Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 30 OCTOBER 1973 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy 1338 Papers [30 OCTOBER 1973) Death of Ex-Member TUESDAY, 30 OCTOBER 1973 plan Pg. 398 deposited in the Survey Office and containing an area of 7 64 hectares-and, ~r. SPEAKER (Hon. W. H. I..onergan, (d) All that piece or part of State Flmders) read prayers and took the chair Forest 1376, parishes of Bunya and at 11 a.m. Samford, described as portion 81, parish of Bunya, as shown on plan PAPERS S1.6886 deposited in the Survey The following papers were laid on the Office and containing an area of table, and ordered to be printed:- .507 hectares- Reports- under the Forestry Act 1959-'1973. Insurance Commissioner, for the year (B) A brief explanation of the proposal. 1972-73. Commissioner of Irrigation and Water Supply, for the year 1972-73. DEATH OF HON. SIR PETER ROYLANCE DELAMOTHE, North Queensland Fish Board, for the period 1 July 1972 to 31 January O.B.E., M.B., B.S. 1973. MOTION OF CONDOLENCE Commissioner for Railways, for the year 1972-73. HoiL J. BJELKE-PETERSEN (Barambah -Premier) (11.4 a.m.), by leave, without The following papers were laid on the notice: I move- table:- "1. That this House desires to place on Orders in Council under- record its appreciation of the services ren­ Central Queensland Coal Associates dered to this State by the late Hon. Sir Agreement Act 1968. Peter Roylance Delamothe, O.B.E., M.B., Irrigation Act 1922-1973. B.S., a former member of the Parliament The State Electricity Commission Acts, of Queensland and Minister of the Crown, 1937 to 1965. and Agent-General for Queensland. The Northern Electric Authority of "2. That Mr. Speaker be requested to Queensland Acts, 1963 to 1964. convey to the widow and family of the deceased gentleman the above resolution, Regulations under- together with an expression of the sym­ Public Service Act 1922-1968. pathy and sorrow of the members of the Irrigation Act 1922-1973. Parliament of Queensland in the loss they Queensland Marine Act 1958-1972. have sustained." (A) Proposal by the Governor in Council It is with deep regret that I move this to revoke the setting apart and declara­ motion of condolence following the death of tion as State Forest under the Forestry Sir Peter Delamothe. Sir Peter, as we all Act of:- recall and remember well, served Queens­ (a) All that piece or part of State land first as mayor of Bowen, then as a Forest . 3, parishes of Bowarrady, member of this Parliament and a Minister Moonb1, Poyungan, Talboor, and of the Crown, and subsequently as Agent­ Wathumba, described as Area "A" General for Queensland in London. His as shown on plan FTY. 569 made passing will be mourned by us all in this and prepared by the Surveyor­ Chamber and by the people of Queensland General and deposited in the office generally. of the Conservator of Forests and Sir Peter's biography is a straightforward containing an area of about 8 822 one. He was born in Brisbane on 29 June hectares-and, 1906. He was educated at Mt. Carmel (b) All that piece or part of State College in Charters Towers, and later studied Forest 20/55, parishes of Mount medicine at the Sydney University, grad­ Hutt<;m, Hallett and Stephenton, uating with Bachelor of Medicine and descnbed as portion 22, parish of Bachelor of Science degrees. After doing his Mount Hutton, as shown on plan junior and senior residencies at the Sydney Wt. 277 deposited in the Survey Hospital from 1928 to 1930 he began his Office and Area "A" as shown on lifelong association with Queensland, and plan FTY. 574 made and prepared more particularly North Queensland, as by the Surveyor-General and medical superintendent of the Collinsville deposited in the office of the Con­ Hospital. servator of Forests and containing During World War II he joined the an area of about 2 272 hectares­ R.A.A.F., and rose to command a base hos­ and, pital. After the war he became interested (c) All that piece or part of State in local government, and was mayor of Forest 175, parishes of Merinda Bowen from 1946 to 1958 and chairman and Uranilla, described as portion of the North Queensland Local Authorities 11, parish of Uranilla, as shown on Association for the same period. Death of Ex-Member [30 OcToBER 1973] Death of Ex-Member 1339 In 1960 he won the seat of Bowen for the For the information of honourable mem­ Liberal Party, and was Justice Minister and bers, I add that many members of the Press Attorney-General from 1963 to 