Balaklava Eisteddfod

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:28): I would like to briefly report on an event that occurred last weekend. It had nothing to do with sport, so was not about football, even though the great team won on Sunday. I am talking about the 21^st Balaklava Eisteddfod.

Members interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: I am pleased that there are some people in the room who are pleased about this. It is a wonderful event, I must say. I have been going for the last 12 years that I have had the honour of being a member of parliament. I believe I have missed one, potentially two, for which I will forever be apologetic. However, I had the opportunity to open the finale concert on the Sunday about five times.

It is a three-day event and it is a wonderful forum for young people in particular—that is where the focus is—but across all ages. It challenges people through acting, dancing, singing, music—all expressions of what is perfect about the human species performing—and being brave enough to be in front of others and being critiqued on their performances and the community being so wonderfully respectful of it.

Balaklava on the first Sunday in August is most certainly the place to be if you are from the Mid North. I recognise that the Hon. Geoff Brock, the member for Frome, as the local member for Balaklava, opened last Sunday's event, but unfortunately could not stay; he had to leave to go to that other activity that occurred last Sunday. From information provided to me by Mrs Bronny Cottle, who is the long-term president of the Balaklava Eisteddfod, something like 1,500 students from schools were involved and there were 492 different entries for the year.

Those 1,500 students came from about 30 different schools not just from the Mid North but from as far away as Encounter Bay, the Barossa and Kadina. I am told that the Encounter Bay students walked off the stage at 10 o'clock on the Saturday evening before travelling back to Encounter Bay. There were 400 competitions on Saturday alone, and those who participated came from 92 different postcodes across South Australia.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: There are not that many, are there?

Mr GRIFFITHS: True. In total, there are 2,000 performers, and the equivalent of 25 different concerts were held over Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. I commend all those wonderful people who were brave enough to participate. On Sunday, we had the opportunity to listen to the finalists of the Adelaide Plains Male Voice Choir scholarship, which is a $1,000 cash payment. There were also champions' performances from a variety of areas and the Combined Mid North Primary Schools Festival of Music Choirs. I know that the member for Florey has been to the Festival of Music quite often at the Festival Theatre and loves it.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Three times a year.

Mr GRIFFITHS: Yes, that is another uplifting experience from our young students. It is hard not to be grateful to those who make it possible. The committee of the Balaklava Eisteddfod might give themselves a two-week break, but then they start planning for next year's event. They are a hardworking group of people, a mixture of men and women, who make it possible, and I think it is important to put on the record the names of the committee members: Bronwyn Cottle, who is the president, Sally Cowan, Andrea Fisher, Jacquie Foale-Jacka, Trish Goodgame, Meriel Lane, Trish Langdon, Kathy Niejalke, Jarrad Thiele, Jenny Tiller and Heidi Zerk.

Beyond that, I know that 15 people from across South Australia become the adjudicators on the quality of the performances and therefore judge these people on their performances. I have been a sponsor for some time and, as encouragement, I make a cash payment available, traditionally in an area where schoolchildren are involved. The Balaklava Eisteddfod has 87 financial supporters, and in many cases these sponsors have been doing it for a long time. They do it because they recognise not just what the Balaklava Eisteddfod brings to the local community but the opportunity it provides.

To those involved, congratulations; to those who make it possible, absolutely well done; and, to the team of volunteers beyond the 170 officially known volunteers, well done to you. I know that just about every public facility in Balaklava of sufficient space for a performance is used. I think that at least six churches and halls are involved; they all make their buildings available and they do it for the greater good of giving people a chance to perform and for all of us to be proud. It is a wonderful event, and I encourage all members who have a chance in the future to go on the first Sunday in August.