Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (20:16): It is with deep regret but sincere sympathy that I acknowledge the passing of our beloved Uncle Ivan Wellington. Uncle Ivan Robert Wellington was born on 25 August 1946 in Kiama, New South Wales. His Aboriginal heritage is connected to the South Coast. He was a saltwater man, who stood proudly by his country and his heritage throughout his entire life. I acknowledge in the gallery former Campbelltown Woman of the Year and my dear friend Ms Annette Lamb; her partner, Patrick Duffy; and my son, Darcy, who is here to hear this contribution. There are so many things that I could say about Uncle Ivan Wellington, but nothing could acknowledge the level of respect that Uncle Ivan had in our community.

He was a proud Yuin man from the country of my heritage, down from the shores of Wallaga Lake and, at his birth, on the entrance of the river in Nowra. He lived on a mission there and, I have been advised, was well known as a young bloke who found food such as chickens and eggs or gathered seaweed or abalone in the true saltwater tradition of our First Nations people and the proud Yuin nation. I say to my beloved community of Campbelltown that whilst we mourn his death, we celebrate everything that he gave us. Uncle Ivan Wellington loved us as we loved him. But he loved nothing more than country and truth-telling. This deadly year, during the path of reconciliation, even leading up to his death in Campbelltown Hospital, he was still telling those stories. I had the honour of seeing him before he went into hospital and we had a good yarn. We talked about the many wonderful things about our beautiful community, the Warranmadhaa National Park, the connection of the Dharawal and the proud traditions that he continued to teach the most important people in our community, our children.

I think most people would recognise Uncle Ivan Wellington from his smoking ceremonies on NAIDOC Day or out at the site of the Appin massacre down at Cataract Dam, but there would be countless thousands that would remember Uncle Ivan's love of telling the stories of our First Nations, getting out into some of those communities—whether in Claymore, Airds or even Reiby, that place that I know all too well—and engaging with our children to make sure they stayed on the right track. Unfortunately, whilst I had the privilege of experiencing Uncle Ivan going out there in an effort to get those kids back on the right track, he kept on turning up.

He loved our community. He loved his country. He loved our Aboriginal culture. And he did it without prejudice. Even in the face of the prejudice that we see throughout society and community today, he would rise above that, because he was above it. He was right above it, because he loved who we were in Campbelltown. He loved his culture. He knew that the story had to be told. To conclude, I say to Uncle Ivan: We will miss you as you live in the Dreamtime. We will forever dream of you. Your legacy will live on forever in the hearts and the minds of everyone who knew you, because you dedicated your life to us. We dedicate the memory of your legacy to you. Vale, Uncle Ivan Wellington. Sleep well in the Dreamtime.