Member for Curtin Visits
Member for Curtin visiting SAS Historical Collection Courtesy of the SAS Historical Foundation

Member for Curtin Visits SAS Historical Collection

Published - 11 August, 2021

Stronger Communities Programme

The Stronger Communities Programme provides each of the 151 Federal electorates with $150,000 to fund small capital projects. These projects aim to improve local community participation and contribute to vibrant viable communities. Federal Members of Parliament (MPs) identify potential projects and invite applications from their electorate. Campbell Barracks, Swanbourne, the home base of the Special Air Service Regiment and location of the SAS Historical Collection, is in the Federal electorate of Curtin. The SAS Historical Foundation has applied for and been successful in receiving Stronger Communities Programme grants, which have been used to improve the experience of visitors to the Collection.

Visit by Celia Hammond MP

The Foundation invited the Member for Curtin, Celia Hammond MP, to view the Collection, with emphasis on where the grants monies were spent. The tour also included paying respects in the SASR Garden of Reflection, and a behind the scenes look at the workshops and facilities provided to the volunteers. Ms Hammond expressed her surprise at the extent of the Collection and was complimentary about the standard of the exhibitions. Ms Hammond also appeared to enjoy the humour injected into the tour commentary. While acknowledging the need for security at Campbell Barracks, Ms Hammond was of the view that access to the Collection by the wider public would lead to a greater appreciation of the outstanding contribution by SASR to the defence of Australia and the sacrifices made by families of the soldiers.

Personal Connection

Ms Hammond was accompanied by her Electorate Officer, Katie Adrigan Hondros. Katie is the niece of Sergeant George Terrence Baines, who was accidentally killed in Vietnam in 1968 while serving with 1 SAS Squadron. As Katie was born many years later, she had little knowledge of her uncle's service circumstances. However, the Museum Guide escorting Ms Hammond and Katie, Mr Greg Mawkes, had served with George Baines in Vietnam and was a member of the same Patrol. Greg provided Katie with relevant information about her uncle's service in the Australian SAS. Katie was shown declassified Patrol Reports of missions in Vietnam where her uncle was the Patrol Commander with Greg as the Patrol Signaller. Katie was also presented with a photograph of her uncle taken in Papua New Guinea where he was undertaking pre-deployment training for Vietnam. The photograph now sits on Katie's desk in Ms Hammond's electoral office.