Light Electorate

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (16:17): I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some key activities in my electorate and also the passing of a wonderful woman in the electorate as well. First of all, I would like to put on record my thanks to the Gawler Show Society for inviting me to officially open the 162^nd anniversary show held a fortnight ago. Country shows like the Gawler Show have been a big part of the rural and regional communities' landscape from the first day of European settlement throughout Australia.

Agricultural shows, as they were then known, were a place where people throughout the district would meet with townspeople to celebrate the harvest and trade in various products produced in the area. They showcased the crops grown, sheep and cattle raised, new machinery and equipment, and produce and products made in the home. Horticulture and floriculture were added to shows in various areas.

While agriculture remains at the heart of the country shows, they have more recently added educational elements and a range of amusements. Foremost, they remain a community event, largely run by volunteers. Without volunteers, there would be no country shows. As the President of the Gawler Show Society has remarked in her message in this year's show guide, 'The role volunteers play in the success of the show is underestimated.' I would like to add my thanks to the work of the army volunteers who make this show and other shows across the state happen.

While the show remains a strong community event, it is now also a key tourism event for the town, in a good year attracting an attendance of 30,000-plus people with more than half being visitors to our town. The show of a couple of weekends ago was very successful. We were blessed with great weather for the weekend and so attracted a record crowd on the Saturday.

The success or, in some cases, the decline of country shows has mirrored the state of agriculture in their respective districts. The ongoing population shift to the bigger regional cities and metropolitan Adelaide has starved smaller communities of volunteers, and many country shows have closed down in the last few decades. There were only 47 country shows in South Australia during 2017. Unfortunately, when communities lose their shows they also lose another reason to meet and celebrate their towns and districts.

We are fortunate that the Gawler Show remains strong, and we owe its success to the band of volunteers who have worked tirelessly for some decades to make it happen. When you travel through the Gawler Show's history, a few key themes emerge. Some controversies reappear time and time again. The show has reflected the highs and lows of the town itself and become a source of innovation. In the few minutes I have, I would like to highlight a few stories that provide a flavour of the show's colourful history.

The show itself did not start without controversy, with two community and volunteer committees vying to run the first show. In 1851, a committee was chaired by Mr Sparshott, formed to establish a society for produce farmers, but was not proceeded with. A second attempt was made on 2October 1854, when Dr Otto Schomburgk chaired a special public meeting convened at the Globe Hotel, which is now the Kingsford, in which the Gawler Agricultural and Horticultural Society was formed.

In October 1855, Dr Schomburgk was re-elected president at the show society's first AGM, James Martin, another well-known Gawlerite, was elected as a committee member, and the stage was set for first Gawler Show. On 19 February 1856, the show society held its first show under the grand title of Gawler Agricultural and Horticultural Society's First Annual Exhibition. I would like to put on the record that the Schomburgk family have made a huge contribution not only to the Gawler district but also to the state through botany and other community events. I think it is about time—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Light, if I can interrupt for a moment—and I will not keep you long—Schomburgk actually became the name of a variety of wheat that was broadly grown across South Australia as well.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: That's right. The South Australian botanist was actually world famous, and he travelled overseas on his discoveries.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Excellent. I will give you another 30 seconds, member for Light.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: You can add a minute, if you like—thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The Schomburgks, I think, should be recognised in some way in my town of Gawler because they have not been recognised in the town.

Dr Harvey: Hear, hear!

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: I agree. The South Australian Register records the first Gawler Show as follows:

Considering the recent date of the Society's establishment, and, considering that this was the first attempt at a produce show, we think the members have every reason to congratulate themselves upon its complete success. We never remember having seen so large a company, including so many ladies of respectability.

And so the Gawler Show was born. The show has been going for 162 years. The current president, Patricia Dent, and her band of volunteers and committee make sure that it is a great success.

Unfortunately, on a sad note, I would also like now to bring to the house's attention the passing of Mrs Betty Jacob. Those people who have lived in Gawler previously may remember Betty Jacob. Betty Jacob was a councillor, alderman and also a tireless community worker. Betty Roma Klopper, which was her maiden name, was born in Crystal Brook, South Australia, 90 years ago and was the youngest of five girls. Tragically, their mother died at the young age of 31 and Betty was only 19 months old at the time. She was later raised by her aunty in Snowtown, South Australia.

Betty attended school in Snowtown, where she became head prefect, and finished her secondary education at Adelaide High School in 1945. She then studied nursing and began training at the Gawler Hutchinson Hospital in 1948, when she was 20 years old. It happens to be same hospital my two sons were born in. During that time, she met Gordon Jacob, a local Gawler lad who just returned from serving in the navy after the war. He was to start a business called Jacob's Fashion Store.

Betty and Gordon fell in love and married in 1949 and, shortly after, began building their family home at Gawler East. During the fifties, Betty had three children, Susan, Peter and Michael. Betty helped out in the shop while raising the kids. Towards the end of their secondary schooling, she decided to go back to study and in 1970 obtained a first class honours degree in theology. This was then followed by a diploma in secondary education teaching in 1974.

She taught at Gawler High School, which is the school I attended. However, her teaching prospects were cut short when, in 1977, at the age of 49, she contracted breast cancer. She survived, probably through her sheer determination. After her recovery, Betty became actively involved in the outreach department for the Anti-Cancer Foundation. A few years later, Gordon unfortunately fell ill and died in 1983, when Betty was only 55. She then focused her efforts towards the local community.

In 1985, she was elected to the Gawler council, where she served two terms as a councillor and an alderman until 1993. That is where I met Betty. I was first elected to the Gawler council in 1985. It would be fair to say that Betty and I shared very few political philosophies and that often we did not agree on many things politically, but what I can say is that she was a tireless worker for the community and, for the time, she was a woman who made a huge contribution to our community. She was not backward in terms of explaining her views about matters. She encouraged a lot of other women to join the council.

During her six years in council, she was directly involved in helping reduce heavy traffic in Murray Street, improving the taxi service and introducing Neighbourhood Watch programs, and she was an advocate for implementing the Gawler bypass and even for bringing McDonald's to Gawler, although she did not think it was such a good idea.

Betty continued to live in the family home for the next 20 years, enjoying her own company. She travelled extensively in Europe and North America, tended to her garden and welcomed visits by her family and friends and a growing number of grandchildren. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on 9 August, a few weeks after her 90^th birthday. I was fortunate enough to see her a few times at the Southern Cross nursing home prior to her death. Certainly, she was a woman who made a huge contribution to the town and also to her family and friends.

With the time I have left, I would also like to talk briefly about the more recent Northern Business Breakfast held on 22 August. This business breakfast is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Salisbury and the Rotary Club of Elizabeth. I have to declare my interest: I am a member of the Lions Club. With the support of a number of sponsors, it hosts a monthly meeting where they talk about issues that are of importance to small business in the north.

In August, I attended the event held at the impressive new Playford Bowling Club facilities. I must confess that the new bowling facility in Elizabeth is quite impressive, and I congratulate the Playford council on achieving that milestone. It is also the largest undercover bowling facility in the Southern Hemisphere. It is very impressive.

At the breakfast, we heard an industry presentation from PR consultant and university marketing lecturer Michelle Prak, who talked about how organisations should prepare for crisis management. The business breakfast is very useful for networking. It is very important to keep in touch with small business in the area, but you also hear a number of speakers who bring a lot of new ideas to the area. It is one of those breakfasts that is well supported, and I commend the organisers for holding those monthly events. At the next meeting, which I think is in September, a member from the other house will be a guest speaker.

At 16:28 the house adjourned until Wednesday 5 September 2018 at 10:30.