Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the member for Boothby's motion in recognition of the longstanding service of the Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson AO as he retires from his role as the Director of the Australian War Memorial at the end of this year. Brendan has been a tireless contributor to Australian life, and I'd really like to take this time to thank him for his service to his country, from when he began as the national President of the Australian Medical Association to his time in federal parliament, through to his work in recognising those men and women who have served our nation on the battlefields.

Brendan began his service to the Australian public as the President of the AMA, where he was elected unopposed after a decade as a medical practitioner in Hobart. During his time with the AMA, Dr Nelson led the charge in making Aboriginal health and immunisation a mainstream health issue in Australia, and it was through his various trips to remote Aboriginal communities that he was able to show the nation the inequality within Australia's healthcare system at the time, and this is something that the Commonwealth continually seeks to improve.

After three years in the role, Brendan was preselected as the Liberal candidate for Bradfield, where he served from 1996 to 2009. He first served as a cabinet minister in the Howard government, as the Minister for Education, Science and Training, where he was able to highlight the importance of a stronger higher education and VET system. He also served the parliament as the Minister for Defence, between 2006 and 2007, and as the Leader of the Opposition from 2007 to 2008. However, it's Brendan's leadership in Australia's Defence landscape and his advocacy for greater recognition of returned service men and women that he will, arguably, be remembered for the most.

Pursuing his interest in military history, Brendan was appointed Director of the Australian War Memorial in December 2012. During his time as director he oversaw the centenary of the First World War and implemented his vision to acknowledge the Anzacs who have served our nation and continue to serve on the battlefields across the globe. One of the lasting traditions that Brendan introduced early in his time as director was the Last Post Ceremony held at the memorial 364 days a year at 4.55 pm. Each ceremony recognises one of more than 102,700 names on the Roll of Honour each afternoon, meaning it will take almost 300 years to tell each individual story. Visitors to the memorial, including school groups, veterans and their families, are invited to lay a wreath and floral tributes at the Pool of Reflection, to mark their respects to those who have died while serving our nation.

As mentioned earlier, the memorial commemorated the centenary of the First World War. It was during this time that Brendan's vision for recognising the service of the past and current Australian Defence Force personnel was carefully implemented. Some of these projects include A camera on Gallipoli, a digital exhibition of the private collection of Charles Ryan during the Gallipoli campaign; the role of honour name projections on the exterior of the memorial building, for the duration of the centenary commemorative period; and the Commemorative Crosses project, which engaged Australian schoolchildren by allowing them to write messages of hope and thanks to our service men and women on 2,000 crosses that were placed on the graves of Australians who fought on the Western Front.

Also during Brendan's period as director was the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, where he helped lead the Australian recognition of the 60,000 Australians who served during the Vietnam War. His most recent achievement was securing an almost $500 million investment to redevelop and expand the memorial, which will mean future generations will have the opportunity to pay their respects to those who have fallen and allow all Australians who have served in our Defence Force the recognition they deserve.

I'd like to thank Brendan for his service to the Australian community, especially to those serving, past and present, in the Australian Defence Force. Former service men and women, including in my electorate of Robertson, are indebted to you for the role you have played in recognising the military service they have given to Australia.

On a personal note, I'd really like to thank Brendan for his support and mentorship, when I joined the Liberal Party as a Young Liberal—many years ago—for his advice, for his friendship and for his continual encouragement, and to thank him for being somebody who was known as a person of integrity and a person of authenticity. What you saw was what you got with Brendan. So I wish him, his wife, Gillian, and his three children all the very best for their future endeavours.

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