Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate the legacy of a particularly outstanding Western Australian and Australian, the late Harold Clough. The Clough name is iconic in Western Australia and has been for more than a century. Harold's grandfather, William Clough, was an early mining entrepreneur who brought his family to the west, in pursuit of the Kalgoorlie gold rush, in 1900. John Clough, Harold's father, inherited an adventuring spirit, which took him to Gallipoli. He was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal, among other decorations. Clearly, Harold came from a courageous and deeply patriotic tradition.

Harold was born in Nedlands on 30 September 1926. He grew up during the Great Depression and the Second World War, during which he assisted his father in training the 3rd Field Regiment, WA's artillery unit. After leaving Scotch College in 1943, Harold took his first job as a junior clerk at AMP but quickly changed to an engineering degree at the University of Western Australia. Despite being told by his professor that there was no chance he would pass, Harold ended up graduating with first-class honours and, a few years later, was accepted for a Fulbright scholarship to study at the University of California, Berkeley. It was in California that he met his wife, Marg, with whom he would go on to raise six children.

After completing his postgraduate degree, Harold was offered a doctoral scholarship but instead returned to Perth, where he began a lifelong career as a builder, working with his father in the company he had set up in 1919, JO Clough & Son. They were integral to the construction of some of Perth's critical infrastructure of the postwar boom of the 1950s. In 1955 they secured the contract to build the National Mutual Life Association's new WA head office, a 12-storey building and the highest in Perth at the time. Even better known and more significant was the Narrows Bridge, which finally linked the southern and northern suburbs of Perth, across the historic Swan River. Upon completion in 1959 it was the largest precast, prestressed concrete bridge in the world. Although Harold's father died just before it was opened, it stands today as a testament to the ingenuity of this father-son duo.

Harold took on the business his father began and expanded it to new frontiers. Under his leadership, Clough built power stations, railways, jetties, pipelines, dams and even the Harold Holt Australian-US naval base in Exmouth. Scores of buildings and facilities across Western Australia stand today thanks to Harold Clough.

Harold was a man who prided himself on marrying his business with service to Western Australia and to the Australian community. In the 1960s, at a time when most Australian leaders were dismissive of Australia's place in Asia, his business ventures in Indonesia paved the way for stronger relations between Australia and our northern neighbours. Harold began the Clough scholarship for engineering students at UWA, served on the UWA Senate and made donations to many charitable causes. Perhaps the best way to illustrate how greatly appreciated Harold was by the community is to list some of his many, many honours, which included the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal, in 1977; Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in 1979; Officer of the Order of Australia, in 1990; and the Sir Edward Weary Dunlop Asia Medal, in 2005, for improving Australia-Asia relations.

Harold was not someone who was afraid to express his opinions, and he concerned himself wholeheartedly with the politics of his nation and his home state. He worked with former Liberal member for Moore John Hyde in establishing the Australian Institute for Public Policy, Perth's first free enterprise orientated think tank. This organisation would later merge with the Institute of Public Affairs. He also spent time as the President of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, director of West Australian Newspapers Ltd and as a board member of the White Paper Advisory Panel on foreign trade for the Australian government.

In short, Harold Clough spent his life constantly servicing and striving to do more; constantly supporting the Western Australian community and his own country, Australia; pursuing meaningful projects; and embodying the title of 'builder' in every sense. When asked about retirement, he dismissed the notion and said: 'I've still got too much to do. As you get older, if you are busy and have a lot to do, you don't get time to die. I have too many things to do next month and I'll just have to put it off.' True to form, just days before he passed away on 5 January this year, Harold was working at his desk.

His legacy lives on in his family and the countless contributions they have made. Western Australia is indeed a better place for his contribution. Vale, Harold Clough.