Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the honour of attending St Andrew's Catholic Primary School in Ferny Grove for the official opening of their Defence Family Memorial. Located near the Gallipoli Barracks, St Andrews has a large defence family community within their school. Next year, in fact, they will have 75 defence families enrolled. Mr John Leyden, St Andrew's school principal; Mrs Rebecca Woolmer, defence school mentor; and Mrs Debra O'Hare, the business manager, worked to create the Coo-ee Walk to honour the service men and women and their families in the school community. They named the memorial the Coo-ee Walk to signify the call to service of the defence mums and dads at St Andrews.

In 1915, roughly 20 men who were determined to enlist started to march from central west New South Wales to Sydney. By the time they got there, their numbers were up to 300, and this was known as the Coo-ee March. When the parents return home from service, the St Andrew's community comes together at the Coo-ee Walk to welcome them home and thank them for their service. We must never forget the sacrifice that our service men and women make in being away from their families, and we must never forget the sacrifice that their children make in having mum and dad serve their nation and be away from them. I was so pleased to be able to support the St Andrew's Coo-ee Walk project by providing $18,000 through the Local Schools Community Fund. Any initiative to support ADF personnel is invaluable to my community in Ryan, and I'll continue to advocate for these families. Well done to the whole St Andrews Catholic primary school community for their efforts! (Time expired)