Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this morning to acknowledge the many years service of Terry James Crowe to the Cronulla RSL Memorial Club. Terry just recently retired as president of the club, after more than 14 years in that position, and gave his final president’s report to the club AGM earlier this year. During his many years of service to the club Terry Crowe has held the positions of director, junior vice-president and senior vice-president. Terry steered the club through many challenges over his years of leadership, and his clear vision, strong leadership, reliable skills and passion for community service ensured that he passed on the club to the new president, Ian Bourke, in very, very good shape.

Last month I attended the Anzac Day dawn service in Cronulla, which was well attended once again, with thousands of people from right across the community, young and old, including many of the members, obviously, of the Cronulla RSL sub-branch, of which Terry was also a member and continues to remain active. Terry served with the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War, between 1943 and 1945, and he obtained the rank of flight sergeant flying instructor. A special presentation was recently held for Terry at the memorial club AGM in March and then again at the sub-branch general meeting in April. He was presented with a framed memorial plaque depicting his military service and an insert of him as memorial club president.

During his younger years Terry had a very successful career in business. He was employed as an accountant, then as a sales representative and finally as a manager. He went on to serve as the director of a number of local clubs, including the Miranda Builders and Businessmen’s Club and the Woolooware Golf Club, before becoming president of the Cronulla RSL Men’s Bowling Club.

I also understand Terry was also a sportsman who in his later years gave up his time to serve in an administrative role with a number of sports clubs. He has had an association with rugby union, rugby league and surf-lifesaving over the years.

Last September I rose in this place to mark the 65th anniversary of the Cronulla RSL Memorial Club and I paid tribute to Terry and his staff for the fine job they were doing for Cronulla and the wider Shire community. That challenge now passes on to Ian Bourke and his new board. Ian is also well respected in the community and I am sure will do an outstanding job with his new team of directors—both those who have come from the previous period and those who will now serve into the new period. An example, once again, on Anzac Day was the coffee and refreshments they provided at the memorial club—as well as shelter from that very adverse weather that morning—where veterans and families from around the Shire gathered together to pay tribute to those who fell in service of our country. The memorial club in Cronulla is a real icon of the Shire community. It has had great leaders. Terry has lived up to the fine tradition of those leaders and we thank him for his great service to our community.