Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to use this time to acknowledge and congratulate members of my community in Bennelong who received King's Birthday awards. Firstly, we have Mrs Helen Banu-Lawrence for her tireless volunteer work with St John Ambulance since 1974. She was a chief executive officer for StreetWork Australia and chairperson for the headspace Chatswood consortium. Then we have Ms Juanita Davies for her service to aged welfare through her volunteer work and time as a director of Leigh Place Aged Care. We then have Mrs Janelle Dodd for her ongoing service to the community through her work with Days for Girls and her active involvement in the Eastwood Uniting Church and as an honorary member of Rotary Club of Ryde. We have Mr John Dodd for his ongoing commitment in his local Rotary community. John served as chair of the district governor selection panel, as well as in many other roles within Rotary and as president of the local Rotary Club of Ryde branch. We then have Mrs Rita Lepedjian, founder of the Ryde Hunters Hill Symphony Orchestra. Rita served as founder and chairperson of the orchestra but also as the first female president of the Australian Armenian Chamber of Commerce, as a teacher of Armenian folk dance and as president of the Armenian Educational and Cultural Society's Shant Chapter. Then we had Peter Stroud for his service in rowing. He's been involved with rowing for over 50 years, and is head coach of Drummoyne Rowing Club. Of course, I'll give a little shout-out to Maxine McKew AM, a former member for Bennelong, for her ongoing commitment to journalism and the parliament. Thank you to all honourees for your work in our community.