Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Friday, after returning from parliament, it was my honour to attend the funeral service of the Reverend Colin Baxter OAM, who passed away on 23 January 2026, after a couple of falls last year. Colin had reached the ripe old age of 96 and was a stalwart of the Bribie Island community, particularly the Defence community. Colin served in the Royal Australian Navy following the end of World War II. Colin's other achievements include serving in the Harrisville community during the 1951 drought with the awful task of burying dead cattle. In 2021, Colin received his OAM for service to the Uniting Church and the community, particularly for his work as a naval chaplain for returned veterans both for Queensland and the local Bribie Island community. Colin was also one of the founders of the Christian Television Association. Colin's commitment to his faith was obvious, serving 47-years as a Methodist and Uniting Church minister across New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT. I spoke to numerous people at the service about how I get so frustrated that, when I attend the funerals of prominent members of the Longman community, sadly, this is when I learn the most about them and what they have accomplished. There's so much I would love to have chatted to Colin about in regard to his wonderful life, but now it's too late. Perhaps we could all learn a lesson from this and put aside the politics for a while and just have a yarn with these giants in our communities before it's too late. Vale Reverend Colin Baxter OAM.