Wyee Debutante Ball
Page: 6240
Mr CRITTENDEN (Wyong—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.50 p.m.]: It is a my pleasant duty to inform honourable members of the Wyee Debutante Ball that was held last Saturday night, 26 October, at Wyee Community Hall. My wife, Jenny, and I were guests at the ball. Every three years or so the ball is organised by local Wyee residents. I particularly thank Mavis Bateup, Ada Hawkins and Debbie Woolven for their excellent job in bringing the community together. Eight debutantes and their partners, three flower girls and three page boys attended the ceremony. The matron of honour was Mrs Cheryl Roberts from Wyee nursery. There are plans to hold an over-thirties debutante ball in the not-too-distant future. I look forward with anticipation to that event.
On the night I was pleasantly surprised by the transformation of Wyee Community Hall. I have attended a number of public meetings at the hall and it was great to see how much it had been transformed. Much of the work that went into the hall was undertaken by the parents and siblings of the debutantes, together with a willing band of workers from Wyee Community Hall committee. They polished the floors, cleaned the doors and windows, painted the hall inside and out, and purchased new tables and chairs. It was a tremendous effort. A small band of community-minded people in Wyee offer their assistance whenever it is needed. Last Saturday night was the culmination of their hard work.
It would be remiss of me not to mention those who made their debut. Debutantes and their partners raised all the funds that were required for the night, primarily through the sale of chocolates. The debutantes and their partners were Lauren Bateup and Josh Hochkins, Tahli Giles and Tom Temperley, Rebecca Lancaster and Hamilton Jones-Mashman, Kasey McKenzie and Brendan Flack, Ashleigh Whitbourne and Darryl Hennesy, Danielle Martin and Brendan Mitchell, Kylie McKewen and John Sonter, and Lisa Mason and Adrian Sharpe. The flower girls and page boys were Brianna Terry and Tyler Lee, Bonnie Mason and Jacob Giles, and Jorden McKenzie and Bodee Hemers. The ushers were Jake McKenzie, Amber Mason, Ashley Britton, Madelin Lee and Terena-Jane Roberts.
Dance preparations were supervised by Vicki Gregory. Peter Campbell, a former long-time resident of Wyee who now resides in another part of the Central Coast, was the master of ceremonies. It was a most enjoyable night and my wife, Jenny, and I had a good time. Traditions such as the debutante ball are being observed in a rapidly growing part of New South Wales. Wyee maintains its sense of community. The debutante ball, which is held every three years, is a tradition that binds the community together. We must maintain such traditions, especially when we remember some of the negative things that have occurred in Australia recently. I refer particularly to the Bali tragedy that rocked many communities. We must maintain strong bonds in our community. Many young people who attended the ball are students at the Hunter Performing Arts High School, so they were skilled at dancing. There was no bad behaviour, everyone had a good time and it was good, clean fun. I look forward to further debutante balls and to the over-thirties debutante ball that is soon to be held in Wyee.