House debates

Tuesday, 16 February 2021

Statements by Members

Korrinup House

1:35 pm

Photo of Rick WilsonRick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate the legacy of a true gentleman and farmer from my electorate of O'Connor who continues to give back to his community, even after his passing. Last Friday I opened Korrinup House, which houses the St Luke's Family Practice in Kojonup. This building has been a labour of love for the entire Kojonup community. Local farmer George Church passed away in 2015, bequeathing $530,000 to his community, with a view to building a medical centre in honour of his beloved wife, Tricia, a long-serving nurse in the town. A generation before, George's mother, Emily, had been a founder of the Kojonup District Hospital, and both George and his sister, Gwen, had served on the hospital board.

In keeping with their hands-on involvement, the Kojonup community vowed that their new medical centre would be community owned and operated. More than 250 community members turned out in force to celebrate the opening of George's legacy, Korrinup House, aptly named after his farm, which he bequeathed in part to the local district high school. The community dug into their own pockets, providing donations that added to the $140,000 contribution from the Kojonup shire and $750,000 from the Commonwealth. The George Church Community Medical Centre board now owns the $1.62 million facility, and I applaud them and their chair, former shire president Rob Sexton, for persevering to deliver such a fitting legacy to local legends George and Tricia Church.

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