HOUSING SA ANNIVERSARY

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:17): My question is to the Minister for Social Housing. Can the minister inform the chamber what is being done to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Housing SA?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (15:17): I thank the honourable member for her very important question. On 3 December 1936, the South Australian Housing Trust Act was assented to in the South Australian parliament and became the first public housing authority in Australia. This year marks the 75^th anniversary of public housing in South Australia. In recognition of this, an exhibition of paintings, photographs and other housing memorabilia have been collated and placed on show at the Adelaide Town Hall for viewing by the general public.

Over the years, the former Housing Trust library has collected and held many items of importance which are relevant in preserving the history of public housing in South Australia. In November 2005, the Housing Trust memorabilia collection was officially launched by the then housing minister, the Hon. Jay Weatherill. The memorabilia collection is managed by a small group of volunteers who are former employees of the Housing Trust, and their ages range from 64 to a sprightly 81 years.

These volunteers meet each fortnight for two hours to view items of significance and select items that should be added to the collection. The collection includes items such as the original Housing Trust seal, the gold tap used by Queen Elizabeth to turn on a fountain that opened Elizabeth in 1963—I am thinking of having that tap installed in my own bathroom and see if it is actually a gold tap or just gold plated (installed on trust, of course)—and drawings and photographs of the first houses built for the trust in Rosewater back in 1937.

These volunteers have been instrumental in putting together the exhibition at the Town Hall and they will all be invited to attend the celebration afternoon tea arranged to mark the occasion on Friday 2 December 2011. Approximately 100 people have been invited to the event, including Housing SA tenants, board members, members of parliament, housing leadership group members and long-serving Housing SA staff.

The exhibition is currently open each day to the general public, between 8.30am and 5.30pm, and is free. I encourage anyone with an interest in the history of public housing to visit and get a look at some of South Australia's great social history.