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Lidia Thorpe

2023-04-22T12:34:07Z

LibStar: /* Resignation from Greens' deputy leadership */

{{short description|Australian politician (born 1973)}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox AM
| honorific_prefix = [[Australian Senate|Senator]]
| image = Lidia Thorpe 2020.png
| name = Lidia Thorpe
| honorific-suffix =
| successor1 =
| office1 = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| term_start1 = 4 September 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[Richard Di Natale]]
| office2 = [[Leaders of the Australian Greens#Deputy Leaders in the Senate|Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate]]
| term_start2 = 10 June 2022
| term_end2 = 20 October 2022
| leader2 = [[Adam Bandt]]
| predecessor2 = ''Office established''
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly]] for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]
| term_start3 = 18 November 2017
| term_end3 = 24 November 2018
| predecessor3 = [[Fiona Richardson]]
| successor3 = [[Kat Theophanous]]
| birth_name = Lidia Alma Thorpe
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}}
| birth_place = [[Carlton, Victoria]], Australia
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2023)
| otherparty = [[Australian Greens|Greens]] (until 2023)
| alma_mater =
| children = 3
| relatives = [[Alma Thorpe]] (grandmother)
| website = {{Official|https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe}}
}}
{{Missing information|Thorpe's activities and responsibilities while in state and federal parliament|date=April 2023}}'''Lidia Alma Thorpe''' (born 1973) is an Australian independent politician. She has been a [[Australian Senate|senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] since 2020 and is the first [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] senator from that state. She was a member of the [[Australian Greens]] until February 2023 when she quit the party over disagreements concerning the proposed [[Indigenous Voice to Parliament]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206015845/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |url-status=live }}</ref> She had also served as the Greens' deputy leader in the Senate from June to October 2022.

Thorpe has previously been a member of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]]. On winning the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|Northcote state by-election]] on 18 November 2017 she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament and served as the member for the division of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] in the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] from 2017 to 2018.

Thorpe has received media attention for her criticism of the legitimacy of Australian political institutions, which she views as stemming from colonialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe makes international headlines after 'colonising Queen' oath |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=SBS |language=en |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915155206/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Early life and education ==
Lidia Alma Thorpe<ref name=abn>{{cite web | title=Historical details for ABN 65 868 640 208 | website=ABN Lookup | date=November 2014 | url=https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802074728/https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | url-status=live }}</ref> was born in 1973 in [[Carlton, Victoria]]<ref name="parlbio">{{cite Au Parliament|mpid=280301|name=Senator Lidia Thorpe|access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><ref name="birthyear">{{cite news|last1=Wahlquist|first1=Calla|title=Lidia Thorpe 'finds her voice', the first Indigenous woman to do so in Victorian parliament|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|access-date=8 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=29 November 2017|language=en|archive-date=8 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123852/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref> to Roy Illingworth<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/senator-lidia-thorpe-hits-back-at-anthony-albanese-on-3am-video/news-story/8ffa2e6bb7bdacd273cba5c46f9f7236 |title=Lidia Thorpe’s dad says she’s racist against whites as she hits back after incident outside strip club |publisher=The Australian |date=April 21, 2023 |website=The Australian |access-date=April 21, 2023}}</ref> and Marjorie Thorpe<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html |title=‘Shouty, uninformed, ineffective’: How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald |date=April 24, 2022 |website=smh.com.au |access-date=April 20, 2023}}</ref>. She is of [[English people|English]], [[Irish people|Irish]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/senator-lidia-thorpe-hits-back-at-anthony-albanese-on-3am-video/news-story/8ffa2e6bb7bdacd273cba5c46f9f7236 |title=Lidia Thorpe’s dad says she’s racist against whites as she hits back after incident outside strip club |publisher=The Australian |date=April 21, 2023 |website=The Australian |access-date=April 21, 2023}}</ref>, [[Djab wurrung|DjabWurrung]], [[Gunaikurnai people|Gunnai]] and [[Gunditjmara]] descent.<ref name="Greens">{{Cite web |title=Lidia Thorpe |url=https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |access-date=2022-05-04 |publisher=[[Australian Greens Victoria]] |language=en |archive-date=14 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114150419/https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe grew up in [[Housing Commission of Victoria|Housing Commission]] flats in [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]] and went to Gold Street Primary School in [[Clifton Hill, Victoria|Clifton Hill]]. She studied Year 7 at [[Fitzroy High School]], Year 8 at Collingwood High, returned to Fitzroy High for Year 9, but left soon afterwards, at the age of 14. She enjoyed playing [[Australian rules football]] and [[netball]], and says that she was very competitive.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her first job was working with her uncle [[Robbie Thorpe]] at the Koori Information Centre at 120 [[Gertrude Street]], Fitzroy, which at that time was "a hub of Black political activity". She says that from that day onwards, she has worked continuously, apart from six-month breaks when having babies.<ref name=latimore2022/>

She holds a Diploma of Community Development from [[Swinburne University of Technology]], a graduate certificate in [[public sector]] management and a Certificate IV Indigenous Leadership.<ref name=vicparl2021>{{cite re-member |title=Ms Lidia Thorpe |num2=127 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

She became a [[single mother]] at the age of 17.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Early career==
Thorpe has worked as the Aboriginal employment adviser for the [[Municipal Association of Victoria]] and was president of the Lakes Entrance Basketball Association for three years. She has also been a member of the school council of the [[Nowa Nowa, Victoria|Nowa Nowa]] Primary School, a steering committee for Indigenous administrators and the [[Institute of Public Administration Australia]] (Victoria). She worked as a [[project manager]] with the [[East Gippsland Shire Council]],<ref name=fellowship>{{cite news|url=https://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|title=Lidia Thorpe: Emerging Leader 2008 - 2009|website=Indigenous Fellowship|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812151055/http://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|url-status=live}}</ref> Indigenous manager at [[Centrelink]] and manager at [[Lake Tyers|Lake Tyers Aboriginal Training Centre]].<ref name=vicparl2021/>

Thorpe was the co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|title=The Committee|access-date=5 April 2022|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302225026/https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|title=2017 Northcote by-election|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=18 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118144352/http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|title=Northcote by-election: Greens pick their woman for key battle of the north|last1=Towell|first1=Noel|last2=Preiss|first2=Benjamin|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=11 September 2017|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114233925/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=fellowship/>

In 2013, Thorpe was declared [[bankrupt]] with over {{AUD|700,000}} in debts, including monies owed to Indigenous Business Australia and {{AUD|55,000}} owed to the [[Australian Taxation Office]]. She said that her bankruptcy resulted from [[domestic violence]], stating "like many survivors of family violence, I ended up losing everything in a bid to protect myself and my family from an impossible situation".<ref name="bankruptcy">{{cite news |last1=Hore |first1=Monique |title=Greens Northcote candidate reveals abusive relationship led to her bankruptcy |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=Herald Sun |date=26 October 2017 |archive-date=31 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831102149/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |url-status=live }}</ref> Her ex-husband, who was an alcoholic, confirmed her account of the marriage breakdown. She was discharged from bankruptcy in 2016.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Political career==
===Victorian Legislative Assembly===
[[File:JMP 6094 (46499665305).jpg|thumb|right|Thorpe at a rally in Melbourne in 2019]]

Thorpe won the seat of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] at the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|2017 by-election]] on 18 November 2017 after receiving 45.22% of the primary vote, which became 50.93% after the distribution of preferences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|title=Northcote District By-election 2017 : Northcote District|work=VEC|access-date=9 August 2018|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809122905/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She was sworn in as a member of parliament on 28 November 2017 and delivered her first speech to the assembly the following day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|title=State's first Aboriginal woman MP Lidia Thorpe speaks of genocide, lingering disadvantage|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|work=The Age|date=29 November 2017|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201161723/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Raue|first=Ben|date=19 November 2017|title=Northcote byelection: Greens' Lidia Thorpe takes Melbourne seat from Labor|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119000210/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|url-status=live}}</ref>
Thorpe was the [[Australian Greens Victoria]] portfolio holder for Aboriginal Justice, Consumer Affairs, Skills and Training, Sport and Mental Health.<ref name="Greens"/><ref name=vicparl2021/>

In May 2018, she organised an historic gathering of [[Aboriginal elder|Aboriginal Elder]]s at the [[Parliament of Victoria]] to discuss the state's treaty processes. The meeting was organised as part of Thorpe's campaign to implement clan-based treaties, which would recognise the approximately 100 Aboriginal clans in Victoria. At the time, Thorpe said: "Our sovereignty and each of our language groups and our Clans must be clearly recognised in the government's treaty advancement legislation."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|title=Victorian Elders call for Clan-based treaties and more inclusion in process|work=NITV|last1=Hocking|first1=Rachel|date=14 May 2018|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=15 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815202151/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|url-status=live}}</ref> The delegation of clan elders unanimously agreed to form an elders council. Thorpe supported the [[Victorian Government]]'s 2018 treaty bill, but stated that she would continue to push for clan sovereignty to be recognised as the treaty process advances.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |title=Victoria passes Aboriginal treaty bill |work=The Age |date=21 June 2018 |last1=Banger |first1=Marie |last2=Offer |first2=Kaitlyn |access-date=15 August 2018 |archive-date=26 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726152434/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe lost her seat to Labor candidate [[Kat Theophanous]] at the [[2018 Victorian state election]],<ref name=florance/> with her term finishing on 19 December 2018.<ref name=vicparl2021/> She told ABC Radio Melbourne: "We need to have a good look at ourselves and have a review of what this election has done to our party, losing quite a considerable amount of Greens members." She said Labor ran a "dirty campaign" against her but conceded that negative coverage due to internal party scandals had also contributed to her defeat.<ref name=florance>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |title=Victorian election should prompt Greens to take a 'good look at ourselves', losing Northcote MP says |website=ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |last1=Florance |first1=Loretta |date=26 November 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126062649/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Parliament of Australia===
[[File:Lidia Thorpe in Parliament 2020.jpg|thumb|Thorpe being sworn into parliament in October 2020]]
In June 2020, Thorpe was [[Preselection|preselected]] by [[Australian Greens Victoria|Victorian Greens]] members to fill the federal [[Australian Senate|Senate]] vacancy caused by former leader [[Richard Di Natale]]'s resignation.<ref name=June2020>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-20|title=Aboriginal activist Lidia Thorpe to replace Richard Di Natale as Greens senator for Victoria|last1=Cox|first1=Lisa|url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=20 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620062117/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|url-status=live}}</ref> She was appointed to the vacancy at a joint sitting of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]] on 4 September and sworn in on 6 October 2020.<ref name=Appointment4September2020/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|title=Senator @lidia__thorpe arrives on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country carrying a Message Stick "memorialising the 441 First Nations people who have died in custody without justice" #auspol @SBSNews @NITV|work=SBS News|author=Brett Mason|publisher=Twitter|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006101201/https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|url-status=live}}</ref> She is the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate and is the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian from the Greens.<ref name=June2020/><ref name=Appointment4September2020>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|work=The Canberra Times|date=4 September 2020|title=Vic endorses Thorpe as new Greens senator|last1=Osborne|first1=Paul|access-date=4 September 2020|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404043939/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the [[2022 Australian federal election|May 2022 federal election]], at which she was re-elected, Thorpe was elected by the Greens party room as the party's deputy leader in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Bandt|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Bandt|user=adambandt|date=June 10, 2022|number=1535136884690927616|title=I thank my colleagues for their strong and continued support. After our best election result ever, I am very excited to be the Leader of an expanded Greens Party Room & leadership team as we fight for action on climate and inequality.}}</ref><ref name="parlbio"/>

==== Resignation from Greens' deputy leadership ====
On 20 October 2022, Thorpe resigned from her position as Greens' deputy leader in the Senate, shortly after [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]] revealed that in 2021 she had dated the ex-president of the [[Rebels Motorcycle Club|Rebels outlaw bikie gang]], Dean Martin. At the time of the relationship, she had held the justice portfolio for the Greens and had been serving on the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, so had been privy to confidential briefings about bikie gangs and [[organised crime]]. Thorpe had not disclosed the relationship, and it was only revealed when her staff notified party leader Adam Bandt's office and an independent parliamentary authority. Her staff became aware of the relationship in mid-2021. In August 2021, when confidential law enforcement committee briefing documents concerning bikie gangs arrived in her office hours after Thorpe had met Martin, one of her staffers urged her to inform Bandt, but she failed to do so. She told the staffer that "she was being really careful": she used [[encrypted]] social media to communicate with Martin, conversations were deleted weekly, and they never met at either one's home. The matter was referred to the [[Australian Federal Police]]. Thorpe said that she continues to be friends with Martin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/bombshell-as-bandt-seeks-greens-senators-mresignation/news-story/adf3151b217081f68291330ff6619e61
|title=Bombshell as Bandt seeks Greens senator's resignation |website=news.com.au |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe admits to undisclosed relationship with ex-Rebels president Dean Martin while on law enforcement committee |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020014844/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |url-status=live }}</ref> Martin had been president of the Rebels in Victoria, and had been charged and pleaded guilty to liquor offences in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Steve |date=2013-08-29 |title=Rebels president Dean Martin pleads guilty to liquor offences |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=The Age |language=en |archive-date=22 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022061936/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the revelations, Thorpe faced a censure motion in the Senate. [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] senator [[Helen Polley]], the head of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, of which Thorpe had been a member, said, with regard to Thorpe's position as a senator: "she should consider if it's the right place for her".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |title= Lidia Thorpe to face censure motion amid calls to resign from Senate over bikie relationship |website= SBS News |date= 21 October 2022 |access-date= 22 October 2022 |archive-date= 21 October 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221021223428/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |url-status= live }}</ref>

It was also reported on 20 October that following a complaint by one of her staff, the Department of Finance was reviewing the culture of Thorpe's office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe resigns as Senate deputy after undisclosed relationship with ex-bikie boss |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020031759/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 24 October, Thorpe referred herself to the Senate privileges committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lowrey |first=Tom |date=2022-10-24 |title=Lidia Thorpe refers herself to privileges committee over undisclosed relationship with former bikie boss |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |access-date=2022-10-24 |archive-date=24 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024042406/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023, a parliamentary investigation cleared Thorpe of contempt of parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | title=Senate probe clears Lidia Thorpe of contempt over undisclosed relationship | newspaper=ABC News | date=7 March 2023 | access-date=7 March 2023 | archive-date=7 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307224235/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Resignation from the Greens ====
On 6 February 2023, Thorpe announced that she would resign from the Greens to become an independent senator, sitting on the crossbench, over disagreements concerning the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.<ref name=":1"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-05 |title=Indigenous Voice to parliament updates LIVE: Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice division |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206020117/https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |url-status=live }}</ref> In a statement, Thorpe stated that "this country has a strong grassroots [[Australian Indigenous Sovereignty|black sovereign]] movement, full of staunch and committed warriors, and I want to represent that movement fully in this Parliament. It has become clear to me, that I can't do that from within the Greens."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|title=Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice to Parliament|work=SBS News|date=6 February 2023|access-date=6 February 2023|archive-date=6 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206021503/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Ongoing roles and interests==
Thorpe is or has been the delegate for the Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the Victorian representative to the National Advisory Committee for [[The Smith Family (charity)|The Smith Family]] and co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Activism ==
Thorpe has supported the ''Pay the Rent'' campaign, which calls on non-Aboriginal Australians to voluntarily pay [[Reparation (legal)|reparations]] through an organisation of the same name.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |title='Pay the rent': Invasion Day protesters urged to hand over cash at march |last=Cowie |first=Tom |publisher=The Age |date=21 January 2020 |accessdate=17 January 2023 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117140726/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe has been critical of the ''[[Uluru Statement from the Heart]]'', believing there should be a [[Indigenous treaties in Australia|treaty]] before an [[Indigenous voice to government]]. Thorpe led a walk-out of the Uluru convention, believing that it was "hijacked by Aboriginal corporations and establishment appointments and did not reflect the aspirations of ordinary Indigenous people".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grand |first1=Chip Le |title=Without treaty, incoming senator can't feel part of 'Team Australia' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910211804/https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On [[Australia Day]] 2019, an inaugural dawn service organised by Thorpe was held at the [[Kings Domain Resting Place]] as a [[Day of Mourning (Australia)|day of mourning]] and reflection on the [[colonisation of Australia]] with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in attendance for the ceremony.<ref name="Wahlquistov">{{cite news|last=Wahlquist|first=Calla|title='Overwhelmed': Hundreds attend first dawn service to be held on Australia Day|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day|work=The Guardian|date=26 January 2019|access-date=16 February 2021|url-status=live|df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232218/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day |archive-date=2020-11-07}}</ref>

Thorpe was removed from the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] parade on 25 February 2023 when she had laid down in front of a float in protest against the presence of police.<ref name="HildebrandtABC">{{cite news |last1=Hildebrandt |first1=Carla |title=Federal senator Lidia Thorpe halts Sydney's Mardi Gras parade with police protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |access-date=26 February 2023 |work=ABC News |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226005157/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023, footage emerged of Thorpe being tackled to the ground by a police officer while attending a demonstration outside of [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]]. Thorpe was part of a group countering an anti-transgender rights rally which included activist [[Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull]] at Parliament House. Australian Attorney-General [[Mark Dreyfus]] is believed to be investigating the matter, having sought advice from the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the matter.<ref name="ThompsonTheAge">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Angus |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe clashes with police at anti-trans rally |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=The Age |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323030920/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe alleged the treatment by police constituted [[assault]] and the [[Minister for Indigenous Australians]], [[Linda Burney]], said the incident was “disturbing and concerning”.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paul Karp |agency= |title=Lidia Thorpe’s treatment at anti-trans rally ‘disturbing and concerning’, Linda Burney says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |quote= |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2023-04-04 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404034858/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Award==
Thorpe was awarded the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership in 2008.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Personal life and family ==
Thorpe's grandmother, [[Alma Thorpe]], was one of the founders of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service<ref name=2011_Vic_AHR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|title=2011 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll - Alma Thorpe|date=2012|publisher=State Government of Victoria|access-date=2017-12-06|archive-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206204014/https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|title=New Greens MP Lidia Thorpe's long road from Nowa Nowa to Northcote|newspaper=The Age|date=19 November 2017|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=22 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122114820/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|url-status=live}}</ref> in 1973, the year of Lidia's birth, and was also involved in the setting up of the [[Aboriginal Tent Embassy]]. Her mother, Marjorie Thorpe, was a co-commissioner for the [[Stolen Generations]] inquiry that produced the ''[[Bringing Them Home]]'' report in the 1990s, and later a member of the [[Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation]], and a preselected Greens federal candidate for [[Division of Gippsland|Gippsland]].<ref name=latimore2022>{{cite web | last=Latimore | first=Jack | title='Shouty, uninformed, ineffective': How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment | website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date=23 April 2022 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802203258/https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Both Alma and her mother, Edna Brown, were [[Koori]] activists in [[Footscray, Victoria|Footscray]] and [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. Edna had been forcibly moved out of [[Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve]] in 1932, aged 15, before becoming a community activist.<ref name=latimore2022/> Edna was married to James Brown, of Scottish/Australian descent.

Thorpe's sister is Meriki Onus, who co-founded the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) collective that was a driving force behind the [[Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty]] movement.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her uncle is activist [[Robbie Thorpe]], who is linked to some of the earliest struggles for [[Aboriginal Australian self-determination]], and also involved with the Pay The Rent campaign.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Thorpe has three children<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|title=Lidia Thorpe website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621191237/http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|archive-date=21 June 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Greens"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|title=Senate Hansard - Wednesday, 2 December 2020|date=2 December 2020|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=3 December 2020|archive-date=3 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703013411/https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and {{as of|April 2022|lc=yes}} has four grandchildren.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Thorpe was reportedly in a relationship with Gavan McFadzean, manager of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Program at the [[Australian Conservation Foundation]], from 2019 to 2022.<ref name =9newsfb>{{cite web | title=Jilted partner of firebrand senator Lidia Thorpe found out she had an affair with a bikie from news | website=9 Breaking News | date=20 October 2022 | url=https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020230440/https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-date=20 October 2022 | url-status=live | access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>

== Controversy ==
In a speech to Parliament in May 2021, Thorpe commented negatively on new bail laws being introduced into the Northern Territory and made an assumption that the [[Attorney-General of the Northern Territory]] was a white male. The attorney-general, [[Selena Uibo]], was an Aboriginal woman.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Heaney |first1=Chelsea |date=13 May 2021 |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |language=en-AU |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live |access-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513153107/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |archive-date=13 May 2021}}</ref> Uibo stated that Thorpe was not qualified to speak on the Northern Territory's issues.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-05-13 |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live |access-date=2022-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514192104/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |archive-date=14 May 2021}}</ref>

In December 2021, Thorpe interjected to Liberal senator [[Hollie Hughes (politician)|Hollie Hughes]] "at least I keep my legs shut", during a Senate discussion about people living with disabilities. When challenged on the remark, Thorpe told the Chamber: "I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I’m happy to retract.” Hughes believed the statement was in reference to her autistic son, and was reportedly left in tears.<ref>{{cite web |date=2 December 2021 |title=Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe accused of 'legs shut' gibe at Liberal colleague |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202120712/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |archive-date=2 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021 |website=news.com.au}}</ref> Later in the evening, Thorpe admitted to "inappropriate remarks" and apologised, but denied any reference to Hughes's son.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes Greens senator Lidia Thorpe apologises for ‘disgusting’ comment directed at Liberal Hollie Hughes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227095129/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes|date=27 February 2023}}; theguardian, 2 Dec 2021</ref>

In December 2021, following a fire that damaged the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] in Canberra, Thorpe was criticised for tweeting "Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone #AlwayswasAlwayswillBeAboriginalLand". The tweet was criticised by members of both the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] and [[Australian Labor Party]]. Thorpe deleted the tweet an hour later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alex |date=31 December 2021 |title=Probe into Old Parliament fire underway |work=[[Canberra Times]] |location=[[Canberra, Australian Capital Territory]] |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |url-status=live |access-date=2022-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908235736/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |archive-date=8 September 2022}}</ref>

In a June 2022 interview, Thorpe said she was there to 'infiltrate' the Australian parliament and that the [[Australian flag]] had "no permission to be here". Senator [[Jacinta Nampijinpa Price]] denounced Thorpe's comments and called for her dismissal from parliament.<ref name="Graham">{{Cite news |last=Graham |first=Ben |date=June 23, 2022 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe said she is 'here to infiltrate' Australia's parliament |website=news.com.au |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623064536/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8 |archive-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>

Thorpe gained media attention during her swearing-in ceremony. She added the words "the colonising" in the required [[Oath of Allegiance (Australia)|Oath of Allegiance]] to [[Queen Elizabeth II]] by saying "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to ''the colonising'' Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Australia, Her heirs and successors according to law." Thorpe was immediately criticised by fellow senators. After an instruction by Labor Senate president [[Sue Lines]] and interjections from others that the oath must be taken word-by-word, Thorpe recited the pledge once more, this time omitting the two words.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 2022 |title=Australian senator Lidia Thorpe calls the Queen a 'coloniser' in mandatory oath of allegiance for parliament |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801200039/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |archive-date=1 August 2022 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Butler">{{Cite news |last=Butler |first=Josh |date=August 1, 2022 |title=Australian senator calls the Queen a coloniser while being sworn in to parliament |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801202621/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament |archive-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref>

On 16 April 2023, footage emerged of Thorpe in a verbal altercation with men outside a strip club.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 16, 2023 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe in heated exchange outside strip club |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-in-heated-exchange-outside-strip-club-20230416-p5d0w9.html |access-date=April 20, 2023 |website=smh.com |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> Thorpe claimed the men provoked the altercation,<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMillan |first=Ashleigh |date=2023-04-16 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe in heated exchange outside strip club |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-in-heated-exchange-outside-strip-club-20230416-p5d0w9.html |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> while the manager of the club claimed she provoked the incident by approaching white patrons and telling them they'd stolen her land.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 18, 2023 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe’s strip club stoush |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky2AxUDRXJ4 |access-date=April 20, 2023 |website=youtube.com |publisher=7NEWS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-04-20 |title=Lidia Thorpe says prime minister trying to undermine her following strip club altercation |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-20/thorpe-says-pm-undermining-her-over-strip-club-altercation/102248466 |access-date=2023-04-21}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://indigenousx.com.au/daniel-james-lidia-thorpe-member-for-northcote/ IndigenousX]

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{{s-bef|before=[[Fiona Richardson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]|years=2017–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kat Theophanous]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Australian Senators}}
{{Current Senate crossbench}}
{{Portal bar|Australia|Politics|2020s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Lidia}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Victoria]]
[[Category:Women members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian women politicians]]
[[Category:Australian indigenous rights activists]]
[[Category:Women human rights activists]]
[[Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian socialists]]
[[Category:Australian republicans]]
[[Category:People from Collingwood, Victoria]]
[[Category:Politicians from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Gunaikurnai people]]
[[Category:Anti-monarchists]]

Lidia Thorpe

2023-04-14T03:31:12Z

LibStar: /* Activism */

{{short description|Australian politician (born 1973)}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox AM
| honorific_prefix = [[Australian Senate|Senator]]
| image = Lidia Thorpe 2020.png
| name = Lidia Thorpe
| honorific-suffix =
| successor1 =
| office1 = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| term_start1 = 4 September 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[Richard Di Natale]]
| office2 = [[Leaders of the Australian Greens#Deputy Leaders in the Senate|Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate]]
| term_start2 = 10 June 2022
| term_end2 = 20 October 2022
| leader2 = [[Adam Bandt]]
| predecessor2 = ''Office established''
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly]] for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]
| term_start3 = 18 November 2017
| term_end3 = 24 November 2018
| predecessor3 = [[Fiona Richardson]]
| successor3 = [[Kat Theophanous]]
| birth_name = Lidia Alma Thorpe
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}}
| birth_place = [[Carlton, Victoria]], Australia
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2023)
| otherparty = [[Australian Greens|Greens]] (until 2023)
| alma_mater =
| children = 3
| relatives = [[Alma Thorpe]] (grandmother)
| website = {{Official|https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe}}
}}
'''Lidia Alma Thorpe''' (born 1973) is an Australian independent politician. She has been a [[Australian Senate|senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] since 2020 and is the first [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] senator from that state. She was a member of the [[Australian Greens]] until February 2023 when she quit the party over disagreements concerning the proposed [[Indigenous Voice to Parliament]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206015845/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |url-status=live }}</ref> She had also served as the Greens' deputy leader in the Senate from June to October 2022.

Thorpe has previously been a member of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]]. On winning the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|Northcote state by-election]] on 18 November 2017 she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament and served as the member for the division of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] in the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] from 2017 to 2018.

