Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to pay tribute to the Croydon North Primary School, in the electorate of Casey. I recently celebrated with several hundred people the 130th birthday of the school, which was founded in 1878. It was founded at a time when Melbourne was a different place, when Australia was a different place. It was founded at a time when Victoria was a colony and the dream of a federated nation was just that. It was founded at a time when pioneers were still settling new towns and Croydon very much was a new country town, markedly different from the suburban area that it is today. At that time, I think Ned Kelly was still on the loose in another part of Victoria.

To have a school celebrate its 130th birthday is truly wonderful. There were generations of past students there. As you would expect—and members here would know of similar situations in their own electorates—there were many cases of grandparents, parents and kids having all attended that one school and still living in the area. It was a great occasion for all. I want to pay tribute to the school principal, Rhonda Box, and to the school council president, David Pockett. (Time expired)