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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-07-26 Daily Xml
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Settlement Day

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:45): One of the things that comes to the fore in my electorate is the relationship with the French explorers and the English explorers, and the connections between the two. Over the last week or two, we have had various celebrations of Bastille Day. I congratulate the Victor Harbor community on their efforts in relation to that and also Mayor Graham Philp, who is keen to progress the French connection so to speak. He is looking to build on the French connection and particularly, as I suggested along with others, that we should build on it now that the submarines are going to be built by French company DCNS, so I congratulate them on that.

It is going to be a useful exercise so far as the tourism sector goes and everything that goes with it, so I look forward to that in the future. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the Bastille Day ceremony in Adelaide with Mayor Philp, but next year I will try again. I also recognise the importance of Rapid Bay, where Colonel Light and his merry band came ashore early in the settlement of South Australia.

That leads me to tomorrow. For those in the chamber who may not be aware, and that is probably most people I would think, without drawing attention to members, tomorrow is Settlement Day. It is 180 years tomorrow since the first British settlers came to South Australia and landed on Kangaroo Island, in Kingscote. Tomorrow, the Premier and I will be attending various Settlement Day ceremonies and functions, and it is important that this day is not forgotten. It seems to be on the mainland that everything centres around Proclamation Day and the founding of the state in December, but is far more important to us that Settlement Day on 27 July is remembered and that things happen.

Kangaroo Island Council coordinates the celebrations, which is their role, and there are young achievers awards and various speeches. Halfway through, most of the kids who are there from the schools get bored. Invariably, it is a cold, windy and wet day. There is no question that only the British would have arrived in a new colony in the middle of winter. I might suggest that it was one of the smarter things they did, arriving in the middle of July westerly gales, and almost always it is cold and wet.

I would also like to mention the KI Pioneers Association. There are two chapters, the Adelaide one and the Kangaroo Island one, and tomorrow night they have a dinner in Kingscote, which I will now be able to attend. Unfortunately, the Premier will be returning to Adelaide, but I will be there, and Mr Hartley Willson is the guest speaker from Penneshaw. The Willsons were early settlers on the island. They arrived a bit later in South Australia than we did. They arrived in 1838 or 1839 and we arrived in 1837; however, I married one so I have to be a bit careful.

Both chapters of the KI Pioneers Association work to perpetuate the story of the first settlement in South Australia in those rugged days when the Duke of York arrived. Indeed, Boyle Travers Finniss, the first premier of South Australia, after whom my electorate was named, landed at Kingscote and then moved over to Rapid Bay, where his wife had what is referred to as the first white child born in South Australia, a daughter. It is quite an interesting story.

Tomorrow, the weather forecast does not appear to be too bad and hopefully the celebrations at Reeves Point where the settlers landed will all go ahead as planned. It will be a good day for one and all, followed by a good community lunch in the town hall, and then, as I said, the Pioneers Association dinner tomorrow night at the Ozone Hotel.

I just repeat ad nauseam that, although South Australia plays up Proclamation Day, it is indeed Settlement Day when the Duke of York did arrive, and that is the important day for us and for the Pioneers Association. I commend those responsible for tomorrow. I think there is another ceremony we have to attend—I have not got it in front of me at the moment, but I look forward to the day.

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