Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The date of 6 June 1859 was the day that Queen Victoria signed the letters patent that essentially formed the colony of Queensland. A vast area of what was known as New South Wales became the colony of Queensland and then, of course, with Federation thereby became the state of Queensland.

The Queensland celebration this year was 150 years since those letters patent were signed and in my electorate of Forde there is a celebration with an awards ceremony every 6 June. This year, of course, being the 150th anniversary of those letters patent being signed, the Queensland government set up a commemoration fund, called the Q150. It was a fund that touched most of the communities through Queensland by way of providing funding for projects that would commemorate the 150 years since the colony of Queensland was formed; later becoming the state of Queensland.

In my electorate there were a number of ways that the celebration of the 150 years was played out. The Phoenix Ensemble, a local theatre company in Beenleigh, was funded and put together the staging of a very well-known Steele Rudd play called On Our Selection. Of course On Our Selection has the very memorable characters of Dad and Dave, which most people in the House would know something about. The Phoenix Ensemble put together that particular production, which opened on 6 June—a very fitting date, of course—and is continuing with a season to present to the community of Forde and to the people of Beenleigh the Steele Rudd play On Our Selection.

I would like to recognise these activities and congratulate the director of that particular production, Maria Grills, who brought together a very good cast. I would like to congratulate the cast and crew, and make particular mention of Colin Foote, who has been an integral part in the staging as well as obtaining the initial funding to allow this play to be put on in Beenleigh as part of Q150.

Another commemorative activity in my electorate that I would like to mention is the Drumley Walk. Billy Drumley was an Indigenous community leader who died in 1950. He would regularly walk from what we now know as the Gold Coast strip to Southport to check on his family. Billy actually has a direct involvement or connection with this House: he provided his people with a strong understanding of the need for education and the need to be involved in the community, and one of his proteges was Neville Bonner, the first Australian Aboriginal senator, who served for a number of years here in the Senate. It was Billy Drumley who encouraged him to not only be properly schooled but also live a certain way of life that would allow him to take the opportunities that presented themselves. It was a very difficult time for Indigenous people in this country to make their mark, but Neville Bonner was one of those men, with Billy Drumley’s support.

The Drumley Walk occurs every year and is also now being commemorated as part of Q150. It takes several days and goes from Beaudesert in my electorate to Southport. Along the way it gathers people who participate in parts of the walk and they complete that walk as part of what they call their own pilgrimage. The Yugambeh nation, which covers most of my electorate, have a Yugambeh style corroboree at the end of that walk not only to commemorate Billy Drumley and his activities in the region but also to bring recognition to the Indigenous people who formed our earliest communities. Billy Drumley and his family were a big part of those communities and that has been recognised by their part in the Q150 commemorations. I would like to commend Rory O’Connor for organising the event and educating the local community about local Indigenous heritage.

It is very important that Forde recognise the other leaders in our community, those volunteers and activitists in the electorate. Again this year I will have my Queensland Day awards, which are part of a formal presentation and recognise not only volunteers and organisations but all the people who come together to provide those services to our community. I acknowledge them and I commemorate Queensland’s 150th birthday, celebrated on 6 June this year.