House debates

Monday, 21 June 2021

Statements by Members

Moreton Electorate: Salisbury State School

4:44 pm

Photo of Graham PerrettGraham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

Salisbury is a suburb that sits in the middle of my electorate, a leafy suburb pocketed between four major roads, a quiet suburb that many only drive in and out of if they live there or if people are stocking up on Ballistic beer. Last Saturday, Salisbury State School was pumping. The day started with the sounds of disco music being blasted across the school oval at 8.30 am and things just got louder because Salisbury state school turned 100—actually last year, but delayed due to COVID. This year, they celebrated their 101st anniversary. The school has a vibrant history. The suburb of Salisbury was transformed from farm and forestry industries. During World War II it was full of armament factories; postwar, there were refugee settlements; and, finally, it is surrounded by the bustling suburbs of a growing Brisbane city.

This year the school has experienced the highest enrolment in 35 years and there are more than 20 languages and cultural backgrounds represented there. A special part of the fete was the planting of the bicentennial tree, a blueberry ash planted with help from the magnificent Rotary club of Salisbury. It will grow into a dense green canopy with masses of pink flowers and a worthy replacement for the school's giant fig, lost last year. Congratulations to principal Darren Ball, the P&C convenors and all of the volunteers and local sponsors who made the day possible, especially a big call out to Ballistic Beer, a local brewery and a sponsor that I'm always happy to personally support.