Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From small beginnings, Sandringham Primary School recently celebrated its 170th anniversary in August. Originally a Church of England school located in what was then known as Gipsy Village, it started in 1855 with just 11 boys and nine girls. With the evolution of public education, it became a state school in 1875, and in 1911 it exchanged flags with the Sandringham school back in merry old England. After the Second World War it grew to 800 students, but it's closer to 500 now. In early 2020 and coinciding with the arrival of a new principal, most of the school sadly fell victim to arson. I remember the day well because, like many other community members, I helped move furniture to temporary facilities so students didn't have an interrupted education—though COVID took care of that. Now rebuilt, on 8 August the community held a birthday party to celebrate the 170th anniversary, which included a history of the school, performances, cake and the opening of a time capsule by Principal Louise Neave. It was a wonderful celebration connecting the school's long history with the present, with a lot of singing, more cake and a lot of high fives from students. Happy 170th, Sandy primary.

On Saturday at Hurlingham Park in Brighton East, the dads of the Brighton Beach Primary School Boomers, captained by Jay Pavey and Hugh O'Brien, valiantly took on the dads of the Brighton Primary School Lions, captained by David Mason and Nik Kemp, in an epic footy contest that tested both teams. The annual contest, which has seen a roundabout of winners in different years, saw the Brighton primary Lions claim victory against the Boomers. It was also a day of friendly rivalry and fun between friends and families and over a few bottles of bubbles on the sideline—I saw a few! It was also an important day to remember the importance of physical activity for us blokes who have to balance busy family and professional lives.

We also saw, at Williams Street Reserve in Brighton, the dads of St Finbar's Primary School, captained by James Adams, take on the dads of St Joan of Arc School, captained by Troy Legudui, in their annual grudge match of physical prowess and performance to see who could claim victory on the ground. This year St Joan of Arc reigned supreme on a tough ground surrounded by hundreds of families and supporters, all keen to cheer the dads on in their varying degrees of fitness. It was played in good spirits, and it was moving to watch St Joan of Arc run onto the ground supporting the brother of one of their former teammates who lost their life this week. Of course, it's a reminder of the importance not just of physical health but also of the benefits to mental health of physical exercise. It's particularly important for men as they enter their 40s and 50s. Just remember: if you need help, don't be afraid to ask for help, because it's important to take care of your physical as well as your mental wellbeing throughout all stages of your life.