Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the past six years I have had the honour of being a senator for South Australia. It is in this context that I have been reflecting on the things that make my home state so special. Flying into Adelaide on a 737 on a Thursday or Friday night after a parliamentary sitting week, with the lights of Adelaide below, really is a wonderful sight.

Tonight I want to speak briefly about some of what makes South Australia a truly brilliant blend. There are the little towns that unite the people of the winemaking regions of our state; the beautiful Clare Valley that supports a working rural community, which upholds traditions that are generations old; and heritage towns like Kapunda and Burra, with their restaurants and antique shops, complement the valley's boutique wineries, some of which are known worldwide. Home to about 20,000 South Australians, the Barossa Valley is one of Australia's premier wine producing regions and is particularly noted for the luscious shiraz grapes that contribute to making the famous Grange Hermitage.

Meanwhile, south of the capital, McLaren Vale takes full advantage of its climate to combine stunning beaches, more excellent wineries, rolling hills and almond orchards. Moving even further south, the largest regional city in South Australia is Mt Gambier, on the slope of a dormant volcano. It is a region of great natural beauty. There are caves, sinkholes, rivers and lakes, including the famous Blue Lake—which I have walked around—which changes colour every November and serves the city and surrounds with pure water.

North of Mt Gambier is the Coonawarra where the terra rossa soil combines with pure, limestone filtered water to produce some of Australia's greatest reds. Then there is Hahndorf, Australia's oldest surviving German settlement, which still retains its German flavour, particularly in the bakeries and restaurants that cluster around its main street. Continuing with the regional theme, Wilpena Pound is a 40 million-year-old majestic natural amphitheatre located inside an ancient crater. Wilpena Pound is the gateway to the Flinders Ranges and to the deep outback, to the Dreaming. I have shared many wonderful days there with Russell and Che.

Water is of course a crucial element in the survival of the driest state of the driest continent. The River Murray is the lifeline of South Australia and it must be treated with the greatest respect to ensure its longevity. Off the Fleurieu Peninsula is Kangaroo Island, with its sheep milk cheeses, fresh water marron, honey made by the only known pure strain of Ligurian bees in the world, native bush and wildlife, and pure air and pristine beaches.

Then to the city. The Montefiore Hill in North Adelaide offers a panoramic view of Adelaide Oval, Memorial Drive, the park­lands, the city centre, and across the city to the hills. Adelaide Oval is often spoken of as the most beautiful test cricket ground in the world. Soon it will be further developed as part of a major riverside link to the CBD to accommodate AFL football and a broader array of cultural events. I have seen many SANFL games here, including my beloved Sturt, and in recent times, with Russell, Che, my sister Angelique, and nephew Cale, witnessed Adelaide United's sensational win over Melbourne victory.

At the west end of the city is the JamFactory, a craft and design centre, which has been supporting artists, craftspeople and designers for nearly 40 years. It was founded by a great man of whom I have fond memories, the then Premier of South Australia, the late Don Dunstan, who was also responsible for the creation of the State Theatre Company, the Adelaide Festival Trust and the South Australian Film Corporation. In my university days, I recall serving Don Dunstan a beer 'in a small glass' at a local football club, after which he asked if I was old enough to do so.

Coastal shipping was part of the South Australian life for many decades but, with the advent of road transport and greater access to areas of primary and secondary production, the shipping trade died off and the port's once bustling wharves declined. Now the port's wharves, grand old warehouses and riverside precincts are being redeveloped as marinas and housing. The port's AFL football team is, of course, Port Power, of which I have been a member since its first year in the AFL. I still live off the glorious memory of the 2004 grand final victory, as I am sure Senators McEwen and Hurley do. For the record—and I know Senator Farrell has difficulty with this—I am considered a rare breed in South Australia because my second team really is the mighty Adelaide Crows.

There are so many things that are uniquely South Australian: Balfour's green frog cakes, Haigh's chocolates, pie floaters, Coopers beer, the Adelaide Festival and the Adelaide Fringe. South Australia is indeed a brilliant blend of cultures, terrain, climate and produce, of innovation and aspiration, of tradition and creativity. It has been my privilege to be a representative of the people of South Australia in this place.

Senate adjourned at 19:50