Caroline Bristow Wig Library

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:48): On behalf of the member for Bragg, I move:

That this house acknowledges the launch of the Caroline Bristow Library at Renmark, and further—

(a) congratulates the chair, Ellen Traeger, and her committee for the development and establishment of the Caroline Bristow Wig Library;

(b) acknowledges Sergeant Caroline Bristow's service to the South Australia police force and her contribution to the Riverland community for the past 25 years both in her capacity as a police officer and a local resident;

(c) thanks Caroline's family, friends, work colleagues and the local community for their support and effort with fundraising and donations;

(d) appreciates Senator Anne Ruston, senator for South Australia, who was the catalyst for the initial idea; and

(e) appreciates the Renmark Lions Club, Bonnie Wigs Adelaide and many more, for their contributions to the cause.

I rise to support this wonderful motion put forward by the member for Bragg to acknowledge the official launch of the Caroline Bristow Wig Library based at Barmera hospital's women's health wing. I note that the member for Bragg was present at the opening of the library in Renmark.

I would like to congratulate the chair, Ellen Traeger, and her committee for the development and establishment of the Caroline Bristow Wig Library, and Senator Anne Ruston, who was the catalyst for the initial idea. Obviously, both Senator Ruston and I were good family friends of the Bristows and we thought that it was fitting that this wig library be set up in memory of Carol and her long-running battle with cancer.

Ms Traeger said Anne Ruston was the catalyst. She had been invited to Whyalla to open a wig library at the Whyalla Hospital. She came back and told Carol about it and obviously it got into Carol's head. She thought, 'That's a great idea.' Carol did not want to wear a wig. She did go out in public throughout her treatment and she wore scarves over her head. What it showed was that she had adopted the idea of wearing a wig. It was a great turning point for Carol to go out socially and be much more comfortable, knowing that she had the wig on. It was a starting point in dealing with the illness that she had.

Again, the committee that is left says, 'We are the twigs that are going to keep the fire going with this wig library.' The little group has got it going for Carol. Since the establishment of this library in a wing at the Barmera Hospital, Caroline's family, friends, work colleagues, the local community and charity groups have put a huge effort into fundraising and making donations to bring it to fruition.

The library is a fitting tribute now to the late Carol Bristow. She was a very well respected community member, along with her husband, Mick, a good friend of mine, and their two children, McKenzie and Tillie. Carol was a former police officer, very well known in the Riverland and Mallee, and very much a local identity when it came to community work and representation. Carol was named South Australian Police Officer of the Year in 2012 in recognition of her policing and her community work. Upon receiving the award, she said, 'No police officer starts their career to be a police officer of the year,' but to be recognised by her community was an absolute highlight of her career.

She was a patrol officer and then went on to be a police prosecutor. Her community work included programs such as Neighbourhood Watch, a youth intervention program and Calperum on the Land. Sadly, Carol was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, but she was determined not to let this stop her from doing what she loved, which was just to get out and be part of the community. Even nearing her last days, she still managed to put on a smile and she still managed to give her family support. I know from speaking to her husband, Mick, that was the case right to the very end.

Carol swore that she would not use wigs, as I said, during her treatment, but she eventually gave them a go and she never looked back. She enjoyed the fact that she could go out feeling her best wearing a wig, despite going through that terrible chemotherapy. She then decided that she would love for this to become an option for everybody, regardless of whether they could afford the sometimes hefty cost of buying a wig.

I think one of the main drivers for Carol was that she decided that the wig library was a great idea for many of those people suffering, dealing with chemotherapy and losing their hair. It was something that she could give back while she was still herself going through the treatment. She was watching community people in the Riverland and Mallee going through the terrible ordeal and their families having to go through it as well and she was able to give that support that was always needed, just like a wig would.

After she saw the similar initiative in Whyalla, Carol decided that the Riverland and Mallee needed that wig library. During the course of driving the wig library, Carol was told that her cancer was terminal. She sadly passed away in January of last year. Initially, the wig library was to be called the Riverland Mallee Wig Library, but as a legacy to Carol Bristow, who had a vision to provide a service that could assist with easing some of the more physical and emotional side effects of cancer treatment, the library was fittingly renamed the Caroline Bristow Wig Library.

It is a service available to those in the Riverland, Mallee and beyond that allows them to hire wigs during and after cancer treatment. The wig library was officially launched at Ruston's Rose Garden in April this year, with more than 100 people in attendance. Michael and Carol moved to the region from Port Pirie and made the Riverland their home, and I think the Riverland is a better place for the Bristows moving there. Obviously, their two children came along with them and became a great part of the youth community in the Riverland, particularly at Renmark.

There are few people who have not been touched by cancer, whether it is family, a friend or someone you know. I think this wig library is going to be a longstanding legacy that will help those people feel a little more comfortable, allow them to go out without having the burden of the outcome of the treatment of chemotherapy. Cancer is a very nasty disease to have.

I commend this motion—a great motion put forward by the member for Bragg. I commend the wig library in the Riverland. To all those people who are considering visiting the wig library, please do so. It is at the Barmera hospital. It is an institution that I think should be recognised and potentially taken up by other regions to support those suffering from the treatment of chemotherapy, sadly, for the sickness of cancer.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (12:56): I really proposed to bring this issue to the parliament after attending in April the launch of the library that has now been outlined by the member for Chaffey. Of course it is important to always acknowledge that when somebody does something great, in this case to establish the Caroline Bristow Wig Library, when they are suffering from the effects and ravages of a disease and the treatments that go with it, sadly culminating in Ms Bristow's death in January 2015, we also acknowledge those around her, including the chair of the committee, Ellen Traeger, and the rest of her committee, for developing and establishing this library.

I have particularly brought it to the attention of the house because there been the professional and personal sacrifice of Ms Bristow—who was a police prosecutor who went to the Riverland in the 1990s and had an outstanding community service and professional service as a police prosecutor in that community—and even when all the attention could have been on her she was prepared to advocate for this.

Cancer is an insidious disease and the treatment is invasive, it is ghastly. Frankly, in the 20 or 30 years or so that I have had any connection with the treatment of it, it has improved and it is more effective for a lot of cancers but it is still an ugly treatment. One day we will look back on this period and see how we were trying to help people in this situation and reflect on how invasive and how difficult that was. Inevitably, for most patients who undertake some of these treatments there is significant hair loss, weight loss and nausea, all sorts of consequences.

When you are feeling dreadful, at least you want to try to look reasonable because the people around you who are coming to see you, support you, work with you and, of course, assist you, are usually people you love or professionals committed to your care, and you want to be able to feel like you are at least not looking as bad as you feel. It is a confronting condition. It is a very invasive and ugly treatment and the consequences are very real. If you have any pride in your appearance, which I think most people do most of the time, then a sudden loss of hair, if that is something that you otherwise enjoyed having, can be catastrophic.

I ask members of the house to pass this motion. It has been in the Senate, and there has been recognition of it by Senator Anne Ruston, who has been a key player in its development. I want this to be replicated in regional areas around South Australia, so I ask for your endorsement today, to recognise the pioneers of this project and the woman who sacrificed her life during its development, and pass this motion.

Debate adjourned on motion of Ms Digance.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.