Thorpe has received media attention for her criticism of the legitimacy of Australian political institutions, which she views as stemming from colonialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe makes international headlines after 'colonising Queen' oath |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=SBS |language=en |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915155206/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |url-status=live }}</ref> She has been critical of the [[Albanese Government]]'s proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

==Early life and education ==
Lidia Alma Thorpe<ref name=abn>{{cite web | title=Historical details for ABN 65 868 640 208 | website=ABN Lookup | date=November 2014 | url=https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802074728/https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | url-status=live }}</ref> was born in 1973 in [[Carlton, Victoria]].<ref name="parlbio">{{cite Au Parliament|mpid=280301|name=Senator Lidia Thorpe|access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><ref name="birthyear">{{cite news|last1=Wahlquist|first1=Calla|title=Lidia Thorpe 'finds her voice', the first Indigenous woman to do so in Victorian parliament|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|access-date=8 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=29 November 2017|language=en|archive-date=8 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123852/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref> She is of European,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |title=A new era of disrespect and petty antics |website=Spectator Australia |date=2 August 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022 |archive-date=21 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021021718/https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Djab wurrung|DjabWurrung]], [[Gunaikurnai people|Gunnai]] and [[Gunditjmara]] descent.<ref name="Greens">{{Cite web |title=Lidia Thorpe |url=https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |access-date=2022-05-04 |publisher=[[Australian Greens Victoria]] |language=en |archive-date=14 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114150419/https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe grew up in [[Housing Commission of Victoria|Housing Commission]] flats in [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]] and went to Gold Street Primary School in [[Clifton Hill, Victoria|Clifton Hill]]. She studied Year 7 at [[Fitzroy High School]], Year 8 at Collingwood High, returned to Fitzroy High for Year 9, but left soon afterwards, at the age of 14. She enjoyed playing [[Australian rules football]] and [[netball]], and says that she was very competitive.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her first job was working with her uncle [[Robbie Thorpe]] at the Koori Information Centre at 120 [[Gertrude Street]], Fitzroy, which at that time was "a hub of Black political activity". She says that from that day onwards, she has worked continuously, apart from six-month breaks when having babies.<ref name=latimore2022/>

She holds a Diploma of Community Development from [[Swinburne University of Technology]], a graduate certificate in [[public sector]] management and a Certificate IV Indigenous Leadership.<ref name=vicparl2021>{{cite re-member |title=Ms Lidia Thorpe |num2=127 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

She became a [[single mother]] at the age of 17.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Early career==
Thorpe has worked as the Aboriginal employment adviser for the [[Municipal Association of Victoria]] and was president of the Lakes Entrance Basketball Association for three years. She has also been a member of the school council of the [[Nowa Nowa, Victoria|Nowa Nowa]] Primary School, a steering committee for Indigenous administrators and the [[Institute of Public Administration Australia]] (Victoria). She worked as a [[project manager]] with the [[East Gippsland Shire Council]],<ref name=fellowship>{{cite news|url=https://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|title=Lidia Thorpe: Emerging Leader 2008 - 2009|website=Indigenous Fellowship|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812151055/http://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|url-status=live}}</ref> Indigenous manager at [[Centrelink]] and manager at [[Lake Tyers|Lake Tyers Aboriginal Training Centre]].<ref name=vicparl2021/>

Thorpe was the co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|title=The Committee|access-date=5 April 2022|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302225026/https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|title=2017 Northcote by-election|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=18 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118144352/http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|title=Northcote by-election: Greens pick their woman for key battle of the north|last1=Towell|first1=Noel|last2=Preiss|first2=Benjamin|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=11 September 2017|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114233925/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=fellowship/>

In 2013, Thorpe was declared [[bankrupt]] with over {{AUD|700,000}} in debts, including monies owed to Indigenous Business Australia and {{AUD|55,000}} owed to the [[Australian Taxation Office]]. She said that her bankruptcy resulted from [[domestic violence]], stating "like many survivors of family violence, I ended up losing everything in a bid to protect myself and my family from an impossible situation".<ref name="bankruptcy">{{cite news |last1=Hore |first1=Monique |title=Greens Northcote candidate reveals abusive relationship led to her bankruptcy |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=Herald Sun |date=26 October 2017 |archive-date=31 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831102149/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |url-status=live }}</ref> Her ex-husband, who was an alcoholic, confirmed her account of the marriage breakdown. She was discharged from bankruptcy in 2016.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Political career==
===Victorian Legislative Assembly===
[[File:JMP 6094 (46499665305).jpg|thumb|right|Thorpe at a rally in Melbourne in 2019]]

Thorpe won the seat of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] at the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|2017 by-election]] on 18 November 2017 after receiving 45.22% of the primary vote, which became 50.93% after the distribution of preferences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|title=Northcote District By-election 2017 : Northcote District|work=VEC|access-date=9 August 2018|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809122905/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She was sworn in as a member of parliament on 28 November 2017 and delivered her first speech to the assembly the following day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|title=State's first Aboriginal woman MP Lidia Thorpe speaks of genocide, lingering disadvantage|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|work=The Age|date=29 November 2017|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201161723/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Raue|first=Ben|date=19 November 2017|title=Northcote byelection: Greens' Lidia Thorpe takes Melbourne seat from Labor|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119000210/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|url-status=live}}</ref>
Thorpe was the [[Australian Greens Victoria]] portfolio holder for Aboriginal Justice, Consumer Affairs, Skills and Training, Sport and Mental Health.<ref name="Greens"/><ref name=vicparl2021/>

In May 2018, she organised an historic gathering of [[Aboriginal elder]]s at the [[Parliament of Victoria]] to discuss the state's treaty processes. The meeting was organised as part of Thorpe's campaign to implement clan-based treaties, which would recognise the approximately 100 Aboriginal clans in Victoria. At the time, Thorpe said: "Our sovereignty and each of our language groups and our Clans must be clearly recognised in the government's treaty advancement legislation."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|title=Victorian Elders call for Clan-based treaties and more inclusion in process|work=NITV|last1=Hocking|first1=Rachel|date=14 May 2018|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=15 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815202151/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|url-status=live}}</ref> The delegation of clan elders unanimously agreed to form an elders council. Thorpe supported the [[Victorian Government]]'s 2018 treaty bill, but stated that she would continue to push for clan sovereignty to be recognised as the treaty process advances.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |title=Victoria passes Aboriginal treaty bill |work=The Age |date=21 June 2018 |last1=Banger |first1=Marie |last2=Offer |first2=Kaitlyn |access-date=15 August 2018 |archive-date=26 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726152434/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe lost her seat to Labor candidate [[Kat Theophanous]] at the [[2018 Victorian state election]],<ref name=florance/> with her term finishing on 19 December 2018.<ref name=vicparl2021/> She told ABC Radio Melbourne: "We need to have a good look at ourselves and have a review of what this election has done to our party, losing quite a considerable amount of Greens members." She said Labor ran a "dirty campaign" against her but conceded that negative coverage due to internal party scandals had also contributed to her defeat.<ref name=florance>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |title=Victorian election should prompt Greens to take a 'good look at ourselves', losing Northcote MP says |website=ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |last1=Florance |first1=Loretta |date=26 November 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126062649/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Senate===
[[File:Lidia Thorpe in Parliament 2020.jpg|thumb|Thorpe being sworn into parliament in October 2020]]
In June 2020, Thorpe was [[Preselection|preselected]] by [[Australian Greens Victoria|Victorian Greens]] members to fill the federal [[Australian Senate|Senate]] vacancy caused by former leader [[Richard Di Natale]]'s resignation.<ref name=June2020>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-20|title=Aboriginal activist Lidia Thorpe to replace Richard Di Natale as Greens senator for Victoria|last1=Cox|first1=Lisa|url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=20 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620062117/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|url-status=live}}</ref> She was appointed to the vacancy at a joint sitting of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]] on 4 September and sworn in on 6 October 2020.<ref name=Appointment4September2020/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|title=Senator @lidia__thorpe arrives on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country carrying a Message Stick "memorialising the 441 First Nations people who have died in custody without justice" #auspol @SBSNews @NITV|work=SBS News|author=Brett Mason|publisher=Twitter|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006101201/https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|url-status=live}}</ref> She is the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate and is the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian from the Greens.<ref name=June2020/><ref name=Appointment4September2020>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|work=The Canberra Times|date=4 September 2020|title=Vic endorses Thorpe as new Greens senator|last1=Osborne|first1=Paul|access-date=4 September 2020|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404043939/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a speech to Parliament in May 2021, Thorpe commented negatively on new bail laws being introduced into the Northern Territory and made an assumption that the [[Attorney-General of the Northern Territory]] was a white male. The attorney-general, [[Selena Uibo]], was an Aboriginal woman.<ref>{{cite news |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=14 May 2021 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |last1=Heaney |first1=Chelsea |date=13 May 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=13 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513153107/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe criticised the laws as racist, while Uibo countered that Thorpe simply said outrageous things to get on television and was not qualified to speak on the Northern Territory's issues.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-05-13 |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=2022-10-20 |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514192104/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2021, Thorpe interjected to Liberal senator [[Hollie Hughes (politician)|Hollie Hughes]] "at least I keep my legs shut", during a Senate discussion about people living with disabilities. When challenged on the remark, Thorpe told the Chamber: "I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I’m happy to retract.” Hughes believed the statement was in reference to her autistic son, and was reportedly left in tears.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |title=Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe accused of 'legs shut' gibe at Liberal colleague |website=news.com.au |date=2 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202120712/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in the evening, Thorpe admitted to "inappropriate remarks" and apologised, but denied any reference to Hughes's son.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes Greens senator Lidia Thorpe apologises for ‘disgusting’ comment directed at Liberal Hollie Hughes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227095129/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes |date=27 February 2023 }}; theguardian, 2 Dec 2021</ref>

In December 2021, following a fire that damaged the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] in Canberra, Thorpe was criticised for tweeting "Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone #AlwayswasAlwayswillBeAboriginalLand". The tweet was criticised by members of both the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] and [[Australian Labor Party]]. Thorpe deleted the tweet an hour later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alex |date=31 December 2021 |title=Probe into Old Parliament fire underway |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |work=[[Canberra Times]] |location=[[Canberra, Australian Capital Territory]] |access-date=2022-09-09 |archive-date=8 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908235736/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the [[2022 Australian federal election|May 2022 federal election]], at which she was re-elected, Thorpe was elected by the Greens party room as the party's deputy leader in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Bandt|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Bandt|user=adambandt|date=June 10, 2022|number=1535136884690927616|title=I thank my colleagues for their strong and continued support. After our best election result ever, I am very excited to be the Leader of an expanded Greens Party Room & leadership team as we fight for action on climate and inequality.}}</ref><ref name="parlbio"/>

In a June 2022 interview, Thorpe said she was there to 'infiltrate' the Australian parliament and that the [[Australian flag]] had "no permission to be here". Fellow Aboriginal senator [[Jacinta Nampijinpa Price]] denounced Thorpe's comments and called for her dismissal from parliament.<ref name=Graham>{{Cite news|website=news.com.au|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe said she is 'here to infiltrate' Australia's parliament| last=Graham| first=Ben| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623064536/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|archive-date=June 23, 2022|date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>

Thorpe gained media attention during her swearing-in ceremony, which was delayed due to her absence the week prior. She added the words "the colonising" in the required [[Oath of Allegiance (Australia)|Oath of Allegiance]] to [[Queen Elizabeth II]] by saying "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to ''the colonising'' Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Australia, Her heirs and successors according to law." Thorpe was immediately criticised by fellow senators. After an instruction by Labor Senate president [[Sue Lines]] and interjections from others that the oath must be taken word-by-word, Thorpe recited the pledge once more, this time omitting the two words.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian senator Lidia Thorpe calls the Queen a 'coloniser' in mandatory oath of allegiance for parliament |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=inews.co.uk |date=August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801200039/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Butler>{{Cite news|newspaper=The Guardian| url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament|date=August 1, 2022| title=Australian senator calls the Queen a coloniser while being sworn in to parliament |last=Butler |first=Josh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801202621/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament |archive-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref>

==== Resignation from Greens' deputy leadership ====
On 20 October 2022, Thorpe was forced to resign from her position as Greens' deputy leader in the Senate, shortly after [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]] revealed that in 2021 she had dated the ex-president of the [[Rebels Motorcycle Club|Rebels outlaw bikie gang]], Dean Martin. At the time of the relationship, she had held the justice portfolio for the Greens and had been serving on the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, so had been privy to confidential briefings about bikie gangs and [[organised crime]]. Thorpe had not disclosed the relationship, and it was only revealed when her staff notified party leader Adam Bandt's office and an independent parliamentary authority. Her staff became aware of the relationship in mid-2021. In August 2021, when confidential law enforcement committee briefing documents concerning bikie gangs arrived in her office hours after Thorpe had met Martin, one of her staffers urged her to inform Bandt, but she failed to do so. She told the staffer that "she was being really careful": she used [[encrypted]] social media to communicate with Martin, conversations were deleted weekly, and they never met at either one's home. The matter was referred to the [[Australian Federal Police]]. Thorpe said that she continues to be friends with Martin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/bombshell-as-bandt-seeks-greens-senators-mresignation/news-story/adf3151b217081f68291330ff6619e61
|title=Bombshell as Bandt seeks Greens senator's resignation |website=news.com.au |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe admits to undisclosed relationship with ex-Rebels president Dean Martin while on law enforcement committee |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020014844/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |url-status=live }}</ref> Martin had been president of the Rebels in Victoria, and had been charged and pleaded guilty to liquor offences in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Steve |date=2013-08-29 |title=Rebels president Dean Martin pleads guilty to liquor offences |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=The Age |language=en |archive-date=22 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022061936/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the revelations, Thorpe faced a censure motion in the Senate. Senator [[Pauline Hanson]] called for her to resign, while [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] senator [[Helen Polley]], the head of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, of which Thorpe had been a member, said, with regard to Thorpe's position as a senator: "she should consider if it's the right place for her".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |title= Lidia Thorpe to face censure motion amid calls to resign from Senate over bikie relationship |website= SBS News |date= 21 October 2022 |access-date= 22 October 2022 |archive-date= 21 October 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221021223428/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |url-status= live }}</ref>

It was also reported on 20 October that following a complaint by one of her staff, the Department of Finance was reviewing the culture of Thorpe's office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe resigns as Senate deputy after undisclosed relationship with ex-bikie boss |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020031759/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 24 October, Thorpe referred herself to the Senate privileges committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lowrey |first=Tom |date=2022-10-24 |title=Lidia Thorpe refers herself to privileges committee over undisclosed relationship with former bikie boss |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |access-date=2022-10-24 |archive-date=24 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024042406/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023 a parliamentary investigation cleared Thorpe of contempt of parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | title=Senate probe clears Lidia Thorpe of contempt over undisclosed relationship | newspaper=ABC News | date=7 March 2023 | access-date=7 March 2023 | archive-date=7 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307224235/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Resignation from the Greens ====
On 6 February 2023, Thorpe announced that she would resign from the Greens to become an independent senator, sitting on the crossbench, over disagreements concerning the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.<ref name=":1"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-05 |title=Indigenous Voice to parliament updates LIVE: Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice division |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206020117/https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |url-status=live }}</ref> In a statement, Thorpe stated that "this country has a strong grassroots [[Australian Indigenous Sovereignty|black sovereign]] movement, full of staunch and committed warriors, and I want to represent that movement fully in this Parliament. It has become clear to me, that I can't do that from within the Greens."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|title=Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice to Parliament|work=SBS News|date=6 February 2023|access-date=6 February 2023|archive-date=6 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206021503/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Ongoing roles and interests==
Thorpe is or has been the delegate for the Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the Victorian representative to the National Advisory Committee for [[The Smith Family (charity)|The Smith Family]] and co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Activism ==
Thorpe has supported the ''Pay the Rent'' campaign, which calls on non-Aboriginal Australians to voluntarily pay [[Reparation (legal)|reparations]] through an organisation of the same name.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |title='Pay the rent': Invasion Day protesters urged to hand over cash at march |last=Cowie |first=Tom |publisher=The Age |date=21 January 2020 |accessdate=17 January 2023 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117140726/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe has been critical of the ''[[Uluru Statement from the Heart]]'', believing there should be a [[Indigenous treaties in Australia|treaty]] before an [[Indigenous voice to government]]. Thorpe led a walk-out of the Uluru convention, believing that it was "hijacked by Aboriginal corporations and establishment appointments and did not reflect the aspirations of ordinary Indigenous people".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grand |first1=Chip Le |title=Without treaty, incoming senator can't feel part of 'Team Australia' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910211804/https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Australia Day]] 2019, an inaugural dawn service organised by Thorpe was held at the [[Kings Domain Resting Place]] as a [[Day of Mourning (Australia)|day of mourning]] and reflection on the [[colonisation of Australia]] with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in attendance for the ceremony.<ref name="Wahlquistov">{{cite news|last=Wahlquist|first=Calla|title='Overwhelmed': Hundreds attend first dawn service to be held on Australia Day|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day|work=The Guardian|date=26 January 2019|access-date=16 February 2021|url-status=live|df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232218/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day |archive-date=2020-11-07}}</ref> Thorpe was removed from the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] parade on 25 February 2023 when she had laid down in front of a float in protest against the presence of police.<ref name="HildebrandtABC">{{cite news |last1=Hildebrandt |first1=Carla |title=Federal senator Lidia Thorpe halts Sydney's Mardi Gras parade with police protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |access-date=26 February 2023 |work=ABC News |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226005157/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023, footage emerged of Thorpe being tackled to the ground by a police officer while attending a demonstration outside of [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]]. Thorpe was part of a group countering an anti-transgender rights rally which included activist [[Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull]] at Parliament House. Australian Attorney-General [[Mark Dreyfus]] is believed to be investigating the matter, having sought advice from the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the matter.<ref name="ThompsonTheAge">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Angus |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe clashes with police at anti-trans rally |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=The Age |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323030920/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe alleged the treatment by police constituted [[assault]] and the [[Minister for Indigenous Australians]], [[Linda Burney]], said the incident was “disturbing and concerning”.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paul Karp |agency= |title=Lidia Thorpe’s treatment at anti-trans rally ‘disturbing and concerning’, Linda Burney says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |quote= |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2023-04-04 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404034858/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Award==
Thorpe was awarded the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership in 2008.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Personal life and family ==
Thorpe's grandmother, [[Alma Thorpe]], was one of the founders of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service<ref name=2011_Vic_AHR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|title=2011 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll - Alma Thorpe|date=2012|publisher=State Government of Victoria|access-date=2017-12-06|archive-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206204014/https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|title=New Greens MP Lidia Thorpe's long road from Nowa Nowa to Northcote|newspaper=The Age|date=19 November 2017|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=22 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122114820/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|url-status=live}}</ref> in 1973, the year of Lidia's birth, and was also involved in the setting up of the [[Aboriginal Tent Embassy]]. Her mother, Marjorie Thorpe, was a co-commissioner for the [[Stolen Generations]] inquiry that produced the ''[[Bringing Them Home]]'' report in the 1990s, and later a member of the [[Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation]], and a preselected Greens federal candidate for [[Division of Gippsland|Gippsland]].<ref name=latimore2022>{{cite web | last=Latimore | first=Jack | title='Shouty, uninformed, ineffective': How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment | website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date=23 April 2022 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802203258/https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Both Alma and her mother, Edna Brown, were [[Koori]] activists in [[Footscray, Victoria|Footscray]] and [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. Edna had been forcibly moved out of [[Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve]] in 1932, aged 15, before becoming a community activist.<ref name=latimore2022/> Edna was married to James Brown, of Scottish/Australian descent.

Thorpe's sister is Meriki Onus, who co-founded the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) collective that was a driving force behind the [[Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty]] movement.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her uncle is activist [[Robbie Thorpe]], who is linked to some of the earliest struggles for [[Aboriginal Australian self-determination]], and also involved with the Pay The Rent campaign.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Thorpe has three children<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|title=Lidia Thorpe website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621191237/http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|archive-date=21 June 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Greens"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|title=Senate Hansard - Wednesday, 2 December 2020|date=2 December 2020|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=3 December 2020|archive-date=3 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703013411/https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and {{as of|April 2022|lc=yes}} has four grandchildren.<ref name=latimore2022/>

According to October 2022 Facebook posts by Gavan McFadzean, manager of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Program at the [[Australian Conservation Foundation]], he had been in a relationship with Thorpe since 2019. He wrote that he had only found out about her liaison with bikie Dean Martin via news media, referring to it as "an affair".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=22 October 2022 |title=More trouble for Thorpe over ex bikie boss "affair" |work=Herald Sun| url-access =subscription |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2F |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref><ref name =9newsfb>{{cite web | title=Jilted partner of firebrand senator Lidia Thorpe found out she had an affair with a bikie from news | website=9 Breaking News | date=20 October 2022 | url=https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020230440/https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-date=20 October 2022 | url-status=live | access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://indigenousx.com.au/daniel-james-lidia-thorpe-member-for-northcote/ IndigenousX]

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{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Fiona Richardson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]|years=2017–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kat Theophanous]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Australian Senators}}
{{Current Senate crossbench}}
{{Portal bar|Australia|Politics|2020s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Lidia}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Victoria]]
[[Category:Women members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian women politicians]]
[[Category:Australian indigenous rights activists]]
[[Category:Women human rights activists]]
[[Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian socialists]]
[[Category:Australian republicans]]
[[Category:People from Collingwood, Victoria]]
[[Category:Politicians from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Gunaikurnai people]]
[[Category:Anti-monarchists]]

Lidia Thorpe

2023-04-14T03:30:12Z

LibStar: /* Activism */

{{short description|Australian politician (born 1973)}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox AM
| honorific_prefix = [[Australian Senate|Senator]]
| image = Lidia Thorpe 2020.png
| name = Lidia Thorpe
| honorific-suffix =
| successor1 =
| office1 = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| term_start1 = 4 September 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[Richard Di Natale]]
| office2 = [[Leaders of the Australian Greens#Deputy Leaders in the Senate|Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate]]
| term_start2 = 10 June 2022
| term_end2 = 20 October 2022
| leader2 = [[Adam Bandt]]
| predecessor2 = ''Office established''
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly]] for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]
| term_start3 = 18 November 2017
| term_end3 = 24 November 2018
| predecessor3 = [[Fiona Richardson]]
| successor3 = [[Kat Theophanous]]
| birth_name = Lidia Alma Thorpe
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}}
| birth_place = [[Carlton, Victoria]], Australia
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2023)
| otherparty = [[Australian Greens|Greens]] (until 2023)
| alma_mater =
| children = 3
| relatives = [[Alma Thorpe]] (grandmother)
| website = {{Official|https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe}}
}}
'''Lidia Alma Thorpe''' (born 1973) is an Australian independent politician. She has been a [[Australian Senate|senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] since 2020 and is the first [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] senator from that state. She was a member of the [[Australian Greens]] until February 2023 when she quit the party over disagreements concerning the proposed [[Indigenous Voice to Parliament]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206015845/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |url-status=live }}</ref> She had also served as the Greens' deputy leader in the Senate from June to October 2022.

Thorpe has previously been a member of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]]. On winning the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|Northcote state by-election]] on 18 November 2017 she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament and served as the member for the division of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] in the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] from 2017 to 2018.

Thorpe has received media attention for her criticism of the legitimacy of Australian political institutions, which she views as stemming from colonialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe makes international headlines after 'colonising Queen' oath |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=SBS |language=en |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915155206/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |url-status=live }}</ref> She has been critical of the [[Albanese Government]]'s proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

==Early life and education ==
Lidia Alma Thorpe<ref name=abn>{{cite web | title=Historical details for ABN 65 868 640 208 | website=ABN Lookup | date=November 2014 | url=https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802074728/https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | url-status=live }}</ref> was born in 1973 in [[Carlton, Victoria]].<ref name="parlbio">{{cite Au Parliament|mpid=280301|name=Senator Lidia Thorpe|access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><ref name="birthyear">{{cite news|last1=Wahlquist|first1=Calla|title=Lidia Thorpe 'finds her voice', the first Indigenous woman to do so in Victorian parliament|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|access-date=8 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=29 November 2017|language=en|archive-date=8 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123852/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref> She is of European,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |title=A new era of disrespect and petty antics |website=Spectator Australia |date=2 August 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022 |archive-date=21 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021021718/https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Djab wurrung|DjabWurrung]], [[Gunaikurnai people|Gunnai]] and [[Gunditjmara]] descent.<ref name="Greens">{{Cite web |title=Lidia Thorpe |url=https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |access-date=2022-05-04 |publisher=[[Australian Greens Victoria]] |language=en |archive-date=14 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114150419/https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe grew up in [[Housing Commission of Victoria|Housing Commission]] flats in [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]] and went to Gold Street Primary School in [[Clifton Hill, Victoria|Clifton Hill]]. She studied Year 7 at [[Fitzroy High School]], Year 8 at Collingwood High, returned to Fitzroy High for Year 9, but left soon afterwards, at the age of 14. She enjoyed playing [[Australian rules football]] and [[netball]], and says that she was very competitive.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her first job was working with her uncle [[Robbie Thorpe]] at the Koori Information Centre at 120 [[Gertrude Street]], Fitzroy, which at that time was "a hub of Black political activity". She says that from that day onwards, she has worked continuously, apart from six-month breaks when having babies.<ref name=latimore2022/>

She holds a Diploma of Community Development from [[Swinburne University of Technology]], a graduate certificate in [[public sector]] management and a Certificate IV Indigenous Leadership.<ref name=vicparl2021>{{cite re-member |title=Ms Lidia Thorpe |num2=127 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

She became a [[single mother]] at the age of 17.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Early career==
Thorpe has worked as the Aboriginal employment adviser for the [[Municipal Association of Victoria]] and was president of the Lakes Entrance Basketball Association for three years. She has also been a member of the school council of the [[Nowa Nowa, Victoria|Nowa Nowa]] Primary School, a steering committee for Indigenous administrators and the [[Institute of Public Administration Australia]] (Victoria). She worked as a [[project manager]] with the [[East Gippsland Shire Council]],<ref name=fellowship>{{cite news|url=https://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|title=Lidia Thorpe: Emerging Leader 2008 - 2009|website=Indigenous Fellowship|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812151055/http://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|url-status=live}}</ref> Indigenous manager at [[Centrelink]] and manager at [[Lake Tyers|Lake Tyers Aboriginal Training Centre]].<ref name=vicparl2021/>

Thorpe was the co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|title=The Committee|access-date=5 April 2022|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302225026/https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|title=2017 Northcote by-election|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=18 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118144352/http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|title=Northcote by-election: Greens pick their woman for key battle of the north|last1=Towell|first1=Noel|last2=Preiss|first2=Benjamin|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=11 September 2017|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114233925/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=fellowship/>

In 2013, Thorpe was declared [[bankrupt]] with over {{AUD|700,000}} in debts, including monies owed to Indigenous Business Australia and {{AUD|55,000}} owed to the [[Australian Taxation Office]]. She said that her bankruptcy resulted from [[domestic violence]], stating "like many survivors of family violence, I ended up losing everything in a bid to protect myself and my family from an impossible situation".<ref name="bankruptcy">{{cite news |last1=Hore |first1=Monique |title=Greens Northcote candidate reveals abusive relationship led to her bankruptcy |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=Herald Sun |date=26 October 2017 |archive-date=31 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831102149/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |url-status=live }}</ref> Her ex-husband, who was an alcoholic, confirmed her account of the marriage breakdown. She was discharged from bankruptcy in 2016.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Political career==
===Victorian Legislative Assembly===
[[File:JMP 6094 (46499665305).jpg|thumb|right|Thorpe at a rally in Melbourne in 2019]]

