Proclamation of South Australia Anniversary

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (12:38): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges the historical significance of the 180^th anniversary of the proclamation of South Australia; and

(b) highlights the major political, social and cultural milestones that have been achieved in South Australia over the past 180 years.

It gives me great pleasure to speak to this motion that recognises the significance of the 180^th anniversary of the proclamation of South Australia. Everybody in this place is well aware of the many firsts we have achieved in South Australia and should be very proud of.

I will go through a few of those in a few moments and also list some that people may not be aware of. If other members in the place have contributions to make with particular emphasis on their own electorates and any firsts or significant achievements that may have occurred there, I would encourage them to do so because this is an important recognition of the state of our state, where we have come from and where we are going.

We should also recognise the fact that there is more to South Australia than what happened in 1836. The 39 Aboriginal tribes who have lived in South Australia for many thousands of years should be recognised at all times. Particularly in this week, which is NAIDOC Week, we do pay our respects to Aboriginal groups in South Australia and recognise their long history with this part of the world that we now call South Australia.

In fact, the earliest records of Aboriginal settlement or industry in South Australia go back to 18,000 BC when there was evidence of flint mining activity and rock art in the Koonalda Cave on the Nullarbor Plain. We never forget that, we always remember it, but particularly today we will focus on some of the more recent—particularly in those terms, very recent—things that have happened in South Australia.

Before I do that, though, as the member for Finniss is here, I should recognise the fact that the first recorded European sighting of South Australia was in 1627, and then in 1802 the South Australian coastline was mapped by Matthew Flinders and Nicholas Baudin. In about 1802, there was an unofficial settlement on Kangaroo Island of sealers. I know the member for Finniss will dispute the fact that South Australia was founded in 1836. It was actually founded a bit earlier than that, in 1834 in London, with the passing of legislation by the British parliament.

I will be interested to hear what the member for Finniss has to say on this matter because there is always some good-natured discussion about where the state was first formed. In going back over the history of South Australia, we are unique in that we have so many firsts. We have children coming into this place, and we talk about the first women in this place and the first things that have happened in South Australia, but it is much broader than that as every member in this place, as they go about their work in their electorates, realises.

I should say that Proclamation Day will be held for the last time in my electorate of Morphett next year because it then goes to the seat of Colton due to the changes in the boundaries. The Proclamation Day ceremony on 28 December is held every year, and has been since 1836, under the Old Gum Tree down at Glenelg. If there are members who have not been there, and I would be surprised if that were the case, I suggest very strongly that they go down and have a look at the place where the first proclamation was read under the Old Gum Tree by Governor John Hindmarsh in 1836. It is interesting to read that proclamation and see the aims and ideals that were set out for the then colony of South Australia, now the State of South Australia.

In 1836, the site for Adelaide was chosen by Colonel William Light beside the River Torrens, which was more of a creek in those days. It still has its issues with algal blooms, but it is certainly a much different place from what it was in 1836, as you can see when you go back and look at the watercolour paintings that exist of early Adelaide.

In 1837, the first regional town, Gawler, was founded north of Adelaide. As a kid, I grew up at Elizabeth and Salisbury, and that always seemed a long way from Adelaide, but I can only imagine what it was like to have to travel to Gawler in 1837. It would have been a fairly arduous trip. In 1838, the first Australian police force was formed in Adelaide. The South Australia Police was the first Australian police force, and it was formed here in South Australia in 1838.

In 1839, the first road in South Australia, Port Road, was opened. It seems that, during the time between 1836 and 1839, there must have been some rough dirt tracks, but to have an official road opened three years later would have been a huge task with the limited machinery and horse-drawn vehicles they would have had in those days. In 1840, the Royal Adelaide Show was held for the first time. Everyone here will have been to the Show and taken their family to the Show. It is a fabulous institution that is continuing to go on in leaps and bounds, and it is wonderful that it was founded in 1840.

The Adelaide hospital, now the Royal Adelaide Hospital, was opened in 1841. The long, proud history of that hospital I hope will be preserved in some way in an interpretive centre or museum at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital because the work that has been done since 1841 at that hospital on the east end of North Terrace should never be forgotten and should always be admired and respected. Of course, in 1843, in Old Parliament House, the first Legislative Council building was opened on North Terrace. That is now a much nicer building after renovations, but it was and still is a bit of a rabbit warren. I am glad that we have been able to move from a place like that into this building which, although is showing its age in some parts, is still absolutely wonderful.

In 1843, the Ridley stripper harvester was developed. South Australia was then a huge agricultural centre and developing all the time, as it certainly is now. Part of our state's economy relies on agricultural production, but it is very pleasing to see how far back innovation in agriculture started and how it continues to grow in South Australia.

