Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. I congratulate the member for bringing forward this motion. It is well and proper that we celebrate the life and achievements of Tadeusz Kosciuszko and, of course, the links that we have in this country to the honouring of that memory and the Polish heritage that we enjoy and celebrate together.

This was a remarkable man by any standards—a man who I believe was well ahead of his time. I studied quite some time ago the biography and life of General Kosciuszko as a man who really was a citizen of the world in so many ways. He didn't allow himself to be confined by the geographic boundaries of the time or the narrow thinking of the time. He was well ahead of his time in seeking improvements for women and the situation of Polish Jews, minorities and serfs in his own country but then took up the cause of the American Revolution in 1776, inspired by the Declaration of Independence and the values that were proclaimed in relation to their struggle against Great Britain at that time.

But he was also, of course, very cognisant of the circumstances of American slaves in the South and America of that day, notwithstanding the fact that he had property in the United States given to him by a grateful nation after his tremendous contributions, particularly in relation to employing his military engineering skills in fortifications and in ensuring the successful defence of Saratoga. But, in recognising the situation of the slaves in America, he also donated the money from his estate to be used to buy the freedom of slaves and to help educate them and provide them with enough land to support themselves. He truly was a man ahead of his time and he continued his struggles right through his life, not only in North America but back in Europe as well.

So it is well and proper that we not only celebrate his life but that we celebrate his presence in our own landscape. Paul Strzelecki, a surveyor, named our highest mountain after Tadeusz Kosciuszko in 1840 and there's a national park that surrounds it that also bears his name. It's a coincidence of that step forward by Strzelecki that there would be a continuing association with the Snowy Mountains landscape by the Polish community, as has been mentioned, in relation to the hydro scheme. Quite a number of Poles came to Australia to help build the scheme as part of that wonderful step forward that created the beautiful and multicultural matrix landscape that we celebrate across the nation. In my own background, I was privileged to have served alongside Polish troops in Iraq.

The Kosciuszko tradition is celebrated in our region with the Kosciuszko festival held in Jindabyne. One of the things that's not well-known about Tadeusz Kosciuszko is he was also a very fine musician who composed a number of pieces, and we celebrate those pieces in the Kosciuszko festival. Kosciuszko Heritage has been coordinating its activities with UNESCO throughout this bicentennial celebration. This weekend in the Snowy Mountains there will be a continuation of those activities and the festival, and I'd like to encourage all to travel to the region to attend the activities around the festival.

Interestingly, in recent times we've been looking at our landscape and the true Indigenous connections to it. A lot of the terminology, labelling and names of our prominent features have been adjusted, like Mount Gulaga. But when the Indigenous community of our region came to look at the situation of Mount Kosciuszko, they did actually accede to that continuing association with General Kosciuszko because they accepted the fact that this was a man who had a broader international importance, particularly acknowledging his struggle for racial equality, racial liberation and his fights against slavery. So the Indigenous community of our region have been quite happy and indeed honoured to have his name associated with our landscape, quite appropriately so. I would encourage all to travel to Jindabyne over the weekend to continue the celebrations of General Kosciuszko's life and achievements, and I certainly, as an ex-military person, acknowledge all of those rights and services he rendered to the world. (Time expired)

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