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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-30 Daily Xml
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Active Service Honour Board

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (17:16): I would like to commend the member for Dunstan for acknowledging the unveiling of a portrait of Brigadier Arthur Seaforth Blackburn VC, CMG, CBE, ED, and an honour board to commemorate members of the South Australian parliament who have served in active military service. As the member for Dunstan has indicated, this event occurred on Thursday 18 May 2023, and I was very disappointed that I was unable to attend this very important event as I had surgery on my shoulder two days earlier.

I know that Lieutenant Colonel Bill Denny AM, BM (retired), delivered a magnificent speech, as the member for Dunstan has just read into Hansard, to the assembled members of the veterans community, parliamentarians and family members of Arthur Blackburn VC. I am very grateful to the member for Dunstan for reading Lieutenant Colonel Denny's speech into Hansard.

As I say, I am disappointed that I was not able to be present to hear the speech in person. I was also very disappointed not to be present to say hello to my favourite veteran, Mr Keith 'Chook' Fowler OAM. As we just heard, Chook served in the 2nd/3rd Machine Gun Battalion under the command of Brigadier Blackburn during World War II. Both were prisoners of war of the Japanese, and it is wonderful that Chook could be present to see this wonderful portrait unveiled. I have had many dealings with Chook. He is an absolutely fantastic man, and to be as active as he is at 102 is tremendous. This remarkable South Australian aged 102 is truly a link between generations.

I also note that our former colleague in state parliament Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC is named on the Active Service Honour Board. I have the utmost respect for Senator McLachlan and was proud to participate with him, the Deputy Premier, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council during the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay earlier this month.

I have had the privilege of being the Minister for Veterans Affairs for just over a year now. My family have been involved with the military for many years. My late father was a Second World War veteran; my late brother served 26 years in the regular Army, with two terms in Vietnam; my younger brother was in the Army for a period of time; and then I had the privilege of being in the Army Reserves for seven or eight years.

I have spent much of my time as the Minister for Veterans Affairs listening to veterans and their families, hearing directly about how their service has shaped them throughout their lives and reflecting on how their service has shaped our nation. Tributes like the portrait of Brigadier Blackburn and the Active Service Honour Board are important and will ensure that this sense of national pride continues for many generations to come.

There is no greater way to honour someone than for their story to be told so that their memory lives on. This is one example. I know that everybody here, including the shadow minister, would agree that we have to honour and commemorate and make certain that their memory is everlasting and endures with the younger generation.

Certainly, I have great privilege in acknowledging the member for Dunstan for reading into Hansard the speech of Lieutenant Colonel Denny. Lest we forget.


At 17:20 the house adjourned until Wednesday 31 May 2023 at 10:30.

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