The discovery of copper at Burra in 1845 was the first of the resource booms in South Australia—we have had lots of booms and some busts—and we continue to benefit from South Australia's natural resources. The wealth under our ground is phenomenal. The curse of cover is something that many people talk about. Removing the topsoil to get to that mineral wealth is something we have to overcome in South Australia, but it is certainly a blessing to have that resource just under our feet.

In 1845, Port Pirie was founded. It was a shipping port in the early days. BHP mines were developed at Broken Hill and smelters were opened a bit later. In 1847, St Peter's College was established, and in 1848 Pulteney Grammar School was established. Both are fine schools that continue to this day. In 1854, in the member for Stuart's electorate, the township of Port Augusta was surveyed. As a schoolteacher there in the 1970s, I remember the last small cargo ship that left Port Augusta. I am not sure what it took out of Port Augusta, but it was a sad day. The town of Port Augusta is a thriving and vibrant place, with railways, power stations and the port and as the gateway to the outback and the Northern Territory, and it is where I spent three very enjoyable years of my life.

I never knew that Mount Gambier was called Gambierton. It was founded in 1854. Anybody who has not been to Mount Gambier has missed out, but I know that every member in this place would have been there. It is a beautiful spot, with the Blue Lake. I remember one of my first holidays as a child, when I was five years old. Mum and dad bought a new tent, and away we went and had a wonderful holiday in Mount Gambier—it was very cold, though.

In 1856, the South Australian Institute, from which the State Library, State Museum and Art Gallery were derived, was founded. In 1856, South Australia became one of the first places in the world to enact the secret ballot—again, another first for South Australia. You only have to look at the board to see the list of premiers in this place. In 1858, the Real Property Act was enacted, and Torrens titles are now used all over the world to delineate properties and establish their ownership. It is a very proud first for South Australia.

At the Bay, in 1859 a jetty longer than 350 metres was constructed. The jetty we have now is a far cry from the one that was planned to enclose 35 acres of safe waters for small boats in which to moor. It is a much shorter jetty, a concrete structure. Storms have taken their toll, particularly in 1848, when storms blew through and wrecked most of the jetty, but there are now plans for a new one.

In 1851, copper was discovered at Moonta. Between 1854 and 1867, the great drought hit Adelaide. That is when Goyder's line was drawn. People realised that they could continuously and sustainably grow crops south of Goyder's line, and to the north was more pastoral country. In 1869, the city's Central Market was opened in Grote Street and Prince Alfred College, where my grandson attends, was also established.

For Port supporters, in 1870 the Port Adelaide Football Club was established. In 1872, the General Post Office was opened and Adelaide became the first Australian capital linked to Imperial London, with the completion of the Overland Telegraph—again, another first. Adelaide Oval and the University of Adelaide were officially opened in 1874. The Adelaide Children's Hospital was founded in 1876, as was the stump jump plough, another terrific South Australian invention that made a huge difference to farming right around the world.

I understand the Bay tram will be back in the next few days after a lot of heartache down at the Bay because of upgrades, but it will all be worth it. In 1878, the first horse-drawn trams in Australia commenced operation in this city, and in 1880 the telephone was introduced to South Australia. In 1883, the Adelaide Zoological Gardens were opened and, for the Labor Party, in 1884 the Adelaide Trades and Labor Council was inaugurated.

In 1885, South Australia became the first state to levy income and land tax: we do have some firsts that we perhaps wish had been left for other times. In 1887, express trains between Adelaide and Melbourne commenced, and in 1891 the Central Australia Railway reached Oodnadatta in the Far North, and we saw in our time, we all remember now, the extension up to Darwin. How things have progressed! In 1894, the world's second act granting women's suffrage passed in this place, and we all recognise the Deputy Speaker's role in furthering the cause of women's suffrage and congratulate her on that.

In 1889, a South Australian contingent left Adelaide for the Second Boer War. That is something that I do not know a lot about. We have that wonderful memorial just across the road near Government House, but I do not know as much about it as I would like and I should make a point of finding out more. In this last century, the first electricity station opened on Grenfell Street in South Australia in 1900. In 1901, Adelaide became a state capital upon the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia and the state flag was officially adopted in 1904.

In 1906, this state was the first in Australia to issue driver's licences—again, continuing with firsts. There are a number of other firsts that we see throughout our history. I would encourage members and readers to go back and look at the sources of history of firsts in South Australia. They are extensive, they are long and they are all worthy of note; whether it is proclamation in 1836 or the latest changes that are happening now, we should all be very proud of them.

I know every member in this place is very proud of this state, and I hope that we can all work together to recognise that we owe our seat in this house to those who elect us and that we continue to do everything we can to make sure that they are proud of what we do. Unfortunately, politicians are not held in the highest regard, which I think is completely out of sorts with what we do, but this state is the better for having a long history of politicians in this place who have done their very best to make this state the way it is.

