Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with real pleasure that I rise in this chamber to speak of the late former Senator George Hannan, an old friend. I have to say that in the context of 98 years, the 30 years that I have had the pleasure of knowing him pales into insignificance compared to the number of years that so many others have. George was one of the first people I knew and met when I joined the Liberal Party. He was a member of the East Malvern branch when he rejoined the party and he was a great character, a seriously great character, one who did not take himself too seriously, although he took his passions and his causes very seriously.

One of my enduring memories of him is that we would rock up to yet another branch meeting and find he was always moving a motion on water infrastructure. He thought that we were not protecting the generations to come and wanted to protect them and ensure that we were providing sufficient investment in water infrastructure. At just about every meeting we rocked up to he would be moving a motion at that branch to see if he could fix that—which then went on to state council.

As Senator Minchin has already mentioned, he was recognised for his extensive contribution to the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party with a distinguished service award—something which many of us were very happy to support when that was put forward. He has also been a great friend and mentor, if I may say so, to many of us. In fact one of the first people I received correspondence from when I was successfully preselected for the Senate to represent the Liberal Party in Victoria was former Senator Hannan. Whilst he was in a nursing home, he took a very active interest, up until his final days, in the affairs of the nation and what was going on.

I attended his memorial service at the Order of the Carmelites in Kew last week at the beautiful chapel which they have only just allowed to be used for public services and funerals. It was a gorgeous service. It was a real celebration of the man and his many and varied interests. He had a passionate interest in politics obviously but he had an equally passionate interest in the arts, music, literature and sport. He had very diverse interests and in fact the only things he did not have an interest in were gardening, and that was actually pointed out at the time, and clothes. He was well known for his cardies, which he would actually wear into the Senate under his suit jackets because he loved his hand knitted cardigans.

May I also extend my best wishes to Eileen and the family. They are truly a great family. I would like to close with something that was repeated and relayed to us at the funeral which George said many a time—that is, he was born to marry his wife Eileen. He dedicated his life to her, and she will be missing him hugely after over 70 years of marriage.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.