Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) | Hansard source

Over the weekend, a legend of the Macleay celebrated a milestone birthday with family and friends. Mr Ray Harman Walkden turned 80, and, while I don't generally acknowledge birthdays in this place, Ray's 80 years on this earth have been pretty exceptional. Aside from his years as the local cop shop and local council brown bomber, earning him the name 'Chalkie', the name the community gave to parking officers—but nobody's perfect, Chalkie! Seriously though, Ray has given a lifetime of service to the Macleay Valley, and his standing in the Kempsey community is well earned.

With more than 37 years of volunteer service through the Lions Club and the local SES crews, Ray has played a critical role in emergency response and disaster recovery in a region prone to flood, fire and road accidents. In fact, Ray was one of the first responders on the scene at the Clybucca bus crash on 22 December 1989, the worst single road fatality incident in Australian history and an event that has left a deep scar on the wider Macleay community and beyond.

Ray was the Kempsey SES duty officer who received the call to attend the scene at 3.20 am and on arrival was faced with a level of devastation that would cause most to break. The crash left 35 people dead and 41 injured, and the mental toll that this single event inflicted on those involved in the recovery efforts can't be understated. It saw many leave the emergency services and some leave the area altogether, but not Ray. It only served to steel his resolve to assist his community in any way he could, and he's done that every day since. That's the man he is. Happy birthday, Chalkie. You deserve every bit of recognition for a life well spent.

Speaking of strong histories, last week I had the pleasure of being invited to the Talarm Community Hall, in the beautiful Nambucca Valley, for a flag presentation with the volunteer committee members. These presentations are always a great excuse to share a bit of ceremony and tradition, and this visit was particularly special, with Judi Liddell there to receive the flag. Now, Judi wasn't born a Liddell; she was originally a Nash, and everybody who lives in Talarm and the wider Nambucca Valley knows of the Nash family and their contributions to the region and service to our country in times of conflict. Judi's grandfather originally donated the land for the Talarm Community Hall back in 1914, with the intention that it serve as the town's meeting place, a safe place where the township could come together. I know that the family legacy of contributing to the community will continue through Judi, her children and her great-grandchildren, and it's great to see.

See this speech in context