Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Berri and wider Riverland communities in South Australia are mourning the passing of a great South Australian, Malcolm Hill, who died late last month at the age of 85. Malcolm was born in Victoria in 1938 but moved to the Riverland in the early 1960s to run a fruit block, but Malcolm brought so much more to the region than just a blockie's toil and hard work.

Hawthorn Football Club supporters may remember Malcolm because, before he left Victoria, he played 22 games for that club, including as a member of their inaugural 1961 premiership side. That wasn't enough for Malcolm. In South Australia his sporting prowess continued to shine. He cemented himself as a star with the Berri Football Club. His reputation preceded him, so he was quickly sought out by legendary Sturt Football Club coach Jack Oatey. Jack convinced Malcolm to travel to Adelaide and to pull on the 'Double Blues' guernsey, and he continued to play locally.

Between 1962 and 1969 Malcolm played periodically for Sturt. In fact, he played 62 SANFL games, three of those games as a member of the renowned Sturt premiership sides of 1966, 1968 and 1969. During this time he also won premierships as part of the 1966, 1967 and 1968 teams at the Berri Demons, taking out the award of club champion in 1966. The sporting success and acknowledgements continued. In 1975 Malcolm, as coach, took the team to a premiership. In 1977, having finished up as a club coach, Malcolm was honoured with a place in the Riverland Team of the Century and an inaugural place in the Berri Football Club Hall of Fame.

His sporting skills have been passed on to his talented sporting family, including to his grandson Alexander, a champion rower and an Olympic gold and silver medallist who will represent Australia again in Paris shortly.

Malcolm's accomplishments weren't confined to the sporting field. He was a well-known long-term manager of the Berri Hotel, steering the community hotel to become a major success story for the South Australian hospitality sector. In recognition of his business acumen he was awarded life membership of the Australian Hotels Association by the state council for that 17 years of service.

A fierce advocate for the Riverland, particularly through the Riverland Grape Growers Association, Malcolm was admired for his knowledge of the Murray-Darling Basin. Never afraid to speak up and speak truth to power, he was a man of integrity and of conviction. But, above all, Malcolm was a family man, and a warm and convivial friend to many.

I'd like to offer my condolences to his wife of 62 years, Ann; to his children, Peter, Amanda, Julia and their partners; and to his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Vale, Malcolm Hill.