Mr MURPHY (9:58 AM) —Last Saturday, New South Wales election day, I attended the official opening of the Concord Garden Club Autumn Flower, Floral Art and Vegetable Show at the Concord Community Centre. Members of the Concord Garden Club have served my electorate of Lowe for over half a century, proudly celebrating the art of horticulture and promoting a beautiful environment long before the emergence of the green movement in the early 1970s.

Saturday's opening was attended by the mayor of the City of Canada Bay, Angelo Tsirekas, as well as the Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and member for Drummoyne, the Hon. John Murray MP. Sadly, it was Mr Murray's final official engagement at the Concord Garden Club show after more than 30 years of very dedicated service to the people of Drummoyne.

As I said in the House of Representatives on 18 October 1999, visiting the Concord Garden Club was one of my first official duties as the newly elected member for Lowe. It was wonderful last Saturday for Adriana and me to see former club president Mrs Betty Willison and to witness the presentation to another former president, Mrs Colleen Harland, for her long and meritorious service to the club.

My wife Adriana was delighted to do her own judging of the exhibits, which included a brilliant range of dahlias, roses, ferns and assorted pot plants, herbs, native plants, flower arrangements and miniature flower arrangements and vegetables. Adriana was very impressed with the colour and symmetry of some of the exhibits and awarded her own five prizes to the exhibits of her choice.

I congratulate the President, Mr Alan Hancock; Mrs Hancock; the honorary secretary, Mrs Ruth Payne; show secretary Pat Allport; and all who worked so very hard to put on another wonderful show, not to mention the marvellous morning tea. Well done, Concord Garden Club. Adriana and I are very proud of you.