Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Three very deserving residents in the Calare electorate have been named in the 2017 Queen's birthday honours list. I would like to take the opportunity to recognise each of them today. Firstly, Peter Veenstra of Clifton Grove in Orange has received a medal of the Order of Australia. Peter moved to Orange in 1984 when a friend informed him about a position at Kinross Wolaroi School. He phoned about the position from a phone box in the small town of Banana. He then went to teach at Kinross Wolaroi for 15 years whilst also taking on the role of student welfare coordinator. He was also a sports administrator and believes one of his greatest achievement was getting the South African rugby team to play at Wade Park in Orange in 1992, following the end of apartheid. He has become an integral part of our community through his involvement in various organisations, including the Lyndon community drug and alcohol service, Royal Far West, the Australian National Field Days, Orange Police Citizens Youth Club, the Orange sports council advisory committee and Cabonne council. He has also served as chief executive officer of Central West Rugby Union since 1987, marking 31 years. He has just retired from that position. I can attest to his effectiveness in that role as he often drafted me in to sit on the Central West Rugby Union judiciary. He often used to entice members to sit on that panel through the cooking of his wife, Lida! I know Lida would be very proud of the award that Peter has just received. I congratulate Peter and also Lida.

Marion Wilson of Canowindra has dedicated her life to health care. For this she has also been recognised with a medal of the Order of Australia. Marion has been team leader and area coordinator of the Orange health centre. She served as director of the health promotion unit which was based in Bathurst and is currently a board member of the Canowindra Retirement Village Association. She has worked as a community nurse in the central western area health service and has been instrumental in the development of multipurpose services bringing health services together for the benefit of people in country communities. She has also been a past chair of the district council and a member of the strategic mission committee and the Macquarie Darling Presbytery. She is also currently Chair of the Canowindra Food Basket, a cultural officer with the Canowindra CWA and a member of the Uniting Church.

Maisie Scott has received a medal of the Order of Australia. She has undertaken years of volunteer work and was inspired by her late husband, Charles. She is a patron and life member of the Rydal Show Society, a member and volunteer of the Rydal and district and agricultural pastoral association since 1966 and chief cooking steward since 1991. She is also a life member of the Portland Show Society, was an organiser of the Meadow Flat gymkhana for 20 years, was a member of the Meadow Flat Progress Association for 50 years and has been a member of the Bathurst Legacy Widows Club since 2002 and volunteered as a publicity officer and secretary. She is a former Blue Mountains delegate, was land cookery judge for the New South Wales Country Women's Association for three years and was president and treasurer of the Portland CWA and inaugural president of the Meadow Flat CWA. I congratulate— (Time expired)