Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the passing of a wonderful Australian. Patricia Blashki, or Pat as she was to her friends, was an absolute stalwart of the Springvale community for more than half a century. To list some of the things that she was involved in: Royal Children's Hospital Appeal calculator operator for 52 years; Secretary of the Bush Church Aid Society at the Church of the Ascension, Springvale for 42 years; convenor and organiser for World Day of Prayer for 42 years; member of the board of management for Springvale Hospital for 17 years; and volunteer driver and craft work assistant with Vision Australia for 32 years. Also, with the Springvale Benevolent Society, she was an absolute pillar of strength, again as a volunteer, over many years. Her activities were acknowledged with an Order of Australia in 1995 and she was a City of Greater Dandenong Living Treasure.

She was so much more than all of that. She was married for 69 years to her loving husband, Albert Blashki, who has survived her and I know will be struggling with the very great loss. Albert was mayor on repeated occasions and a councillor for the City of Springvale for many years. I had the honour of succeeding him to that council in 1991.

She was also the mother of six children, the grandmother of 16 grandchildren and the great-grandmother of 14 great-grandchildren, and there is still more on the way. She was a great Australian. She is someone who her family can be very, very proud of. I know she leaves many friends behind who will look back and say, 'This was a woman of great character and great care.'