Blackwood Reconciliation Group

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (15:52): I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Blackwood Reconciliation Group. Our local Blackwood community members began exploring the meaning of reconciliation in 1994 and came to understand the significance of the site on Shepherds Hill Road, Eden Hills, which is now called Colebrook Reconciliation Park. At that site in 1943 stood a building that became the Colebrook Children's Home, and over the decades until it was closed in 1973, some 350 children—Aboriginal children stolen from regional South Australia—grew up in our local community. Neither the children nor the community had any understanding of the truth of their history, the trauma that was generated for themselves and their families, or how it would impact the rest of their lives.

As Blackwood Reconciliation Group formed, its original members built relationships with some of the former residents of Colebrook home and their descendants. These relationships led to a joint commitment to acknowledge the truth of our local history and for the stories of the stolen children to be heard and understood. Colebrook Reconciliation Park was established on the site of the former home. Members of the reconciliation group have continued to pursue their personal relationships with many of the residents from there.

The Blackwood Reconciliation Group also cares for the reconciliation park. They support educational tours of the site and support and organise public and private events that contribute to truth-telling and reconciliation. One of those events was recognised earlier this year at the City of Mitcham Australia Day honours when it was the Blackwood Reconciliation Walk for 2024. It won community event of the year and was such a fabulous opportunity to really celebrate all of the work that went into that event.

Over many years that event has brought our community together, as we walked from the Blackwood RSL, or previously the roundabout, down to Colebrook Park. Last year the event also coincided with the 100-year anniversary of the first removal of the children from Oodnadatta, and the beginnings of the United Aboriginal Mission managed at the Colebrook Training Centre for Aboriginal Children, the now Colebrook Reconciliation Park.

Further to this, last week I was really honoured to attend the Australia Day Committee's Citizen of the Year Awards where, again, Blackwood Reconciliation Group won Event of the Year and it was a very proud moment for all of the members who managed to get along, as well as their local MP, to see them up there receiving their award. A massive congratulations to all of the members of the Blackwood Reconciliation Group, and friends and volunteers, on that event.

On Saturday night, I was very honoured to join the Blackwood CFS to celebrate their 75^th anniversary. That is 75 years of serving and looking after our community, protecting us when we need it, getting up in the middle of the night to go and chop up trees or help people who have been involved in car accidents. It was such an incredible event and I was very chuffed to be able to go along.

We were joined by the chief officer of the CFS, Brett Loughlin; the regional commander for Mount Lofty, Michael Bohrnsen; and the Sturt Group Officer, Dale Thompson. We heard about all of the incredible work the brigade does, not only in our local community but also in regard to advancing firefighter capabilities across the state and even across the country. Lucas Wilson was the captain and he gave a fabulous speech and we shared in some of the incredible stats that came from the brigade, thanks to Brett Loughlin.

From 2023 to 2024, the brigade had 217 responses, which is about 1,219 hours of work done by volunteers to keep our community safe. It is an incredible achievement and I know our community thoroughly thanks them. I was able to put together a bit of a video montage from some of our local community. We had Ben from GD Wholesale, the crew from Joan's Pantry, the Coromandel Ramblers, some of our mountain bike kids, and some local Hawthorndene residents who all got together to say thank you to them on the video. I was very pleased to be able to put that together.

Residents from our local community at Blackwood, Glenalta, Craigburn Farm, and Hawthorndene all benefit from the Blackwood Country Fire Service, as that is their response area, but the Sturt group work always together, including my own Upper Sturt. We are in the Mount Lofty Brigade but we come down and help out as well.

Finally, to Upper Sturt residents who are struggling a little bit with the drought and not having enough water in their tanks, please make sure you check your tanks, check how much water you have, and order water early. We know that there is a waiting period. If it is an emergency the water carters want to hear from you. They are doing their best to help people in emergencies, and I ask you to continue to save as much as you can and be as frugal as you can. It is a tough time but we are all in it together.