Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Parliaments should be the place to honour the quiet contributions of our fellow Australians, and Ivan Rudolf deserves such recognition. He sadly left us aged 84. His story speaks to the very best of those folk that made it here to start a life in postwar Australia, leaving behind comfort and security, moving from one side of the planet to the other, building a new life from scratch.

He arrived here in 1970, settled down in Wollongong and began a tailoring business, where his hard work and reputation for honesty made him a success. In '74, he returned to Slovenia to marry his wife, Maria. They set up home in Balgownie, in the electorate now represented tremendously by the member for Cunningham, to start their family with the birth of their daughter, Rebeka, and then their son, Robert.

Ivan threw himself into helping the Slovenian diaspora here, energetically promoting Slovenian culture and language and maintaining connection. Beside establishing the Slovenian voice program on community radio, he helped set up the Slovenian Australian club Planica, serving as president for over 40 years. The respect for his work was recognised widely in the Slovenian Australian community and is reflected by the presence today of Minister Plibersek, someone proud of her Slovenian heritage and whose family proudly knew Ivan.

To me, I'll remember Ivan for his humour, hard work, love of family and the country that was so good to them. I end with the heartfelt words expressed at his farewell:

Ivan Rudolf's life reminds us that Australia's success has been built, brick by brick, by people who asked for little and gave everything.

May we never forget what we owe to those like Ata Ivan.

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Vale, Mr Rudolf.