NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:44): Recently, we celebrated National Volunteer Week, and today I would like to celebrate and acknowledge the work of volunteers in the Gawler area, in particular, and bring forward some examples of that commitment. We recently had the Red Shield Appeal, conducted for the Salvation Army, and I have been delighted to chair that appeal in the Gawler and surrounding areas for more than a decade.

I am delighted to report that the neighbourhood appeal in that area has raised in excess of $11,000 this year, and I give great tribute to the large number of volunteers who assisted in raising that money, whether it be by doorknocking, as I care to do, or, as others participate, by collecting outside shopping centres and in places such as walking around football ovals and collecting in that manner.

I give a particular tribute to Jodie Jones, who has been the secretary of the appeal for Gawler this year, and wish her well with her further studies and efforts on behalf of the Salvation Army. I think, as I have said many times before, the Salvos do work in the community that no-one else will do, and I am delighted to make commitments towards them in what they do across South Australia and the nation.

Another group that I want to mention was the Gawler Branch of the Cancer Council, which last Thursday conducted its Biggest Morning Tea at the Gawler & Barossa Jockey Club. I was surprised to see 300 people in attendance at that event. It was largely coordinated by the Lions Club of Gawler, and there was a range of other contributors to the event. As I said, the Jockey Club must be commended for their involvement, particularly in the hospitality that they provided on the day.

As a bit of a surprise, when I arrived there, I noted that there were some of my colleagues from the Adelaide Plains Male Voice Choir in attendance there to provide some entertainment, and so, on an impromptu and unpractised basis, I joined them for some of the songs that we sang to the group. Some were more familiar to me than others but, for the ones that were unfamiliar, I kept a little bit more quiet.

I do give great credit to the Gawler Branch of the Cancer Council who are a small group but who have been raising money for many years in this area, and they really were pleased to get the assistance of a group like the Lions Club and the other community groups that came on board to assist.

I would also like to make mention of the Gawler History Team Inc which launched its new wiki on Sunday in the appropriately historic Gawler Institute. This is a new group which was established by its President, Councillor Brian Thom, and it is a group that is really committed to making the history of Gawler available in a form that the young people of today will be prepared and keen to access.

That group is about creating and managing an online archive of Gawler, showcasing the history of Gawler, preserving local knowledge and memories, providing material for educating current and future generations, making history exciting for our youth, building technology skills in the community and contributing to the strong sense of community in Gawler. I commend Councillor Thom and the 30 other members of the Gawler History Team Inc. It can be accessed at www.gawler.nowandthen.net.au.

In conclusion, I would also like to mention the Friends of Parks from the Para Wirra national park who recently hosted the AGM of the Friends of Parks Inc for South Australia at the Ted and Molly Hughes Conference Centre and the election that day of a new patron, Mr Dene Cordes, who has been a wonderful supporter of Friends of Parks.

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