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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-02 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE CEMETERIES AUTHORITY

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations and Minister for the Status of Women a question about the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority.

Leave granted.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: The Adelaide Cemeteries Authority is holding services and events throughout May to celebrate the South Australian History Festival and Mother's Day. Can the minister inform the chamber of the arrangements for Mother's Day remembrance services and History Month activities by the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:08): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. Indeed, Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday of May each year, and is a time for all of us to stop and appreciate and thank the women who have played a significant role in our lives. However, for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one the day can raise feelings of extreme grief and loss.

The Adelaide Cemeteries Authority appreciates that, for some, Mother's Day can be a difficult time, and endeavours to provide a safe and supportive place for those who wish to come together in remembrance. I am advised that each year the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority hosts a service of remembrance at Enfield Memorial Park. This service offers families and individuals a place to gather and reflect on the important women in their families or personal lives who have passed on. I understand a similar service of remembrance is held on Father's Day each year.

Events like these provide an opportunity for visitors to be guided through a very positive and respectful celebration of mothers. It is also a way in which the authority maintains and nurtures its relationship with families and customers, whose links with the cemetery often extend over several generations. I understand that many people look forward to attending each year, and the service of remembrance is becoming a yearly ritual for many families. I am advised that Mother's Day traditionally is the busiest day of the year for all cemeteries, with very high numbers of visitors in the week leading up to the weekend and obviously on the day itself.

Families and individuals who have experienced the loss of a female family member in the past 18 months are sent an invitation to inform them of the proceedings. However, the service is open to all members of the public, and I am advised that a team of about 20 staff will be on hand to greet people visiting the cemetery, assist visitors to locate graves, handle records search and tenure inquiries and assist with the service of remembrance.

I have been advised that the volume of traffic and visitors on Mother's Day is such that, in the interests of safety, the cemetery gates at Enfield Memorial Park are closed to vehicles until about 2pm on that day, and transport around the cemetery is provided for those with limited mobility. This year the service will be held on Sunday 12 May at 10.30am on the Folland Chapel lawn, which is an area at the Enfield Memorial Park, and a morning tea will be served in the gardens at 11.30, following the service.

The Adelaide Cemeteries Authority is also offering a number of walks in the West Terrace Cemetery to celebrate the SA History Festival being held throughout the month of May. The walks are an opportunity for the South Australian community to learn more about some of the inspiring figures and colourful characters buried in the West Terrace Cemetery, they having shaped our state's history.

I am very pleased, as Minister for State/Local Government Relations and Minister for the Status of Women, that I intend to attend the launch of the trailblazing women's self-guided interpretive trail on 29 May at West Terrace Cemetery. The tour highlights the courage and passion of a number of female artists and leaders, philanthropists and political campaigners who made their mark on South Australian history. It includes many of the admired South Australian women, and obviously many have been an inspiration to us.

I am informed that the West Terrace Cemetery will also offer six guided walks throughout May, with one being a very special after-dark tour, if you like a creepy atmosphere. That will be every Friday evening throughout May, and apparently there are lots of takers for those night tours—apparently it adds lots of atmosphere. The tours require bookings, but at no cost and more information is available on the website.

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