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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-05-14 Daily Xml
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN HISTORY WEEK

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (15:31): This afternoon I would like to make a few comments about South Australian History Week, which starts next week. During this week the importance of history to our society comes alive. It is very important that we have an understanding of our past, because who we are today is very much a result of our history—cultural, social and economic. When we have an understanding of the past we have a better understanding of where society is at today.

There will be a number of events and activities during History Week where people can gain a better understanding of the built, social, cultural and environmental history of our state. During the week the state becomes one big history classroom and, from museums to photographic collections, tours, library displays, workshops, exhibitions and a school program, there will be a corner of history of interest for everyone in our state.

The History Week program, prepared by the History Trust of South Australia, is a treasure trove of opportunities to study our state's history during the week. While in my own electorate of Light a number of events and activities are being held to mark the occasion, the Town of Gawler has established a project team that has coordinated events within the township. I would like to take a few moments to highlight some of the important events and activities happening within the Gawler community.

The first thing will be the launch of the official History Week for Gawler. A concert will be held next Sunday during which 150 years of TheSong of Australia will be celebrated (and members would be aware that it had its origins in Gawler). The Adelaide Plains Male Voice Choir will be singing it, and I understand that Lance Hatcher, who is an extremely good singer, will be leading the song.

As part of History Week there will also be a tour of St Georges Church, an Anglican Church in Gawler, for people to learn about its history. The National Trust will put on display photographs supporting the verses from TheSong of Gawler. TheSong of Gawler is a rather cheeky parody of TheSong of Australia. I think the member for Schubert perhaps should stick to being a farmer and a politician.

Mr Venning: I was doing well; I was singing it well. It's a good song.

Mr PICCOLO: Indeed. The Gawler Environment and Heritage Association is also organising a stained glass tour of the town, where the history of stained glass throughout many historic buildings will be on display. The public library itself will celebrate TheSong of Australia through a display and historical pamphlets. One of the important events of History Week is the launch of the centenary history of the Gawler sub-branch of the Australian Labor Party and the trade union movement in Gawler, which is one of the official events. The book will be launched by the Minister for Industrial Relations (Hon. Paul Caica).

The book was written by a local student, Layla Clark. Layla was actually part of the parliamentary internship program and wrote the history as part of her report. We have used that as a basis for the history, which will be published on Monday 25 May. Also, having said that, I would like to acknowledge the valuable contribution that the history of the Labor Party project has received from the Gawler Public Library for both research and its photographic collection.

The Gawler Visitor Information Centre is having a tour of the historical areas of Gawler and also one of the more interesting tours is the tombstone hunt. By torchlight at night, you can explore Gawler's historic Anglican cemetery and, through that, you can actually gain a history and understanding of the township because headstones can tell you a lot about the history of a town: how old people were when they died, illnesses—a whole range of things.

One of the areas I have not mentioned yet is that the Kapunda Museum, just outside my electorate, also has an extensive program of history tours and displays. I would hope that everybody in the state will take advantage of History Week to learn more about their state and where we are today.

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