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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-31 Daily Xml
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Harnett, Mr G. and Pedler, Mr D.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:25): Today, I wish to speak about two people in my community who sadly have passed away recently. Both people were very different from one another as were their backgrounds. They were two people, though, who played very different roles in our community. They were two people who had different impacts on the community, and what I can say is that both of them had a very positive influence on the life of the people in Gawler and the surrounding community.

On the day I attended the funeral service of one, I learnt about the passing of the other. The two people I wish to talk about today are Gil Harnett and David Pedler. Gil served the community as a pharmacist, businessman and in the broader community through local government, including a period as Mayor of Gawler. In fact, Gil was the Mayor of Gawler when I was first elected to the Town of Gawler as an alderman in 1985.

I would like to bring some relevant facts to the attention of the house and I will rely on the Gawler History site to assist me in this regard. Gil and his wife, Mary, arrived in Gawler in December 1955 after working for six months with Carrig Chemists at West Beach. He was offered the job of opening a new pharmacy on Adelaide Road, Gawler South, by Os Conley, the pharmacist in Murray Street, Gawler.

The new pharmacy was to be next to a medical clinic run by the well-known Doctor Vin Rice and Partners. Over the next couple of years, due to ill health, Os Conley needed a relief pharmacist and Humphrey George arrived in Gawler. Gil and Humphrey worked the business between them and got on well. In 1959, Os Conley retired from Gawler and sold his two pharmacies to Gil Harnett and Humphrey George. Harnett and George Chemists of Gawler was born.

During the 1960s, Gil was a foundation member of the Gawler Chamber of Commerce, the chairman of Meals on Wheels and the treasurer of the then Bush Nursing Society, later known as the Royal District Nursing Service, an interest he held for many years, if not decades.

In 1973, Gil was elected to the Gawler council and served five years as the Evanston Ward councillor. During that time, he also served as deputy mayor before being elected mayor in 1978, following Cec Creedon in the role. Cec Creedon, the former mayor, actually became a member of the upper house of this parliament.

David Pedler served the community as an educator and an activist. I will rely on part of David's eulogy to provide some facts to this chamber. David started his teaching career at Kadina Memorial High School in 1975, then moved to the Catholic system in 1983 with his appointment to St Mark's at Port Pirie. In 1989 he was appointed Deputy Principal at Caritas College Port Augusta, and in 1996 Deputy Principal at Xavier College Gawler, followed by a curriculum position at the Catholic Education Office. From 2002 to 2007, he was appointed Principal of Kildare College at Holden Hill.

David was a smart man and a great teacher. He was intuitive when it came to building relationships with students and he was creative when it came to passing on information in ways students could understand. He was known to be a great storyteller, a huge skill for any teacher's toolbox.

David took a sea change from education in his final years of employment and was office manager in my office for four years. He relished this position and enjoyed working in the local community and contributing to local causes. One aspect of this position he really enjoyed the most was mentoring young people who were employed during his time in the office. He enjoyed the camaraderie and for the most part was a good influencer and an insightful and wise advocate. At other times, he joyfully and proudly led the staff astray.

David had a strong sense of justice and cared deeply about our natural environment. It was no accident that he was involved in causes regarding climate change and he campaigned for the yes vote for a First Nations Voice to the federal parliament. While Gil and David had very different lives, they had one thing in common: they both strongly served our community well. Condolences to Mary Harnett and Janet Pedler and their families. Vale, Gil and David. You did your community proud.

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