STUART ELECTORATE

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:46): I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of art throughout the country and outback areas, particularly the electorate of Stuart—the importance of art to the people who live there and the importance of the people who actively participate, in many ways, in art more broadly across the state.

It is worth saying that I have next to no artistic talent whatsoever. My mother was a fairly successful textile artist, but unfortunately I did not inherit any of her skills. However, that did allow me to grow up with a great appreciation for art and the hard work that goes into it.

In the electorate of Stuart there are regular exhibitions all over the countryside, at places like Blinman, where I was fortunate enough to be asked to open one of the exhibitions; Burra and Kapunda—there are, in fact, about six active galleries in Kapunda—Peterborough, where I was honoured, recently, to be asked to open one of their exhibitions; Port Augusta which, I think three years ago, was the regional centre for art for our state; Port Germein, Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Ranges, just to name a few. All those places, and others, have very regular art exhibitions and support art in general. There are a couple of very little-known but quite important places which I would like to mention in Stuart as well. At Albury Creek, right on the boundary of our electorates, Madam Speaker, there are some quite extraordinary sculptures made out of aeroplanes and car bodies—very large steelworks. Also, at the choke to the Cullyamurra Waterhole, just north of Innamincka, there are some absolutely fascinating Aboriginal rock carvings.

Another interesting feature of art in the electorate of Stuart is some quite remarkable town halls. I highlight the Peterborough Town Hall and the Burra Town Hall. For people who have not been there, they are worth the trip next time you are travelling through the district; just stop in—they are absolutely remarkable.

Art is quite extraordinary in that men, women, old people, young people, middle-aged, healthy, less healthy, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people get to participate; and you get to participate in many ways, not just as an artist. We have volunteers throughout country and outback South Australia who contribute to the arts purely by helping to set up exhibitions; purely by helping to organise ticket sales—to do all sorts of things—hang pictures and support art in many different ways. Without their volunteer contribution, the exhibitions and the galleries would not be successful.

This art, of course, takes many forms. In my electorate it is mainly paintings, drawings and visual art; but, of course, we have a lot of performance art. We have plays, we have comedy, we have music, we have sculpture, jewellery and photography. There are many, many forms in which art displays itself very successfully in the electorate of Stuart. The benefits of art—and it is really worth highlighting—are the obvious creativity and participation that people get, whether a person is a fully professional artist or whether a rank amateur doing it as a pastime for their own enjoyment or anywhere in between, the benefits are fantastic.

There are health benefits, creativity benefits, individual and regional pride—something that is quite often overlooked. When you have an enormous body of landscape art, particularly, as comes out of the electorate of Stuart, that self-image and that pride in your area, and the fact that people from all over the district, the state, the nation, and often internationally get to see that work and get to see vivid images of where you live, your home area and the area that you are very proud of, that is a great opportunity as well. Cultural development—I am sure we are all aware of the importance of Aboriginal art not only to Aboriginal people but also to the non-Aboriginal people in our country. The opportunity for training and learning, self-discipline and self-therapy is very important and, of course, there are very important commercial benefits. Art throughout the electorate of Stuart supports tourism. It supports many businesses throughout the electorate, as well as purely the art sales, which are, of course, very important.

I am very proud to have a painting that I bought at Wilpena Pound last year hanging in my office in Parliament House, and I certainly encourage people from all parties, regardless of who they represent in this parliament, to support art throughout South Australia to the very best of their ability. I was recently fortunate to have a discussion with Stephen Saffell and Lew Owens from Country Arts SA and I encouraged them to support art throughout country and outback South Australia to the best of their ability, too.

The SPEAKER: Yes, member for Stuart, I endorse your remarks completely.