Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Quite frankly, I am shocked. I rise to speak in support of my friend and colleague the member for Berowra and his motion that the band of the Royal New South Wales Lancers, based in Parramatta, makes a significant contribution to the local community and that Army bands across Australia make significant contributions to their local communities. I commend my friend for moving that this House recognise military bands.

I represent the seat of Herbert and the garrison city of Townsville. We are home to Australia's largest Army base—the 3rd Brigade at Lavarack Barracks. Not only do we house Australia's best troops and ready deployed forces but we are also home to the world famous 1RAR band. I must first commend the commander of 3rd Brigade, Brigadier Shane Caughey, for his commitment to ensuring that the Army maintains a strong community presence. His commitment to our community and to the greater North Queensland community must have played some part in his very much deserved Queen's Birthday honour.

The commander of 1RAR is Lieutenant Colonel Eamon Lenaghan. 1RAR is a battle-ready regiment. It maintains a high level of training for its primary role, which is to keep Australia safe. It continues a strong tradition of commitment to a number of community causes, but it is the 1RAR band which forms the social bond between all things military and civilian in my city. I note that the Chief of the Defence Force, General Hurley, was a former commander of 1RAR.

Under the Leadership of Major Lindsay Mee the 1RAR band plays a constant stream of community events. They play with joy and happiness. They play brilliantly. They have played the formal military role and they have also provided first-class musical accompaniment to a vast number of charitable and community events. Everything from the senior citizens to the Ronald McDonald House ball will see the band providing dinner music, big band music, as well as jazz, blues, and rock and roll for every audience.

The band also provides musicians for the local music scene. I was lucky enough to be present for the 3RAR welcome parade to see the 1RAR band team with the Barrier Reef Symphony Orchestra and the 4th field regiment's artillery to present an open air rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. That, my friends, was a truly memorable evening. It is the willingness of the band to represent the entire community which I love the most. On Anzac Day the brass section can be seen at every dawn service, including Magnetic Island. They will then join together for the march along the Strand and will end up playing somewhere that evening.

I have a personal fondness for Grant Thomas. He plays the six-string bass in the main band and plays bass and lead in the rock band. He also plays trombone for the marching band—although the other band members tell me that he cannot play at all but they need the numbers so they give him a dummy trombone and let him pretend. His taste in music is wide and varied and he is just so happy to be there, playing music, but he is above all else a professional soldier. When the rock and roll band starts up Angie Currington moves from the back and brings a big and sassy jazz/blues voice to the front of house and really gets the party started.

The thing I like most about the bands we have in the military of Australia is that they do not have to do the public shows. They can quite legitimately concentrate on their role as a military band and as soldiers. That they see the greater good in the role they play in extending the hand of friendship from the ADF to the community speaks volumes of the individuals in the band and the leadership role they play. It is this pastoral and parish care of their staff which leads the way in setting the example and opening doors the right way.

There are many things in Townsville which need action. We have many problems and many things which require fixing. But we are an aspirational people. We care about our community. We care about the relationship between the ADF and our city and region. When everything is tough, and you turn up to a function and see the boys and girls of the 1RAR band setting up and laughing about the night ahead, you cannot help but feel good. This motion, from the father of the House, is a wonderful opportunity to thank the members of Australia's military bands for all the unpaid work they do for all our communities. I am glad we have them here and may they continue forever because, if they do stop, a part of history will be gone and it will be gone forever. These guys are soldiers first, but they are professional musicians second. I talked to Brigadier Shayne Caughey about the 1RAR band. I asked him, 'What you are here for?' and he said, 'I am with the band. That is all I am; I am with the band.' It is about being special and it is about being proper and great for Townsville. Long may they live.

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