Thorpe won the seat of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] at the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|2017 by-election]] on 18 November 2017 after receiving 45.22% of the primary vote, which became 50.93% after the distribution of preferences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|title=Northcote District By-election 2017 : Northcote District|work=VEC|access-date=9 August 2018|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809122905/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She was sworn in as a member of parliament on 28 November 2017 and delivered her first speech to the assembly the following day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|title=State's first Aboriginal woman MP Lidia Thorpe speaks of genocide, lingering disadvantage|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|work=The Age|date=29 November 2017|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201161723/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Raue|first=Ben|date=19 November 2017|title=Northcote byelection: Greens' Lidia Thorpe takes Melbourne seat from Labor|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119000210/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|url-status=live}}</ref>
Thorpe was the [[Australian Greens Victoria]] portfolio holder for Aboriginal Justice, Consumer Affairs, Skills and Training, Sport and Mental Health.<ref name="Greens"/><ref name=vicparl2021/>

In May 2018, she organised an historic gathering of [[Aboriginal elder]]s at the [[Parliament of Victoria]] to discuss the state's treaty processes. The meeting was organised as part of Thorpe's campaign to implement clan-based treaties, which would recognise the approximately 100 Aboriginal clans in Victoria. At the time, Thorpe said: "Our sovereignty and each of our language groups and our Clans must be clearly recognised in the government's treaty advancement legislation."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|title=Victorian Elders call for Clan-based treaties and more inclusion in process|work=NITV|last1=Hocking|first1=Rachel|date=14 May 2018|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=15 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815202151/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|url-status=live}}</ref> The delegation of clan elders unanimously agreed to form an elders council. Thorpe supported the [[Victorian Government]]'s 2018 treaty bill, but stated that she would continue to push for clan sovereignty to be recognised as the treaty process advances.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |title=Victoria passes Aboriginal treaty bill |work=The Age |date=21 June 2018 |last1=Banger |first1=Marie |last2=Offer |first2=Kaitlyn |access-date=15 August 2018 |archive-date=26 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726152434/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe lost her seat to Labor candidate [[Kat Theophanous]] at the [[2018 Victorian state election]],<ref name=florance/> with her term finishing on 19 December 2018.<ref name=vicparl2021/> She told ABC Radio Melbourne: "We need to have a good look at ourselves and have a review of what this election has done to our party, losing quite a considerable amount of Greens members." She said Labor ran a "dirty campaign" against her but conceded that negative coverage due to internal party scandals had also contributed to her defeat.<ref name=florance>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |title=Victorian election should prompt Greens to take a 'good look at ourselves', losing Northcote MP says |website=ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |last1=Florance |first1=Loretta |date=26 November 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126062649/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Senate===
[[File:Lidia Thorpe in Parliament 2020.jpg|thumb|Thorpe being sworn into parliament in October 2020]]
In June 2020, Thorpe was [[Preselection|preselected]] by [[Australian Greens Victoria|Victorian Greens]] members to fill the federal [[Australian Senate|Senate]] vacancy caused by former leader [[Richard Di Natale]]'s resignation.<ref name=June2020>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-20|title=Aboriginal activist Lidia Thorpe to replace Richard Di Natale as Greens senator for Victoria|last1=Cox|first1=Lisa|url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=20 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620062117/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|url-status=live}}</ref> She was appointed to the vacancy at a joint sitting of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]] on 4 September and sworn in on 6 October 2020.<ref name=Appointment4September2020/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|title=Senator @lidia__thorpe arrives on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country carrying a Message Stick "memorialising the 441 First Nations people who have died in custody without justice" #auspol @SBSNews @NITV|work=SBS News|author=Brett Mason|publisher=Twitter|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006101201/https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|url-status=live}}</ref> She is the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate and is the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian from the Greens.<ref name=June2020/><ref name=Appointment4September2020>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|work=The Canberra Times|date=4 September 2020|title=Vic endorses Thorpe as new Greens senator|last1=Osborne|first1=Paul|access-date=4 September 2020|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404043939/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a speech to Parliament in May 2021, Thorpe commented negatively on new bail laws being introduced into the Northern Territory and made an assumption that the [[Attorney-General of the Northern Territory]] was a white male. The attorney-general, [[Selena Uibo]], was an Aboriginal woman.<ref>{{cite news |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=14 May 2021 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |last1=Heaney |first1=Chelsea |date=13 May 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=13 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513153107/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe criticised the laws as racist, while Uibo countered that Thorpe simply said outrageous things to get on television and was not qualified to speak on the Northern Territory's issues.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-05-13 |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=2022-10-20 |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514192104/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2021, Thorpe interjected to Liberal senator [[Hollie Hughes (politician)|Hollie Hughes]] "at least I keep my legs shut", during a Senate discussion about people living with disabilities. When challenged on the remark, Thorpe told the Chamber: "I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I’m happy to retract.” Hughes believed the statement was in reference to her autistic son, and was reportedly left in tears.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |title=Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe accused of 'legs shut' gibe at Liberal colleague |website=news.com.au |date=2 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202120712/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in the evening, Thorpe admitted to "inappropriate remarks" and apologised, but denied any reference to Hughes's son.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes Greens senator Lidia Thorpe apologises for ‘disgusting’ comment directed at Liberal Hollie Hughes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227095129/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes |date=27 February 2023 }}; theguardian, 2 Dec 2021</ref>

In December 2021, following a fire that damaged the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] in Canberra, Thorpe was criticised for tweeting "Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone #AlwayswasAlwayswillBeAboriginalLand". The tweet was criticised by members of both the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] and [[Australian Labor Party]]. Thorpe deleted the tweet an hour later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alex |date=31 December 2021 |title=Probe into Old Parliament fire underway |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |work=[[Canberra Times]] |location=[[Canberra, Australian Capital Territory]] |access-date=2022-09-09 |archive-date=8 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908235736/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the [[2022 Australian federal election|May 2022 federal election]], at which she was re-elected, Thorpe was elected by the Greens party room as the party's deputy leader in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Bandt|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Bandt|user=adambandt|date=June 10, 2022|number=1535136884690927616|title=I thank my colleagues for their strong and continued support. After our best election result ever, I am very excited to be the Leader of an expanded Greens Party Room & leadership team as we fight for action on climate and inequality.}}</ref><ref name="parlbio"/>

In a June 2022 interview, Thorpe said she was there to 'infiltrate' the Australian parliament and that the [[Australian flag]] had "no permission to be here". Fellow Aboriginal senator [[Jacinta Nampijinpa Price]] denounced Thorpe's comments and called for her dismissal from parliament.<ref name=Graham>{{Cite news|website=news.com.au|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe said she is 'here to infiltrate' Australia's parliament| last=Graham| first=Ben| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623064536/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|archive-date=June 23, 2022|date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>

Thorpe gained media attention during her swearing-in ceremony, which was delayed due to her absence the week prior. She added the words "the colonising" in the required [[Oath of Allegiance (Australia)|Oath of Allegiance]] to [[Queen Elizabeth II]] by saying "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to ''the colonising'' Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Australia, Her heirs and successors according to law." Thorpe was immediately criticised by fellow senators. After an instruction by Labor Senate president [[Sue Lines]] and interjections from others that the oath must be taken word-by-word, Thorpe recited the pledge once more, this time omitting the two words.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian senator Lidia Thorpe calls the Queen a 'coloniser' in mandatory oath of allegiance for parliament |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=inews.co.uk |date=August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801200039/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Butler>{{Cite news|newspaper=The Guardian| url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament|date=August 1, 2022| title=Australian senator calls the Queen a coloniser while being sworn in to parliament |last=Butler |first=Josh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801202621/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament |archive-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref>

==== Resignation from Greens' deputy leadership ====
On 20 October 2022, Thorpe was forced to resign from her position as Greens' deputy leader in the Senate, shortly after [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]] revealed that in 2021 she had dated the ex-president of the [[Rebels Motorcycle Club|Rebels outlaw bikie gang]], Dean Martin. At the time of the relationship, she had held the justice portfolio for the Greens and had been serving on the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, so had been privy to confidential briefings about bikie gangs and [[organised crime]]. Thorpe had not disclosed the relationship, and it was only revealed when her staff notified party leader Adam Bandt's office and an independent parliamentary authority. Her staff became aware of the relationship in mid-2021. In August 2021, when confidential law enforcement committee briefing documents concerning bikie gangs arrived in her office hours after Thorpe had met Martin, one of her staffers urged her to inform Bandt, but she failed to do so. She told the staffer that "she was being really careful": she used [[encrypted]] social media to communicate with Martin, conversations were deleted weekly, and they never met at either one's home. The matter was referred to the [[Australian Federal Police]]. Thorpe said that she continues to be friends with Martin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/bombshell-as-bandt-seeks-greens-senators-mresignation/news-story/adf3151b217081f68291330ff6619e61
|title=Bombshell as Bandt seeks Greens senator's resignation |website=news.com.au |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe admits to undisclosed relationship with ex-Rebels president Dean Martin while on law enforcement committee |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020014844/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |url-status=live }}</ref> Martin had been president of the Rebels in Victoria, and had been charged and pleaded guilty to liquor offences in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Steve |date=2013-08-29 |title=Rebels president Dean Martin pleads guilty to liquor offences |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=The Age |language=en |archive-date=22 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022061936/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the revelations, Thorpe faced a censure motion in the Senate. Senator [[Pauline Hanson]] called for her to resign, while [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] senator [[Helen Polley]], the head of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, of which Thorpe had been a member, said, with regard to Thorpe's position as a senator: "she should consider if it's the right place for her".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |title= Lidia Thorpe to face censure motion amid calls to resign from Senate over bikie relationship |website= SBS News |date= 21 October 2022 |access-date= 22 October 2022 |archive-date= 21 October 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221021223428/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |url-status= live }}</ref>

It was also reported on 20 October that following a complaint by one of her staff, the Department of Finance was reviewing the culture of Thorpe's office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe resigns as Senate deputy after undisclosed relationship with ex-bikie boss |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020031759/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 24 October, Thorpe referred herself to the Senate privileges committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lowrey |first=Tom |date=2022-10-24 |title=Lidia Thorpe refers herself to privileges committee over undisclosed relationship with former bikie boss |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |access-date=2022-10-24 |archive-date=24 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024042406/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023 a parliamentary investigation cleared Thorpe of contempt of parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | title=Senate probe clears Lidia Thorpe of contempt over undisclosed relationship | newspaper=ABC News | date=7 March 2023 | access-date=7 March 2023 | archive-date=7 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307224235/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Resignation from the Greens ====
On 6 February 2023, Thorpe announced that she would resign from the Greens to become an independent senator, sitting on the crossbench, over disagreements concerning the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.<ref name=":1"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-05 |title=Indigenous Voice to parliament updates LIVE: Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice division |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206020117/https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |url-status=live }}</ref> In a statement, Thorpe stated that "this country has a strong grassroots [[Australian Indigenous Sovereignty|black sovereign]] movement, full of staunch and committed warriors, and I want to represent that movement fully in this Parliament. It has become clear to me, that I can't do that from within the Greens."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|title=Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice to Parliament|work=SBS News|date=6 February 2023|access-date=6 February 2023|archive-date=6 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206021503/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Ongoing roles and interests==
Thorpe is or has been the delegate for the Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the Victorian representative to the National Advisory Committee for [[The Smith Family (charity)|The Smith Family]] and co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Activism ==
Thorpe has supported the ''Pay the Rent'' campaign, which calls on non-Aboriginal Australians to voluntarily pay [[Reparation (legal)|reparations]] through an organisation of the same name.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |title='Pay the rent': Invasion Day protesters urged to hand over cash at march |last=Cowie |first=Tom |publisher=The Age |date=21 January 2020 |accessdate=17 January 2023 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117140726/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe has been critical of the ''[[Uluru Statement from the Heart]]'', believing there should be a [[Indigenous treaties in Australia|treaty]] before an [[Indigenous voice to government]]. Thorpe led a walk-out of the Uluru convention, believing that it was "hijacked by Aboriginal corporations and establishment appointments and did not reflect the aspirations of ordinary Indigenous people".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grand |first1=Chip Le |title=Without treaty, incoming senator can't feel part of 'Team Australia' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910211804/https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Australia Day]] 2019, an inaugural dawn service organised by Thorpe was held at the [[Kings Domain Resting Place]] as a [[Day of Mourning (Australia)|day of mourning]] and reflection on the [[colonisation of Australia]] with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in attendance for the ceremony.<ref name="Wahlquistov">{{cite news|last=Wahlquist|first=Calla|title='Overwhelmed': Hundreds attend first dawn service to be held on Australia Day|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day|work=The Guardian|date=26 January 2019|access-date=16 February 2021|url-status=live|df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232218/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day |archive-date=2020-11-07}}</ref> Thorpe was removed from the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] parade on 25 February 2023. She had laid down in front of a float in protest against the presence of police.<ref name="HildebrandtABC">{{cite news |last1=Hildebrandt |first1=Carla |title=Federal senator Lidia Thorpe halts Sydney's Mardi Gras parade with police protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |access-date=26 February 2023 |work=ABC News |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226005157/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023, footage emerged of Thorpe being tackled to the ground by a police officer while attending a demonstration outside of [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]]. Thorpe was part of a group countering an anti-transgender rights rally which included activist [[Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull]] at Parliament House. Australian Attorney-General [[Mark Dreyfus]] is believed to be investigating the matter, having sought advice from the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the matter.<ref name="ThompsonTheAge">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Angus |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe clashes with police at anti-trans rally |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=The Age |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323030920/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe alleged the treatment by police constituted [[assault]] and the [[Minister for Indigenous Australians]], [[Linda Burney]], said the incident was “disturbing and concerning”.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paul Karp |agency= |title=Lidia Thorpe’s treatment at anti-trans rally ‘disturbing and concerning’, Linda Burney says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |quote= |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2023-04-04 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404034858/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Award==
Thorpe was awarded the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership in 2008.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Personal life and family ==
Thorpe's grandmother, [[Alma Thorpe]], was one of the founders of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service<ref name=2011_Vic_AHR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|title=2011 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll - Alma Thorpe|date=2012|publisher=State Government of Victoria|access-date=2017-12-06|archive-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206204014/https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|title=New Greens MP Lidia Thorpe's long road from Nowa Nowa to Northcote|newspaper=The Age|date=19 November 2017|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=22 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122114820/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|url-status=live}}</ref> in 1973, the year of Lidia's birth, and was also involved in the setting up of the [[Aboriginal Tent Embassy]]. Her mother, Marjorie Thorpe, was a co-commissioner for the [[Stolen Generations]] inquiry that produced the ''[[Bringing Them Home]]'' report in the 1990s, and later a member of the [[Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation]], and a preselected Greens federal candidate for [[Division of Gippsland|Gippsland]].<ref name=latimore2022>{{cite web | last=Latimore | first=Jack | title='Shouty, uninformed, ineffective': How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment | website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date=23 April 2022 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802203258/https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Both Alma and her mother, Edna Brown, were [[Koori]] activists in [[Footscray, Victoria|Footscray]] and [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. Edna had been forcibly moved out of [[Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve]] in 1932, aged 15, before becoming a community activist.<ref name=latimore2022/> Edna was married to James Brown, of Scottish/Australian descent.

Thorpe's sister is Meriki Onus, who co-founded the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) collective that was a driving force behind the [[Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty]] movement.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her uncle is activist [[Robbie Thorpe]], who is linked to some of the earliest struggles for [[Aboriginal Australian self-determination]], and also involved with the Pay The Rent campaign.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Thorpe has three children<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|title=Lidia Thorpe website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621191237/http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|archive-date=21 June 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Greens"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|title=Senate Hansard - Wednesday, 2 December 2020|date=2 December 2020|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=3 December 2020|archive-date=3 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703013411/https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and {{as of|April 2022|lc=yes}} has four grandchildren.<ref name=latimore2022/>

According to October 2022 Facebook posts by Gavan McFadzean, manager of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Program at the [[Australian Conservation Foundation]], he had been in a relationship with Thorpe since 2019. He wrote that he had only found out about her liaison with bikie Dean Martin via news media, referring to it as "an affair".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=22 October 2022 |title=More trouble for Thorpe over ex bikie boss "affair" |work=Herald Sun| url-access =subscription |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2F |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref><ref name =9newsfb>{{cite web | title=Jilted partner of firebrand senator Lidia Thorpe found out she had an affair with a bikie from news | website=9 Breaking News | date=20 October 2022 | url=https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020230440/https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-date=20 October 2022 | url-status=live | access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://indigenousx.com.au/daniel-james-lidia-thorpe-member-for-northcote/ IndigenousX]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Fiona Richardson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]|years=2017–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kat Theophanous]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Australian Senators}}
{{Current Senate crossbench}}
{{Portal bar|Australia|Politics|2020s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Lidia}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Victoria]]
[[Category:Women members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian women politicians]]
[[Category:Australian indigenous rights activists]]
[[Category:Women human rights activists]]
[[Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian socialists]]
[[Category:Australian republicans]]
[[Category:People from Collingwood, Victoria]]
[[Category:Politicians from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Gunaikurnai people]]
[[Category:Anti-monarchists]]

Lidia Thorpe

2023-04-14T03:27:58Z

LibStar: /* Activism */

{{short description|Australian politician (born 1973)}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox AM
| honorific_prefix = [[Australian Senate|Senator]]
| image = Lidia Thorpe 2020.png
| name = Lidia Thorpe
| honorific-suffix =
| successor1 =
| office1 = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| term_start1 = 4 September 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[Richard Di Natale]]
| office2 = [[Leaders of the Australian Greens#Deputy Leaders in the Senate|Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate]]
| term_start2 = 10 June 2022
| term_end2 = 20 October 2022
| leader2 = [[Adam Bandt]]
| predecessor2 = ''Office established''
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly]] for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]
| term_start3 = 18 November 2017
| term_end3 = 24 November 2018
| predecessor3 = [[Fiona Richardson]]
| successor3 = [[Kat Theophanous]]
| birth_name = Lidia Alma Thorpe
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}}
| birth_place = [[Carlton, Victoria]], Australia
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2023)
| otherparty = [[Australian Greens|Greens]] (until 2023)
| alma_mater =
| children = 3
| relatives = [[Alma Thorpe]] (grandmother)
| website = {{Official|https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe}}
}}
'''Lidia Alma Thorpe''' (born 1973) is an Australian independent politician. She has been a [[Australian Senate|senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] since 2020 and is the first [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] senator from that state. She was a member of the [[Australian Greens]] until February 2023 when she quit the party over disagreements concerning the proposed [[Indigenous Voice to Parliament]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206015845/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |url-status=live }}</ref> She had also served as the Greens' deputy leader in the Senate from June to October 2022.

Thorpe has previously been a member of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]]. On winning the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|Northcote state by-election]] on 18 November 2017 she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament and served as the member for the division of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] in the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] from 2017 to 2018.

Thorpe has received media attention for her criticism of the legitimacy of Australian political institutions, which she views as stemming from colonialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe makes international headlines after 'colonising Queen' oath |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=SBS |language=en |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915155206/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |url-status=live }}</ref> She has been critical of the [[Albanese Government]]'s proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

==Early life and education ==
Lidia Alma Thorpe<ref name=abn>{{cite web | title=Historical details for ABN 65 868 640 208 | website=ABN Lookup | date=November 2014 | url=https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802074728/https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | url-status=live }}</ref> was born in 1973 in [[Carlton, Victoria]].<ref name="parlbio">{{cite Au Parliament|mpid=280301|name=Senator Lidia Thorpe|access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><ref name="birthyear">{{cite news|last1=Wahlquist|first1=Calla|title=Lidia Thorpe 'finds her voice', the first Indigenous woman to do so in Victorian parliament|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|access-date=8 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=29 November 2017|language=en|archive-date=8 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123852/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref> She is of European,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |title=A new era of disrespect and petty antics |website=Spectator Australia |date=2 August 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022 |archive-date=21 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021021718/https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Djab wurrung|DjabWurrung]], [[Gunaikurnai people|Gunnai]] and [[Gunditjmara]] descent.<ref name="Greens">{{Cite web |title=Lidia Thorpe |url=https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |access-date=2022-05-04 |publisher=[[Australian Greens Victoria]] |language=en |archive-date=14 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114150419/https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe grew up in [[Housing Commission of Victoria|Housing Commission]] flats in [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]] and went to Gold Street Primary School in [[Clifton Hill, Victoria|Clifton Hill]]. She studied Year 7 at [[Fitzroy High School]], Year 8 at Collingwood High, returned to Fitzroy High for Year 9, but left soon afterwards, at the age of 14. She enjoyed playing [[Australian rules football]] and [[netball]], and says that she was very competitive.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her first job was working with her uncle [[Robbie Thorpe]] at the Koori Information Centre at 120 [[Gertrude Street]], Fitzroy, which at that time was "a hub of Black political activity". She says that from that day onwards, she has worked continuously, apart from six-month breaks when having babies.<ref name=latimore2022/>

She holds a Diploma of Community Development from [[Swinburne University of Technology]], a graduate certificate in [[public sector]] management and a Certificate IV Indigenous Leadership.<ref name=vicparl2021>{{cite re-member |title=Ms Lidia Thorpe |num2=127 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

She became a [[single mother]] at the age of 17.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Early career==
Thorpe has worked as the Aboriginal employment adviser for the [[Municipal Association of Victoria]] and was president of the Lakes Entrance Basketball Association for three years. She has also been a member of the school council of the [[Nowa Nowa, Victoria|Nowa Nowa]] Primary School, a steering committee for Indigenous administrators and the [[Institute of Public Administration Australia]] (Victoria). She worked as a [[project manager]] with the [[East Gippsland Shire Council]],<ref name=fellowship>{{cite news|url=https://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|title=Lidia Thorpe: Emerging Leader 2008 - 2009|website=Indigenous Fellowship|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812151055/http://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|url-status=live}}</ref> Indigenous manager at [[Centrelink]] and manager at [[Lake Tyers|Lake Tyers Aboriginal Training Centre]].<ref name=vicparl2021/>

Thorpe was the co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|title=The Committee|access-date=5 April 2022|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302225026/https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|title=2017 Northcote by-election|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=18 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118144352/http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|title=Northcote by-election: Greens pick their woman for key battle of the north|last1=Towell|first1=Noel|last2=Preiss|first2=Benjamin|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=11 September 2017|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114233925/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=fellowship/>

In 2013, Thorpe was declared [[bankrupt]] with over {{AUD|700,000}} in debts, including monies owed to Indigenous Business Australia and {{AUD|55,000}} owed to the [[Australian Taxation Office]]. She said that her bankruptcy resulted from [[domestic violence]], stating "like many survivors of family violence, I ended up losing everything in a bid to protect myself and my family from an impossible situation".<ref name="bankruptcy">{{cite news |last1=Hore |first1=Monique |title=Greens Northcote candidate reveals abusive relationship led to her bankruptcy |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=Herald Sun |date=26 October 2017 |archive-date=31 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831102149/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |url-status=live }}</ref> Her ex-husband, who was an alcoholic, confirmed her account of the marriage breakdown. She was discharged from bankruptcy in 2016.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Political career==
===Victorian Legislative Assembly===
[[File:JMP 6094 (46499665305).jpg|thumb|right|Thorpe at a rally in Melbourne in 2019]]

Thorpe won the seat of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] at the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|2017 by-election]] on 18 November 2017 after receiving 45.22% of the primary vote, which became 50.93% after the distribution of preferences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|title=Northcote District By-election 2017 : Northcote District|work=VEC|access-date=9 August 2018|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809122905/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She was sworn in as a member of parliament on 28 November 2017 and delivered her first speech to the assembly the following day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|title=State's first Aboriginal woman MP Lidia Thorpe speaks of genocide, lingering disadvantage|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|work=The Age|date=29 November 2017|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201161723/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Raue|first=Ben|date=19 November 2017|title=Northcote byelection: Greens' Lidia Thorpe takes Melbourne seat from Labor|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119000210/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|url-status=live}}</ref>
Thorpe was the [[Australian Greens Victoria]] portfolio holder for Aboriginal Justice, Consumer Affairs, Skills and Training, Sport and Mental Health.<ref name="Greens"/><ref name=vicparl2021/>

In May 2018, she organised an historic gathering of [[Aboriginal elder]]s at the [[Parliament of Victoria]] to discuss the state's treaty processes. The meeting was organised as part of Thorpe's campaign to implement clan-based treaties, which would recognise the approximately 100 Aboriginal clans in Victoria. At the time, Thorpe said: "Our sovereignty and each of our language groups and our Clans must be clearly recognised in the government's treaty advancement legislation."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|title=Victorian Elders call for Clan-based treaties and more inclusion in process|work=NITV|last1=Hocking|first1=Rachel|date=14 May 2018|access-date=15 August 2018|archive-date=15 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815202151/https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|url-status=live}}</ref> The delegation of clan elders unanimously agreed to form an elders council. Thorpe supported the [[Victorian Government]]'s 2018 treaty bill, but stated that she would continue to push for clan sovereignty to be recognised as the treaty process advances.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |title=Victoria passes Aboriginal treaty bill |work=The Age |date=21 June 2018 |last1=Banger |first1=Marie |last2=Offer |first2=Kaitlyn |access-date=15 August 2018 |archive-date=26 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726152434/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorpe lost her seat to Labor candidate [[Kat Theophanous]] at the [[2018 Victorian state election]],<ref name=florance/> with her term finishing on 19 December 2018.<ref name=vicparl2021/> She told ABC Radio Melbourne: "We need to have a good look at ourselves and have a review of what this election has done to our party, losing quite a considerable amount of Greens members." She said Labor ran a "dirty campaign" against her but conceded that negative coverage due to internal party scandals had also contributed to her defeat.<ref name=florance>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |title=Victorian election should prompt Greens to take a 'good look at ourselves', losing Northcote MP says |website=ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |last1=Florance |first1=Loretta |date=26 November 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126062649/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Senate===
[[File:Lidia Thorpe in Parliament 2020.jpg|thumb|Thorpe being sworn into parliament in October 2020]]
In June 2020, Thorpe was [[Preselection|preselected]] by [[Australian Greens Victoria|Victorian Greens]] members to fill the federal [[Australian Senate|Senate]] vacancy caused by former leader [[Richard Di Natale]]'s resignation.<ref name=June2020>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-20|title=Aboriginal activist Lidia Thorpe to replace Richard Di Natale as Greens senator for Victoria|last1=Cox|first1=Lisa|url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=20 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620062117/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|url-status=live}}</ref> She was appointed to the vacancy at a joint sitting of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]] on 4 September and sworn in on 6 October 2020.<ref name=Appointment4September2020/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|title=Senator @lidia__thorpe arrives on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country carrying a Message Stick "memorialising the 441 First Nations people who have died in custody without justice" #auspol @SBSNews @NITV|work=SBS News|author=Brett Mason|publisher=Twitter|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006101201/https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|url-status=live}}</ref> She is the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate and is the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian from the Greens.<ref name=June2020/><ref name=Appointment4September2020>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|work=The Canberra Times|date=4 September 2020|title=Vic endorses Thorpe as new Greens senator|last1=Osborne|first1=Paul|access-date=4 September 2020|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404043939/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a speech to Parliament in May 2021, Thorpe commented negatively on new bail laws being introduced into the Northern Territory and made an assumption that the [[Attorney-General of the Northern Territory]] was a white male. The attorney-general, [[Selena Uibo]], was an Aboriginal woman.<ref>{{cite news |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=14 May 2021 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |last1=Heaney |first1=Chelsea |date=13 May 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=13 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513153107/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe criticised the laws as racist, while Uibo countered that Thorpe simply said outrageous things to get on television and was not qualified to speak on the Northern Territory's issues.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-05-13 |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=2022-10-20 |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514192104/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2021, Thorpe interjected to Liberal senator [[Hollie Hughes (politician)|Hollie Hughes]] "at least I keep my legs shut", during a Senate discussion about people living with disabilities. When challenged on the remark, Thorpe told the Chamber: "I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I’m happy to retract.” Hughes believed the statement was in reference to her autistic son, and was reportedly left in tears.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |title=Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe accused of 'legs shut' gibe at Liberal colleague |website=news.com.au |date=2 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202120712/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in the evening, Thorpe admitted to "inappropriate remarks" and apologised, but denied any reference to Hughes's son.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes Greens senator Lidia Thorpe apologises for ‘disgusting’ comment directed at Liberal Hollie Hughes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227095129/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes |date=27 February 2023 }}; theguardian, 2 Dec 2021</ref>

