Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 13 April 2010, of Bernard Francis Kilgariff, OAM, AM, a senator for the Northern Territory from 1975 to 1987. I call the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death on 13 April 2010 of Bernard Francis Kilgariff OAM AM, former Senator for the Northern Territory, and places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service, and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Bernie, as he was known, was born in Adelaide in 1923 but moved to Alice Springs with his family as a young boy. He was the first Territory student to achieve a year 10 intermediate certificate.

After he finished school, Bernie served in the Australian Army during the Second World War. He fought in Papua New Guinea in the 2nd/5th Battalion, 6th Division of the Australian Imperial Force. Upon his return, he became very active in his local community and was well known for being one of the first tourism entrepreneurs in the Alice.

Bernie had a distinguished career representing the people of Alice Springs, starting when he was appointed to the Legislative Council of the Northern Territory in 1960. He served in the Legislative Council until 1968, at which point he continued as a member of the new Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory until 1975. He was Speaker for two years until he was elected to federal parliament as one of the first two senators for the Northern Territory in 1975.

Bernie campaigned hard for the establishment of self-government for the Northern Territory, which was achieved in July 1978, and he remained a vocal advocate for statehood for the Northern Territory for the rest of his life. I am sure that Senator Scullion will have more personal reflections on what was clearly a very committed and active life advocating for the Northern Territory.

Bernie remained in the Senate until 1987 and played a significant role in the formation of the Country Liberal Party. During his time in parliament, he served on a number of Senate legislative and general purpose standing committees as well as a number of Senate select and joint committees. He was also a member of parliamentary delegations to China, Japan, Romania, the former USSR and Hungary in 1978; Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates in 1982; and Thailand and Indochina in 1984.

It is worth noting that, during Bernie’s 27-year political career, he never once lost an election. Not many of us can say that. In 1989, Bernie was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and, in 1996, he was elevated to a Member of the Order of Australia. The recognition was for continued service to the Northern Territory through the Northern Territory Landcare Council, the Anti-Rabbit Research Foundation, the Cattlemens Association, the Australia Day Council and St John Ambulance. He was also invested as a Knight of the Order of St John. In 2001, he received the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through the parliament.

Unfortunately, Bernie passed away on 13 April this year. He will be fondly remembered for his passion for politics and his lifelong commitment to the people and causes of the Northern Territory. Fittingly, he was accorded a state funeral at Alice Springs.

On behalf of the government, I offer our condolences to the family of Bernard Francis Kilgariff, particularly to his wife, Aileen, and their many children: Danny, Andrew, Frances, Helen, Claire, Brian, Anne, Michael, Kathryn and John. It is a full life well lived and a tremendous record of contribution to public service.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of coalition senators, I too extend our sincere condolences to the family of former Senator Bernie Kilgariff, a senator for the Northern Territory and a member of the Country Liberal Party, who died on 13 April this year at the age of 86, after a long and very rich life. His contributions have set the bar high for those who follow. His life was full in so many ways. His life was inspirational and a living expression of the coalition philosophy.

Mr Kilgariff was one of the modern pioneers of Central Australia and was instrumental in the formation of the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory. He was born at Mile End in South Australia in 1923 and arrived with his family in Alice Springs at the age of seven.

He went on to make extensive contributions to the outback, pastoral, aviation, construction and resource industries, defence, tourism, Aboriginal affairs and the community—all in partnership, with the support and encouragement of his wife, Aileen, and their 11 children. I note: no baby bonus or paid parental leave was needed here. His 11 children were undoubtedly a great apprenticeship for his later role as whip of coalition senators.

Mr Kilgariff’s political career started in 1960 in the Legislative Council of the Northern Territory. He went on to become the first Speaker of the first fully-elected Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory in 1974 and then, in 1975, he was elected as one of the first Territory senators and one of the first senators to represent the newly-formed Country Liberal Party. From 1979 he represented the Liberal Party. I recall meeting with the then senator when I was a very young President of the Australian Liberal Students Federation seeking support for voluntary student unionism, which I note was finally achieved about four or five years ago. I had the privilege of steering the legislation through this place, never expecting it would take so long.

Mr Kilgariff retired from politics in 1987 and continued contributing to every facet of the community for the rest of his life. His contributions were rightly recognised through the Order of Australia. He received the Medal of the Order, OAM, and the Member of the Order, AM, in 1996. On receiving the Order of Australia, Mr Kilgariff said:

It sounds corny, but the biggest pleasure of my career has been representing people.

Mr Kilgariff exemplified commitment to and engagement with the community. He genuinely wanted the Northern Territory—and I quote from his maiden speech in the Senate in 1996—to be ‘capable of performing mighty feats which will be to the benefit not only of the Territory but of Australia’. He was a devoted servant to the parliament and the Northern Territory.

