancer, and this was a source of light, encouragement and hope to many. When we heard people speak about Olivia Newton-John, the words people used over and over were warm-hearted, enthusiastic, dedicated, committed, full of energy, positive and joyous. In an interview she gave in 2022 she said:

I'm healthy, I'm strong … I think it's very important to keep that positive message in your head. You know, if you have a difficult moment, music is always a great healer.

I couldn't agree more. I had the honour and pleasure of meeting her, as many people in this place did, when she visited our parliament to promote her cancer research. I spoke to her on both occasions and found her to be very humble and she basically gave you all the time in the world to have a discussion. I remember mentioning to her that we had a mutual friend in Adelaide, another actor, Chantal Contouri, who was very good friends with Olivia, and Olivia asked me to pass on her regards. When I did, no-one could speak highly enough of her. I know that she will continue to bring joy and happiness through her music, through her videos and through her movies. Vale, Olivia Newton-John.