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

Coolamon, in the Riverina area of south-west New South Wales, is a place of history. Indeed, the town boasts a nationally significant part in First World War folklore, with a famous patriotic quote by the soon to be prime minister being made in the town. It was 5 August 1914 when the soon to be prime minister Andrew Fisher first coined the phrase 'to the last man and the last shilling', showing what we would do, patriotically, to support England in the Great War. He was opposition leader then and soon became Prime Minister.

'Coolamon' is an Indigenous word meaning 'multipurpose, sustainable tool used for gathering and carrying, or a vessel for food or water'. That's what 'Coolamon' means. It now has a rare opportunity to be a significant place in another dimension—on the moon. Now, space.gov.au is the place where you can vote for 'Coolamon' to be the name used on the next lunar rover. It would be appropriate, given the fact that 'Coolamon' means 'multipurpose, sustainable tool used for gathering'. There are three other names—Kakirra, Mateship and Roo-ver—but don't worry about those. Just go to space.gov.au and vote for 'Coolamon' and put Coolamon on the moon.

We know that the moon is made of cheese. We do know that. Indeed, Peter English, one of the co-owners of the Coolamon cheese factory, said that he was excited for the moon rover to be bringing back some of the blue cheese from the lunar landscape so that they could serve it to their wonderful customers! The factory is in a former 1920s co-op building, and it's the host for many, many visitors.

Coolamon is a famous town, and it will be only made even more famous if each and every one of us go to space.gov.au. You've got to vote for Coolamon. There are three others, but don't worry about them. It's really important that we do this because the mayor, David McCann—who's not just an OAM but a dual OAM recipient—says so. He says that this will put Coolamon not just on the map in the Riverina or on the map in Australia but on the map on the moon. And what better place to put Coolamon than on the moon? That is what we're trying to achieve.

That is going to give this town, which is famous in Great War history and famous because of its 1894 football club—that's when the football and netball club was established. And would you believe the football club is known as the—wait for it—Coolamon Rovers? If the people back in the 1890s had the foresight to name the footy club the Coolamon Rovers, they were obviously thinking ahead to the time when humankind would be on the moon and the lunar rover would be named after their football club and their great town. Go vote for Coolamon.