To Mr Kilgariff’s widow, Aileen, and his children and grandchildren, the coalition extend our sympathy in their bereavement and place on record our appreciation of his public service throughout his life. I know Senator Scullion, who so ably represents the Northern Territory and the Country Liberal Party in the Senate, will provide additional supportive comments.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to join the Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in the condolence motion for the loss of former Senator Bernard Kilgariff. All Australians should honour the enormous contribution of my mate, one of the Northern Territory’s first politicians and the founder of the Country Liberal Party, Bern Kilgariff, who was born on 30 September 1923 and sadly passed away on 13 April this year.

Bern had a lifetime of outstanding community contribution and was well liked by people from both sides of the political divide, representing the Northern Territory as the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and as the Territory’s first senator. In 1929 he arrived in Alice Springs with his family on one of the first Ghan trains from Adelaide. I was very lucky, particularly in the first few years of the Senate, to enjoy some of the stories that Bern used to tell about his early days growing up in Alice Springs. As you can imagine, it really was a joy to see Alice Springs in the late 1920s and early 1930s through the eyes of someone who had spent so much time there and seen so much change.

Bern went on to serve in the Australian Army during the Second World War, built and operated motels and service stations in Alice Springs, turned his hand to farming and pastoralism and was instrumental in opening up Central Australia to tourism. He was a very experienced guy. If you spent any time with him and there was a bit of old agricultural equipment or a car of some age he would straightaway tell you how they had improved that part. I often used to say, because he was so knowledgeable, ‘What’s that bit there?’ And he would say that that was a such and such and it used to hang off the something or other. He always had such an intimate knowledge of almost every aspect of life. Certainly in the pastoral industry, he was somebody who looked back with some sadness at the changes in the opportunities that presented to our first Australians. He reflected on a time when Aboriginals in Central Australia were the absolute backbone of the pastoral industry and saw with some sadness that they no longer enjoyed the same opportunities they had when he first got there.

One might wonder whether there was anything, as an individual, that Bernie could not do. We need only to look at some of the positions he held in the Northern Territory. He was Chairman of the Northern Territory Housing Commission, Director of the Central Australian Travel Association, President of the Alice Springs Art Foundation and Chair of the Alice Springs Community College. In 1974 he founded the Country Liberal Party—and, in this place, we may appreciate the difficulty of that. He was instrumental in securing for that party, as a brand new party, 17 of the 19 seats in the first Northern Territory Legislative Assembly election. I do not think it matters what side of parliament we are from; we must all acknowledge that as an incredible feat. Bern, they certainly were the halcyon days, mate!

Bern was very passionate about the Northern Territory. I can remember, when on the few occasions a keynote speech I gave in the Northern Territory did not include statehood, he would come up to me and remind me very forcibly that I had forgotten the first principle—that if we were ever talking about the Northern Territory we needed to remember that statehood was an absolutely fundamental part of the future. Bern, it is never far from our minds, mate.

Bern was recognised in a number of ways, including being given the Order of Australia. I think he would have reflected on how wonderful that was, but I know that in 2008 being invested as a Knight in the Order of St John, specifically for his contribution to the St John Ambulance service, would also have given him a great deal of joy.

He was also named Senior Australian of the Year for the Northern Territory in 2003. That acknowledgement was a reflection of how Bernie, even in his later years, was a very active person in the community, continuing to advocate right across the board. I still remember that at any time I could get a phone call with his voice on the other end saying: ‘Nigel, it’s Bernie. Just a couple of ideas.’ He would then go into some aspect of politics or his thoughts of the day. He was always worth listening to. He had an incredible mind and often had a different angle that you would never have thought of. In politics it is very refreshing to see somebody who has such a wonderful insight into Australian life, and I am sure that was a reflection of his great experience.

Those people who knew Bern will know that one of his most famous sayings about opportunity was, ‘If a tram goes past, hop on it and see where it takes you.’ As I have moved around Australia—not just the Northern Territory—I have found that as soon as someone knows I am a senator and I am from the Northern Territory they say, ‘You’d know Bern Kilgariff.’ I would say, ‘Yes, of course I know Bernie,’ and we would have some sort of conversation. Bern’s tram took him right around Australia and right around the world. He had a great many opportunities. He took every single one. I think the hundreds of people who turned out at Bernie’s state funeral in Alice Springs last month were a reflection of that. It was a fantastic funeral. It was a fitting farewell to a man who contributed so much to his community and so much to his country. I would like to extend my condolences to Bernie’s wife, Aileen, and to his family, who lost a wonderful husband, father and grandfather.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.