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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-04-04 Daily Xml
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HARDING, MR A.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:28): Yes, I am wearing an 'I Love Murray' T-shirt just in case you were wondering.

Members interjecting:

Mr WHETSTONE: And, just to reaffirm, my mother's name is not Murray.

The SPEAKER: What's your wife's name?

Mr WHETSTONE: It doesn't matter. Today I speak about a selfless act of heroism and a family quest to have the act recognised in the Riverland. Alfred John Ronald Harding was a young man when he left his family home in New South Wales more than 80 years ago. He eventually found his way to the Riverland where he worked on the construction of Lock 6 adjacent to the ancient Chowilla forest, which is upstream from Renmark.

He boarded with a family known as the Westleys, who were working on the lock. On 23 December one hot summer's day in 1927, Alfred took the Westley children for a swim in the river. One of the boys, Arthur, known as Jim, found himself in trouble and called out for help. Alfred jumped into the water without hesitation to rescue the nine-year-old Jim. Witnesses say Alfred went under the water in an effort to keep Jim's head above water.

Later, a rescue boat came along to the struggling pair. While Jim was saved, Alfred disappeared. He was eventually pulled from the water after a 25-minute search. A brief pulse was detected before Alfred was realised to be dead. Alfred was hailed as a hero by the community but the 20 year old received no official recognition for his act of bravery. Alfred Harding's sacrifice was recently brought to light thanks to the efforts of his brother, Harold Lyell, and Harold's family. Alfred's grave at the Renmark Cemetery now has a headstone commemorating 'a heroic act finally recognised'.

I commend the family, in this house, for their efforts. I also commend the Riverland Weekly newspaper for a sensitive and poignant story about Alfred Harding, published on 15 March. The families of both Jim and Alfred will gather at Alfred's newly marked grave on Good Friday for an informal memorial service, and I am moved by how two families came together after more than 80 years thanks to a heritage shared by a single act of bravery.

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