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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-04 Daily Xml
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ANZAC Day Commemoration Services

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (16:53): Today is the first day we have been back here sitting since ANZAC Day and I just wanted to recap on some wonderful things that happened in the electorate of Mawson on ANZAC Day.

We remember that last year we were all in the midst of a lockdown because of COVID-19 and that we stood at the end of our driveways and joined with our neighbours in the dark and had our own solemn services, which was a little bit different from what we were all used to, where the community generally comes together at the local memorial with the RSL.

This year, we saw things almost return to normal, but for some it was a little bit hard. I know that McLaren Vale were a little bit worried because about 4,000 people come along to their dawn service and trying to put it on in a COVID-safe environment was a little bit beyond them, so they said, 'Rather than have that angst, we won't have one now.' Neighbours in my street came out and did what we did last year.

I went down to Willunga, where their dawn service was bigger than they have ever had before. They took it out on the football oval, but normally it is around the memorial, which is out on the main road. As the popularity has grown over the years, it is not that good to have people assembling on a road as the sun is coming up, so they moved it to the oval. I want to congratulate everyone at the Willunga RSL on putting on a fantastic dawn service.

I then went to McLaren Vale, where I laid a wreath as well, and dropped into the RSL, where they were having a breakfast with just RSL members. What a great team they have there. It was good to have a chat. Of course, any local member who goes to an RSL always knows there is plenty of ribbing for the local member, and you better dig deep and put some folding notes into the can while you are there to support the great work they do. Then I went down to McLaren Vale Oval, where McLaren were playing Willunga in the junior footy. That started at about 9.30 and went right through that night, with a night game between these two arch rivals, the Willunga Demons and the McLaren Eagles. It was a fantastic turnout.

At 12, I caught the ferry across to Kangaroo Island and went out to the Western Districts Football Club. That was one of the most special days I can remember having on ANZAC Day. This is a community on Kangaroo Island whose Western Districts Football Club was flattened by the fires in the summer of 2019-20. Of course, that was 16 months ago; 19 months ago was when they had their last game of footy, in mid-September 2019, the grand final of the Kangaroo Island Football League. Last year, because of COVID, no senior footy was played on the island, or netball for that matter. ANZAC Day was the first footy or netball game at senior level since the 2019 season, and what a great occasion it was.

Kingscote and Western Districts came together and the Wonks, or Western Districts, won the A-grade and the B-grade. We saw a 15 year old, who turned 15 on ANZAC Day, make his A-grade debut, and his younger brother, a 13 year old, played in the B-grade that day for the first time. On Kangaroo Island, the footballers play 16 a side because they do not have the numbers for five clubs to field A-grade, B-grade and Colts with 18 out on the field at any one time. It is a little bit modified over there, but it has great spirit.

When we go back to the bushfires, the Western Districts, as I said, were wiped out. Parndana was hit really hard. When the authorities went out to give updates to the community, they held them at the Parndana football and sporting club. Who was in the kitchen cooking all the food? It was the people from the Dudley United football and netball clubs who had come from the other end of the island to help out their traditional rivals and make sure they had the freedom to listen to what was being said while they took over the kitchen and provided the barbecue.

The winner of best on field in the football on ANZAC Day wins the Jamie Larcombe Medal. Jamie was a young fellow, a 21 year old, who played in the 2000 Colts premiership team for Western Districts. He was tragically killed in Afghanistan while serving his country. Jamie's three sisters presented the Jamie Larcombe Medal, which was shared between a player from Kingscote, the Hounds, and Western Districts, the Wonks.

In the netball, they have the Jean Griffith Medal, named after Jean Griffith, who in 1941 signed up to join the Australian Army on her 21st birthday. It was a tremendous ANZAC Day in the electorate of Mawson, and there were some great traditions there that will carry on for years to come.

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