Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I'd like to recognise the extraordinary work of the Port Stephens Family History Society and to celebrate the launch of something truly special for our community—the Henry F Halloran Sound Trail at Tanilba Bay. Now, I have to say: this may be one of the few projects where people were actively encouraged to walk away while the speeches were on and the storytelling was beginning!

This innovative GPS-activated sound trail allows locals and visitors alike to walk, ride and drive through Tanilba Bay while hearing the remarkable story of Henry Ferdinand Halloran, one of the great visionaries connected to the history of Port Stephens. He truly was a remarkable Australian. What makes this achievement even more impressive is that it's the very first GPS sound trail not only in Port Stephens but across the Hunter and Newcastle regions—a true first.

Projects like this don't happen by accident, though; they happen because passionate local people care deeply about preserving history and making it come to life today. In particular, I want to acknowledge the incredible dedication of Robyn Cragg, whose hard work, research, persistence and countless volunteer hours helped bring this product to life. Community history can be, sometimes, a labour of love, and in this case it has truly been a labour of endurance, vision and commitment. Thanks to Robyn and the history society, history is no longer simply sitting quietly in books and archives; it now walks beside us, speaks to us and guides us through the very streets and landmarks that have shaped the community. It's right in our headphones or on the speaker in our car.

And what a fascinating history it is. Henry F Halloran was a surveyor, and he was a developer and a planner, with enormous ambition for regional New South Wales. In the 1920s, he purchased the Tanilba estate and began transforming it into an incredible area, and today we see the gardens, the stone gateways, the tree-lined streets and the community spaces. In fact, he was closely connected with Sir Walter Burley Griffin, who designed Canberra. In fact, Griffin had earlier prepared plans for Port Stephens, which Henry Halloran then brought to life. It was a true collaborative experience, and I'm so pleased that we've got a touch of Canberra in Tanilba Bay. But Canberra was shaped by some of the ideas of Halloran as well.

Thankfully, unlike some developers today, Halloran saw more than blocks of land. He saw beauty. He saw green spaces. He saw community. And he saw opportunity.

Get on to the sound trail at Tanilba Bay. I'm sure you'll be amazed.

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