1971. In gallery who knew Sir Peter and travelled 1971 he was appointed Queensland's Agent­ with him have requested me to express their General in London until this year, when he sympathy to Lady Delamothe and her family. retired because of ill-health. He was As Agent-General, Sir Peter continued his knighted by the Queen this year for his valued services to this State. His intimate services to Queensland. knowledge of the sugar industry stood Mr. Speaker, that is the bare record of Queensland in good stead during the recent Sir Peter's career-it is something that any­ preliminaries to the International Sugar one could ascertain from "Who's Who"-but Agreement talks. to those of us who knew him in this It was with great sorrow that Cabinet Chamber, and to the many thousands of learned of his illness and subsequent death. Queenslanders who came into contact with On behalf of the Government and members him outside, he was much more. "The Doe", of Parliament generally, I extend sincere as he became affectionately known, was held sympathy to Lady Delamothe and the mem­ in the highest esteem, both as a Minister of bers of her family. the Crown and also as a man. Hon. Sir GORDON CHALK (Lockyer­ Treasurer) (11.11 a.m.): From time to time The mere entry in his record that he was in this Chamber we pass a similar motion awarded the O.B.E. for his work during the of condolence to the widow and relatives of cyclone that wrecked Bowen some years ago someone who has departed from our midst. cannot convey his spirit as he performed an In many instances the deceased person has operation on a patient with a perforated been out of the Queensland Parliament for ulcer, while a nurse held a torch and vol­ some considerable time. and consequently is unteers erected a tarpaulin over the deroofed not extremely well known to honourable operating theatre to keep the rain out. That members then in the House. Because of this, is just one of the many stories that can be although the motion is passed in all sincerity, told about the late Sir Peter Delamothe which I do not think there is the feeling of personal indicate how he dedicated himself to the loss that members experience following the work at hand and why he was held in death of someone who was extremely well such high regard and, indeed, inspired deep known to them and who, as it were, was affection. one of the "boys" of the House in recent However, I feel that it is as a reformer times. As to the motion now before us, I am and an innovator that Sir Peter Delamothe sure that all who knew the late Sir Peter will be remembered by many people. He Delamothe have suffered a. deep inward was the man who continued the rebuilding of feeling of grief at the passing of a friend. Queensland's prisons system, which was begun The Premier has rightly outlined Sir Peter's by his colleage Mr. Tooth, to make it the history, and has indicated the esteem and most modern in Australia. Dr. Delamothe's affection in which he was held in North belief was that the aim of prison was not Queensland long before he entered Parlia­ to break a man but to make him. Queens­ ment. I believe that the service he ,rendered land's prisons are now designed to eliminate to so many people in that community, with the feeling that prisoners are closed away the affection that it engendered, was respon­ behind high walls. The change in the sys­ sible for his election. Whatever our political tem and the general attitude began when beliefs, I do not think anyone would deny Mr. Tooth was the Minister responsible for that the seat Peter Delamothe won when he prisons, and this continued under the late entered this Parliament was not of the Sir Peter Delamothe. He pioneered in political philosophy to which he subscribed. Australia the week-end detention and release­ When he entered the House, he adapted to-work schemes. He introduced improved himself well to this type of life. At the trade training and educational facilities for same time, he gave unstintingly of his services prisoners. He established the Law Reform to his electorate. I often marvelled at the Commission and the Legal Aid Bureau. number of trips he made back and forth Sir Peter was a pioneer in the con­ between Bowen and this city. In fact, I often sumer affairs field, and his Invasion of Pri­ tried to get him to reside in Brisbane rather vacy Act to control the activities of credit than travel backwards and forwards so often bureaus and to prevent the use of bugging between Brisbane and Bowen.