Page 4366 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 27 November 2013
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encouraged and supported. I perceive a very real danger—for example, as demonstrated by the gender balance of the current federal government, of the Queensland parliament and also of parliaments across the Pacific nations—that we will go backwards in relation to the contribution of at least 50 per cent of our population being represented by women in our parliaments unless we can encourage and mentor our young women.
I would like to thank all my fellow members of the steering committee for their hard work, particularly the current chair, Lisa Baker, and the secretariat for their support and organisation of the forum. I would also like to thank the Women’s College of Sydney University and the staff there for their support, the Hon Robyn Parker MP of the New South Wales parliament and the clerk of the New South Wales parliament for making us so welcome there on the second day.
I would also like to recognise that Monday was White Ribbon Day and as a survivor of domestic violence myself in a previous relationship I implore all of us to speak up and to say that violence against women and girls is never acceptable.
Canberra City Band
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (6.55): I rise this evening to pay tribute to a group which is well and truly part of Canberra’s history—the Canberra City Band, which made its first public appearance in November 1928. The band has been involved in many of the moments to remember in Canberra’s history. In 1926 the band played at Australia’s first public Anzac Day service on Camp Hill at the rear of the Old Parliament House construction site, and it gave what it refers to as its first public concert at the newly constructed Albert Hall on 16 October 1928.
When Charles Kingsford Smith was on an Australian tour in 1928 following his trans-Pacific record-breaking flight, he landed in a paddock at Duntroon, and the Canberra City Band was there to greet him playing For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. During the great depression the band played concerts at Albert Hall to raise money for the Canberra Unemployment Relief Society.
The band was reinvigorated under Bill Hoffman OAM in 1947, who then held the baton for the band for 30 years. The band has also played at every Anzac day ceremony since 1948. The Canberra City Band were also there to play God Save the Queen on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952. In fact, they were the first band since federation to officially play God Save the Queen rather than God Save the King.
Just last week I attended the band’s 88th anniversary concert at Albert Hall. It was a great and varied performance including vocalists and dancers—a group called the Jumptown Swing—and it showcased the talents of many local musicians. I had a wonderful toe-tapping time. I also note that the band have made it through to the national competition next year for the first time in a number of years, so congratulations and best of luck to them for that competition next year.
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