Page 679 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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musical or variety show went to Peter Cox, The Boy from Oz, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre. The best production of a play went to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Free-Rain Theatre Company. The best production of a musical went to The Boy from Oz, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre. And the ActewAGL gold CAT award went to Trevor Carroll from the Orange Theatre Company.
I rise tonight to put on the record the ongoing achievements of the Australian Anglo-Indian Association of Canberra. The association would be well known to some members; I know that on this side of the chamber they include myself, Zed Seselja, Brendan Smyth and Steve Doszpot, who have all enjoyed attending events in recent times.
The association was founded in 1994 and continues to be an active body which celebrates their heritage, invests in the wider community and looks forward to their bright future. Those familiar with the association would be aware of the tireless efforts of the president, Joe Bailey. Since founding the organisation in 1994, Joe has tirelessly worked towards making the organisation the success it is today. He and his wife, Charmaine, are wonderful hosts and regularly invite the Anglo-Indian community and friends into their home for different events.
Late last year, I joined Brendan Smyth, Senator Kate Lundy, Her Excellency Sujatha Singh, the High Commissioner of India, and many others for the launch of the “Canberra down under diary”. The diary will appear as a column in the well-established publication Anglos in the Wind. The diary will consist of tidings with a focus on Anglo-Indian interrelations with the general community as well as references on successful Anglo-Indians in Australia.
Last month I enjoyed an event hosted by the association featuring Mr Subbiah Muthiah MBE as a special guest speaker. Mr Muthiah is the author of many books; he is a full-time writer with the Hindu, a daily newspaper in Chennai, and is the editor and publisher of a Madras fortnightly, Madras Musings—amongst other writings and editorial work. It was a great occasion and it was a pleasure to meet Mr Muthiah.
Upcoming events on the agenda for the association include a table tennis tournament, a karaoke evening and the grand Anglo-Indian ball at the National Convention Centre in September. I have been privileged to attend this event for the last couple of years; it has been a great night, and I encourage all members to attend.
I would like to put on the record my thanks to the committee, including the president, Joe Bailey; the vice-president, Tony Marcelline; the secretary, Denzil Ray; the treasurer, Dillon Castilino; and committee members Michael Stracey, John Macdonald, Peter Bailey and David Williams. In particular, I would like to commend the secretary, Denzil Ray, who served as a referee at the fifth commonwealth taekwondo championships in January held at the Nehru multipurpose indoor stadium in Chennai, Madras, India. It was a great achievement.
I encourage all members to follow their progress, attend their events where possible, and celebrate in their success. Anglo-Indians have made and continue to make a wonderful contribution to Canberra and to Australia.
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