Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby) [7.18 p.m.]: Tonight I acknowledge some remarkable residents in my electorate of Hornsby who were recently awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia. These citizens embody the best of what it means to be Australian and have helped to shape the electorate of Hornsby, New South Wales and Australia through their various fields of endeavour.
Bill Roberts, Ian Cavanagh and Robin Timmins were recognised for their remarkable achievements. They should be proud in the knowledge that they have actively contributed in their chosen fields to help make the Hornsby community a better place in which to live.
I begin by acknowledging the achievements of Cherrybrook resident Ian Cavanagh. Ian has been a member of the Australian Army Cadets for 52 years and has served the Lions Club of West Pennant Hills-Cherrybrook for more than 30 years. He is well known to many in my community. He was the deputy principal of Galston High School for many years. This great contributor has dedicated his life to mentoring and inspiring young people to learn. I place on the record my gratitude for the enormous service he has given to our community. Ian is a commanding officer of the 26th Australian Army Cadets Battalion and is in charge of 15 school-based units with 4,700 cadets, including cadets from Baulkham Hills High School and The Kings School. As I said earlier, he has dedicated his life to education and to inspiring young people and in retirement he continues to do so. Among his many achievements he is also helping young urban kids to learn new leadership skills in a bush environment.
Mr Kavanagh says that the skills acquired in Army cadet training help children learn how to fend for themselves in new environments and practice leadership skills. One of his favourite memories is training a year 12 officer who went on to lead a group of 600 cadets. Importantly, this demonstrates why Mr Kavanagh should be acknowledged as a leader—namely, he is helping develop the leaders of tomorrow who in turn will inspire other young leaders. As I mentioned before, he was a teacher for more than 40 years in my electorate and taught many generations of young students at Galston High School before retiring in 1999. He remains an active member of my community and places a strong emphasis on helping others and volunteering with not-for-profit community groups.
Bill Roberts was also recognised in the honours list. Bill has volunteered with a range of Vietnam Veterans Affairs groups for more than 19 years. He served in the Australian Army from 1963 to 1972 in Malaya and Borneo and then worked as a police clerk for 25 years. Following his army days he became a senior vice-president of the New South Wales Branch of the Vietnam Veterans Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Association of Australia. He is also national secretary for the Vietnam Veterans Federation of Australia and works as a director of the Australian Veterans Children Assistance Trust. Mr Roberts told the Hornsby Advocate that he has a huge sense of achievement in helping veterans down on their luck and who do not know where to turn for help. I thank Mr Roberts for his enormous contribution in supporting veterans and the widows of veterans. I also acknowledge the role he plays in educating people about what happened during the Vietnam War.
The final Medal of the Order of Australia recipient is very special to me and many others in this House. Robin Timmins is a lioness of the Liberal Party and has dedicated her life to the cause. Nothing is ever too much trouble for her and she is always available to lend a hand. She is one of the hardest working Liberals I have ever met and she has encouraged me since I began my life in politics at a very young age. Robin will be embarrassed by all the fuss but the fuss is necessary. Robin's commitment to the Liberal Party is only surpassed by her commitment to her other great love: the sport of rugby, in particular her beloved Woodies. For 44 years Robin has worked tirelessly in a variety of roles for the NSW Rugby Union, including as a referee and behind the scenes as an administration volunteer. Robin Timmins should be applauded for her many sporting accomplishments, which include being Australia's first female referee and the first woman in 139 years to become an honorary life member of the NSW Rugby Union. I am proud to know her. I am also very grateful for her friendship, loyalty and support over many years.
This recognition is fitting for the enormous contribution she has made to our community; I am but one of the people she has helped. As the local member for all three award winners I am very proud of their significant achievements and their selfless volunteering dedication, which has spanned several decades. Each award winner deserves recognition and credit for the countless hours of community work they have performed over the years. They are great role models for our younger generations and an inspiration for many others in the community. Tonight I honour each of them for their contribution and the difference they have made to the lives of so many. They represent all that is best about being Australian. I am delighted to congratulate them on behalf of the community of Hornsby—a community they have done much to enrich and to serve. Tonight we all shine in the light of their generosity and selflessness and I thank each of them for that.
Read the full transcript in Hansard here.
