DE LISSA ORATION

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (16:43): I would like to speak to the house this afternoon about the de Lissa Oration, which I attended last night on behalf of the Minister for Education. Every year, the University of South Australia hosts a free public lecture called the de Lissa Oration for parents, educators and other professionals interested in early childhood education and development. This year the oration was held at the Amy Wheaton Building at the Magill Campus.

Prior to that, we witnessed the launch of the book celebrating 100 years of Montessori education in Australia by Dr Susan Feez. The book is called Montessori—The Australian Story. How many people do not realise the proud traditions that we have in education in South Australia through our very wonderful Lillian de Lissa, who was involved in early education here in 1905, being one of the first people involved in the kindy movement in South Australia.

I am sure that in the past other members have put a great deal of effort into learning about de Lissa, who introduced preschool here and became the first director of the free Adelaide kindy, which was in a cottage in Franklin Street, where she was assisted by young women volunteers.

Very early in the piece, Lillian de Lissa recognised the importance of the Montessori method of education. Maria Montessori's methods, of course, are still being used today and, in a world where we look at education, I wonder why we do not pay more attention to this important way of nurturing our children and bringing to them and through them a happier and more peaceful world. The people involved in Montessori education were very concerned with the social justice issues of the day, and this continues to be their aim through their educational processes.

On the evening, we were welcomed by Professor Geraldine Castleton and the head of the de Lissa school, Professor Pauline Harris. She in turn introduced Christine Harrison, who is the President of the Montessori Australia Foundation. The room was full of wonderful women who have been involved in moulding and nurturing little minds for many years.

We also had the launch of the Montessori Materials Collection by Dr Glenn Cupit, a collection which is going to be on display and available to people at the Magill campus. There is a wonderful brochure on it, and I am sure that by getting in touch with the school you will be able to work out a way to go and see it. They have also produced a marvellous booklet, called The de Lissa Historical Collection, and some of those early pieces of equipment have been with the school, I believe, for almost 100 years, when the first parcel arrived. It is really something worth having a look at.

Apart from that, my great interest in the Montessori method is because of Muriel Matters, who was trained as a Montessori teacher in Barcelona in 1916. She has been included in the book, and quite a good coverage is given to her time with Montessori.

From her earliest days here in South Australia, Muriel was given the benefit of education and was very involved in early childhood education and, of course, took that one step further, through Sylvia Pankhurst and helped the poor children of the slums of Bow Street in England. Muriel's attachment to the Montessori method was lifelong and, of course, was the main reason for her return to Australia in 1922, when she lectured on the Montessori method in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

It has been a big week for Muriel in many ways. Her docudrama has debuted at the Adelaide Film Festival. I recommend members and, of course, the long-suffering staff of Parliament House who have helped me over the last five years to bring the Muriel story to life, to have a look at the docudrama called Muriel Matters!, which was screened on Artscape last Tuesday evening at 10pm; you can still have a look at that.

Muriel Matters' story is still as relevant to South Australia and the world as it was 100 years ago in her fight for the vote for women and equality for women in every area we could possibly manage. As you know, the grille is still here on display in Parliament House—something that is a real coup for us, as the museums of London and Westminster, particularly Westminster, very, very rarely lend their objects or even send them this far away.

Mr Gardner: Have they asked for it back?

Ms BEDFORD: No, they haven't, and that's another story I will regale the house with on a later occasion. In recommending both the Muriel Matters docudrama—

Mrs Geraghty: And they can't have it.

Ms BEDFORD: —I'll have it secreted on my person—and Montessori's 100 years in Australia to the house, I thank you for the opportunity to bring these important issues to the attention of members and the wider community of South Australia, who I hope will embrace this Montessori centenary and go to have a look at the work being done at the University of South Australia.

At 16:49 the house adjourned until Tuesday 29 October 2013 at 11:00.