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (12:52): I also rise to speak to this motion to recognise the 180^th anniversary of Proclamation Day. In doing so, I thank the member for Morphett for bringing it to this house and for his extraordinarily extensive knowledge of South Australia and the number of historic moments and landmark decisions that have impacted our state. So, thank you very much to the member for Morphett.

As I said, I rise to recognise the 180^th anniversary of Proclamation Day and the approval of the letters patent by King William IV establishing the Province of South Australia and establishing our boundaries. Included, rightly, within the letters patent was a recognition of the rights of the Aboriginal people to live within the lands of the South Australian province clearly stating that the establishment of the new colony would not affect the rights of Aboriginal people living within those stated boundaries to occupy and enjoy their own land.

It is disappointing that the statements of the South Australia Act 1834 did not similarly recognise the original inhabitants of the land, the Aboriginal people, and did not give Aboriginal people fair rights and access to that land. It is important to note that a number of people continue to campaign today to have the intent of these letters patent recognised for Aboriginal people. Proclamation Day is a time when we come together to celebrate our achievements and recognise the strong bonds of community throughout our state. We can celebrate our representative government and how all South Australians can participate in and contribute to our democracy.

We must also acknowledge, however, that South Australia was proclaimed on the land of the Kaurna people, never ceded, and I do acknowledge their elders past and present and all Aboriginal peoples of South Australia and their ongoing relationship with the land across our beautiful state. It is timely that we speak to this motion during Reconciliation Week, a week when we commit ourselves to ensuring that the benefits of living in South Australia are shared by all and to working together respectfully towards a truly united state. As I said in this house just a few days ago, reconciliation is a journey of many steps and I am proud that in South Australia we have taken some important next steps in our journey of healing as a state and moving towards reconciliation.

In 2015, we launched our Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme to provide both individual and whole-of-community reparations to Aboriginal people and communities affected by the shameful forced removal of children. The individual payment scheme provides some redress for South Australia's stolen generation people. It also provides Aboriginal people opportunities to tell their stories, an important part of the healing process for individuals and for communities.

This is a step forward; however, it is crucial that in South Australia and beyond we continue to acknowledge that nothing can take away the pain and suffering of those who were removed from their families as children. Nothing can mend the family, community and cultural bonds that were destroyed—in some cases, never to be repaired. This Reconciliation Week it is integral that we all accept the solemn responsibility for working together in the direction of healing.

In December 2016, our South Australian government also proudly announced that we would begin treaty discussions with Aboriginal South Australians. Conversations with Aboriginal communities across South Australia that will inform the elements of a possible treaty model are now happening. As we contemplate the 180^th anniversary of proclamation and our journey since that time, this commitment to achieving treaty must be included and celebrated as a very important step on that journey as a state. It speaks to what our state must always hold dear: acknowledgement of our past and a shared vision for our future, a future that is grounded in inclusion, respect and equality.

The proclamation naming South Australia as a British province was read on 28 December 1836 when we continued our journey to where we are today as a state in the Commonwealth of Australia. As a colony, we were granted self-government in 1857 and we began to govern ourselves. After a hard-fought campaign, we moved from a system of having our representatives appointed by the Governor to a system of representative democracy in 1857.

In 1894, after decades of struggle by a remarkable group of women activists—including Mary Lee, who knew how to organise around a cause and win—women were granted the right to vote, and at the next election in 1896 we were the second place in the world where women cast a ballot and where women were allowed to stand for election. Of course, we cannot and will not forget the role of Muriel Matters in this movement for change, this movement for equality.

As we mark 180 years since proclamation, I pay tribute to the will of these suffragettes, to their capacity to fight, to their capacity to win and to their deep and abiding commitment to the achievement of equality. We recognise and thank them for their efforts, efforts that rightly opened our democracy and finally afforded respect to Australian women. In their honour, and because it is the right thing to do and because it will engender better outcomes for all South Australians, I know that many of us, on both sides of this house, will continue to fight for equal representation of men and women in this house. Our progressive beginning is a history of which we can be proud and which can spur us on to strive to continue this fine example of progressive and inclusive policy.

Another example of our state working to include people is through the work we have done to ensure that our LGBTIQ communities are included and treated with dignity and respect. In 1975, former premier Don Dunstan's Labor government became the first government in Australia to decriminalise male homosexuality. Just over 40 years later, I am proud that our government, together with many of those members opposite, responded to the voice and the views of our LGBTIQ brothers and sisters here in South Australia by removing systemic discrimination in our laws and by creating more rights and opportunities for people of diverse sexuality and gender. We took momentous action last year, through the Premier's apology to our LGBTIQ communities for previous discriminations in our state's laws, and introduced important legislation to remove rules that unjustly impacted upon them. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.