SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY ATTENDANT ALLEN HANDS
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before proceeding to the next item of business I should like to say a few words about Allen Hands, the Senior Attendant in the Legislative Assembly, whom I have asked to be
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present in the Chamber this afternoon. When Allen Hands answered an advertisement in the press in 1968 calling for a physically fit 21-27 year old to be a parliamentary attendant on the Legislative Assembly staff, he probably did not think that on 25 March 1998 he will have celebrated 30 years on the Assembly staff. Allen was 27 when he joined the staff. He came to the Parliament from a position with Farmer and Company in Sydney. Earlier he had been with the Waltham Trading Company in Oxford Street as a salesman-mechanic dealing with a range of radio and electrical goods.
Allen has put this continuing interest to good use operating the theatrette equipment, which duty he undertook in the early 1980s. Allen has progressed through the ranks of the attendants’ staff to the position he now holds, that of Senior Attendant, Front of House. To put Allen’s service into perspective, in a recent article in the Department’s newsletter Assembly Lines, Allen said that when he started in 1968 it was at the commencement of the forty-second Parliament. Since then some 500 members have passed through the Parliament. I am sure honourable members will join with me in congratulating Allen on attaining 30 years service with the Legislative Assembly.
Mr PHOTIOS (Ermington) [2.32 p.m.]: As Allen’s local member I take this opportunity to commend your comments, Mr Speaker. Allen has served the House with great stewardship, and on behalf of the local constituency I thank him for his many years of dedicated service.