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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-18 Daily Xml
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WILSON, MRS C.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (15:35): I am pleased to have the opportunity this afternoon to pay tribute to a fine South Australian educator, Mrs Cathie Wilson. Cathie has been at Stradbroke Primary School since 1990 when she was appointed deputy principal of that school. Since 1998 Cathie has been the principal, and she is finishing up as principal of Stradbroke Primary School at the end of this year. Over 22 years, she has developed an incredible reputation in my local area as a fine educator, and I believe that is a widespread reputation throughout the education department.

She has a wonderful commitment to her students and many of them, now adults, who have been under Cathie as either deputy principal or principal at Stradbroke, fondly remember her in the local area around Campbelltown. Cathie is one of the very few people to bear the distinction of having been recognised for her good work in the federal parliament by both the Hon. Julia Gillard and the Hon. Christopher Pyne. It is certainly an opportunity to recognise her here, as her local school community has recognised her at the school on the number of occasions.

Just recently, on 6 August, I was very pleased to be involved, along with the Hon. Christopher Pyne, the local Mayor of Campbelltown, Simon Brewer, local councillor, Neville Grigg, the entire school community at Stradbroke and many parents when, on sports day, the oval at Stradbroke Primary School was renamed as the Cathie Wilson Oval. I am grateful to the education department for giving the school governing council the right to do that renaming. It was a recognition of Cathie's strong passion for sport and encouraging young people to lead healthy, active lives over many years and, in fact, Cathie has been the president of the Torrens Valley district for SAPSASA for many years.

I first met Cathie some seven years ago now and I have shared many discussions with her about both educational philosophy and also the needs of our local schools in our area. Unfortunately, the Stradbroke Primary School and the Stradbroke Junior Primary School are being forced to amalgamate under this government's budget cuts from the 2010 budget so, despite a unanimous recommendation from the reference committee that looked at the matter that they not be amalgamated, that school community does face that upheaval in the near future.

Cathie and, I believe, some other members of the senior team at Stradbroke will be leaving the school at the end of the year. I know that Cathie is taking long service leave at the end of the year to spend some time with her family. I hope that she will come back into the education system because she is an incredible educator with a great deal to offer.

Just as a tribute to the high regard in which Cathie is held by the school community, I note that four years ago on her 60th birthday, the entire staff and students of Stradbroke Primary School wore hot pink clothing for the day as it is Cathie's favourite colour. It was a sacrifice, I am sure, for many of those staff members to do such a thing, but they have done it for Cathie. She is well regarded and we certainly wish her well. I am pleased to pay tribute to her in this place today.

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