In December 2021, following a fire that damaged the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] in Canberra, Thorpe was criticised for tweeting "Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone #AlwayswasAlwayswillBeAboriginalLand". The tweet was criticised by members of both the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] and [[Australian Labor Party]]. Thorpe deleted the tweet an hour later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alex |date=31 December 2021 |title=Probe into Old Parliament fire underway |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |work=[[Canberra Times]] |location=[[Canberra, Australian Capital Territory]] |access-date=2022-09-09 |archive-date=8 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908235736/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the [[2022 Australian federal election|May 2022 federal election]], at which she was re-elected, Thorpe was elected by the Greens party room as the party's deputy leader in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Bandt|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Bandt|user=adambandt|date=June 10, 2022|number=1535136884690927616|title=I thank my colleagues for their strong and continued support. After our best election result ever, I am very excited to be the Leader of an expanded Greens Party Room & leadership team as we fight for action on climate and inequality.}}</ref><ref name="parlbio"/>

In a June 2022 interview, Thorpe said she was there to 'infiltrate' the Australian parliament and that the [[Australian flag]] had "no permission to be here". Fellow Aboriginal senator [[Jacinta Nampijinpa Price]] denounced Thorpe's comments and called for her dismissal from parliament.<ref name=Graham>{{Cite news|website=news.com.au|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe said she is 'here to infiltrate' Australia's parliament| last=Graham| first=Ben| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623064536/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|archive-date=June 23, 2022|date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>

Thorpe gained media attention during her swearing-in ceremony, which was delayed due to her absence the week prior. She added the words "the colonising" in the required [[Oath of Allegiance (Australia)|Oath of Allegiance]] to [[Queen Elizabeth II]] by saying "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to ''the colonising'' Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Australia, Her heirs and successors according to law." Thorpe was immediately criticised by fellow senators. After an instruction by Labor Senate president [[Sue Lines]] and interjections from others that the oath must be taken word-by-word, Thorpe recited the pledge once more, this time omitting the two words.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian senator Lidia Thorpe calls the Queen a 'coloniser' in mandatory oath of allegiance for parliament |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=inews.co.uk |date=August 2022 |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801200039/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Butler>{{Cite news|newspaper=The Guardian| url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament|date=August 1, 2022| title=Australian senator calls the Queen a coloniser while being sworn in to parliament |last=Butler |first=Josh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801202621/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament |archive-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref>

==== Resignation from Greens' deputy leadership ====
On 20 October 2022, Thorpe was forced to resign from her position as Greens' deputy leader in the Senate, shortly after [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]] revealed that in 2021 she had dated the ex-president of the [[Rebels Motorcycle Club|Rebels outlaw bikie gang]], Dean Martin. At the time of the relationship, she had held the justice portfolio for the Greens and had been serving on the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, so had been privy to confidential briefings about bikie gangs and [[organised crime]]. Thorpe had not disclosed the relationship, and it was only revealed when her staff notified party leader Adam Bandt's office and an independent parliamentary authority. Her staff became aware of the relationship in mid-2021. In August 2021, when confidential law enforcement committee briefing documents concerning bikie gangs arrived in her office hours after Thorpe had met Martin, one of her staffers urged her to inform Bandt, but she failed to do so. She told the staffer that "she was being really careful": she used [[encrypted]] social media to communicate with Martin, conversations were deleted weekly, and they never met at either one's home. The matter was referred to the [[Australian Federal Police]]. Thorpe said that she continues to be friends with Martin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/bombshell-as-bandt-seeks-greens-senators-mresignation/news-story/adf3151b217081f68291330ff6619e61
|title=Bombshell as Bandt seeks Greens senator's resignation |website=news.com.au |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe admits to undisclosed relationship with ex-Rebels president Dean Martin while on law enforcement committee |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020014844/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |url-status=live }}</ref> Martin had been president of the Rebels in Victoria, and had been charged and pleaded guilty to liquor offences in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Steve |date=2013-08-29 |title=Rebels president Dean Martin pleads guilty to liquor offences |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=The Age |language=en |archive-date=22 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022061936/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the revelations, Thorpe faced a censure motion in the Senate. Senator [[Pauline Hanson]] called for her to resign, while [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] senator [[Helen Polley]], the head of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, of which Thorpe had been a member, said, with regard to Thorpe's position as a senator: "she should consider if it's the right place for her".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |title= Lidia Thorpe to face censure motion amid calls to resign from Senate over bikie relationship |website= SBS News |date= 21 October 2022 |access-date= 22 October 2022 |archive-date= 21 October 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221021223428/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |url-status= live }}</ref>

It was also reported on 20 October that following a complaint by one of her staff, the Department of Finance was reviewing the culture of Thorpe's office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe resigns as Senate deputy after undisclosed relationship with ex-bikie boss |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020031759/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 24 October, Thorpe referred herself to the Senate privileges committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lowrey |first=Tom |date=2022-10-24 |title=Lidia Thorpe refers herself to privileges committee over undisclosed relationship with former bikie boss |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |access-date=2022-10-24 |archive-date=24 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024042406/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023 a parliamentary investigation cleared Thorpe of contempt of parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | title=Senate probe clears Lidia Thorpe of contempt over undisclosed relationship | newspaper=ABC News | date=7 March 2023 | access-date=7 March 2023 | archive-date=7 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307224235/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Resignation from the Greens ====
On 6 February 2023, Thorpe announced that she would resign from the Greens to become an independent senator, sitting on the crossbench, over disagreements concerning the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.<ref name=":1"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-05 |title=Indigenous Voice to parliament updates LIVE: Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice division |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206020117/https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |url-status=live }}</ref> In a statement, Thorpe stated that "this country has a strong grassroots [[Australian Indigenous Sovereignty|black sovereign]] movement, full of staunch and committed warriors, and I want to represent that movement fully in this Parliament. It has become clear to me, that I can't do that from within the Greens."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|title=Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice to Parliament|work=SBS News|date=6 February 2023|access-date=6 February 2023|archive-date=6 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206021503/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Ongoing roles and interests==
Thorpe is or has been the delegate for the Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the Victorian representative to the National Advisory Committee for [[The Smith Family (charity)|The Smith Family]] and co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Activism ==
Thorpe has supported the ''Pay the Rent'' campaign, which calls on non-Aboriginal Australians to voluntarily pay [[Reparation (legal)|reparations]] through an organisation of the same name.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |title='Pay the rent': Invasion Day protesters urged to hand over cash at march |last=Cowie |first=Tom |publisher=The Age |date=21 January 2020 |accessdate=17 January 2023 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117140726/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe has been critical of the ''[[Uluru Statement from the Heart]]'', believing there should be a [[Indigenous treaties in Australia|treaty]] before an [[Indigenous voice to government]]. Thorpe led a walk-out of the Uluru convention, believing that it was "hijacked by Aboriginal corporations and establishment appointments and did not reflect the aspirations of ordinary Indigenous people".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grand |first1=Chip Le |title=Without treaty, incoming senator can't feel part of 'Team Australia' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910211804/https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Australia Day]] 2019, an inaugural dawn service organised by Thorpe was held at the [[Kings Domain Resting Place]] as a [[Day of Mourning (Australia)|day of mourning]] and reflection on the [[colonisation of Australia]] with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in attendance for the ceremony.<ref name="Wahlquistov">{{cite news|last=Wahlquist|first=Calla|title='Overwhelmed': Hundreds attend first dawn service to be held on Australia Day|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day|work=The Guardian|date=26 January 2019|access-date=16 February 2021|url-status=live|df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232218/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day |archive-date=2020-11-07}}</ref> Thorpe was removed from the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] parade on 25 February 2023. She had laid down in front of a float in protest against the presence of police.<ref name="HildebrandtABC">{{cite news |last1=Hildebrandt |first1=Carla |title=Federal senator Lidia Thorpe halts Sydney's Mardi Gras parade with police protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |access-date=26 February 2023 |work=ABC News |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226005157/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2023, footage emerged of Thorpe being tackled to the ground by a police officer while attending a demonstration outside of Parliament House. Thorpe was part of a group countering an anti-transgender rights rally which included activist [[Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull]] at Parliament House. Australian Attorney-General [[Mark Dreyfus]] is believed to be investigating the matter, having sought advice from the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the matter.<ref name="ThompsonTheAge">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Angus |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe clashes with police at anti-trans rally |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=The Age |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323030920/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thorpe alleged the treatment by police constituted [[assault]] and the [[Minister for Indigenous Australians]], [[Linda Burney]], said the incident was “disturbing and concerning”.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paul Karp |agency= |title=Lidia Thorpe’s treatment at anti-trans rally ‘disturbing and concerning’, Linda Burney says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |quote= |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2023-04-04 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404034858/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Award==
Thorpe was awarded the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership in 2008.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Personal life and family ==
Thorpe's grandmother, [[Alma Thorpe]], was one of the founders of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service<ref name=2011_Vic_AHR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|title=2011 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll - Alma Thorpe|date=2012|publisher=State Government of Victoria|access-date=2017-12-06|archive-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206204014/https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|title=New Greens MP Lidia Thorpe's long road from Nowa Nowa to Northcote|newspaper=The Age|date=19 November 2017|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|access-date=19 November 2017|archive-date=22 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122114820/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|url-status=live}}</ref> in 1973, the year of Lidia's birth, and was also involved in the setting up of the [[Aboriginal Tent Embassy]]. Her mother, Marjorie Thorpe, was a co-commissioner for the [[Stolen Generations]] inquiry that produced the ''[[Bringing Them Home]]'' report in the 1990s, and later a member of the [[Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation]], and a preselected Greens federal candidate for [[Division of Gippsland|Gippsland]].<ref name=latimore2022>{{cite web | last=Latimore | first=Jack | title='Shouty, uninformed, ineffective': How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment | website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date=23 April 2022 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | access-date=2 August 2022 | archive-date=2 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802203258/https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Both Alma and her mother, Edna Brown, were [[Koori]] activists in [[Footscray, Victoria|Footscray]] and [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. Edna had been forcibly moved out of [[Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve]] in 1932, aged 15, before becoming a community activist.<ref name=latimore2022/> Edna was married to James Brown, of Scottish/Australian descent.

Thorpe's sister is Meriki Onus, who co-founded the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) collective that was a driving force behind the [[Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty]] movement.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her uncle is activist [[Robbie Thorpe]], who is linked to some of the earliest struggles for [[Aboriginal Australian self-determination]], and also involved with the Pay The Rent campaign.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Thorpe has three children<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|title=Lidia Thorpe website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621191237/http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|archive-date=21 June 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Greens"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|title=Senate Hansard - Wednesday, 2 December 2020|date=2 December 2020|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=3 December 2020|archive-date=3 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703013411/https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and {{as of|April 2022|lc=yes}} has four grandchildren.<ref name=latimore2022/>

According to October 2022 Facebook posts by Gavan McFadzean, manager of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Program at the [[Australian Conservation Foundation]], he had been in a relationship with Thorpe since 2019. He wrote that he had only found out about her liaison with bikie Dean Martin via news media, referring to it as "an affair".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=22 October 2022 |title=More trouble for Thorpe over ex bikie boss "affair" |work=Herald Sun| url-access =subscription |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2F |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref><ref name =9newsfb>{{cite web | title=Jilted partner of firebrand senator Lidia Thorpe found out she had an affair with a bikie from news | website=9 Breaking News | date=20 October 2022 | url=https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020230440/https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-date=20 October 2022 | url-status=live | access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://indigenousx.com.au/daniel-james-lidia-thorpe-member-for-northcote/ IndigenousX]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Fiona Richardson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]|years=2017–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kat Theophanous]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Australian Senators}}
{{Current Senate crossbench}}
{{Portal bar|Australia|Politics|2020s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Lidia}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Victoria]]
[[Category:Women members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian women politicians]]
[[Category:Australian indigenous rights activists]]
[[Category:Women human rights activists]]
[[Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian socialists]]
[[Category:Australian republicans]]
[[Category:People from Collingwood, Victoria]]
[[Category:Politicians from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Gunaikurnai people]]
[[Category:Anti-monarchists]]

Lidia Thorpe

2023-04-11T04:48:39Z

LibStar: Reverted edits by 2001:8003:9487:CA00:D497:ECF9:4DCB:F662 (talk) to last version by Materialscientist

{{short description|Australian politician (born 1973)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox AM
| honorific_prefix = [[Australian Senate|Senator]]
| image = Lidia Thorpe 2020.png
| name = Lidia Thorpe
| honorific-suffix =
| successor1 =
| office1 = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| term_start1 = 4 September 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[Richard Di Natale]]
| office2 = [[Leaders of the Australian Greens#Deputy Leaders in the Senate|Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate]]
| term_start2 = 10 June 2022
| term_end2 = 20 October 2022
| leader2 = [[Adam Bandt]]
| predecessor2 = ''Office established''
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly]] for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]
| term_start3 = 18 November 2017
| term_end3 = 24 November 2018
| predecessor3 = [[Fiona Richardson]]
| successor3 = [[Kat Theophanous]]
| birth_name = Lidia Alma Thorpe
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|08|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Carlton, Victoria]], Australia
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2023)
| otherparty = [[Australian Greens|Greens]] (until 2023)
| alma_mater =
| children = 3
| relatives = [[Alma Thorpe]] (grandmother)
| website = {{Official|https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe}}
}}
'''Lidia Alma Thorpe''' (born 18 August 1973) is an Australian independent politician. She has been a [[Australian Senate|senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] since 2020 and is the first [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] senator from that state. She was a member of the [[Australian Greens]] until February 2023 when she quit the party over disagreements concerning the proposed [[Indigenous Voice to Parliament]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> She had also served as the Greens' deputy leader in the Senate from June to October 2022.

Thorpe has previously been a member of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]]. On winning the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|Northcote state by-election]] on 18 November 2017 she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament and served as the member for the division of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] in the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] from 2017 to 2018.

Thorpe has received media attention for her criticism of the legitimacy of Australian political institutions, which she views as stemming from colonialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe makes international headlines after 'colonising Queen' oath |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=SBS |language=en}}</ref> She has been critical of the [[Albanese Government]]'s proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

In October 2022 she resigned as Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate after failing to declare a relationship with a senior Rebels outlaw bikie gang member while serving on a Senate law enforcement committee that received evidence on bikie gangs.

==Early life and education ==
Lidia Alma Thorpe<ref name=abn>{{cite web | title=Historical details for ABN 65 868 640 208 | website=ABN Lookup | date=November 2014 | url=https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref> was born in 1973 in [[Carlton, Victoria]].<ref name="parlbio">{{cite Au Parliament|mpid=280301|name=Senator Lidia Thorpe|access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><ref name="birthyear">{{cite news|last1=Wahlquist|first1=Calla|title=Lidia Thorpe 'finds her voice', the first Indigenous woman to do so in Victorian parliament|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|access-date=8 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=29 November 2017|language=en}}</ref> She is of European,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |title=A new era of disrespect and petty antics |website=Spectator Australia |date=2 August 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref> [[Djab wurrung|DjabWurrung]], [[Gunaikurnai people|Gunnai]] and [[Gunditjmara]] descent.<ref name="Greens">{{Cite web |title=Lidia Thorpe |url=https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |access-date=2022-05-04 |publisher=[[Australian Greens Victoria]] |language=en}}</ref>

Thorpe grew up in [[Housing Commission of Victoria|Housing Commission]] flats in [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]] and went to Gold Street Primary School in [[Clifton Hill, Victoria|Clifton Hill]]. She studied Year 7 at [[Fitzroy High School]], Year 8 at Collingwood High, returned to Fitzroy High for Year 9, but left soon afterwards, at the age of 14. She enjoyed playing [[Australian rules football]] and [[netball]], and says that she was very competitive.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her first job was working with her uncle [[Robbie Thorpe]] at the Koori Information Centre at 120 [[Gertrude Street]], Fitzroy, which at that time was "a hub of Black political activity". She says that from that day onwards, she has worked continuously, apart from six-month breaks when having babies.<ref name=latimore2022/>

She holds a Diploma of Community Development from [[Swinburne University of Technology]], a graduate certificate in [[public sector]] management and a Certificate IV Indigenous Leadership.<ref name=vicparl2021>{{cite re-member |title=Ms Lidia Thorpe |num2=127 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

She became a [[single mother]] at the age of 17.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Early career==
Thorpe has worked as the Aboriginal employment adviser for the [[Municipal Association of Victoria]] and was president of the Lakes Entrance Basketball Association for three years. She has also been a member of the school council of the [[Nowa Nowa, Victoria|Nowa Nowa]] Primary School, a steering committee for Indigenous administrators and the [[Institute of Public Administration Australia]] (Victoria). She worked as a [[project manager]] with the [[East Gippsland Shire Council]],<ref name=fellowship>{{cite news|url=https://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|title=Lidia Thorpe: Emerging Leader 2008 - 2009| website=Indigenous Fellowship|access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> Indigenous manager at [[Centrelink]] and manager at [[Lake Tyers|Lake Tyers Aboriginal Training Centre]].<ref name=vicparl2021/>

Thorpe was the co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|title = The Committee}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|title=2017 Northcote by-election|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|title=Northcote by-election: Greens pick their woman for key battle of the north| last1=Towell |first1=Noel| last2=Preiss| first2=Benjamin|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=11 September 2017}}</ref><ref name=fellowship/>

In 2013, Thorpe was declared [[bankrupt]] with over {{AUD|700,000}} in debts, including monies owed to Indigenous Business Australia and {{AUD|55,000}} owed to the [[Australian Taxation Office]]. She said that her bankruptcy resulted from [[domestic violence]], stating "like many survivors of family violence, I ended up losing everything in a bid to protect myself and my family from an impossible situation".<ref name="bankruptcy">{{cite news |last1=Hore |first1=Monique |title=Greens Northcote candidate reveals abusive relationship led to her bankruptcy |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=Herald Sun |date=26 October 2017}}</ref> Her ex-husband, who was an alcoholic, confirmed her account of the marriage breakdown. She was discharged from bankruptcy in 2016.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Political career==
===Victorian Legislative Assembly===
[[File:JMP 6094 (46499665305).jpg|thumb|right|Thorpe at a rally in Melbourne in 2019]]

Thorpe won the seat of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] at the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|2017 by-election]] on 18 November 2017 after receiving 45.22% of the primary vote, which became 50.93% after the distribution of preferences, 11% more than the Labor candidate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|title=Northcote District By-election 2017 : Northcote District|work=VEC|access-date=9 August 2018}}</ref> She was sworn in as a member of parliament on 28 November 2017 and delivered her first speech to the assembly the following day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|title=State's first Aboriginal woman MP Lidia Thorpe speaks of genocide, lingering disadvantage|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|work=The Age|date=29 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Raue| first=Ben|date=19 November 2017|title=Northcote byelection: Greens' Lidia Thorpe takes Melbourne seat from Labor|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref>
Thorpe was the [[Australian Greens Victoria]] portfolio holder for Aboriginal Justice, Consumer Affairs, Skills and Training, Sport and Mental Health.<ref name="Greens"/><ref name=vicparl2021/>

In May 2018, she organised an historic gathering of [[Aboriginal elder]]s at the [[Parliament of Victoria]] to discuss the state's treaty processes. The meeting was organised as part of Thorpe's campaign to implement clan-based treaties, which would recognise the approximately 100 Aboriginal clans in Victoria. At the time, Thorpe said: "Our sovereignty and each of our language groups and our Clans must be clearly recognised in the government's treaty advancement legislation."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|title=Victorian Elders call for Clan-based treaties and more inclusion in process|work=NITV|last1=Hocking|first1=Rachel|date=14 May 2018|access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> The delegation of clan elders unanimously agreed to form an elders council. Thorpe supported the [[Victorian Government]]'s 2018 treaty bill, but stated that she would continue to push for clan sovereignty to be recognised as the treaty process advances.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html|title=Victoria passes Aboriginal treaty bill|work=The Age|date=21 June 2018 |last1=Banger |first1=Marie |last2=Offer |first2=Kaitlyn |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref>

Thorpe lost her seat to Labor candidate [[Kat Theophanous]] at the [[2018 Victorian state election]],<ref name=florance/> with her term finishing on 19 December 2018.<ref name=vicparl2021/> She told ABC Radio Melbourne: "We need to have a good look at ourselves and have a review of what this election has done to our party, losing quite a considerable amount of Greens members." She said Labor ran a "dirty campaign" against her but conceded that negative coverage due to internal party scandals had also contributed to her defeat.<ref name=florance>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616|title=Victorian election should prompt Greens to take a 'good look at ourselves', losing Northcote MP says |website=ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |last1=Florance |first1=Loretta |date=26 November 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref>

===Senate===
[[File:Lidia Thorpe in Parliament 2020.jpg|thumb|Thorpe being sworn into parliament in October 2020]]
In June 2020, Thorpe was [[Preselection|preselected]] by [[Australian Greens Victoria|Victorian Greens]] members to fill the federal [[Australian Senate|Senate]] vacancy caused by former leader [[Richard Di Natale]]'s resignation.<ref name=June2020>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-20|title=Aboriginal activist Lidia Thorpe to replace Richard Di Natale as Greens senator for Victoria|last1=Cox|first1=Lisa|url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> She was appointed to the vacancy at a joint sitting of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]] on 4 September and sworn in on 6 October 2020.<ref name=Appointment4September2020/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|title=Senator @lidia__thorpe arrives on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country carrying a Message Stick "memorialising the 441 First Nations people who have died in custody without justice" #auspol @SBSNews @NITV|work=SBS News|author=Brett Mason|publisher=Twitter|date=6 October 2020}}</ref> She is the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate and is the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian from the Greens.<ref name=June2020/><ref name=Appointment4September2020>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|work=The Canberra Times|date=4 September 2020|title=Vic endorses Thorpe as new Greens senator|last1=Osborne|first1=Paul}}</ref>

In a speech to Parliament in May 2021, Thorpe commented negatively on new bail laws being introduced into the Northern Territory and made an assumption that the [[Attorney-General of the Northern Territory]] was a white male. The attorney-general, [[Selena Uibo]], was an Aboriginal woman.<ref>{{cite news |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=14 May 2021 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|last1=Heaney|first1=Chelsea|date=13 May 2021 |language=en-AU}}</ref> Thorpe criticised the laws as racist, while Uibo countered that Thorpe simply said outrageous things to get on television and was not qualified to speak on the Northern Territory's issues.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-05-13 |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=2022-10-20}}</ref>

In December 2021, Thorpe interjected to Liberal senator [[Hollie Hughes (politician)|Hollie Hughes]] "at least I keep my legs shut", during a Senate discussion about people living with disabilities. When challenged on the remark, Thorpe told the Chamber: "I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I’m happy to retract.” Hughes believed the statement was in reference to her autistic son, and was left in tears. Later in the evening, Thorpe admitted to "inappropriate remarks" and apologised, but denied any reference to Hughes's son.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |title= Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe accused of 'legs shut' gibe at Liberal colleague |website=news.com.au |date=2 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes Greens senator Lidia Thorpe apologises for ‘disgusting’ comment directed at Liberal Hollie Hughes]; theguardian, 2 Dec 2021</ref>

In December 2021, following a fire that damaged the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] in Canberra, Thorpe was criticised for tweeting "Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone #AlwayswasAlwayswillBeAboriginalLand". The tweet was criticised by members of both the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] and [[Australian Labor Party]]. Thorpe deleted the tweet an hour later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alex |date=31 December 2021 |title=Probe into Old Parliament fire underway |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |work=[[Canberra Times]] |location=[[Canberra, Australian Capital Territory]] |access-date=2022-09-09}}</ref>

Following the [[2022 Australian federal election|May 2022 federal election]], at which she was re-elected, Thorpe was elected by the Greens party room as the party's deputy leader in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Bandt|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Bandt|user=adambandt|date=June 10, 2022|number=1535136884690927616|title=I thank my colleagues for their strong and continued support. After our best election result ever, I am very excited to be the Leader of an expanded Greens Party Room & leadership team as we fight for action on climate and inequality.}}</ref><ref name="parlbio"/>

In a June 2022 interview, Thorpe said she was there to 'infiltrate' the Australian parliament and that the [[Australian flag]] had "no permission to be here". Fellow Aboriginal senator [[Jacinta Nampijinpa Price]] denounced Thorpe's comments and called for her dismissal from parliament.<ref name=Graham>{{Cite news|website=news.com.au|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe said she is 'here to infiltrate' Australia's parliament| last=Graham| first=Ben| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623064536/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|archive-date=June 23, 2022|date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>

Thorpe gained media attention during her swearing-in ceremony, which was delayed due to her absence the week prior. She added the words "the colonising" in the required [[Oath of Allegiance (Australia)|Oath of Allegiance]] to [[Queen Elizabeth II]] by saying "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to ''the colonising'' Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Australia, Her heirs and successors according to law." Thorpe was immediately criticised by fellow senators. After an instruction by Labor Senate president [[Sue Lines]] and interjections from others that the oath must be taken word-by-word, Thorpe recited the pledge once more, this time omitting the two words.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian senator Lidia Thorpe calls the Queen a 'coloniser' in mandatory oath of allegiance for parliament |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=inews.co.uk |date=August 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Butler>{{Cite news|newspaper=The Guardian| url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament|date=August 1, 2022| title=Australian senator calls the Queen a coloniser while being sworn in to parliament |last=Butler |first=Josh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801202621/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament |archive-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref>

==== Resignation from Greens' deputy leadership ====
On 20 October 2022, Thorpe was forced to resign from her position as Greens' deputy leader in the Senate, shortly after [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]] revealed that in 2021 she had dated the ex-president of the [[Rebels Motorcycle Club|Rebels outlaw bikie gang]], Dean Martin. At the time of the relationship, she had held the justice portfolio for the Greens and had been serving on the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, so had been privy to confidential briefings about bikie gangs and [[organised crime]]. Thorpe had not disclosed the relationship, and it was only revealed when her staff notified party leader Adam Bandt's office and an independent parliamentary authority. Her staff became aware of the relationship in mid-2021. In August 2021, when confidential law enforcement committee briefing documents concerning bikie gangs arrived in her office hours after Thorpe had met Martin, one of her staffers urged her to inform Bandt, but she failed to do so. She told the staffer that "she was being really careful": she used [[encrypted]] social media to communicate with Martin, conversations were deleted weekly, and they never met at either one's home. The matter was referred to the [[Australian Federal Police]]. Thorpe said that she continues to be friends with Martin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/bombshell-as-bandt-seeks-greens-senators-mresignation/news-story/adf3151b217081f68291330ff6619e61
|title=Bombshell as Bandt seeks Greens senator's resignation |website=news.com.au |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe admits to undisclosed relationship with ex-Rebels president Dean Martin while on law enforcement committee |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref> Martin had been president of the Rebels in Victoria, and had been charged and pleaded guilty to liquor offences in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Steve |date=2013-08-29 |title=Rebels president Dean Martin pleads guilty to liquor offences |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=The Age |language=en}}</ref>

