Royal Commonwealth Society

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:37): I move:

That this council—

1. Congratulates the Royal Commonwealth Society for celebrating a special milestone of 150 years;

2. Acknowledges the formation and important work of the Royal Commonwealth Society—South Australia branch;

3. Highlights the history and significance of the commonwealth as an association of governments and peoples, built around shared language, institutions, challenges, aspirations and values; and

4. Acknowledges the role of Australia in the commonwealth and the work by the Royal Commonwealth Society in improving the lives and prospects of commonwealth citizens around the world.

It is with great honour that I rise today to move private members' motion No. 6 in my name to congratulate the Royal Commonwealth Society for celebrating its 150^th anniversary in 2018. Australia is a proud commonwealth country. I firmly believe it is important for members of parliament and the wider community to acknowledge the significant work of the Royal Commonwealth Society in promoting the values of the modern commonwealth.

Today, the modern commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent and equal sovereign states, including the world's largest and smallest, the richest and poorest countries. Member countries support each other through a network of more than 80 intergovernmental, civil society, cultural and professional organisations and work together towards shared international goals: democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, trade and multilateralism.

Multilateralism is promoted through multilateral projects such as the Commonwealth Games, held once every four years. On the noted Commonwealth Games, I would like to congratulate all participants involved in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. What a fantastic result it is for Australia, where 198 medals were presented to Australian elite sports people, 80 of which were gold, 59 silver and 59 bronze. I give my heartfelt congratulations and special thanks to our athletes representing our great country.

I will give a bit of history about the Royal Commonwealth Society. One hundred and fifty years ago, in 1868, a group of individuals in London established the Colonial Society as a non-political society to promote colonial affairs. A year later, in 1869, Her Majesty Queen Victoria granted a royal charter to the society, elevating it to the level of other royal societies. With the aim of being an intellectual society, the founding members affirmed the creation of a colonial library in 1868.

In the early years of the society, access to the library was limited to men; however, the society promoted gender equality and in 1894 a woman was invited to read a research paper for the first time. The year 1894 was certainly a groundbreaking and historical year for women around the world. As we all know, it was on 18 December 1894 that this parliament, the South Australian parliament, passed the Constitutional Amendment (Adult Suffrage) Act. The legislation was as a result of a decade-long struggle to include women in the electoral process. Not only did the act grant women in the colony to right to vote but it allowed them to stand for parliament. This meant that South Australia was the first electorate in the world to give equal political rights to both men and women.

In the early decades of the 20^th century, the society became increasingly progressive, encouraging a young and diverse membership. In 1922, the Royal Colonial Institute admitted women as full fellows, being one of the first during that era. In1931, full membership was granted to 'people of Asian backgrounds and men of colour'. The society truly set the scene in promoting gender equality and human rights.

In 1958, the society was renamed and became the Royal Commonwealth Society as we know it today. The Royal Commonwealth Society now is an international network with branches and societies across the commonwealth. These self-governing branches and affiliated societies connect globally, share the same values and promote the principles of the modern commonwealth: tolerance, diversity, freedom, justice, democracy, human rights and sustainable development.

The total commonwealth population is approximately one-third of the world at 2.4 billion people, of which 1.5 billion (about 60 per cent) are under the age of 30. Recognising the demographic importance and potential of young people, the society aims to empower young people through education and advocacy, to promote youth development, facilitate connections, build capacity and inspire actions.

Established in 1922, the South Australian branch of the society was founded by Sir Josiah Henry Symon, a Scottish-Australian lawyer and politician. Sir Symon was a senator for South Australia and was in the Australian Senate in the first Australian parliament. He also served as Attorney-General of Australia. Together with members of the society, it is a great honour to pay tribute to Sir Symon for bringing the society spirit to South Australia.

I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the hard work and enthusiasm of past presidents and committee members of the Royal Commonwealth Society SA Branch for their ongoing work in supporting the objectives of the society in South Australia. The leaders that I would like to acknowledge are: Libby Ellis OAM, who has been the current president since 2015. She has held membership since 2012. Mrs Libby Ellis was recognised in 2009 in the Queen's Birthday Honours as a member of the Order of Australia for her services to the arts, particularly in supporting young people in opera. Many honourable members would know about Libby and her extensive commitment to Co-Opera. Libby is a beautiful person and a very caring leader who has been a great contributor to our society.

Another wonderful committee member who my office and I have had the pleasure to work with is Julie Gameau OAM. She is the current secretary and has been a member since 2006. Julie is a delightful person who is always helpful. She was also awarded an OAM for her service to women and the community in 2016. Other distinguished and very dedicated council members include:

Allan Perryman, the current treasurer since 2016;

Judy Clarke, recently co-opted as a vice-president in 2018 and who has had membership since 2012;

Ken Pennell, a current council member and the society's historian. He has previously held office as president and treasurer over the years. His membership started in 1991—a long-serving member;

Chris Ashton, who has had membership since 2006 and has been vice-president to the council;

Christine Cundell, a current council member since 2017 and who has had membership since 2013;

Mihiri Perera, a current council member who has had membership since 2017. She is well known to the Sri Lankan community; and

John Bone, a current council member who has had membership since 2018.

