Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I have the solemn duty to announce to the House the passing of Evelyn Barber from Narromine. For over 25 years, Evelyn served the people of the Parkes electorate, working in the Parkes electorate office in Dubbo for four federal members of parliament: Michael Cobb, Tony Lawler, John Cobb and, for 14 years, myself. Evelyn sadly passed away nearly exactly 12 months after she retired, suffering from a very sudden illness that caused her death. Through all those times, her calm nature, her steely determination, her kindness and her attention to detail has helped thousands of people right across western New South Wales.

Evelyn was a true servant of the people in the greatest sense of the words. Evelyn's passing will leave a great hole in her very close-knit family, but her legacy lives on in the countless people that she has helped to reunite through her work with migration, and people that she has helped with taxation, social services and a whole range of other things. It's really difficult to comprehend that Ev is not with us. She was such a calming presence. She sat at the front desk in the Parkes electorate office and dealt with everything that came her way. Ev, we miss you. You will be missed.