Following the revelations, Thorpe faced a censure motion in the Senate. Senator [[Pauline Hanson]] called for her to resign, while [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] senator [[Helen Polley]], the head of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, of which Thorpe had been a member, said, with regard to Thorpe's position as a senator: "she should consider if it's the right place for her".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |title= Lidia Thorpe to face censure motion amid calls to resign from Senate over bikie relationship |website=SBS News |date=21 October 2022 |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref>

It was also reported on 20 October that following a complaint by one of her staff, the Department of Finance was reviewing the culture of Thorpe's office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe resigns as Senate deputy after undisclosed relationship with ex-bikie boss |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref>

On 24 October, Thorpe referred herself to the Senate privileges committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lowrey |first=Tom |date=2022-10-24 |title=Lidia Thorpe refers herself to privileges committee over undisclosed relationship with former bikie boss |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |access-date=2022-10-24}}</ref>

In March 2023 a parliamentary investigation cleared Thorpe of contempt of parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | title=Senate probe clears Lidia Thorpe of contempt over undisclosed relationship | newspaper=ABC News | date=7 March 2023 }}</ref>

==== Resignation from the Greens ====
On 6 February 2023, Thorpe announced that she would resign from the Greens to become an independent senator, sitting on the crossbench, over disagreements concerning the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-05 |title=Indigenous Voice to parliament updates LIVE: Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice division |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}</ref> In a statement, Thorpe stated that "this country has a strong grassroots [[Australian Indigenous Sovereignty|black sovereign]] movement, full of staunch and committed warriors, and I want to represent that movement fully in this Parliament. It has become clear to me, that I can't do that from within the Greens."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|title=Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice to Parliament|work=SBS News|date=6 February 2023}}</ref>

==Ongoing roles and interests==
Thorpe is or has been the delegate for the Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the Victorian representative to the National Advisory Committee for [[The Smith Family (charity)|The Smith Family]] and co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Activism ==
Thorpe has supported the ''Pay the Rent'' campaign, which calls on non-Aboriginal Australians to voluntarily pay [[Reparation (legal)|reparations]] through an organisation of the same name.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |title= 'Pay the rent': Invasion Day protesters urged to hand over cash at march |last=Cowie |first=Tom |publisher=The Age |date=21 January 2020 |accessdate=17 January 2023}}</ref> Thorpe has been critical of the ''[[Uluru Statement from the Heart]]'', believing there should be a [[Indigenous treaties in Australia|treaty]] before an [[Indigenous voice to government]]. Thorpe led a walk-out of the Uluru convention, believing that it was "hijacked by Aboriginal corporations and establishment appointments and did not reflect the aspirations of ordinary Indigenous people".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grand |first1=Chip Le |title=Without treaty, incoming senator can't feel part of 'Team Australia' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref> On [[Australia Day]] 2019, an inaugural dawn service organised by Thorpe was held at the [[Kings Domain Resting Place]] as a [[Day of Mourning (Australia)|day of mourning]] and reflection on the [[colonisation of Australia]] with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in attendance for the ceremony.<ref name="Wahlquistov">{{cite news|last=Wahlquist|first=Calla|title='Overwhelmed': Hundreds attend first dawn service to be held on Australia Day|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day|work=The Guardian|date=26 January 2019|access-date=16 February 2021|url-status=live|df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232218/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day |archive-date=2020-11-07}}</ref> Thorpe was removed from the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] parade on 25 February 2023. She had laid down in front of a float in protest against the presence of police.<ref name="HildebrandtABC">{{cite news |last1=Hildebrandt |first1=Carla |title=Federal senator Lidia Thorpe halts Sydney's Mardi Gras parade with police protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |access-date=26 February 2023 |work=ABC News}}</ref>

In 2023, footage emerged of Thorpe being tackled to the ground by a police officer while attending a demonstration outside of Parliament House. Thorpe was part of a group countering an anti-transgender rights rally which included activist [[Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull]] at Parliament House. Australian Attorney-General [[Mark Dreyfus]] is believed to be investigating the matter, having sought advice from the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the matter.<ref name="ThompsonTheAge">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Angus |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe clashes with police at anti-trans rally |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=The Age}}</ref> Thorpe alleged the treatment by police constituted [[assault]] and the [[Minister for Indigenous Australians]], [[Linda Burney]], said the incident was “disturbing and concerning”.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paul Karp |agency= |title=Lidia Thorpe’s treatment at anti-trans rally ‘disturbing and concerning’, Linda Burney says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/24/lidia-thorpe-treatment-at-anti-trans-rally-disturbing-and-concerning-linda-burney-says |quote= |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2023-04-04 }}</ref>

==Award==
Thorpe was awarded the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership in 2008.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Personal life and family ==
Thorpe's grandmother, [[Alma Thorpe]], was one of the founders of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service<ref name=2011_Vic_AHR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|title=2011 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll - Alma Thorpe|date=2012|publisher=State Government of Victoria|access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|title=New Greens MP Lidia Thorpe's long road from Nowa Nowa to Northcote|newspaper=The Age|date=19 November 2017|last1=Carey|first1=Adam}}</ref> in 1973, the year of Lidia's birth, and was also involved in the setting up of the [[Aboriginal Tent Embassy]]. Her mother, Marjorie Thorpe, was a co-commissioner for the [[Stolen Generations]] inquiry that produced the ''[[Bringing Them Home]]'' report in the 1990s, and later a member of the [[Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation]], and a preselected Greens federal candidate for [[Division of Gippsland|Gippsland]].<ref name=latimore2022>{{cite web | last=Latimore | first=Jack | title='Shouty, uninformed, ineffective': How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment | website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date=23 April 2022 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref> Both Alma and her mother, Edna Brown, were [[Koori]] activists in [[Footscray, Victoria|Footscray]] and [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. Edna had been forcibly moved out of [[Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve]] in 1932, aged 15, before becoming a community activist.<ref name=latimore2022/> Edna was married to James Brown, of Scottish/Australian descent.

Thorpe's sister is Meriki Onus, who co-founded the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) collective that was a driving force behind the [[Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty]] movement.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her uncle is activist [[Robbie Thorpe]], who is linked to some of the earliest struggles for [[Aboriginal Australian self-determination]], and also involved with the Pay The Rent campaign.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Thorpe has three children<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|title=Lidia Thorpe website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621191237/http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|archive-date=21 June 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Greens"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|title=Senate Hansard - Wednesday, 2 December 2020|date=2 December 2020|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=3 December 2020}}</ref> and {{as of|April 2022|lc=yes}} has four grandchildren.<ref name=latimore2022/>

According to October 2022 Facebook posts by Gavan McFadzean, manager of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Program at the [[Australian Conservation Foundation]], he had been in a relationship with Thorpe since 2019. He wrote that he had only found out about her liaison with bikie Dean Martin via news media, referring to it as "an affair".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=22 October 2022 |title=More trouble for Thorpe over ex bikie boss "affair" |work=Herald Sun| url-access =subscription |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2F |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref><ref name =9newsfb>{{cite web | title=Jilted partner of firebrand senator Lidia Thorpe found out she had an affair with a bikie from news | website=9 Breaking News | date=20 October 2022 | url=https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020230440/https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-date=20 October 2022 | url-status=live | access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://indigenousx.com.au/daniel-james-lidia-thorpe-member-for-northcote/ IndigenousX]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Fiona Richardson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]|years=2017–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kat Theophanous]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Australian Senators}}
{{Current Senate crossbench}}
{{Portal bar|Australia|Politics|2020s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Lidia}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Victoria]]
[[Category:Women members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian women politicians]]
[[Category:Australian indigenous rights activists]]
[[Category:Women human rights activists]]
[[Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian socialists]]
[[Category:Australian republicans]]
[[Category:People from Collingwood, Victoria]]
[[Category:Politicians from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Gunaikurnai people]]
[[Category:Anti-monarchists]]

Lidia Thorpe

2023-04-04T03:48:57Z

LibStar: /* Activism */ +

Lidia Thorpe

2023-04-04T03:29:27Z

LibStar: /* Activism */

{{short description|Australian politician (born 1973)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox AM
| honorific_prefix = [[Australian Senate|Senator]]
| image = Lidia Thorpe 2020.png
| name = Lidia Thorpe
| honorific-suffix =
| successor1 =
| office1 = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| term_start1 = 4 September 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[Richard Di Natale]]
| office2 = [[Leaders of the Australian Greens#Deputy Leaders in the Senate|Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate]]
| term_start2 = 10 June 2022
| term_end2 = 20 October 2022
| leader2 = [[Adam Bandt]]
| predecessor2 = ''Office established''
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly]] for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]
| term_start3 = 18 November 2017
| term_end3 = 24 November 2018
| predecessor3 = [[Fiona Richardson]]
| successor3 = [[Kat Theophanous]]
| birth_name = Lidia Alma Thorpe
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|08|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Carlton, Victoria]], Australia
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2023)
| otherparty = [[Australian Greens|Greens]] (until 2023)
| alma_mater =
| children = 3
| relatives = [[Alma Thorpe]] (grandmother)
| website = {{Official|https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe}}
}}
'''Lidia Alma Thorpe''' (born 18 August 1973) is an Australian independent politician. She has been a [[Australian Senate|senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] since 2020 and is the first [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] senator from that state. She was a member of the [[Australian Greens]] until February 2023 when she quit the party over disagreements concerning the proposed [[Indigenous Voice to Parliament]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> She had also served as the Greens' deputy leader in the Senate from June to October 2022.

Thorpe has previously been a member of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]]. On winning the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|Northcote state by-election]] on 18 November 2017 she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament and served as the member for the division of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] in the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] from 2017 to 2018.

Thorpe has received media attention for her criticism of the legitimacy of Australian political institutions, which she views as stemming from colonialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe makes international headlines after 'colonising Queen' oath |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/senator-lidia-thorpe-makes-international-headlines-after-colonising-queen-oath/ea1ffhmym |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=SBS |language=en}}</ref> She has been critical of the [[Albanese Government]]'s proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

In October 2022 she resigned as Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate after failing to declare a relationship with a senior Rebels outlaw bikie gang member while serving on a Senate law enforcement committee that received evidence on bikie gangs.

==Early life and education ==
Lidia Alma Thorpe<ref name=abn>{{cite web | title=Historical details for ABN 65 868 640 208 | website=ABN Lookup | date=November 2014 | url=https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=65868640208 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref> was born in 1973 in [[Carlton, Victoria]].<ref name="parlbio">{{cite Au Parliament|mpid=280301|name=Senator Lidia Thorpe|access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><ref name="birthyear">{{cite news|last1=Wahlquist|first1=Calla|title=Lidia Thorpe 'finds her voice', the first Indigenous woman to do so in Victorian parliament|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/29/lidia-thorpe-finds-her-voice-the-first-indigenous-woman-to-do-so-in-victorian-parliament|access-date=8 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=29 November 2017|language=en}}</ref> She is of European,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/a-new-era-of-disrespect-and-petty-antics/ |title=A new era of disrespect and petty antics |website=Spectator Australia |date=2 August 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref> [[Djab wurrung|DjabWurrung]], [[Gunaikurnai people|Gunnai]] and [[Gunditjmara]] descent.<ref name="Greens">{{Cite web |title=Lidia Thorpe |url=https://greens.org.au/vic/person/lidia-thorpe |access-date=2022-05-04 |publisher=[[Australian Greens Victoria]] |language=en}}</ref>

Thorpe grew up in [[Housing Commission of Victoria|Housing Commission]] flats in [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]] and went to Gold Street Primary School in [[Clifton Hill, Victoria|Clifton Hill]]. She studied Year 7 at [[Fitzroy High School]], Year 8 at Collingwood High, returned to Fitzroy High for Year 9, but left soon afterwards, at the age of 14. She enjoyed playing [[Australian rules football]] and [[netball]], and says that she was very competitive.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her first job was working with her uncle [[Robbie Thorpe]] at the Koori Information Centre at 120 [[Gertrude Street]], Fitzroy, which at that time was "a hub of Black political activity". She says that from that day onwards, she has worked continuously, apart from six-month breaks when having babies.<ref name=latimore2022/>

She holds a Diploma of Community Development from [[Swinburne University of Technology]], a graduate certificate in [[public sector]] management and a Certificate IV Indigenous Leadership.<ref name=vicparl2021>{{cite re-member |title=Ms Lidia Thorpe |num2=127 | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

She became a [[single mother]] at the age of 17.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Early career==
Thorpe has worked as the Aboriginal employment adviser for the [[Municipal Association of Victoria]] and was president of the Lakes Entrance Basketball Association for three years. She has also been a member of the school council of the [[Nowa Nowa, Victoria|Nowa Nowa]] Primary School, a steering committee for Indigenous administrators and the [[Institute of Public Administration Australia]] (Victoria). She worked as a [[project manager]] with the [[East Gippsland Shire Council]],<ref name=fellowship>{{cite news|url=https://indigenousfellowship.net.au/emerging-leaders/lidia-thorpe/|title=Lidia Thorpe: Emerging Leader 2008 - 2009| website=Indigenous Fellowship|access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> Indigenous manager at [[Centrelink]] and manager at [[Lake Tyers|Lake Tyers Aboriginal Training Centre]].<ref name=vicparl2021/>

Thorpe was the co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vicnaidoc.com.au/the-committee|title = The Committee}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/northcote-by-election-2017|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|title=2017 Northcote by-election|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/northcote-byelection-greens-pick-their-woman-for-key-battle-of-the-north-20170911-gyez5c.html|title=Northcote by-election: Greens pick their woman for key battle of the north| last1=Towell |first1=Noel| last2=Preiss| first2=Benjamin|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=11 September 2017}}</ref><ref name=fellowship/>

In 2013, Thorpe was declared [[bankrupt]] with over {{AUD|700,000}} in debts, including monies owed to Indigenous Business Australia and {{AUD|55,000}} owed to the [[Australian Taxation Office]]. She said that her bankruptcy resulted from [[domestic violence]], stating "like many survivors of family violence, I ended up losing everything in a bid to protect myself and my family from an impossible situation".<ref name="bankruptcy">{{cite news |last1=Hore |first1=Monique |title=Greens Northcote candidate reveals abusive relationship led to her bankruptcy |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-northcote-candidate-reveals-abusive-relationship-led-to-her-bankruptcy/news-story/0b53d6f348de3f5aaf783cf11c816d42 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=Herald Sun |date=26 October 2017}}</ref> Her ex-husband, who was an alcoholic, confirmed her account of the marriage breakdown. She was discharged from bankruptcy in 2016.<ref name=latimore2022/>

==Political career==
===Victorian Legislative Assembly===
[[File:JMP 6094 (46499665305).jpg|thumb|right|Thorpe at a rally in Melbourne in 2019]]

Thorpe won the seat of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]] at the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|2017 by-election]] on 18 November 2017 after receiving 45.22% of the primary vote, which became 50.93% after the distribution of preferences, 11% more than the Labor candidate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2017/NorthcoteDistrict.html|title=Northcote District By-election 2017 : Northcote District|work=VEC|access-date=9 August 2018}}</ref> She was sworn in as a member of parliament on 28 November 2017 and delivered her first speech to the assembly the following day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/first-aboriginal-woman-mp-lidia-thorpe-speaks-of-genocide-lingering-disadvantage-20171129-gzv2ms.html|title=State's first Aboriginal woman MP Lidia Thorpe speaks of genocide, lingering disadvantage|last1=Carey|first1=Adam|work=The Age|date=29 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Raue| first=Ben|date=19 November 2017|title=Northcote byelection: Greens' Lidia Thorpe takes Melbourne seat from Labor|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/19/northcote-byelection-greens-lidia-thorpe-takes-melbourne-seat-from-labor|access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref>
Thorpe was the [[Australian Greens Victoria]] portfolio holder for Aboriginal Justice, Consumer Affairs, Skills and Training, Sport and Mental Health.<ref name="Greens"/><ref name=vicparl2021/>

In May 2018, she organised an historic gathering of [[Aboriginal elder]]s at the [[Parliament of Victoria]] to discuss the state's treaty processes. The meeting was organised as part of Thorpe's campaign to implement clan-based treaties, which would recognise the approximately 100 Aboriginal clans in Victoria. At the time, Thorpe said: "Our sovereignty and each of our language groups and our Clans must be clearly recognised in the government's treaty advancement legislation."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/05/14/victorian-elders-call-clan-based-treaties-and-more-inclusion-process|title=Victorian Elders call for Clan-based treaties and more inclusion in process|work=NITV|last1=Hocking|first1=Rachel|date=14 May 2018|access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> The delegation of clan elders unanimously agreed to form an elders council. Thorpe supported the [[Victorian Government]]'s 2018 treaty bill, but stated that she would continue to push for clan sovereignty to be recognised as the treaty process advances.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-passes-aboriginal-treaty-bill-20180621-p4zmzz.html|title=Victoria passes Aboriginal treaty bill|work=The Age|date=21 June 2018 |last1=Banger |first1=Marie |last2=Offer |first2=Kaitlyn |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref>

Thorpe lost her seat to Labor candidate [[Kat Theophanous]] at the [[2018 Victorian state election]],<ref name=florance/> with her term finishing on 19 December 2018.<ref name=vicparl2021/> She told ABC Radio Melbourne: "We need to have a good look at ourselves and have a review of what this election has done to our party, losing quite a considerable amount of Greens members." She said Labor ran a "dirty campaign" against her but conceded that negative coverage due to internal party scandals had also contributed to her defeat.<ref name=florance>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-26/victorian-election-greens-need-to-take-good-look-lidia-thorpe/10553616|title=Victorian election should prompt Greens to take a 'good look at ourselves', losing Northcote MP says |website=ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |last1=Florance |first1=Loretta |date=26 November 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref>

===Senate===
[[File:Lidia Thorpe in Parliament 2020.jpg|thumb|Thorpe being sworn into parliament in October 2020]]
In June 2020, Thorpe was [[Preselection|preselected]] by [[Australian Greens Victoria|Victorian Greens]] members to fill the federal [[Australian Senate|Senate]] vacancy caused by former leader [[Richard Di Natale]]'s resignation.<ref name=June2020>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-20|title=Aboriginal activist Lidia Thorpe to replace Richard Di Natale as Greens senator for Victoria|last1=Cox|first1=Lisa|url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/20/aboriginal-activist-lidia-thorpe-to-replace-richard-di-natale-as-greens-senator-for-victoria|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> She was appointed to the vacancy at a joint sitting of the [[Parliament of Victoria|Victorian Parliament]] on 4 September and sworn in on 6 October 2020.<ref name=Appointment4September2020/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrettMasonNews/status/1313294977103847425|title=Senator @lidia__thorpe arrives on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country carrying a Message Stick "memorialising the 441 First Nations people who have died in custody without justice" #auspol @SBSNews @NITV|work=SBS News|author=Brett Mason|publisher=Twitter|date=6 October 2020}}</ref> She is the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate and is the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian from the Greens.<ref name=June2020/><ref name=Appointment4September2020>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6911014/vic-endorses-thorpe-as-new-greens-senator/|work=The Canberra Times|date=4 September 2020|title=Vic endorses Thorpe as new Greens senator|last1=Osborne|first1=Paul}}</ref>

In a speech to Parliament in May 2021, Thorpe commented negatively on new bail laws being introduced into the Northern Territory and made an assumption that the [[Attorney-General of the Northern Territory]] was a white male. The attorney-general, [[Selena Uibo]], was an Aboriginal woman.<ref>{{cite news |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=14 May 2021 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|last1=Heaney|first1=Chelsea|date=13 May 2021 |language=en-AU}}</ref> Thorpe criticised the laws as racist, while Uibo countered that Thorpe simply said outrageous things to get on television and was not qualified to speak on the Northern Territory's issues.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-05-13 |title=NT Attorney-General slams speech from Greens Senator that assumed she was a man who 'hopefully' was white |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-13/nt-selena-uibo-lydia-thorpe-youth-justice-bail-law/100136066 |access-date=2022-10-20}}</ref>

In December 2021, Thorpe interjected to Liberal senator [[Hollie Hughes (politician)|Hollie Hughes]] "at least I keep my legs shut", during a Senate discussion about people living with disabilities. When challenged on the remark, Thorpe told the Chamber: "I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I’m happy to retract.” Hughes believed the statement was in reference to her autistic son, and was left in tears. Later in the evening, Thorpe admitted to "inappropriate remarks" and apologised, but denied any reference to Hughes's son.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0 |title= Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe accused of 'legs shut' gibe at Liberal colleague |website=news.com.au |date=2 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-apologises-for-disgusting-comment-directed-at-liberal-hollie-hughes Greens senator Lidia Thorpe apologises for ‘disgusting’ comment directed at Liberal Hollie Hughes]; theguardian, 2 Dec 2021</ref>

In December 2021, following a fire that damaged the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] in Canberra, Thorpe was criticised for tweeting "Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone #AlwayswasAlwayswillBeAboriginalLand". The tweet was criticised by members of both the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] and [[Australian Labor Party]]. Thorpe deleted the tweet an hour later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alex |date=31 December 2021 |title=Probe into Old Parliament fire underway |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7567106/probe-into-old-parliament-fire-underway/ |work=[[Canberra Times]] |location=[[Canberra, Australian Capital Territory]] |access-date=2022-09-09}}</ref>

Following the [[2022 Australian federal election|May 2022 federal election]], at which she was re-elected, Thorpe was elected by the Greens party room as the party's deputy leader in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Bandt|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Bandt|user=adambandt|date=June 10, 2022|number=1535136884690927616|title=I thank my colleagues for their strong and continued support. After our best election result ever, I am very excited to be the Leader of an expanded Greens Party Room & leadership team as we fight for action on climate and inequality.}}</ref><ref name="parlbio"/>

In a June 2022 interview, Thorpe said she was there to 'infiltrate' the Australian parliament and that the [[Australian flag]] had "no permission to be here". Fellow Aboriginal senator [[Jacinta Nampijinpa Price]] denounced Thorpe's comments and called for her dismissal from parliament.<ref name=Graham>{{Cite news|website=news.com.au|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe said she is 'here to infiltrate' Australia's parliament| last=Graham| first=Ben| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623064536/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-said-she-is-here-to-infiltrate-australias-parliament/news-story/6d16a6a660f7f55612e20455d28d9fc8|archive-date=June 23, 2022|date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>

Thorpe gained media attention during her swearing-in ceremony, which was delayed due to her absence the week prior. She added the words "the colonising" in the required [[Oath of Allegiance (Australia)|Oath of Allegiance]] to [[Queen Elizabeth II]] by saying "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to ''the colonising'' Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Australia, Her heirs and successors according to law." Thorpe was immediately criticised by fellow senators. After an instruction by Labor Senate president [[Sue Lines]] and interjections from others that the oath must be taken word-by-word, Thorpe recited the pledge once more, this time omitting the two words.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian senator Lidia Thorpe calls the Queen a 'coloniser' in mandatory oath of allegiance for parliament |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/australia-senator-lidia-thorpe-queen-coloniser-oath-alleigence-1772330 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=inews.co.uk |date=August 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Butler>{{Cite news|newspaper=The Guardian| url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament|date=August 1, 2022| title=Australian senator calls the Queen a coloniser while being sworn in to parliament |last=Butler |first=Josh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801202621/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/australian-greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-calls-queen-coloniser-while-being-sworn-into-parliament |archive-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref>

==== Resignation from Greens' deputy leadership ====
On 20 October 2022, Thorpe was forced to resign from her position as Greens' deputy leader in the Senate, shortly after [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]] revealed that in 2021 she had dated the ex-president of the [[Rebels Motorcycle Club|Rebels outlaw bikie gang]], Dean Martin. At the time of the relationship, she had held the justice portfolio for the Greens and had been serving on the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, so had been privy to confidential briefings about bikie gangs and [[organised crime]]. Thorpe had not disclosed the relationship, and it was only revealed when her staff notified party leader Adam Bandt's office and an independent parliamentary authority. Her staff became aware of the relationship in mid-2021. In August 2021, when confidential law enforcement committee briefing documents concerning bikie gangs arrived in her office hours after Thorpe had met Martin, one of her staffers urged her to inform Bandt, but she failed to do so. She told the staffer that "she was being really careful": she used [[encrypted]] social media to communicate with Martin, conversations were deleted weekly, and they never met at either one's home. The matter was referred to the [[Australian Federal Police]]. Thorpe said that she continues to be friends with Martin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/bombshell-as-bandt-seeks-greens-senators-mresignation/news-story/adf3151b217081f68291330ff6619e61
|title=Bombshell as Bandt seeks Greens senator's resignation |website=news.com.au |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/lidia-thorpe-undisclosed-relationship-ex-rebel-president/101553386 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe admits to undisclosed relationship with ex-Rebels president Dean Martin while on law enforcement committee |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref> Martin had been president of the Rebels in Victoria, and had been charged and pleaded guilty to liquor offences in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Steve |date=2013-08-29 |title=Rebels president Dean Martin pleads guilty to liquor offences |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/rebels-president-dean-martin-pleads-guilty-to-liquor-offences-20130829-2ss9c.html |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=The Age |language=en}}</ref>

Following the revelations, Thorpe faced a censure motion in the Senate. Senator [[Pauline Hanson]] called for her to resign, while [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] senator [[Helen Polley]], the head of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, of which Thorpe had been a member, said, with regard to Thorpe's position as a senator: "she should consider if it's the right place for her".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-to-face-censure-motion-amid-calls-to-resign-from-senate-over-bikie-relationship/8kanukb8y |title= Lidia Thorpe to face censure motion amid calls to resign from Senate over bikie relationship |website=SBS News |date=21 October 2022 |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref>

It was also reported on 20 October that following a complaint by one of her staff, the Department of Finance was reviewing the culture of Thorpe's office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/bandt-asks-thorpe-to-resign-as-senate-deputy/101557298 |title=Greens senator Lidia Thorpe resigns as Senate deputy after undisclosed relationship with ex-bikie boss |website=ABC News |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref>

On 24 October, Thorpe referred herself to the Senate privileges committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lowrey |first=Tom |date=2022-10-24 |title=Lidia Thorpe refers herself to privileges committee over undisclosed relationship with former bikie boss |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/lidia-thorpe-refers-herself-privileges-committee-ex-bikie-boss/101570058 |access-date=2022-10-24}}</ref>

In March 2023 a parliamentary investigation cleared Thorpe of contempt of parliament.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/senate-probe-clears-lidia-thorpe-of-contempt-of-parliament/102066122 | title=Senate probe clears Lidia Thorpe of contempt over undisclosed relationship | newspaper=ABC News | date=7 March 2023 }}</ref>

