Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-07 Daily Xml

Contents

Gawler Events

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:29): I rise today to speak about three significant events that were held in Gawler over the last weekend. First, I was delighted to attend the Rotary Club of Gawler's annual village fair at Pioneer Park on Saturday 3 November, which was opened by Mayor Karen Redman. This event has been running for more than four decades. It is run by the Rotary Club of Gawler, free of charge to community groups, to allow them to raise funds and awareness of their activities in the community.

The stallholders, while I will not mention all of them, were from a range of organisations including the Friends of Para Wirra Conservation Park; the Gawler Suicide Prevention Community Group, which was situated right next to my stall; the Gawler Community House; the Gawler RSL sub-branch; Gawler Health Foundation; Willo's Men's Shed; the Zonta Club of Gawler; the Gawler Agricultural, Horticultural and Floricultural Society; the Gawler History Team; as well as other service organisations, including the Rotary Club of Gawler Light and the Lions Club of Gawler.

On 4 November, I was pleased to attend two events. Both could have been marred by the wet weather, but I was very pleased to represent the Hon. Corey Wingard, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, in presenting the 2018 Gawler Gold Cup to the connections of the winner, Honcho Monelli. A great crowd was in attendance despite the conditions.

I congratulate the Gawler Greyhound Racing Club, including its chairman, Mike Wittholz, secretary Bob May, and club manager Shawn Noack, on another excellent cup meeting. I was also very pleased to spend time with the chairman of Greyhound Racing SA, Grantley Stevens, and the CEO, Matt Corby, in discussing the plans for the opening of the new dual tracks at Murray Bridge which will replace the existing Strathalbyn greyhound racing facility. I understand that it is very close to the running of trials at that venue and there will hopefully be a launch of greyhound racing in Murray Bridge early in the new year.

My congratulations particularly go to the Gawler club. I think they have an excellent facility there. Considering the number of people who use the Nixon's function centre for events, in addition to the large number of patrons who actually attend the Sunday evening meetings, it is a great compliment to the management of the club, and I look forward to working with them in the future.

The other event was also somewhat marred by the evening rain on Sunday 4 November but it was good to visit the Precious Souls Memorial, a special place to acknowledge a child lost during pregnancy, at birth or in infancy at the Willaston Cemetery. Great credit goes to Ms Ali Chapman and the other members of Sands South Australia which many would know is a support group for those affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death. It is a great organisation, one I have been very privileged to be involved with for a great number of years. It is eight years since the memorial garden was established at Willaston Cemetery. Certainly, the efforts of that group in making sure that the families of these precious souls have been acknowledged has gone on much longer than that.