Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If we cast our minds back to 1840, we were a continent of colonies, with Queen Victoria as the ruling monarch; Queensland wasn't yet founded; and the first known photograph of Niagara Falls in the United States had just been taken—all historic moments, you will agree. However, another historic moment was occurring in Campbelltown in my electorate, with the foundational stone for St Patrick's College first being laid by the Benedictine monk Bishop John Polding after the school was founded by the Irish Catholic residents of the Campbelltown region. This makes St Patrick's College for girls the oldest Catholic independent school in Australia, and it's a privilege to work with and support this wonderful school community as they celebrate their 185th anniversary. I might add that Senator Deborah O'Neill is an old girl of the school.

I recently visited the school to meet with two of their fantastic teachers Fran Musico Rullo and Joanne Cavallin, who are extremely active in researching and recording the rich history of both St Patrick's College and the wider region. Using their incredible knowledge and passion and after extensive research, Fran and Joanne have teamed up with the Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society to publish their book titled Our Legacy of Light, which covers the 185 years of St Patrick's College—a wonderful achievement. I'm extremely thankful to Fran and Joanne for their tireless efforts in producing this book, as well as Stephen Coppins and Julie Crowley from the Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society for helping publish this incredible work.

I'd also like to thank Mary Leask, the college's principal, for her steadfast support for her community, for the wider community and for the historical society. For me I think it's incredibly important that we all know more about our history, as what we have now has been formed by those who came before us. We must remember our history. The Macarthur region is incredibly vibrant, with a rich history that predates colonial history as well with rich Indigenous history. I would like more of our residents to be made aware of this history, and, through the work of Fran and Joanne, this history is being told and delivered to those today and will indeed help those of the future.

I'd also like to thank the college for their history of the war nurses, of which my mother-in-law was one. They did a wonderful vision of the history of nurses in war throughout Australia's history and world history. That was a real celebration of these women who have done so much to improve the care of soldiers during all the wars that Australia has participated in since the beginning of white settlement. It is really a great school with a great legacy, and it was a great privilege to be part of their journey.