Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today with great excitement for the graduating students throughout the Petrie electorate. Whether graduating from primary school or high school or moving on to the next year level, students in Petrie have a lot to be proud of. I am very privileged to have met many of the students throughout the 40 or so schools in the Petrie electorate over the last 12 months. Whether it is presenting flags at the schools and attending their school fetes and fairs, getting involved with local school fun runs or even showing some of the students around Parliament House, we really have some wonderful students throughout Petrie.

Most recently I have been visiting the schools for their awards evenings and have had the chance to present many students with the Petrie Shield. I launched the Petrie Shield this year to acknowledge the valuable contribution of students from schools throughout the Petrie electorate. The award is presented in the spirit of Mr Andrew Petrie, after whom my electorate is named. While I grew up in the Petrie electorate down in Bracken Ridge and have lived there for over three decades, I had not really had a chance to find out how the electorate was named until the last few years. When I came across the story of Andrew Petrie, I was inspired and felt that the story should be known and that young people who have exhibited the character of Andrew Petrie should also be recognised.

Andrew Petrie was born over 200 years ago in 1798. He was a local builder, entrepreneur and explorer. He was hardworking and he was the first white man to climb Mount Beerwah, one of 10 volcanic peaks in the Glass House Mountains up in Queensland. Even after losing his eyesight he continued to run his construction business. Mr Andrew Petrie was also a very generous man. He would invite homeless people in for a meal and would help the unemployed to find work. Today his legacy lives on in many of the buildings and foundations around the Moreton Bay region. But this is not his legacy just because he built these buildings and constructed these places. They are his legacy because he inspired others to help him. He inspired others to discover their strengths and to contribute to the local community.

This year, of course, I presented the Petrie Shield at many of the local high schools over the last few weeks and look forward to presenting many more over the next month or so as primary schools celebrate their awards evenings. There are many students who have been rewarded at these schools, and I would like to mention a few quickly. I think of Jacob, Jordan and Corey from Arethusa College, a school working with disenfranchised young people by providing alternative education as a special assistance school. These three boys are getting on with their lives, overcoming adversity and getting their lives back on track.

I would also like to acknowledge Lauren Wylie, who has just finished year 12 at The Lakes College. She is an exceptional young woman who definitely deserved the Petrie Shield. There is Caitlin Farrant from Southern Cross Catholic College; Daniel Devlin and Josh Maskelyne from Clontarf Beach State High School; Kayne Missen, Caitlin Wells and Jade Eldridge from Mueller College Middle School; Ella-Rose Gynther, Robert Smith and Ruby Gleeson from Mueller College Primary School; Kelsey, Aaron, Annabella and Kevin from St Benedict's Catholic Primary School; and Stefan, Vi and Jack from Redcliffe State High School. There are Lily Nairn, Caitlin Alletsee and Liam Stanton from St Paul's School.

All these students have been awarded these shields for academic success, sporting excellence and showing dedication to music and the arts but also for their commitment to leadership and the community in general. They are all definitely deserving of these awards. They will receive their own Petrie Shield, and there is a perpetual shield that stays in the school each year. And, just like Andrew Petrie, every single one of these students has excelled.

I would also like to particularly acknowledge their parents, their teachers, their principals and everyone involved with their education because, as these students succeed, so too do the parents, teachers and leaders throughout the school.