I would like to acknowledge and pay special tribute to a previous branch council member, Ms Margaret Lord, who is the immediate past president, preceding Libby Ellis. Margaret has been a member since 1986. Over the last 32 years, Margaret has held the position of president many times, as well as being a council member. Margaret has always had great passion for the society's branch projects, and has been actively involved with the women's committee in the past. Over the years, South Australia branch committee members have been critical in encouraging all Royal Commonwealth Society branches in Australia to work more closely together.

The first national meeting of Australian branches was held in 2015 in Melbourne. Since then, the national meeting has continued. Last year, in 2017, the third national meeting of Australian branches was held in Adelaide. Our South Australia branch president, Ms Libby Ellis, was elected regional coordinator for Australia. What an outstanding effort and recognition this is.

The Adelaide branch organised a number of events to mark the special occasion of the Royal Commonwealth Society's 150-year anniversary. I was very honoured to be invited as the guest speaker for the big luncheon on Friday 20 April, at the Public Schools Club. I would like to place on the record my special thanks to the South Australia branch and all the council members who work diligently to develop and empower young people.

The Royal Commonwealth Society of South Australia also organised a big birthday party to celebrate their 150-year anniversary. It was held on 26 June 2018, at the Public Schools Club. It was my great honour to be a part of this wonderful celebration, together with his Excellency the Governor of South Australia, who is a patron of the society, and his wife, Mrs Le. It was also fantastic to see hardworking member for Adelaide, the honourable Rachel Sanderson, Minister for Child Protection, join the celebration. It was a great honour to represent the Premier of South Australia, the Hon. Steven Marshall, to convey his best wishes from the government of South Australia to the Royal Commonwealth Society.

His Excellency and I jointly cut the 150^th birthday cake together. We were saying, 'Maybe we should share this with each other,' but the two of us, combined, did not really add up to 150 years. However, the society has certainly reached a very special milestone. Special thanks go to the Royal Commonwealth Society ensemble for their wonderful music and entertainment on the night and their ongoing efforts for the society. It was a great night to acknowledge and share the important work of the society and the SA branch. It was fantastic to listen to Jerome de Vera, one of the national youth delegates from South Australia, who attended the recent CHOGM and shared his valuable experiences.

Today, the Royal Commonwealth Society South Australia Branch is a charitable organisation doing so much to connect and support local communities. The many celebrations that the South Australia branch runs throughout year include the Queen's Birthday and diverse community organisations, such as Co-Opera, Recitals Australia, Legacy and Guide Dogs SA/NT, to mention just a few. Every year, the RCS ensemble and Co-Opera take musical performances to regional and remote Australia.

In encouraging youth participation and leadership, the South Australia branch also runs photographic competitions and art competitions every year, including the Commonwealth Youth Summit and the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition for students. Since 1883, the Royal Commonwealth Society has been running the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition every year. Indeed, it is the world's oldest school international writing competition. Each year, the competition uses different themes to encourage young people to express their views of the past, their opinions of the present and their hopes for the future. It gives the young commonwealth members an opportunity to build confidence and develop writing skills, which supports creativity and encourages critical thinking. Creative writing enables their young voices to be heard.

Every year, thousands of young Australians participate in The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition from all states and territories. Although we take home some gold and silver medals every year, Australia has never taken out the major prize. I am incredibly proud to report in Parliament House today that South Australia made history last year. In 2017, the theme of the writing competition was 'A Commonwealth for Peace'. Against 12,300 entries from 44 participating commonwealth countries, Annika Turon-Semmens, an Adelaide student from Pembroke School, won the senior award for the competition, making her the first award winner for the nation of Australia.

Annika, like the previous winners before her, spent an unforgettable winners' week in London. She attended a busy week of exciting cultural activities and educational workshops. Of course, the most memorable moment was the award ceremony at Buckingham Palace, where she received the award presented by the Duchess of Cornwall on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen. What a sensational achievement for young Annika and an encouraging story for all young Australians.

Now in its 150^th year, the Royal Commonwealth Society continues to work at the forefront, promoting the value of the modern commonwealth, bringing people, governments and communities together, and encouraging commonwealth youth participation and leadership to build a better future that improves the lives and prospects of commonwealth citizens around the world. Today, it is a great honour to move this motion that to highlight the important work of the Royal Commonwealth Society in South Australia and to congratulate the Royal Commonwealth Society on celebrating a very special milestone. I commend this motion to the chamber.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.