Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The incorporated speech read as follows—

I would like pay tribute to a truly remarkable young Australian.

Earlier this year I was amazed by a speech I heard while attending Australia Day Ceremonies on the Gold Coast.

Like many in this chamber, I have heard quite a number speeches in my time.

But there was something unique about this speech and it wasn’t just the way that it captured what it means to be an Australian.

What made this speech particularly remarkable was that it was written and delivered by a 12 year-old primary school student, Jack Harbour.

Jack is now a high school student at Merrimac State High, but he was only a year 7 student at Benowa State School when he wrote this speech for a speech writing competition.

It’s worth noting that Jack came second, so congratulations Jack for your achievement.

I have spoken to Jack’s mother Debra, and she has given me permission to have his speech about what it is to be an Australian recorded in Hansard:

You can’t tell an Australian just by looking at him. He might look like me—or you—or you. Just as you can’t tell an Australian who to vote for, what food to eat or even what footy team to follow. In fact, you can’t tell us much at all! And what it is to be Australian is different for every one of us here today, but we Australians share a feeling. A feeling of being ‘lucky’ because we live in the lucky country.

But it wasn’t always like this. Our earliest inhabitants suffered starvation and hardship under England’s rule. During the gold rush days, the people revolted and The Eureka Stockade was the first seed of freedom for this country.

But, it was our war heroes who gave us our freedom. I think the Australian spirit was born in the trenches of Turkey and France. Great men like John Simpson and Sir Edward Weary Dunlop portrayed the true Australian spirit, with their mateship and courage.

Since WW2, Australia has prospered. People from all over the world have flocked to the Lucky Country in search of a new life where hard work was rewarded. Multi-culturalism has given us new talents, new foods and new mates.

We are the lucky Australians, because we have in this country what so many others don’t. We have wide open spaces to play sport, clean beaches and rivers to fish and swim in, clean streets to walk in and policemen and fireman to look after us. We have awesome food from all over the world, and we have bikes and computers and I pods to entertain us. Some of us even have mobile phones—unfortunately I am not quite that lucky yet—but I’m Australian so it’s only a matter of time before my mate Dad comes good with that!

We can ride horses, and we can play any number of sports, and when we’re a bit older we can choose what subjects we want to study. I’m hoping they’re going to let me choose to drop MATHS because then I’d feel real lucky! She’ll be right mate, we’ve got calculators!!

But most of all we’re lucky because we’re free. I think to be Australian is to have the same spirit as our soldiers, We need to be proud of this country, and preserve its history. We need to care about the animals, birds and plants, but most of all we need to care about other Australians. We need to help our mates when they’re in trouble. And we need to laugh with our mates if they’re not in too much trouble!! We need to respect everyone from all cultures, because they have all contributed to our Lucky Country.

I am from English and German descent. My school teacher is from South Africa, and my French teacher from Greece. My best mates are Serbian, Filipino, and Australian, and I can thank the Japanese and the Italians for my favourite foods of sushi and lasagne. I like Shotokan Karate and my Shihan is British. I have a german dog, a korean TV, and an American computer. My shirt today was made in China, and I ride an Australian bike, probably made from imported parts!

I am free to change my music, my clothes, my sport and my opinion - and I am free to speak my mind in a forum like this, to Australians like you.

You are free to agree with me, or you may choose not to – we’ll still be mates. Because what it means to be Australian is to have that feeling. And - oh, what a feeling - Australia!’

Congratulations Jack, keep up the great work, you have a bright future ahead.