==== Resignation from the Greens ====
On 6 February 2023, Thorpe announced that she would resign from the Greens to become an independent senator, sitting on the crossbench, over disagreements concerning the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |last2=Karp |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-06 |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/senator-lidia-thorpe-to-quit-australian-greens-party-independent-black-sovereignty-indigenous-voice-to-parliament |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-05 |title=Indigenous Voice to parliament updates LIVE: Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice division |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-should-prepare-for-chinese-spy-balloons-20230206-p5ci3n |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}</ref> In a statement, Thorpe stated that "this country has a strong grassroots [[Australian Indigenous Sovereignty|black sovereign]] movement, full of staunch and committed warriors, and I want to represent that movement fully in this Parliament. It has become clear to me, that I can't do that from within the Greens."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/lidia-thorpe-quits-greens-over-voice-to-parliament/6f80zr453|title=Lidia Thorpe quits Greens over Voice to Parliament|work=SBS News|date=6 February 2023}}</ref>

==Ongoing roles and interests==
Thorpe is or has been the delegate for the Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the Victorian representative to the National Advisory Committee for [[The Smith Family (charity)|The Smith Family]] and co-chair of the Victorian [[NAIDOC]] Committee.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Activism ==
Thorpe has supported the ''Pay the Rent'' campaign, which calls on non-Aboriginal Australians to voluntarily pay [[Reparation (legal)|reparations]] through an organisation of the same name.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html |title= 'Pay the rent': Invasion Day protesters urged to hand over cash at march |last=Cowie |first=Tom |publisher=The Age |date=21 January 2020 |accessdate=17 January 2023}}</ref> Thorpe has been critical of the ''[[Uluru Statement from the Heart]]'', believing there should be a [[Indigenous treaties in Australia|treaty]] before an [[Indigenous voice to government]]. Thorpe led a walk-out of the Uluru convention, believing that it was "hijacked by Aboriginal corporations and establishment appointments and did not reflect the aspirations of ordinary Indigenous people".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grand |first1=Chip Le |title=Without treaty, incoming senator can't feel part of 'Team Australia' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/without-treaty-incoming-senator-can-t-feel-part-of-team-australia-20200625-p55649.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref> On [[Australia Day]] 2019, an inaugural dawn service organised by Thorpe was held at the [[Kings Domain Resting Place]] as a [[Day of Mourning (Australia)|day of mourning]] and reflection on the [[colonisation of Australia]] with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in attendance for the ceremony.<ref name="Wahlquistov">{{cite news|last=Wahlquist|first=Calla|title='Overwhelmed': Hundreds attend first dawn service to be held on Australia Day|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day|work=The Guardian|date=26 January 2019|access-date=16 February 2021|url-status=live|df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232218/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/26/overwhelmed-hundreds-attend-first-dawn-service-to-be-held-on-australia-day |archive-date=2020-11-07}}</ref> Thorpe was removed from the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] parade on 25 February 2023. She had laid down in front of a float in protest against the presence of police.<ref name="HildebrandtABC">{{cite news |last1=Hildebrandt |first1=Carla |title=Federal senator Lidia Thorpe halts Sydney's Mardi Gras parade with police protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/federal-senator-lidia-thorpe-removed-from-parade/102024664 |access-date=26 February 2023 |work=ABC News}}</ref>

In 2023, footage emerged of Thorpe being tackled to the ground by a police officer while attending a demonstration outside of Parliament House. Thorpe was part of a group countering an anti-transgender rights rally which included activist [[Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull]] at Parliament House. Australian Attorney-General [[Mark Dreyfus]] is believed to be investigating the matter, having sought advice from the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the matter.<ref name="ThompsonTheAge">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Angus |title=Senator Lidia Thorpe clashes with police at anti-trans rally |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senator-lidia-thorpe-clashes-with-police-at-anti-trans-rally-20230323-p5cunr.html |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=The Age}}</ref>

==Award==
Thorpe was awarded the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership in 2008.<ref name=fellowship/>

== Personal life and family ==
Thorpe's grandmother, [[Alma Thorpe]], was one of the founders of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service<ref name=2011_Vic_AHR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2011-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/alma-thorpe.html|title=2011 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll - Alma Thorpe|date=2012|publisher=State Government of Victoria|access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-greens-mp-lidia-thorpes-long-road-from-nowa-nowa-to-northcote-20171119-gzodm6.html|title=New Greens MP Lidia Thorpe's long road from Nowa Nowa to Northcote|newspaper=The Age|date=19 November 2017|last1=Carey|first1=Adam}}</ref> in 1973, the year of Lidia's birth, and was also involved in the setting up of the [[Aboriginal Tent Embassy]]. Her mother, Marjorie Thorpe, was a co-commissioner for the [[Stolen Generations]] inquiry that produced the ''[[Bringing Them Home]]'' report in the 1990s, and later a member of the [[Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation]], and a preselected Greens federal candidate for [[Division of Gippsland|Gippsland]].<ref name=latimore2022>{{cite web | last=Latimore | first=Jack | title='Shouty, uninformed, ineffective': How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment | website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date=23 April 2022 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref> Both Alma and her mother, Edna Brown, were [[Koori]] activists in [[Footscray, Victoria|Footscray]] and [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. Edna had been forcibly moved out of [[Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve]] in 1932, aged 15, before becoming a community activist.<ref name=latimore2022/> Edna was married to James Brown, of Scottish/Australian descent.

Thorpe's sister is Meriki Onus, who co-founded the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) collective that was a driving force behind the [[Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty]] movement.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Her uncle is activist [[Robbie Thorpe]], who is linked to some of the earliest struggles for [[Aboriginal Australian self-determination]], and also involved with the Pay The Rent campaign.<ref name=latimore2022/>

Thorpe has three children<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|title=Lidia Thorpe website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621191237/http://lidiathorpe.com/about/|archive-date=21 June 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Greens"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansards/b97b0bb9-8120-4b6a-b093-173728d144de/toc_pdf/Senate_2020_12_02_8384.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf|title=Senate Hansard - Wednesday, 2 December 2020|date=2 December 2020|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=3 December 2020}}</ref> and {{as of|April 2022|lc=yes}} has four grandchildren.<ref name=latimore2022/>

According to October 2022 Facebook posts by Gavan McFadzean, manager of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Program at the [[Australian Conservation Foundation]], he had been in a relationship with Thorpe since 2019. He wrote that he had only found out about her liaison with bikie Dean Martin via news media, referring to it as "an affair".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=22 October 2022 |title=More trouble for Thorpe over ex bikie boss "affair" |work=Herald Sun| url-access =subscription |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2F |access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref><ref name =9newsfb>{{cite web | title=Jilted partner of firebrand senator Lidia Thorpe found out she had an affair with a bikie from news | website=9 Breaking News | date=20 October 2022 | url=https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020230440/https://9breakingnews.com/jilted-partner-of-firebrand-senator-lidia-thorpe-found-out-she-had-an-affair-with-a-bikie-from-news/ | archive-date=20 October 2022 | url-status=live | access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://indigenousx.com.au/daniel-james-lidia-thorpe-member-for-northcote/ IndigenousX]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Fiona Richardson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]]|years=2017–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kat Theophanous]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Australian Senators}}
{{Current Senate crossbench}}
{{Portal bar|Australia|Politics|2020s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Lidia}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Victoria]]
[[Category:Women members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian women politicians]]
[[Category:Australian indigenous rights activists]]
[[Category:Women human rights activists]]
[[Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian socialists]]
[[Category:Australian republicans]]
[[Category:People from Collingwood, Victoria]]
[[Category:Politicians from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Gunaikurnai people]]
[[Category:Anti-monarchists]]

Tirana International Film Festival

2017-02-01T16:01:04Z

LibStar: Reverted edits by LibStar (talk) to last version by Zppix

{{Infobox film festival
| name = Tirana International Film Festival
| image = Tirana International Film Festival logo.png
| caption = Festival logo
| location = [[Tirana]], Albania
| awards =
| predecessor =
| founded = {{start date|2003}}
| number =
| language = International
| website = {{url|https://tiranafilmfest.com/}}
}}

The '''Tirana International Film Festival''' ('''TIFF''') is one of the major annual events taking place in Tirana each year. It was the first international cinema festival in Albania. This cultural event was created in 2003 and is currently the most important cinematic event in Albania.

The Festival is competitive with the International Section jury awarding several prizes each year, most notably the "Golden Owl" for Best Feature Film.

It is organised annually by the [[Albanian National Center of Cinematography]]. It features three distinct categories and combines features and short film; fiction, documentary, animation and experimental. The festival is open to any filmmaker from around the world and it also accepts student works.<ref>http://www.filmitalia.org/p.aspxt=festival&l=en&did=45511</ref><ref>https://www.clickforfestivals.com/tiff-tirana-international-film-festival</ref>

==History==
The festival was held for the first time in 2003. Since then it has been held annually in the cinemas of [[Tirana]].
During the 12th edition more than 5,400 applications were submitted.

In 2015, the Festival introduced '''DocuTIFF''' (Documentary Tirana International Film Festival), after large applications sent during the 12th edition of the Festival held in 2014. It was impossible to show all these production in one single festival and new festivals were created for each category such as DocuTIFF, for documentary film, AnimaTIFF, for animated productions and ExpoTIFF for experimental films.<ref>https://tiranafilmfest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1800&Itemid=555</ref>

==Award Winners==
The list of the Winners of the "Golden Owl'' award for each year is as follows:

{| class="sortable wikitable" width="85%" cellpadding="5"
|-
!width="7%"| Year
!width="23%"| English title
!width="26%"| Original title
!width="23%"| Director(s)
!width="23%"| Country
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2003 ||''The Last Gunman'' ||''The Last Gunman'' ||Alessandro Dominici || {{flagcountry|ITA}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2004 ||''Family Portrait'' || ||Ellery Ngiam || {{flagcountry|SIN}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2005 ||''Before I Go'' || ||Heiko Hahn || {{flagcountry|GER}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2006 ||''[[The Optimists (film)|The Optimists]]'' ||''Оптимисти'' ||[[Goran Paskaljević]] || {{flagcountry|SRB}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2007 ||''[[Salvador (2006 film)|Salvador]]'' ||''Salvador'' ||[[Manuel Huerga]] || {{flagcountry|ESP}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2008 ||''Annem Sinema Ögreniyor'' ||''Annem Sinema Ögreniyor'' ||Nesimi Yetik || {{flagcountry|GER}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2009 ||''Woman without a piano'' ||''La mujer sin Piano'' ||Javier Rebollo || {{flagcountry|ESP}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2010 ||''Woman in temptation'' ||''Zeny v pokuseni'' ||Jiri Vejdelek || {{flagcountry|CZE}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2011 ||''[[Punk's Not Dead (2011 film)|Punk's not dead]]'' ||Punk's not dead ||Vladimir Blazevski || {{flagcountry|MKD}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2012 ||''Siberia, Monamour'' ||Sibir. Monamur ||Slava Ross || {{flagcountry|RUS}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2013 ||''Seven Lucky Gods '' ||Seven Lucky Gods ||Jamil Dehlavi || {{flagcountry|UK}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2014 ||''[[Joseph Laban#Nuwebe|Termitaria]]'' ||Nuwebe ||Joseph Israel Laban || {{flagcountry|PHI}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2015 ||''[[Babai (film)|Babai]]'' || Babai ||Visar Morina || {{flagcountry|KOS}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2016 ||''Hear the Silence'' ||Höre die Stille ||Ed Ehrenberg || {{flagcountry|GER}}
|-
|}

== See also ==
*[[International Film Summerfest of Durrës]]

{{CinemaofAlbania}}
{{Film festivals}}
{{List of Biennales}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Film festivals in Albania]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 2003]]
[[Category:Culture in Tirana]]
[[Category:International film festivals|Tirana]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Tirana]]
[[Category:2003 establishments in Albania]]

Tirana International Film Festival

2017-02-01T16:00:10Z

LibStar:

{{Notability}}

{{Infobox film festival
| name = Tirana International Film Festival
| image = Tirana International Film Festival logo.png
| caption = Festival logo
| location = [[Tirana]], Albania
| awards =
| predecessor =
| founded = {{start date|2003}}
| number =
| language = International
| website = {{url|https://tiranafilmfest.com/}}
}}

The '''Tirana International Film Festival''' ('''TIFF''') is one of the major annual events taking place in Tirana each year. It was the first international cinema festival in Albania. This cultural event was created in 2003 and is currently the most important cinematic event in Albania.

The Festival is competitive with the International Section jury awarding several prizes each year, most notably the "Golden Owl" for Best Feature Film.

It is organised annually by the [[Albanian National Center of Cinematography]]. It features three distinct categories and combines features and short film; fiction, documentary, animation and experimental. The festival is open to any filmmaker from around the world and it also accepts student works.<ref>http://www.filmitalia.org/p.aspxt=festival&l=en&did=45511</ref><ref>https://www.clickforfestivals.com/tiff-tirana-international-film-festival</ref>

==History==
The festival was held for the first time in 2003. Since then it has been held annually in the cinemas of [[Tirana]].
During the 12th edition more than 5,400 applications were submitted.

In 2015, the Festival introduced '''DocuTIFF''' (Documentary Tirana International Film Festival), after large applications sent during the 12th edition of the Festival held in 2014. It was impossible to show all these production in one single festival and new festivals were created for each category such as DocuTIFF, for documentary film, AnimaTIFF, for animated productions and ExpoTIFF for experimental films.<ref>https://tiranafilmfest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1800&Itemid=555</ref>

==Award Winners==
The list of the Winners of the "Golden Owl'' award for each year is as follows:

{| class="sortable wikitable" width="85%" cellpadding="5"
|-
!width="7%"| Year
!width="23%"| English title
!width="26%"| Original title
!width="23%"| Director(s)
!width="23%"| Country
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2003 ||''The Last Gunman'' ||''The Last Gunman'' ||Alessandro Dominici || {{flagcountry|ITA}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2004 ||''Family Portrait'' || ||Ellery Ngiam || {{flagcountry|SIN}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2005 ||''Before I Go'' || ||Heiko Hahn || {{flagcountry|GER}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2006 ||''[[The Optimists (film)|The Optimists]]'' ||''Оптимисти'' ||[[Goran Paskaljević]] || {{flagcountry|SRB}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2007 ||''[[Salvador (2006 film)|Salvador]]'' ||''Salvador'' ||[[Manuel Huerga]] || {{flagcountry|ESP}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2008 ||''Annem Sinema Ögreniyor'' ||''Annem Sinema Ögreniyor'' ||Nesimi Yetik || {{flagcountry|GER}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2009 ||''Woman without a piano'' ||''La mujer sin Piano'' ||Javier Rebollo || {{flagcountry|ESP}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2010 ||''Woman in temptation'' ||''Zeny v pokuseni'' ||Jiri Vejdelek || {{flagcountry|CZE}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2011 ||''[[Punk's Not Dead (2011 film)|Punk's not dead]]'' ||Punk's not dead ||Vladimir Blazevski || {{flagcountry|MKD}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2012 ||''Siberia, Monamour'' ||Sibir. Monamur ||Slava Ross || {{flagcountry|RUS}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2013 ||''Seven Lucky Gods '' ||Seven Lucky Gods ||Jamil Dehlavi || {{flagcountry|UK}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2014 ||''[[Joseph Laban#Nuwebe|Termitaria]]'' ||Nuwebe ||Joseph Israel Laban || {{flagcountry|PHI}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2015 ||''[[Babai (film)|Babai]]'' || Babai ||Visar Morina || {{flagcountry|KOS}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| 2016 ||''Hear the Silence'' ||Höre die Stille ||Ed Ehrenberg || {{flagcountry|GER}}
|-
|}

== See also ==
*[[International Film Summerfest of Durrës]]

{{CinemaofAlbania}}
{{Film festivals}}
{{List of Biennales}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Film festivals in Albania]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 2003]]
[[Category:Culture in Tirana]]
[[Category:International film festivals|Tirana]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Tirana]]
[[Category:2003 establishments in Albania]]

Jun Hong Lu

2016-07-26T16:18:12Z

LibStar: Undid revision 731638293 by 223.255.224.109 (talk) clear conflict of interest from single purpose editors

{{Multiple issues|
{{COI|date=July 2016}}
}}
{{Chinese name|[[Lu (surname 卢)|Lu]]}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Jun Hong Lu
| native_name = 盧軍宏
| native_name_lang = zh
| image = JunHong Lu.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|08|04}}
| occupation = President and Director of 2OR Australia Oriental Radio (2OR)
| known_for = Founder of the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Doors
| website =
}}

'''Jun Hong Lu''' ({{zh|t=盧軍宏|p=Lú Jūnhóng}}, born 4 August 1959) is the Chairman and Director of [[Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association]] registered<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/61321-Australia-Oriental-Media-Buddhist-Charity-Association|title=Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association - UN Global Compact|publisher=}}</ref> under [[United Nations Global Compact]] as NGO-[[Non Government Organisation]] since July 2015. Participant ID:61321. The Charity Asso. has been registed under Australian Charities and Non for profit Commission-[[ACNC]] since May 2014.Charity [http://www.acnc.gov.au/RN52B75Q?ID=6C7A4BEB-26B3-4824-B89F-F8A3A26A306F&noleft=1 ABN: 96169422664] Registered Charities and Non for profit under Australian Charity Commission required by law to maintain a transparent, correct, and complete financial records. He is also the President of the Australian Chinese Buddhist Research Centre.

== Awards ==
[[File:Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena.jpg|thumb|Honorary visiting professorship by Siena University]]

In recognition of Lu's efforts to promote Traditional [[Chinese Culture]], [[Buddhism]], and [[World Peace]], the UK-based [http://theunityoffaiths.org Unity of Faiths Foundation] [http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1153619&SubsidiaryNumber=0 (Charity No.1153619)] honoured Lu with the ‘World Peace Award (Buddhism)’ and the title of the [[Ambassador]] for World Peace Ambassador for World Peace’ in July 2012.The Unity of Faiths Festival was one of the events in celebration of the [[Queen's Diamond Jubilee]]. In September 2012, Lu was invited to give a public talk at [[Harvard University]]. In October 2012, he received the [http://www.bcha.info/?s=LU+JUN+HONG 'British Community Honours Award'] at the [[House of Lords]], United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/22/4295/ |title=Ardent promoter of Chinese culture and world peace and Winner of multiple international awards Master Junhong Lu was awarded the "Ambassador for Peace Education" at UN, "World Peace Ambassador" in U.S. Congress, and "honorary visiting professorship" in Italy |website=Arabtelegraph.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref> This award is recognised and honoured by [https://www.royal.uk/her-majesty-the-queen Her Majesty the Queen] [[Elizabeth II]] for members of the British Community for their contribution to British Society.

On 31st Mar 2014, Lu was awarded Honorary [[Visiting Professor]] by the [http://en.unisi.it University of Siena, Italy]. The visiting professorship is under the Master Program in Global Governance and Cultural Diplomacy of the [[University of Siena]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-awarded-honorary-visiting-professorship-by-university-of-siena-in-italy/ |title=Master Lu Awarded Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena in Italy |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref>

“Yearbook of Who’s Who of China 2014” lists people in various fields who have made outstanding contributions to China. It is approved for publication by China’s [[General Administration of Press and Publication]].<ref>http://baike.baidu.com/view/4598179.htm</ref> The yearbook is published annually. It is the only official publication in China that lists prominent Chinese individuals in the form of a yearbook. The 2014 edition contains detailed biographical information about people in various fields who have made an impact on Chinese life in 2014. In addition to Chinese President [[Xi Jinping]], Jun Hong Lu is also featured in the 2014 edition.<ref>''中国人物年鉴 2014''. ''中国人物年鉴社'', 2014. p451.</ref> Other featured subjects include leading people from the Chinese Communist Party and other political parties, government bodies, and the Army.

Master Lu was invited to attend a global summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as a keynote speaker. The objective of the summit is to formulate a road map for a culture of peace as conflict prevention and mediation. In appreciation for Master Lu’s dedication and service to the promotion of education to nurture a culture of peace, the summit awarded Master Lu with the title “Ambassador of Peace Education”. The award is presented by [[Emil Constantinescu]], the former president of Romania, and Joana, the executive director of International Strategic Alliance Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/22/4295|title=“World Peace Ambassado Award in the U.S. Congress|publisher=}}</ref>

==Buddhism Promotion==
Since 2010, in response to the invitations from Buddhist followers around the globe, Lu and his Dharma Propagating Team have organized public talks in many countries and regions including major cities in Australia; New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston in the United States; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Brussel in Belgium and Madrid in Spain and Rome in Italy. Lu also gave talks in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Thailand, New Zealand, and Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/events/ |title=Events |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref>
On Dec 2013 Lu was invited to give a speech at [http://www.cd-n.org/index.php?welcome-address-3 Institute for Cultural Diplomacy] ( ICD)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cd-n.org/index.php?welcome-address-3|title=Welcome Address|publisher=}}</ref> in recognition of Jun Hong Lu’s contribution to the international community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/13/guan-yin-citta-in-a-top-tier-university-congratulations-to-master-lu-for-his-successful-talk-at-harvard-university/|title=Guan Yin Citta in a Top-tier University Congratulations to Master Lu for his Successful Talk at Harvard University|first=Arab|last=Telegraph|publisher=}}</ref>

==Publications==
Books written by Lu are for free distribution, not for sale. <ref>http://gyph.org/publication</ref>
===English===
*Introduction to Guan Yin Citta Dharma
*Metaphysics Q&A Vol. 1
*Metaphysics Q&A Vol. 2
*Metaphysics Q&A Vol. 3
*Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door

===Buddhism in Plain Terms===
*''白话佛法 Vol.1to9''
===Love & Marriage Series===
*''婚姻情感 Vol.1&2''
===Buddhism & Health Series===
*''疾病百科''
*''心灵法门治疗疾病灵验实例选编 Vol.1&2''
===Others===
*''初学者入门手册 (being translated into English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese & Indonesian)''
*''佛学问答 165''
*''佛学常识 Vol.1&2''
*''白话佛法广播讲座 Vol.1&2''

==Views==
===Mahayana Buddhism===
According to Jun Hong Lu, Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door belongs to the [[Mahayana]] Buddhist tradition. It encourages people to recite Buddhist scriptures (sutras and mantras) on a daily basis, practise life liberation (that is, saving the lives of beings destined for slaughter), and make great vows to help more people. It is believed that these three “golden practices” lay a solid foundation for improved physical and mental well-being.<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |date= |title=Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_Rz2U4PrI50VU1xUi1JZkxSVEE/view |location= |publisher= |page=4 |isbn=}}</ref>

====Three Golden Practices of Guan Yin Citta====
#Reciting Buddhist sutras/mantras: Guan Yin Citta believes that reciting Buddhist sutras and mantras on a daily basis helps one benefit from the blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Recitation will not only help eliminate one’s negative karma; it will also bring strength, wisdom and inner peace, so that one can overcome all kinds of obstacles. The three major sutras and mantras recited by Guan Yin Citta followers are: [[Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī|the Great Compassion Mantra]], the [[Heart Sutra]], and the Eighty-eight Buddhas Repentance.<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |date= |title=Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_Rz2U4PrI50VU1xUi1JZkxSVEE/view |location= |publisher= |page=7 |isbn=}}</ref>
#Practising life liberation: that is, Release of animals, especially those in grave danger of being killed, is a popular practice performed by all schools of [[Buddhism]]. Guan Yin Citta believes that setting animals free helps one cultivate compassion towards all beings, and deepens the understanding that all living beings are all interdependent. <ref>{{cite web| url=http://lujunhong2or.com/%E7%B2%BE%E5%BD%A9%E5%BC%80%E7%A4%BA%E4%B8%93%E9%A2%98%EF%BC%9A%E6%95%91%E5%BD%BC%E5%91%BD%EF%BC%8C%E6%95%91%E5%B7%B1%E5%BF%83%EF%BC%88%E4%B8%8A%EF%BC%89-%E6%94%BE%E7%94%9F%E7%9A%84|title=救彼命，救己心——放生的重要性|publisher=}}</ref>
#Making great vows: When one makes a vow, he or she will be motivated to fulfill the vow. The vow then becomes very strong energy; it can overcome countless obstacles. This is especially true when one makes a vow out of compassion. Seeing the suffering and hearing the cries of sentient beings, Bodhisattvas bring forth immense compassion and vow to benefit all sentient beings. <ref>http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=19411</ref>

===Organisation===
On Jun Hong Lu’s official Chinese-language blog,<ref>http://lujunhong2or.com</ref> he emphasizes the importance of Guan Yin Citta followers’ abiding by rules and regulations in their respective countries and regions when practising Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. This idea can be found on the top banner area of his blog and from the content of his public talk<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lujunhong2or.com/%E4%B8%AD%E5%8D%8E%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96%E6%99%AE%E5%88%A9%E4%BC%97%E7%94%9F%E6%8C%87%E5%AF%BC%E4%BA%BA%E7%94%9F-%E4%BD%9B%E6%B3%95%E7%B2%BE%E9%AB%93%E6%95%91%E5%BA%A6%E4%BC%97%E7%94%9F%E8%A7%89%E6%82%9F|title=中华文化普利众生指导人生佛法精髓救度众生觉悟人生|publisher=}}</ref>

===Religions===
In an interview with [[Radio France Internationale]], Master Lu stated that "The reason of having 84,000 Dharma is to accommodate all beings and creatures to understand One’s self in order to create a soulful world. It will be good enough as long as you have the heart and soul to create a better place for all beings. That is why I respect the Dharma. It doesn’t matter which Dharma you choose; it will still be the path that you have to proceed. This is a very important point. Therefore, Chinese in Sydney will practice vegetarian during the first and the fifteenth of the Chinese calendar. There are also a lot of Chinese worshipping the Buddha during festive seasons. Some even know how to practice loving kindness. A few organizations in Sydney such as the [[Tzu Chi Foundation]], [[Pure Land Buddhism]] by Master [[Chin Kung]] and also Master [[Hsing Yun]]’s [[Nan Tien temple]] are all well established with the same priority, and that is to carry forward the Buddhism Teaching in order to unite everyone physically, mentally and soulfully. Hence, I believe that every Buddhist Chinese from all over the world should continue to practice Buddhism as it will benefit in the cultivation of One’s mindset, and also to create a peaceful and harmonious world."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cn.rfi.fr/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD/20120718-%E8%87%AA%E5%BA%A6%E5%BA%A6%E4%BA%BA-%E9%87%87%E8%AE%BF%E6%BE%B3%E6%B4%B2%E5%8D%8E%E4%BA%BA%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99%E5%AD%A6%E4%BC%9A%E5%8D%A2%E5%86%9B%E5%AE%8F%E4%BC%9A%E9%95%BF|title=采访澳洲华人佛教学会卢军宏会长|publisher=}}</ref>

===World Peace===
On March 26, 2014 in Washington, DC , Master Lu attended a global summit on world peace as a keynote speaker in the U.S. Congress.He was awarded the title of ” World Peace Ambassador ” at the summit. Master Lu pointed out that, the dream of a peaceful world could only be realised if we treat each other with compassion , and show kindness to our communities. We could then have wisdom to resolve conflicts. <ref>http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/22/4295/</ref>

In an interview by [[A9 TV]], Master Jun Hong Lu stated that, I am very much hope that we can get united together, change the way how we treat each other. All of us should treat each other with caring and love. Only by this kind of attitude then we can achieve world peace and we can forgive each other for our wrong doings. Then we can put down arms, we no longer wants to get into conflict. That's the only way to lead to world peace.<ref>http://en.a9.com.tr/watch/185115/Leaders-and-Thinkers-Discuss-Peace-Religion-and-Politics/Master-Jun-Hong-Lu-World-Renowned-Chinese-Buddhist-Leader</ref>

==Philanthropy==
===Flood Relief===
:Yantze River, [[China]] - 1998<ref>http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/13/jun-hong-lu</ref>
:[[2010–11 Queensland floods|Brisbane flood]], Australia - 2011
:[[Kelantan]], Malaysia - 2015<ref>http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/1425944</ref>
===Earthquake===
:[[Sichuan earthquake]], China - 2008
:[[Sichuan earthquake]], China - 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xkb.com.au/html/cnc/shetuandongtai/2013/0502/102777.html|title=华协会向芦山灾区捐款献爱心|publisher=}}</ref>
===Disaster Relief Program===
:[[Tzu Chi|Tzu Chi Foundation]] - 2013<ref>http://www.huashangbao.com/portal.php?mod=view&aid=1559</ref>
===Other philanthropic work===
In 2013, Jun Hong Lu, with his team from the Australian Chinese Buddhist Research Centre, had organised a charity event to raise funds for Tibetan students with financial difficulties. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xkb.com.au/html/cnc/shetuandongtai/2013/0729/108614.html|title=悉尼侨界倡议支援西藏贫困学生|publisher=}}</ref>
In 2014, Jun Hong Lu established the Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association (AOMB) to restore the peaceful state of mind for modern people and improving their mental well-being. AOMB reaches out to people suffering from mental illnesses, raise money for adults and children with disabilities and organise charitable events to support disaster relief efforts around the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aombca.org/%E6%9C%BA%E6%9E%84%E7%AE%80%E4%BB%8B|title=澳洲东方传媒积善机构|publisher=}}</ref>

==New mode of Buddhism practice in the Dharma-Ending Age==

It is very common to have different opinion as such because Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door is considered a new mode of buddhism practice, which is transmitted directly from Guan Yin Bodhisattva in the Dharma-Ending Age (末法时期，mo-fa in Chinese). Master Lu demonstrates the true Buddha-dharma still exist and offer people a ‘Quick Path’ to liberation and enlightenment. Dharma-Ending Age is a period when the practitioners are of a low capacity, the dharma cannot be transmitted correctly, and the world is beset by so many problems that is not possible to practice. <ref>Institute, X. (2016) Dharma-Ending age of Buddhism. Available at: http://xuanfa.net/introduction-to-buddhism/dharma-ending-age/</ref>

The Buddha, having foreseen this dark age, provided for teachings that were appropriate for the different ages and predicted that great Holy Ones would incarnate at appropriate times and places to revitalize and teach the dharma that was appropriate for that period of time and place. <ref>Institute, X. (2016) Dharma-Ending age of Buddhism. Available at: http://xuanfa.net/introduction-to-buddhism/dharma-ending-age/</ref>

“Totem” is just a way to help people believe in their karma works in their lives and the law of cause and effect (因果，Yin Guo in Chinese), which is the foundation of Buddhism. Without knowing this deeply, one cannot understand Buddhism or move forward on the path. “Totem” and “Little House” practice may seem unusual to many, but it has been proven an effective way to help people believe and know their own cause and effect, and most importantly, to solve their problems on their own effort at no cost.

