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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-09 Daily Xml
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Elder Electorate, Elderly Residents' Birthday Celebration

Mrs POWER (Elder) (15:51): I rise today to share a tremendous celebration I hosted last week honouring those in our community who have reached the incredible milestone of 90 years young. I have heard from many elderly in our community about how they have isolated themselves due to the pandemic and how many have not been able to see their grandchildren or even their children, especially those family members who are interstate. So, in light of this, I thought it was timely to host a special event to bring people together and, importantly, a chance to honour and celebrate some of our most senior residents who have lived through some of the most incredible times.

Hosted at the Clarence Park Bowling Club, we transformed their dining room into a great birthday party atmosphere for our high tea celebration. The team at the bowling club are just incredible, and I sincerely thank all of them for helping to ensure that this event was a hit for all who attended. The event brought together people who have or will have celebrated their 90th birthday or beyond in 2021. Celebrating with a high tea, complete with finger sandwiches, scones and not one, not two but three birthday cakes, it was an opportunity for guests to meet, share memories and celebrate their lives with others in our community of the same vintage. The Premier also joined us to celebrate the occasion, with guests delighted to meet and hear from him directly.

As a part of the celebrations, we took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on the past century, when we have witnessed some of the most profound changes in human history. Between wars, technological developments, progress and civil rights and breakthroughs in science and medicine, the old order has been swept away, sometimes giving way to freer forms of governing and sometimes not. Perhaps some changes are for the better and others not. Those in the room were best placed to let me know what they thought.

Our elderly have seen centuries-old empires crumble as new ideologies have taken root in many parts of the world. Wars in the early part of the 20th century led to the end of the colonial world and gave birth to new nations. Throughout the past century, technological innovations have transformed our lives in ways we have never dreamed of. Even in my own life, I have seen the birth of the internet and, as a result, communications change dramatically. Of course, amongst these dates of global and national significance, each of my guests has their own special dates, like the day they fell in love, the day they got married or got their first job or had children.

Incredibly, we had one guest, Ms Mavis Sutton, who took out the award for being the eldest in the room and who proudly told us she was 104½. I also asked the birthday guests to share the secret to a long happy life. They said things like eating well, being kind, being married to the right person, using vitamin E cream—all sorts of hot tips—and we are now all the wiser for having met and heard these incredible residents' stories.

An event like this would not have been possible without community support, so I would like to take this moment to sincerely thank Accolade Trio for serenading us and leading a COVID-safe happy birthday rendition. Thanks also to local winery, Patritti Wines, Adelaide's only family-owned fully operational urban winery—absolutely incredible. They provided non-alcoholic champagne so we could toast our guests of honour. Finally, thank you to John and Phillipa, Estee, Alison, Susan and John for volunteering their time and for helping to ensure the afternoon was so special for our guests of honour.

One of the greatest things about being a member of parliament is the opportunity to make a difference—to make a difference to our state, to make a difference to our community and, importantly, to make a difference to the lives of those we represent. This was a really special opportunity to celebrate special people in our community and it certainly was memorable.

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