Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pride to stand today, to talk about a book, Penrith: The Makings of a City, which was put together by the Penrith Council over the course of seven years. This is a fabulous book, and it has been an amazing read. As a second edition to Dharug and Dungaree: The History of Penrith and St. Marys to 1860, it chronicles Penrith, from its early aboriginal heritage right through to the modern day. It chronicles local aspirations, regional empowerment, the depression years, the impact of the two world wars, the planning of the city, right through to the arrival of the Olympic spirit.

Today, Penrith is a regional city. It is a hub, and it is part of the fastest growing region in our country. It is still the gateway to the Blue Mountains. Reading through the book, it gave me great enjoyment to find one of my early ancestors was on Mulgoa Council—which got pulled into the Nepean Shire Council early on. What I also found exciting was that the current Mayor, Ross Fowler, had ancestors who were also on that same council.

It is these sorts of wonderful insights that can be found in this book, and I recommend everyone within the Penrith community get on board and buy a copy. The book is available at Penrith City Council. I think as we go forward, with the way that Penrith is due to develop, and considering the growth suburbs around the region, it is important to look to our past to see how we shape our future.