Besides the ‘Three Golden Practices’, Master Lu has been giving practical and sound advice, as well as Buddhist teachings relentlessly as people travel along their path of practice. This also forms an important part of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door as Master Lu is using simple, and sometimes even light-hearted language to explain the profound teachings of the Buddha (白话佛法). <ref>Available at: http://books.bhfofa.com/</ref> His exposition is both inspiring and illuminating. His students include both monastic and lay practitioners around the globe.

Today, Master Lu’s Buddhist practice reaches over 10 million people around the world for obvious reasons. It is all due to the fact that Master Lu and Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door’s practices have saved lives of many, especially people who were suffered from terminal illness and serious mental illness that are deemed incurable. It may sound unbelievable but it is the fact and evidences could be found on the You Tube - 心灵法门同修分享。<ref>Inspirational stories 03 - Guan Yin Citta Dharma door (2014) Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/guanyincittadharmapath/inspirational-stories/inspirational-stories-03</ref>

According to The 84,000 Dhamma doors by Dr David N. Snyder, “Buddhism is tolerant to all faiths and allows followers to belong to other religions. All religions and moral ways of life can be said to be on the ―Path, that is, the Path to enlightenment." <ref>DhammaW and Paths, D. 2016 David’s book: The 84, 000 Dhamma doors. Available at: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?t=14351</ref> <ref>An introduction to Buddhism through Jodo Shinshu 2016 Available at: http://www.dharmanet.org/coursesM/Shin/JodoShinshu2.htm</ref> <ref>http://zen-ua.org/wp-content/uploads/lotus_sutra_english.pdf</ref> <ref>http://buddhism.about.com/od/Living-A-Buddhist-Life/fl/Dharma-Gates.htm</ref>

Because Sakyamuni Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama) taught in a very personal manner, it is said that he gave 84,000 messages during his lifetime. The number of paths is an expression of the universality of the Buddha-Dharma. Within 84,000 paths, one path is most suited to you. Therefore, there is no need to critically judge which ones are proper dharma of Buddha’s teaching.<ref>An introduction to Buddhism through Jodo Shinshu 2016 Available at: http://www.dharmanet.org/coursesM/Shin/JodoShinshu2.htm</ref>

Thus there is no reason to prohibit such practices, which will actually improve physical and mental well-beings, increase wisdom and even save lives of millions.

All in all, Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door provides an effective and systematic way to finding peace in a turbulent world. Master Lu’s teaching is all about encouraging people to cultivate compassion towards all beings and guiding people the way to manage their desires, refine their moral characters, as well as controlling their own destiny through recitation and repentance. It is all for a good cause. However, as we all know that Buddha’s teaching itself is a very profound subject, some beginners may misinterpret what’s being taught and some of them are praying for their own desires, that is definitely not the central idea of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

==Different Opinion==

Buddhist communities in several countries, such as China, Malaysia and Singapore, have casted doubts that Lu Jun Hong and his Guan Yin Citta does not represent orthodox Buddhism.<ref>http://www.sara.gov.cn//xwzx/xwjj/86634.htm</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ybam.org.my/v2/zh/news/news/item/714-%E9%A9%AC%E6%9D%A5%E8%A5%BF%E4%BA%9A%E5%90%84%E4%B8%BB%E8%A6%81%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99%E5%9B%A2%E4%BD%93%E8%81%94%E5%90%88%E6%96%87%E5%91%8A.html|title=马来西亚各主要佛教团体联合文告|publisher=}}</ref>Three main points were quoted. Secondly, according to Guan Yin Citta, Lu has claimed to be able to observe people's fortune through their "totem". Such practices are prohibited in Buddhism. Lastly, while Guan Yin CItta uses some Buddhist concepts, they are superficial or even misrepresented.<ref>http://www.sara.gov.cn//xwzx/xwjj/86634.htm</ref>

<ref>http://www.linzi.gov.cn/lz/ztzl/fxjgzzl/n67375.html</ref>
<ref>http://www.zichuan.gov.cn/HTML/5107/ArticleView5107_1_48829.html</ref>
<ref>http://www.ft.gov.cn/DocHtml/1/16/01/00061219.html</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcq.gov.cn/zwgk/Show.aspx?id=48772|title=从佛教看“心灵法门”的邪性 - 惠州市惠城区人民政府网|first=|last=Jackson|publisher=}}</ref>
<ref>http://bbs.xinghua.gov.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&action=printable&tid=57472</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hhkcfw.kenli.gov.cn/info/1021/1334.htm|title=“心灵法门”实为地狱之门-黄河口春风网|publisher=}}</ref>
<ref>http://www.liandu.gov.cn/zhxx/rdzt/fxj/zx/201404/t20140422_507281.shtml</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-biography/ Guan Yin Citta: Biography of Master Lu]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Jun Hong}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian religious leaders]]
[[Category:People from Shanghai]]

Jun Hong Lu

2016-07-13T11:15:41Z

LibStar: Undid revision 729603926 by Jinyushuang (talk) edit warring

{{Multiple issues|
{{COI|date=July 2016}}
{{Orphan|date=June 2016}}
}}
{{Chinese name|[[Lu (surname 卢)|Lu]]}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Jun Hong Lu
| native_name = 盧軍宏
| native_name_lang = zh
| image = JunHong Lu.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|08|04}}
| occupation = President and Director of 2OR Australia Oriental Radio (2OR)
| known_for = Founder of the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Doors
| website =
}}

'''Jun Hong Lu''' ({{zh|t=盧軍宏|p=Lú Jūnhóng}}, born 4 August 1959) is the Chairman and Director of Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association registered<ref>https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/61321-Australia-Oriental-Media-Buddhist-Charity-Association</ref> under [[United Nations Global Compact]] as NGO-[[Non Government Organisation]] since July 2015. Participant ID:61321. The Charity Asso. has been registed under Australian Charities and Non for profit Commission-[[ACNC]] since May 2014.Charity [http://www.acnc.gov.au/RN52B75Q?ID=6C7A4BEB-26B3-4824-B89F-F8A3A26A306F&noleft=1 ABN: 96169422664] Registered Charities and Non for profit under Australian Charity Commission required by law to maintain a transparent, correct, and complete financial records. He is also the President of the Australian Chinese Buddhist Research Centre.

== Awards ==
[[File:Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena.jpg|thumb|Honorary visiting professorship by Siena University]]

In recognition of Lu's efforts to promote Traditional [[Chinese Culture]], [[Buddhism]], and [[World Peace]], the UK-based [http://theunityoffaiths.org Unity of Faiths Foundation] [http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1153619&SubsidiaryNumber=0 Charity No.1153619] honoured Lu with the ‘World Peace Award (Buddhism)’ and the title of the [[Ambassador]] for World Peace Ambassador for World Peace’ in July 2012.The Unity of Faiths Festival was one of the events in celebration of the [[Queen's Diamond Jubilee]]. In September 2012, Lu was invited to give a public talk at [[Harvard University]]. In October 2012, he received the [http://www.bcha.info/?s=LU+JUN+HONG 'British Community Honours Award'] at the [[House of Lords]], United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/22/4295/ |title=Ardent promoter of Chinese culture and world peace and Winner of multiple international awards Master Junhong Lu was awarded the "Ambassador for Peace Education" at UN, "World Peace Ambassador" in U.S. Congress, and "honorary visiting professorship" in Italy |website=Arabtelegraph.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref> This award is recognised and honoured by [https://www.royal.uk/her-majesty-the-queen Her Majesty the Queen] [[Elizabeth II]] for members of the British Community for their contribution to British Society.

On 31st Mar 2014, Lu was awarded Honorary [[Visiting Professor]] by the [http://en.unisi.it University of Siena, Italy]. The visiting professorship is under the Master Program in Global Governance and Cultural Diplomacy of the [[University of Siena]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-awarded-honorary-visiting-professorship-by-university-of-siena-in-italy/ |title=Master Lu Awarded Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena in Italy |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref> From Feb 2016, Lu has been invited as Patron of UK Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door Buddhist Charity Foundation registered under [[UK Charity Commission]]<ref>https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission</ref> [http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1165696&subid=0 Charity No. 1165696].<ref>http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1165696&subid=0</ref>

==Buddhism promotion==
Since 2010, in response to the invitations from Buddhism followers around the globe, Lu and his Dharma Propagating Team have organized public talks in many countries and regions including major cities in Australia; New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston in the United States; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Brussel in Belgium and Madrid in Spain and Rome in Italy. Lu also gave talks in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Thailand, New Zealand, and Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/events/ |title=Events |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref>
On Dec 2013 Lu was invited to give a speech at [http://www.cd-n.org/index.php?welcome-address-3 Institute for Cultural Diplomacy] ( ICD)<ref>[http://www.cd-n.org/index.php?welcome-address-3 Institute for Culture Diplomacy]</ref> in recognition of Jun Hong Lu’s contribution to the international community.<ref>http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/13/guan-yin-citta-in-a-top-tier-university-congratulations-to-master-lu-for-his-successful-talk-at-harvard-university/</ref>

==Different Opinion==

Buddhist communities in several countries, such as China, Malaysia and Singapore, have casted doubts that Lu Jun Hong and his Guan Yin Citta does not represent orthodox Buddhism.Three main points were quoted. Firstly, no highly reputable Buddhist masters have ever claimed to be reincarnate or representative of any Buddha or Bodhisattva. Secondly, according to Guan Yin Citta, Lu has claimed to be able to observe people's fortune through their "totem". Such practices are prohibited in Buddhism. Lastly, while Guan Yin CItta uses some Buddhist concepts, they are superficial or even misrepresented.

In many provinces in China, Guan Yin CItta is said to be a cult and advisories has been published to warn people against believing in Guan Yin Citta. Yet, browsing through online speeches of Master Lu on Youtube, it is found that during public speeches, Master Lu has never claimed himself as the representative of any Buddha, secondly Cult is only invented in China but NOT in any Western countries, if it was cult why it has not been stopped and shut down in Austrialia?

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-biography/ Guan Yin Citta: Biography of Master Lu]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Jun Hong}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian religious leaders]]
[[Category:People from Shanghai]]

Jun Hong Lu

2016-07-13T02:11:01Z

LibStar: becoming a JP in australia is hardly noteworthy

Jun Hong Lu

2016-07-10T15:51:28Z

LibStar: AfD is over

{{Chinese name|[[Lu (surname 卢)|Lu]]}}
{{coi|date=July 2016}}
{{Orphan|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jun Hong Lu
| native_name = 盧軍宏
| native_name_lang = zh
| image = JunHong Lu.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|08|04}}
| occupation = President and Director of 2OR Australia Oriental Radio (2OR)
| known_for = Founder of the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Doors
| website =
}}

'''Jun Hong Lu''' was born on ({{zh|t=盧軍宏|p=Lú Jūnhóng}}, born 4 August 1959). He is the Chairman and Director of Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association registered<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/61321-Australia-Oriental-Media-Buddhist-Charity-Association|title=Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association|work=UN Global Compact}}</ref> under [[United Nations Global Compact]] as a [[non-governmental organization]] since July 2015.

== Awards ==
[[File:Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena.jpg|thumb|Honorary visiting professorship by Siena University]]

In recognition of Lu's efforts to promote traditional [[Chinese culture]], [[Buddhism]], and [[world peace]], the UK-based Unity of Faiths Foundation honored Lu with the 'World Peace Award (Buddhism)' and the title of the Ambassador for World Peace Ambassador for World Peace' in July 2012.The Unity of Faiths Festival was one of the events in celebration of the [[Queen's Diamond Jubilee]]. In September 2012, Lu was invited to give a public talk at [[Harvard University]]. In October 2012, he received the British Community Honours Award at the [[House of Lords]], United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/22/4295/ |title=Ardent promoter of Chinese culture and world peace and Winner of multiple international awards Master Junhong Lu was awarded the "Ambassador for Peace Education" at UN, "World Peace Ambassador" in U.S. Congress, and "honorary visiting professorship" in Italy |website=Arabtelegraph.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref>

On 31st Mar 2014, Lu was awarded Honorary [[Visiting Professor]] by the University of Siena, Italy. The visiting professorship is under the Master Program in Global Governance and Cultural Diplomacy of the [[University of Siena]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-awarded-honorary-visiting-professorship-by-university-of-siena-in-italy/ |title=Master Lu Awarded Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena in Italy |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref> From Feb 2016, Lu has been invited as Patron of UK Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door Buddhist Charity Foundation registered under [[UK Charity Commission]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission|title=The Charity Commission|work=gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1165696&subid=0|title=Charity Details|work=charitycommission.gov.uk}}</ref>

== Buddhism promotion ==
Since 2010, in response to the invitations from Buddhism followers around the globe, Lu and his Dharma Propagating Team have organized public talks in many countries and regions including major cities in Australia; New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston in the United States; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Brussel in Belgium and Madrid in Spain and Rome in Italy. Lu also gave talks in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Thailand, New Zealand, and Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/events/ |title=Events |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref>
On Dec 2013 Lu was invited to give a speech at Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cd-n.org/index.php?welcome-address-3|title=Welcome Address|work=cd-n.org}}</ref> in recognition of Jun Hong Lu's contribution to the international community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/13/guan-yin-citta-in-a-top-tier-university-congratulations-to-master-lu-for-his-successful-talk-at-harvard-university/|title=Guan Yin Citta in a Top-tier University Congratulations to Master Lu for his Successful Talk at Harvard University|work=Arab Telegraph}}</ref>

==Different Opinion==

Buddhist communities in several countries, such as China, Malaysia and Singapore, have casted doubts that Lu Jun Hong and his Guan Yin Citta do not represent orthodox Buddhism<ref>http://www.sara.gov.cn//xwzx/xwjj/86634.htm</ref><ref>http://www.ybam.org.my/v2/zh/news/news/item/714-%E9%A9%AC%E6%9D%A5%E8%A5%BF%E4%BA%9A%E5%90%84%E4%B8%BB%E8%A6%81%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99%E5%9B%A2%E4%BD%93%E8%81%94%E5%90%88%E6%96%87%E5%91%8A.html</ref>. . Three main points were quoted. Firstly, no highly reputable Buddhist masters have ever claimed to be reincarnate or representative of any Buddha or Bodhisattva which he never claimed some of his followers migth have but again it is out of his control, Secondly, according to Guan Yin Citta, Lu has claimed to be able to observe people's fortune through their "totem". Lastly, while Guan Yin CItta uses some Buddhist concepts, they are superficial or even misrepresented.

In many provinces in China, Guan Yin CItta is also officially classified as a cult and advisories has been published to warn people against believing in Guan Yin Citta<ref>http://www.guanganpeace.gov.cn/system/20151118/000197876.html</ref><ref>http://www.linzi.gov.cn/lz/ztzl/fxjgzzl/n67375.html</ref><ref>http://www.zichuan.gov.cn/HTML/5107/ArticleView5107_1_48829.html</ref><ref>http://www.ft.gov.cn/DocHtml/1/16/01/00061219.html</ref><ref>http://www.hcq.gov.cn/zwgk/Show.aspx?id=48772</ref><ref>http://bbs.xinghua.gov.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&action=printable&tid=57472</ref><ref>http://hhkcfw.kenli.gov.cn/info/1021/1334.htm</ref><ref>http://www.liandu.gov.cn/zhxx/rdzt/fxj/zx/201404/t20140422_507281.shtml</ref><ref>http://www.padh.gov.cn/index.php/cms/item-view-id-175.shtml</ref><ref>http://kx.yw.gov.cn/fxgj/201605/t20160506_933310.html</ref><ref>http://www.sxga.gov.cn/jwzx/jwtj/201310/t20131013_52212.htm</ref><ref>http://yj.yaanpeace.gov.cn/yj/sfjd/20151120/13424.html</ref><ref>http://www.gsgd.gov.cn/apps/site/site/issue/gggs/2016/05/31/1464677475542.html</ref><ref>http://cpq.yb.gov.cn/template/cpq/content.jsp?id=40282c0151d267e50151d7fec4e301ad</ref><ref>http://yx.yongji.gov.cn/sub/viewDetail.jsp?newsid=153188&subjectid=13851</ref><ref>http://www.shangcheng.gov.cn/protal/scqzfmh/xxgk/ztzl/ndzt/201408/t20140815_51408.html</ref><ref>http://www.chinapeace.gov.cn/2015-08/31/content_11265602.htm</ref><ref>http://www.jxzz.gov.cn/aspx/NewsInfo.aspx?Type=pats&SiteName=jiaxing%20&ID=30510</ref>.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-biography/ Guan Yin Citta: Biography of Master Lu]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Jun Hong}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian religious leaders]]
[[Category:People from Shanghai]]

Jun Hong Lu

2016-07-06T01:11:57Z

LibStar:

{{Chinese name|[[Lu (surname 卢)|Lu]]}}
{{coi}}

{{AfDM|page=Jun Hong Lu (2nd nomination)|year=2016|month=June|day=19|substed=yes|origtag=afdx|help=off}}

{{Orphan|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jun Hong Lu
| native_name = 盧軍宏
| native_name_lang = zh
| image = JunHong Lu.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|08|04}}
| occupation = President and Director of 2OR Australia Oriental Radio (2OR)
| known_for = Founder of the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Doors
| website =
}}

'''Jun Hong Lu''' was born on ({{zh|t=盧軍宏|p=Lú Jūnhóng}}, born 4 August 1959). He is the Chairman and Director of Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association registered<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/61321-Australia-Oriental-Media-Buddhist-Charity-Association|title=Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association|work=UN Global Compact}}</ref> under [[United Nations Global Compact]] as a [[non-governmental organization]] since July 2015.

== Awards ==
[[File:Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena.jpg|thumb|Honorary visiting professorship by Siena University]]

In recognition of Lu's efforts to promote traditional [[Chinese culture]], [[Buddhism]], and [[world peace]], the UK-based Unity of Faiths Foundation honored Lu with the 'World Peace Award (Buddhism)' and the title of the Ambassador for World Peace Ambassador for World Peace' in July 2012.The Unity of Faiths Festival was one of the events in celebration of the [[Queen's Diamond Jubilee]]. In September 2012, Lu was invited to give a public talk at [[Harvard University]]. In October 2012, he received the British Community Honours Award at the [[House of Lords]], United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/22/4295/ |title=Ardent promoter of Chinese culture and world peace and Winner of multiple international awards Master Junhong Lu was awarded the "Ambassador for Peace Education" at UN, "World Peace Ambassador" in U.S. Congress, and "honorary visiting professorship" in Italy |website=Arabtelegraph.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref>

On 31st Mar 2014, Lu was awarded Honorary [[Visiting Professor]] by the University of Siena, Italy. The visiting professorship is under the Master Program in Global Governance and Cultural Diplomacy of the [[University of Siena]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-awarded-honorary-visiting-professorship-by-university-of-siena-in-italy/ |title=Master Lu Awarded Honorary Visiting Professorship by University of Siena in Italy |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref> From Feb 2016, Lu has been invited as Patron of UK Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door Buddhist Charity Foundation registered under [[UK Charity Commission]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission|title=The Charity Commission|work=gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1165696&subid=0|title=Charity Details|work=charitycommission.gov.uk}}</ref>

== Buddhism promotion ==
Since 2010, in response to the invitations from Buddhism followers around the globe, Lu and his Dharma Propagating Team have organized public talks in many countries and regions including major cities in Australia; New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston in the United States; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Brussel in Belgium and Madrid in Spain and Rome in Italy. Lu also gave talks in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Thailand, New Zealand, and Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guanyincitta.com/en/events/ |title=Events |publisher=Guan Yin Citta |date= |accessdate=2016-02-17}}</ref>
On Dec 2013 Lu was invited to give a speech at Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cd-n.org/index.php?welcome-address-3|title=Welcome Address|work=cd-n.org}}</ref> in recognition of Jun Hong Lu's contribution to the international community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabtelegraph.com/2014/05/13/guan-yin-citta-in-a-top-tier-university-congratulations-to-master-lu-for-his-successful-talk-at-harvard-university/|title=Guan Yin Citta in a Top-tier University Congratulations to Master Lu for his Successful Talk at Harvard University|work=Arab Telegraph}}</ref>

==Different Opinion==

Buddhist communities in several countries have casted doubts that Lu Jun Hong and his Guan Yin Citta do not represent orthodox Buddhism. Three main points were quoted. Firstly, no highly reputable Buddhist masters have ever claimed to be reincarnate or representative of any Buddha or Bodhisattva which he never claimed some of his followers migth have but again it is out of his control, Secondly, according to Guan Yin Citta, Lu has claimed to be able to observe people's fortune through their "totem".

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://guanyincitta.com/en/master-lu-biography/ Guan Yin Citta: Biography of Master Lu]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Jun Hong}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian religious leaders]]
[[Category:People from Shanghai]]

Samara Weaving

2014-05-07T12:38:39Z

LibStar: /* Family and early life */

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2011}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2011}}
{{infobox person
| name = Samara Weaving
| image = Samara Weaving 9.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|2|23|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Adelaide, South Australia|Adelaide]], Australia
| occupation = Actress and model
| years_active = 2007–present
| relatives = [[Hugo Weaving]] (Uncle)
}}
'''Samara Weaving''' (born 23 February 1992) is an Australian actress and model known for her role as Kirsten Mulroney in the Australian-produced [[BBC]] TV series ''[[Out of the Blue (2008 TV series)|Out Of The Blue]]'' and also for playing [[Indigo Walker]] on soap opera ''[[Home and Away]]''.

==Family and early life==
{{unreferencedsect}}
Weaving was born in [[Adelaide]], but grew up in Singapore, Fiji and Indonesia. While she was living in Jakarta, Indonesia, she attended Primary School there. She then returned to Australia in 2004 and attended Pittwater House School on Sydney's Northern Beaches prior to entering [[Canberra Girls' Grammar School]]. She has performed in short films, dance and stage shows, with Singapore Dance Company, Canberra Youth Theatre and school productions. Her uncle is actor [[Hugo Weaving]] and her younger sister Morgan is also in the industry.

==Career==
Weaving played Kirsten Mulroney in the 2008 TV series ''Out of the Blue'', which was commissioned by the BBC. A second series was not commissioned.

In 2009, Weaving began appearing in the Australian soap opera ''[[Home and Away]]'', playing [[Indigo Walker]].<ref name="Sun">{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25864365-5012974,00.html|title=Samara Weaving gets acting tips from uncle Hugo Weaving|first=Colin|last=Vickery|date=1 August 2009|publisher=''[[Herald Sun]]''|accessdate=16 April 2010}}</ref> During the 2009 season, Weaving had a recurring role on the show; the following year, she returned to the show joining the cast in a main role.

