Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I want to speak in recognition of three significant anniversaries commemorated in my electorate of Blair: the 45th anniversary of the Box Flat coalmining disaster, the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Heart Catholic Primary School, and the 90th anniversary of the Lowood branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association.

The Box Flat mining disaster was one of the darkest days in Ipswich's history. In the early hours of the morning, on 31 July 1972, Ipswich was physically and emotionally rocked to the core. The night before, a fire had broken out in the Box Flat mine at Swanbank near Ipswich, and it couldn't be extinguished. In the early hours of the morning, a group of 17 men entered the mine to investigate options to contain and extinguish the fire. Shortly afterwards the mine exploded, shaking homes right across Ipswich. And I remember it, as a child. The rescue team died; 17 men died then, and another man passed away 14 months later due to injuries sustained. It was the most costly disaster in the history of Ipswich, and one of the worst mining tragedies ever to be experienced in Queensland.

At the time, Ipswich was a town built on the back of coalmining. To have such a terrible disaster occur in an industry that was so integral to the city's history and life was nothing short of devastating. To their family and friends, and fellow workers in particular, losing 18 sons, husbands, brothers and fathers in the prime of their lives was simply heartbreaking. Box Flat is a tragic reminder that we must never compromise or put at risk the safety of men and women who go to work each and every day.

To commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Box Flat explosion, a special memorial service was held at the Ipswich-Rosewood Coalminers Memorial at Limestone Park. I want to commend and recognise the special efforts of the Ipswich city council, led by Acting Mayor Councillor Paul Tully; the Ipswich-Rosewood Coalminers Memorial Trust; the CFMEU; and the members of the Ipswich community, family and friends who each year make the service possible. Their hard work ensures that the memory of that day is not forgotten and that the lives of those 18 miners will always be remembered.

Immaculate Heart Catholic Primary School recently celebrated a milestone: 50 years since its birth. The Immaculate Heart school was founded in 1967 to meet the need for a Catholic school in the growing, then-outer suburb of Leichhardt One Mile in Ipswich. Setting up that school was no easy task. Parish priest Father Gerry Ronayne struggled to find a teaching congregation who would agree to staff the school, and for three long years the school actually sat empty. But the parish and the local community wouldn't be dissuaded and, after years of hard work, lobbying and fundraising, the school was finally opened.

Now Immaculate Heart Primary School is not just home to over 200 local students from the Leichardt One Mile area; it is an important and integral part of the local community. It's not a big school, but it punches above its weight, and the Catholic community, along with the Baptist community, in Leichhardt and One Mile have been integral to the growth of the community and also to flood recovery and evacuation in disasters, as the area is commonly flooded. School Principal Petrea Rawlinson and her entire teaching staff do a wonderful job in the school each and every day, producing students who are an absolute credit to their school and the community. To celebrate 50 years is a fantastic achievement, and I want to congratulate them warmly for what they have done.

Finally, I want to pay tribute to the Lowood branch of the CWA which recently celebrated its 90th birthday. It was formed in a meeting on 8 July 1927, with 20 ladies in attendance. The branch has since dedicated itself to the small rural communities north-west of Ipswich. During the war years, the branch undertook a number of activities, including holding workshops for making camouflage nets, taking part in the CWA sheepskin-vest appeal, and organising clothing drives for the victims of bombing in the UK.

Today, their branch is no different, providing support and assistance to a number of worthy causes. The branch provides facilities for local community groups including on Meals on Wheels, the Lowood Lions and the Lowood Slimmers Club; it runs fundraisers for organisations, including the Domestic Violence Action Centre, the Ipswich Hospital Foundation and the Public Rural Crisis Fund. It also holds cooking classes for local students, many of whom have come from vulnerable or special-needs backgrounds. They are a great group of women. I want to congratulate them for what they do. They've been engaging in the community for 90 years, led by wonderful individuals like Val Shelton. I'm extremely proud to have this outstanding group of women in my electorate. On behalf of the community, I want to thank them for what they do.