Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Communities are at the heart of rural Australia. And, from my experience on the Australia Day, community pride is alive and well in Indi. Attendance was high at all events, and it was great to see so many people, including visitors to Indi, celebrating our summer and our national day. These events would not have been successful without the various volunteer groups and organisations that made them run so smoothly—and the catering was first rate.

I would like to say thanks today to Springhurst CFA, Captain Frank Harbottle and organiser, Kevin Atteridge, for the wonderful Australia Day community barbeque. Special thanks go to the cooks at the barbeque and all those who did the work in the kitchen. Thanks also go to the Tarrawingee Community Group, Alex McMillan and Max White for their hospitality at the Australia Day barbeque breakfast, and to the local community—the 100-plus people—who turned up to share it with me. Thanks go, too, to the Greta Heritage Group—and the celebration of the opening of that community gathering place—to Joan Ellis, Noeleen Lloyd and Christina Perra; MC, Adrian Younger; and the Greta Community Trust. And can I just talk about this: to Anthony Griffith, John Tanner and Christine Magee, thank you for the guided tour of this very famous, iconic cemetery. For those of you who do not know, Greta is famous because that is where Ned Kelly is currently buried. This community trust looks after that sacred place for all Australians. Thanks volunteers! It was a wonderful way to celebrate Australia Day.