Wednesday, 19 June 2024

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (09:52): It is all too rare that in this place we are able to square the ledger somewhat by recounting the lives and contributions of people across our communities who have given so much without perhaps the public recognition that they deserve. To that end today I rise to pay tribute to the late Cecilia Donnelly, also known as Celia, also known as Cece and, if you read the plaque that was given to her upon her 25 years of service at St Vinnies in Witton Street in Warragul, Sylvia.

In 1958 Sylvia and her husband Frank arrived in Warragul from Glasgow. Theirs was a journey that took them to the other side of the world and enabled them to set down roots, to create a family and indeed to create and be part of and contribute to the community of West Gippsland – and indeed as a consequence of Cecilia’s dedicated operations in immigration work, to bring 21 family members across to Australia between 1959 and 1971.

Cecilia’s life was characterised by so many different things, all of them good, all of them worthy – faith, grace through service, humour, generosity and an unfailing dedication to her family. I want to pay tribute to her life and to her contribution to Frank and Jana, Gerard and Andy, Bernadette and Ric, Terrence and Tracey, and Stephen and Jessie; as Gran to Shauna, Michael, Liam, Lani, Rebecca, Georgia, Matt, Joanna, Kieran, Zoë, Callum, Allison, Jordan, Georgia, Olivia and Angus; and as beloved Cece to Eden, Archie, Banks and Harper – 91 years of a life so well lived.