Death Of Neil Keating

Mr GAUDRY (Newcastle - Parliamentary Secretary) [6.40 p.m.]: I pay tribute to the late Neil Keating, a gifted and innovative teacher, a respected principal, a fighter for social justice, and a committed and hardworking member of the Australia Labor Party. It was my privilege to speak on behalf of the Newcastle community at Neil’s funeral on 19 October, which was held at Saint Peter in Chains Catholic Church, which is located next to Stockton Catholic primary school. The memorial service was punctuated by the sound of children’s laughter while they played and the tinkle of a school bell calling students back to their lessons. No more appropriate sound could have accompanied the funeral of this great educator.

Thousands of children would have passed through Neil’s hands during his time as a principal. They would have been introduced to music, history, issues of social justice - particularly for our indigenous people - and a love for the environment. It was my privilege to know the family during the years that Neil and Pat Keating spent in the Stockton community, which is a caring community. In Stockton Neil could take more of a back seat and support Pat in her tremendous activity within that community.

I was privileged to speak at the funeral. That privilege could have fallen to a member of the Stockton branch of the Australian Labor Party, a member of the Stockton Historical Society, one of the thousands of citizens Pat led against the Kooragang airport proposal, or one of his many friends at the "Washtub" Hotel, where he often sat and enjoyed a beer, and gave assistance and advice
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to those wishing to raise concerns with members of both State and Federal Governments.

Neil Keating was born in Kyogle in 1930 and spent his early life in the Bellinger valley. He achieved a teacher’s college scholarship at Armidale - as a young man he excelled at rugby - and then taught in a series of country schools. He married Pat Bruce in 1957. In the early 1960s they accepted a transfer to the Aboriginal Mission school in Brewarrina. With their young family of five children eventually, they lived on the mission. It was there that Neil forged his whole concept of social injustice, that is, the plight of the indigenous people in that area.

From that time Neil and Pat committed themselves to the environment and to improving the situation of indigenous people. They then moved to the Blue Mountains, where Neil was recognised as an excellent principal and a really innovative teacher. He also became very involved in the Australian Labor Party. In that area he directed the campaigns for both Mick Clough at the State level and Tony Luchetti at the Federal level.

On the morning of the funeral I rang Mick Clough, who is now retired. Mick passed on his great appreciation of Neil and Pat Keating and their family and their contributions to the community. Neil was transferred from the Blue Mountains to schools in the Newcastle area. He lived in Redhead and was involved in the Australian Labor Party in the seat of the Minister for Gaming and Racing. Neil was very involved in the party and did wonderful work developing environmental education in schools in that electorate and in other areas of the Hunter.

On Neil’s retirement he pursued his great loves of fishing and the environment. At the funeral, which was attended by Neil’s family - his daughters, Anne, Beth and Megan, and his sons, Peter and Christopher - one could not help but see the enormous influence this man had on his children; the inspiration he gave them, and the love he instilled in them for music and the environment. He will be missed. He was a great contributor to the community. He was a man of passion who saw the need for social justice for our indigenous people, and he worked with his wife to ensure that that was brought about. I pay tribute to him tonight.

Mr FACE (Charlestown - Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Hunter Development) [6.45 p.m.]: I wish also to pay tribute to the late Neil Keating. I first met Neil when he was transferred to Kahibah Public School in my electorate, where he finished his teaching career. He came to Kahibah school at a time when it needed a Neil Keating. The school had gone through a degree of turmoil with many changing patterns in the school population. He did marvellous work with the children through a common touch he obviously developed during his years in various country schools.

My eldest son was the recipient of a lot of Neil’s time and concern, and he has done very well in life. I was upset that I could not attend Neil’s funeral, because both he and Pat made a great impression on the community I lived in for a time, namely, Redhead. Ironically, Neil lived adjacent to the Awabackal field study area. He had the foresight to realise that we needed environmental studies in this State and the Awabackal field study area was the first of such schools to be established.

Neil was quite remarkable in many ways, probably because of experiences earlier in life. In the days when he attended college everything was done the hard way, and Neil’s experiences were transmitted to the children in his care. I received a beautiful note from Pat this week to say that one of the lovely times in Neil’s life was the period he spent at Kahibah in the twilight of his career. The communities of Redhead and Kahibah are deeply indebted to him. He added to the community of Stockton in the same way he had contributed to other communities throughout his life. On behalf of the community I represent I send my sincere condolences to Pat and her children.