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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-24 Daily Xml
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JONES LOOKOUT

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:28): I rise today to acknowledge the honour I had on Saturday to launch the Jones Lookout at Clayton Bay in honour of Henry and Gloria Jones and their family and their contribution to the Clayton Bay district over many years. In my years as a candidate, and as the member for the local area, I soon learned of their vital contribution in all things in the Lower Murray and Lakes.

I will give a brief history of the Jones family. In 1961-62, they settled in Old Clayton to set up shop at what is now the fish factory. Henry went fishing, as he does today, in the family tradition. They had three daughters—Christine, Julie and Susan—who were all educated locally. The family bought the school bus and Gloria, Henry's wife, drove it every day. In 1969, the Clayton Bay estate was subdivided, and Henry and his family initiated a program of tree planting, and we are still enjoying the benefits of that project today.

Henry instigated quite a few things in the local area. He became the first captain of the CFS. They first used the Milang old truck, then the Strath old truck and then they managed get into a new truck. The daughters were also members of the local CFS brigade. Henry, I note, is still on call and makes appearances at Christmas in the truck.

In 1982 the family set up Yabby City, where Henry's catch was the feature of the menu and Henry and his whole family worked in the restaurant and built its reputation so that it was known internationally, and it was nothing to see planes landing for the Friday feast. The family sold yabbies, fish, ice, gas and worms and also employed local people. All three of their daughters graduated from the local TAFE as hotel and restaurant managers and commercial chefs.

In 1986 the community hall at Clayton was opened, and this was part of a Jones family vision. The community raised $42,000 to have it built, and it opened debt free. This became the social centre of Clayton; there were plenty of parties, money was raised for the centre and many events were held to raise money for this new community hall.

Each member of the Jones family has their own list of honours, and I will mention just a few here. Susan in her teens was a president of the community hall and was young citizen of the year in 1987, and she produced the first edition of the local paper, the Clayton Chronicle, which is still going. Christine joined the police force and now teaches at Milang Primary School and is known for her extraordinary work in saving the turtles. Julie, with her mother, created the South Australian Women's Industry Network which has now grown into a national organisation and which is instrumental in the fishing industry having environmental management. In 1998 Gloria represented Australia in Washington DC.

I now will concentrate my comments on Henry Jones. He has spent much of his life working as a volunteer. He has been president of the Clayton hall committee, spent 10 years in local government in the district council of the Strathalbyn and was deputy chairman and chairman of works. He established the CFS in Clayton and was captain for 20 years and was also a successful coach of the Milang football team, winning a couple of premierships. He has been chairman of the peak industry fishing body in South Australia, the South Australian Fishing Industry Council, and was on the board for many years until becoming president.

He was a member of the government appointed fisheries management committees for many years with the inland waters and marine scale sections. Whilst president of the Southern Fishermen's Association, with others he developed the world's first environmental management plan for a whole fishery in the Lakes and Coorong and received a marine stewardship certificate for this multispecies fishery.

At present, Henry is a member of the Murray-Darling Basin Community Reference Group, a member of the Murray-Darling Basin Native Fish Strategy Group, a member of the River Murray Advisory Board, a member of Dean Brown's drought relief group, a spokesman for the River Lakes and Coorong Action Group and a member of Water Keepers Australia, and he is currently also a member of the Murray-Darling Authority New Basin Community Committee.

Henry has given a long-term commitment to the environment in the face of the Lower Lakes community advocating for more environmental freshwater flows in the region. He has been fighting for the plight of the Murray River since 1981, when the mouth first closed over. He also received a Pride of Australia Medal in 2008. I will take the little time left to honour the whole Jones family at Clayton.

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