Weaving is currently a model for Australian underwear brand Bonds.
[[File:Samara Weaving.jpg|thumb|Samara Weaving]]

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Television
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
! Ref.
|-
| 2008
| ''Out Of The Blue''
| Kirsten Mulroney
| Season Regular
| <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322794/</ref>
|-
| 2009–2013
| ''[[Home and Away]]''
| Indigo Walker
|
|
|-
| 2011
| ''[[1st AACTA Awards#Presenters and performers|AACTA Awards]]''
| Herself - Presenter
|
| <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2200957/</ref>
|-
| 2013
| ''[[The Wright Stuff]]''
| Herself - Guest Panelist
| Episode #18.4
| <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2673202/</ref>
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Film
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"|2009
| ''Sprung''
| Fran
|
| <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1586571/</ref>
|-
| ''Steps''
| Samara Weaving
| Director, Writer
| <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1802520/</ref>
|-
|2013
|''Mystery Road''
|Peggy
|
| <ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2236054/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm#cast</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=3034977}}
*[http://www.cggs.act.edu.au/pages/page332.asp Canberra Girls' Grammar newsletter announcing Samara's role]
*[http://www.tvsa.co.za/actorprofile.asp?actorID=8838 Samara Weaving on TVSA]
*[http://www.samaraweaving.com Samara Weaving on SamaraWeaving.com]

{{Persondata 
| NAME = Weaving, Samara
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian actor
| DATE OF BIRTH = 23 February 1992
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Adelaide, South Australia]], [[Australia]]
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weaving, Samara}}
[[Category:1992 births]]
[[Category:Actresses from Adelaide]]
[[Category:Australian child actresses]]
[[Category:Australian people of Belgian descent]]
[[Category:Australian people of English descent]]
[[Category:Australian television actresses]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Chinesisch-pakistanische Beziehungen

2014-04-17T16:17:28Z

LibStar: Undid revision 603362187 by 80.44.246.251 (talk) rm uncited

{{Infobox Bilateral relations|China-Pakistan|Pakistan|China|filetype=svg}}

'''China–Pakistan relations''' began in 1950 when [[Pakistan]] was among the first countries to end official diplomatic relations with the [[Republic of China]] on [[Taiwan]] and recognize the PRC. Since then, both countries have placed considerable importance on the maintenance of an extremely close and supportive relationship.<ref name="bbcnews">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13418957|title= Pakistani PM hails China as his country's 'best friend'|work=BBC News|accessdate=17 May 2011|date=17 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/world/asia/13pstan.html|title= Pakistan President to Visit China, a Valued Ally|work=New York Times|accessdate=12 October 2008|first=Salman|last=Masood|date=13 October 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-11/14/content_732562.htm|title=China-Pakistan relations|accessdate=14 November 2006|work=China Daily}}</ref> Since then, the two countries have regularly exchanged high-level visits resulting in a variety of agreements. The PRC has provided economic, military and technical assistance to Pakistan and each considers the other a close strategic ally.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-17/world/china.pakistan.friend_1_minister-yousuf-raza-gilani-chinese-president-hu-jintao-pakistani-counterpart?_s=PM:WORLD|title=Pakistan cements China ties amid tension with U.S|date=17 May 2011|accessdate=12 July 2011|work=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7384378.html|title=China, Pakistan joined in bonds of brotherhood|accessdate=18 May 2011|work=People's Daily}}</ref>

Bilateral relations have evolved from an initial Chinese policy of neutrality to a partnership that links a smaller but militarily powerful Pakistan, partially dependent on China for its economic and military strength, with China attempting to balance competing interests{{which|date=June 2013}} in the region. Diplomatic relations were established in 1950, military assistance began in 1966, a strategic alliance was formed in 1972 and economic co-operation began in 1979. China has become Pakistan’s largest supplier of arms and its third-largest trading partner.<ref>{{cite web|agency=Reuters |url=http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/21/pakistan-says-wants-china-to-build-naval-base.html |title=Pakistan wants China to build it a naval base |publisher=Dawn.com |date=21 May 2011 |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thecommongood.net/2011/05/china-to-fast-track-jets-for-pakistan/ |title=China to Fast-Track Jets for Pakistan |publisher=Thecommongood.net |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref> Recently, both nations have decided to cooperate in improving Pakistan's civil nuclear power sector.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10340642 |title=China says Pakistan nuclear deal 'peaceful' |publisher=BBC |date=17 June 2010 |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref>

According to [[Pew Research Center]] in 2013, Pakistanis have most favorable view of China after China itself.<ref>[http://www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator/24/ Opinion of China Do you have a favorable or unfavorable view of China?]</ref> Maintaining close relations with China is a central part of Pakistan's foreign policy. China supported Pakistan's opposition to the [[Soviet Union]]'s intervention in [[Afghanistan]] and is perceived by Pakistan as a regional counterweight to [[NATO]] and the [[United States]].{{dubious|date=June 2013}} China and Pakistan also share close military relations, with China supplying a range of modern armaments to the Pakistani defense forces. China supports Pakistan's stance on [[Kashmir]] while Pakistan supports China on the issues of [[East Turkestan independence movement|Xinjiang]], [[Tibetan independence movement|Tibet]], and [[Taiwan independence|Taiwan]]. Military cooperation has deepened with joint projects producing armaments ranging from [[fighter jet]]s to guided missile frigates.

Chinese cooperation with Pakistan has reached economic high points, with substantial Chinese investment in Pakistani infrastructural expansion including the Pakistani deep-water port at [[Gwadar]]. Both countries have an ongoing [[free trade]] agreement. Pakistan has served as China's main bridge between Muslim countries. Pakistan also played an important role in bridging the communication gap between China and the West by facilitating the [[1972 Nixon visit to China]].
The relations between Pakistan and China have been described by Pakistan's ambassador to China as ''higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, stronger than steel, dearer than eyesight, sweeter than honey, and so on.'' <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/18682839|title=Sweet as can be?|publisher=The Economist|accessdate=12 February 2013}}</ref> According to [[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]] Pakistan is China's biggest arms buyer, counting for nearly 47% of Chinese arms exports.<ref>[http://books.sipri.org/product_info?c_product_id=475 Trends in international arms transfers, 2013 Siemon T. Wezeman and Pieter D. Wezeman]</ref>

==Background==
[[File:2007 08 21 China Pakistan Karakoram Highway Khunjerab Pass IMG 7311.jpg|thumb|left|alt=JF-17 Thunder.|[[Karakoram Highway]] connects the two states, it is also sometimes referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.]]
Pakistan has a long and strong relationship with China. The long-standing ties between the two countries have been mutually beneficial. A close identity of views and mutual interests remain the centre-point of bilateral ties. Since the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]], Pakistan has supported China on most issues of importance to the latter, especially those related to the question of China's sovereignty like [[Taiwan]], [[Xinjiang]], and [[Tibet]] and other sensitive issues such as human rights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://src-h.slav.hokudai.ac.jp/coe21/publish/no16_1_ses/11_rahman.pdf |title=Eager Eyes Fixed on Eurasia Russia and Its Neighbors in Crisis Russia and Its Neighbors in Crisis, Edited by IWASHITA Akihiro, Slavic Research Center, p 212 |format=PDF |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref>

The Chinese leadership has acknowledged Pakistan's steadfast support on key issues. Pakistan helped China in reestablishing formal ties with the West, where they helped make possible the 1972 Nixon visit to China.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}} Pakistan has collaborated with China in extensive military and economic projects, seeing China as a counterweight to [[India]] and the United States.{{dubious|date=June 2013}} Pakistan has also served as a conduit for China's influence{{clarify|date=June 2013}} in the Muslim world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan-OIC_relations#China.27s_representation_in_OIC_through_Pakistan |title=Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |publisher=En.wikipedia.org |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref>

China also has a consistent record of supporting Pakistan in regional issues. During the Pakistan-Indian tensions in 2008, it implied{{how|date=June 2013}} that it would support Pakistan in the event of a war. Pakistan's military depends heavily on Chinese armaments, and joint projects of both economic and militaristic importance are ongoing. China has supplied equipment to support Pakistan's nuclear program.

==Diplomatic relations==
[[File:Ambassador Hilaly receiving US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in Rawalpindi on 8 July 1971.jpg|thumb|left|alt=JF-17 Thunder.|[[Henry Kissinger]] was on a secret mission to China facilitated by the [[Government of Pakistan]], a fact known to very few people including Ambassador Hilaly.]]
[[Diplomatic relations]] between Pakistan and China were established on 21 May 1951, shortly after the [[Republic Of China]] lost power in [[Mainland China|the Mainland]] in 1949.<ref>[http://202.83.164.26/wps/portal/Mocul/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hQN68AZ3dnIwML82BTAyNXTz9jE0NfQwNfA_2CbEdFAA2MC_Y!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/MoculCL/ministry/highlights/iap-pakchina-01 Pakistan and China Relations]</ref> While initially ambivalent towards the idea of a Communist country on its borders, Pakistan hoped that China would serve as a counterweight to Indian influence. [[India]] had recognized China a year before, and Indian Prime Minister Nehru also hoped for closer relations with the Chinese. However, with escalating border tensions leading to the 1962 Sino-Indian war, China and Pakistan aligned with each other in a joint effort to counter perceived Indian encroachment. One year after China's border war with India, Pakistan ceded the [[Trans-Karakoram Tract]] to China to end border disputes and improve diplomatic relations.

Since then, an informal alliance that initially consisted of joint Indian opposition{{clarify|date=June 2013}} has grown into a lasting relationship that has benefited both nations on the diplomatic, economic and military frontiers. Along with diplomatic support, Pakistan served as a conduit for China to open up to the West. China has in turn provided extensive economic aid and political support to Pakistan.

[[File:Kashmir map big.jpg|thumb|200px|Disputed territory ceded to China in 1963.]]

Pakistan's military initially depended almost entirely on American armaments and aid, which was increased during the covert U.S. support of Islamic militants in the [[Soviet war in Afghanistan]]. America under US President [[Richard Nixon]] supported Pakistan in the 1971 [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name="Shalom">Shalom, Stephen R., [http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/issue47/articles/a07.htm The Men Behind Yahya in the Indo-Pak War of 1971]</ref> However, the period following the Soviet withdrawal and the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] led indirectly to the increasing realignment of America with the previously pro-Soviet India. The Pressler Amendment in 1990 suspended all American military assistance and any new economic aid amidst concerns that Pakistan was attempting to develop a nuclear weapon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=larry_pressler_1 |title=Larry Pressler |publisher=Historycommons.org |date=29 March 1993 |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref> Given the support that Pakistan had given them during the War in Afghanistan, many Pakistanis saw this as a betrayal that sold out Pakistani interests in favor of India. This belief was further strengthened as India had developed a nuclear weapon without significant American opposition, and Pakistan felt obligated to do the same. Consequently, the primarily geopolitical alliance between Pakistan and China has since 1990 branched out into military and economic cooperation, due to Pakistan's belief that America's influence and support in the region should be counterbalanced by the Chinese.

With the U.S.-led [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|war in Afghanistan]], there is a general sentiment in Pakistan to adopt a foreign policy which favors China over the United States.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/pakistan/2010/pakistan-100619-irna03.htm Global Security] and [http://pakobserver.net/201009/28/detailnews.asp?id=54483 Pakistan Foreign Policy Makers Urged to tie strongly with China compared to US]</ref> Washington has been accused deserting Pakistan in favor of a policy that favors stronger relations with India, while Pakistan sees China as a more reliable ally over the long term.<ref name="articles.cnn.com">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-17/world/china.pakistan.friend_1_minister-yousuf-raza-gilani-chinese-president-hu-jintao-pakistani-counterpart?_s=PM:WORLD|title=Pakistan cements China ties amid tension with U.S|date=17 May 2011|accessdate=12 July 2011|publisher=CNN}}</ref>

Since [[9/11]], Pakistan has increased the scope of Chinese influence and support by agreeing to a number of military projects, combined with extensive economic support and investment from the Chinese. This is partially due to Pakistan's strategy of playing off the two powers against each other, but also a genuine effort to prevent America's influence in the region from becoming too strong. In return, the Chinese hope to strengthen Pakistan as a counterbalance to American and Indian influence.

==Military relations==
{{Unreliable sources|date=June 2013}}
[[File:Pakistan Air Force Chengdu JF-17 Gu.jpg|thumb|left|alt=JF-17 Thunder.|The [[JF-17 Thunder]] is a joint Pakistan-China project.]]
There are strong military ties between People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/pakistan/2010/pakistan-100619-irna03.htm|title=Pakistan enjoys strong defense ties with China|date=19 June 2010|accessdate=30 December 2010|publisher=[[Islamic Republic News Agency|IRNA – Islamic Republic News Agency]]|first=IRNA|last=Islamic Republic News Agency}}</ref> This alliance between two neighbouring Asian nations is significant geo-politically. The strong military ties primarily aim to counter regional Indian and American influence, and was also to repel Soviet influence in the area. In recent years this relationship has strengthened through ongoing military projects and agreements between Pakistan and China.

Since 1962, China has been a steady source of military equipment to the [[Pakistani Army]], helping establish munition factories, providing technological assistance and modernizing existing facilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/10070/chinapakistan_relations.html|title=China-Pakistan Relations|work=Backgrounder|publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]|date=6 July 2010|accessdate=16 July 2010|first1=Jamal|last1=Afridi|first2=Jayshree|last2=Bajoria}}</ref>
[[File:Pakistan airforce K8.jpg|framepx200|right|thumb|[[Hongdu JL-8]] is co-produced by both Pakistan and China.]]

Most recently, the Chinese [[Chengdu J-10]]B fighter was compared to its closest American counterpart, the [[Lockheed Martin F-16]]C Block 52/60, the most advanced F-16, for orders on either aircraft for the [[Pakistan Air Force]], resulting in the wins of the Chinese [[Chengdu J-10]]B. Accordingly, the [[Chengdu J-10]]B had more advanced technology such as its radar and OLS targeting system, and its new generation stealthy features, such as its DSI intake gave it an edge over the [[Lockheed Martin F-16]].

China and Pakistan are involved in several projects to enhance military and weaponry systems, which include the development of the Chinese tailor made for Pakistan [[JF-17 Thunder]] fighter aircraft, [[K-8 Karakorum]] advance [[training aircraft]], a tailor made training aircraft for the [[Pakistan Air Force]] based on the Chinese domestic [[Hongdu L-15]], [[space technology]], [[Airborne Early Warning and Control|AWACS]] systems, [[Al-Khalid tank]]s, which China granted license production and tailor made modifications based on the initial Chinese Type 90 and/or MBT-2000. The Chinese has designed tailor made advanced weapons for Pakistan, making it a strong military power in the Asian region. The armies have a schedule for organising joint military exercises.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/mbt-2000.htm|title=Al Khalid MBT-2000 / Type 2000 Main Battle Tank|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|accessdate=16 July 2010}}</ref>

China is the largest investor in Pakistan's [[Gwadar]] Deep Sea Port, which is strategically located at the mouth of the [[Strait of Hormuz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/2528.html|title=Gwadar: China's Naval Outpost on the Indian Ocean|first=Tarique|last=Niazi|date=28 February 2005|accessdate=16 July 2010|publisher=Association for Asian Research}}</ref> It is viewed warily by both America and India as a possible launchpad for the Chinese Navy, giving them the ability to launch submarines and warships in the Indian Ocean.<ref>{{cite web|author=Posted: 11:17 pm, 16 October 2010 |url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/gwadar_pakistan_the_most_important_ssAP84fMvDX9oWHMC2ebAI |title=Gwadar, Pakistan – the most important city you’ve never heard of, New York Post |work=New York Post |date=16 October 2010 |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref> However the Gwadar Port is currently delayed due to a [[Pakistan–Singapore relations#Gwadar Port controversy|multilateral diplomatic standoff]] between the project leaders and the Singaporean government.

China has offered Pakistan military aid in order to fight against terrorism in Pakistan.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}} Pakistan has purchased military equipment from China in order to bolster their efforts{{clarify|date=June 2013}} against Islamic militants.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.zeenews.com/news439060.html|title=China offers Pakistan military aid to fight terrorism|date=26 April 2008|accessdate=16 July 2010|publisher=[[Zee Entertainment Enterprises|Zee News Ltd]]}}</ref>

In the past, China has played a major role in the development of Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure, especially when increasingly stringent export controls in [[Western countries]] made it difficult for Pakistan to acquire materials and uranium enriching equipment from elsewhere. China has supplied Pakistan with equipment to advance their nuclear weapons program, such as the Chinese help in building the [[Khushab]] reactor, which plays a key role in Pakistan's production of plutonium. A subsidiary of the [[China National Nuclear Corporation]] contributed in Pakistan's efforts to expand its uranium enrichment capabilities by providing 5,000 custom made ring magnets, which are a key component of the bearings that facilitate the high-speed rotation of centrifuges. China has also provided technical and material support in the completion of the [[Chashma Nuclear Power Complex]] and plutonium reprocessing facility, which was built in the mid-1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/pakistan/nuke/|title=Pakistan Nuclear Weapons: A Brief History of Pakistan's Nuclear Program|date=11 December 2002|accessdate=16 July 2010|work=Strategic Security Project|publisher=[[Federation of American Scientists]]}}</ref> China may also have supplied nuclear technology to the Pakistanis, enabling Pakistan to become a nuclear state with an estimated 100 warheads as of 2011.<ref name="ReferenceA">China tested N-weapons for Pak: US insider [[The Times of India]] 6 September 2008</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/30/AR2011013004682.html | work=The Washington Post | first=Karen | last=DeYoung | title=Pakistan doubles its nuclear arsenal | date=31 January 2011}}</ref>

China has become increasing concerned about al-Qaeda linked [[Terrorism in Pakistan|terrorism originating in Pakistan]] and is seeking to set up military bases on Pakistani soil to deal with the problem.<ref>[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/china-seeks-military-bases-in-paks-restive-tribal-region/articleshow/10497288.cms "China seeks military bases in Pak's restive tribal region."] ''PTI'', 26 October 2011.</ref>

==Economic relations==
{{See also|China – Pakistan Free Trade Agreement}}
Economic trade between Pakistan and China is increasing at a rapid pace and a free trade agreement has recently been signed. Military and technological transactions continue to dominate the economic relationship between the two nations, although in recent years China has pledged to vastly increase their investment in Pakistan's economy and infrastructure. Among other things, China has been helping to develop Pakistan's infrastructure through the building of power plants, roads and communication nodes. Current trade between both countries is at $9 billion, making China the second largest trade partner of Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/05/trade-with-china-reaches-86-billion.html}}</ref>

Both countries are keen on strengthening the economic ties between the two, and have promised to 'propel' cross-border trade. This has led to investment in Pakistan's nascent financial and energy sectors, amidst a surge of Chinese investment designed to strengthen ties. Pakistan has in turn been granted free trade zones in China.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/10/content_12031914.htm|title=China, Pakistan service trade agreement to take effect next month|date=10 September 2009|accessdate=16 July 2010|publisher=Xinhua}}</ref>

The economic relationship between Pakistan and China is composed primarily of Chinese investment in Pakistani interests. China's increasing economic clout has enabled a wide variety of projects to be sponsored in Pakistan through Chinese credit. Pakistani investment in China is also encouraged, and cross-border trade remains fluid.<ref name="articles.cnn.com"/>

In 2011 China Kingho Group canceled a $19 billion mining deal because of security concerns.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8799596/US-finds-new-friend-in-Uzbekistan-after-Pakistan-fallout.html "US finds new friend in Uzbekistan after Pakistan fallout."] ''Telegraph Media Group Limited'', 30 September 2011.</ref>

===Pakistan-China Economic Corridor===
{{See also|China-Pakistan Economic Corridor}}
[[File:Gwadar Port.jpg|framepx200|right|thumb|Gwadar Port.]]
Pak-China Economic Corridor is under construction. It will connect Pakistan with China and the Central Asian countries with highway connecting Kashgar to Khunjrab and [[Gwadar]].<ref>http://tribune.com.pk/story/591372/boosting-trade-pak-china-economic-corridor-plan-gets-premiers-go-ahead/</ref> [[Gwadar port]] in southern Pakistan will serve as the trade nerve center for China, as most of its trade especially that of oil will be done through the port, which is already controlled by [[Beijing]].<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/589268/pak-china-ties-gawadar-port-one-part-of-a-larger-plan/ Pak-China ties: Gawadar port one part of a larger plan]</ref> Currently, sixty percent of China’s oil must be transported by ship from the [[Persian Gulf]] to the only commercial port in China, Shanghai, a distance of more than 16,000 kilometres. The journey takes two to three months, during which time the ships are vulnerable to pirates, bad weather, political rivals and other risks. Using Gwadar port instead will reduce the distance these ships must travel and will also enable oil transfers to be made year-round.

==Views==
{{Quote box
|quote = If you love China, love Pakistan too.
|source = [[Li Keqiang]], [[Premier of the People's Republic of China]]<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22650591 China media: Li Keqiang's Pakistan visit]</ref>
|width = 25%
|align = left
}}
The support with which China and Pakistan give each other is considered significant in global diplomacy, and has been compared to [[Israel – United States relations]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Thalif Deen |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2010/10/20101028135728235512.html |title=China: 'Pakistan is our Israel' – Features |publisher=Al Jazeera English |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref> In 2010, when a US delegate confronted a Chinese diplomat about Beijing's uncompromising support for Pakistan, the Chinese reportedly responded: "Pakistan is our Israel."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\09\19\story_19-9-2011_pg3_2 |title=Leading News Resource of Pakistan |publisher=Daily Times |date=2011-09-19 |accessdate=2013-05-23}}</ref> According to a Pew survey of Pakistan public opinion in 2010, 84 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of China and 16 percent had a favorable view of the United States. These results showed that Pakistan is the most pro-China country in the world.{{dubious|date=June 2013}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/12/13/us-pakistan-china-idUSTRE6BC12D20101213 | work=Reuters | title=Pakistan-China ties to be strengthened in Wen visit | date=13 December 2010}}</ref> Similarly, the Chinese state-run media has portrayed Pakistan in a favorable light in regional issues. In 2013, this figure increased to 90% of Pakistanis having a favorable view of China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/03/25/could_pakistan_bridge_the_us_china_divide?wp_login_redirect=0 |title=Could Pakistan bridge the U.S.-China divide? - by Ziad Haider | The AfPak Channel |publisher=Afpak.foreignpolicy.com |date=2013-03-25 |accessdate=2013-05-23}}</ref>

Pakistan and China have long praised the close ties the two countries have with each other. China has been referred to by Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] as their "time-tested and all-weather friend", while in return Chinese president Hu Jintao has referred to Pakistan as "a good friend and partner".<ref name="cbsnews.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/16/world/main4018992.shtml | work=CBS | title=Olympic Torch Hits China-Friendly Pakistan | date=11 February 2009}}</ref> These statements are noted by some observers as occurring after Pakistani relations with the United States or India have become strained, such as after [[Osama Bin Laden]] was killed by American forces without Pakistan's prior permission.<ref name="articles.cnn.com"/>

On July 2013, ''[[Pew Research Center]]'' as part of there ''Global Attitudes Project'' declared [[Pakistan]] to have the most positive view of China in the world, according to the research 81% of Pakistanis responded favorable to China. On the other hand only 11% of Pakistanis had favorable view on [[United States]], lowest in the world.<ref>http://www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator/33/country/166/</ref><ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/579055/pakistanis-increasingly-view-china-as-postive-over-us/ Pakistanis increasingly view China as postive over US]</ref>

{{Quote box
|quote = Pakistan, with its strategic position, natural resources and warm-water ports, has long been an ally of Beijing. The Chinese see the south Asian state, the closest they have to a friend both in south Asia and in the Islamic world, as important to the security and development of their western, predominantly Muslim provinces, and as a useful aide in efforts to counter the influence of India. In recent years, links have grown closer.
|source = ''[[The Guardian]]'' <ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/22/china-pakistan Pakistan kept sweet by China's money – and shared strategic interests]</ref>
|width = 70%
|align = center
}}

==Issues==

The [[East Turkestan Islamic Movement|ETIM]] is a [[Waziri]] based mujahedeen organization that is said to be allied with the [[Taliban]],<ref>http://waziristanhills.com/Taliban/MilitantOrganizations/EastTurkistanIslamicMovementETIM/tabid/141/language/en-GB/Default.aspx</ref> which has received funding from rogue elements in the [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10302946 |work=BBC News | title=Pakistani agents 'funding and training Afghan Taliban' | date=13 June 2010}}</ref> As these militants are labeled as terrorists from the Chinese province of [[Xinjiang]], Pakistan's inability to prevent this is a potential source of conflict.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/03-Jun-2009/Hu-Jintao-urges-Zardari-to-crush-ETIM-extremists |title=Hu Jintao urges Zardari to crush ETIM extremists |publisher=The Nation |date=3 June 2009 |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/12/13/us-pakistan-china-idUSTRE6BC12D20101213?pageNumber=2 | work=Reuters | title=Pakistan-China ties to be strengthened in Wen visit | date=13 December 2010}}</ref>

The U.S. [[War On Terror]] has the Chinese wary of U.S. influence in the region, and as Pakistan is a US ally and major recipient of US military and economic aid, China is obligated to step up its support in order to maintain its influence in the region.

==Timeline==
[[File:Pakistan embassy Beijing.jpg|framepx200|right|thumb|Pakistan embassy in [[Beijing]], China.]]
[[File:PRC Towers and PNSC Building Karachi.jpg|framepx200|right|thumb|People Republic of China '''PRC''' Tower in Karachi (left) has offices of many Chinese corporations.]]
Important events:
: '''1950''' – Pakistan becomes the third non-communist country, and first Muslim one, to recognize the People's Republic of China.
: '''1951''' – Beijing and [[Karachi]] establish diplomatic relations.
: '''1963''' – Pakistan cedes the Trans-Karakoram Tract to China, ending border disputes.
: '''1970''' – Pakistan helps the U.S. arrange the [[1972 Nixon visit to China]].
: '''1978''' – The [[Karakoram Highway]] linking the mountainous [[Northern Pakistan]] with Western China officially opens.
: '''1980'''s – China and the U.S. provide support through Pakistan to the [[Afghan_mujahideen#Afghanistan|Afghan guerillas]] fighting [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] forces.
: '''1986''' – China and Pakistan reach a comprehensive nuclear co-operation agreement.
: '''1996''' – Chinese President [[Jiang Zemin]] pays a state visit to Pakistan.
: '''1999''' – A 300-megawatt nuclear power plant, built with Chinese help in [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab province]], is completed.
: '''2001''' – A joint-ventured Chinese-Pakistani tank, the [[MBT-2000]] (Al-Khalid) MBT is completed.
: '''2002''' – The building of the [[Gwadar]] deep sea port begins, with China as the primary investor.
: '''2003''' – Pakistan and China signed a $110 million contract for the construction of a housing project on Multan Road in Lahore<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/16/top5.htm|title=China, Pakistan sign 7 accords in vital sectors: •Oil, gas exploration •high-level trade •Gwadar port improvement|author=Khan, Bahzad Alam|date=16 December 2004|accessdate=16 July 2010|publisher=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]}}</ref>
: '''2007''' – The [[People's Republic of China|Sino-]]Pakistani joint-ventured [[multirole]] [[fighter aircraft]] – the [[JF-17 Thunder]] (FC-1 Fierce Dragon) is formally rolled out.
:'''2008''' – Pakistan welcomes the Chinese Olympic Torch in an Islamabad sports stadium, under heavy guard amidst security concerns.<ref name="cbsnews.com"/>
:'''2008''' – China and Pakistan sign a free trade agreement.
:'''2008''' – Pakistan and China to build a railway through the [[Karakoram Highway]], in order to link China's rail network to [[Gwadar Port]].
:'''2008''' – The [[F-22P]] frigate, comes into service with the [[Pakistani Navy]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/brothers-in-arms-china-gives-warship-to-pak/98275-2.html|title=Brothers in 'arms'? China gives warship to Pak|date=31 July 2009|accessdate=16 July 2010|work=[[Press Trust of India]]|publisher=[[CNN-IBN|IBN Live]]}}</ref>
:'''2009''' – The [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] arrest several suspected [[Uyghur people|Uyghur]] terrorists seeking refuge in Pakistan.
:'''2010''' – Pakistan and China conduct a joint anti-terrorism drill.
:'''2010''' – China donates $260 million in dollars to flood hit Pakistan and sends 4 military rescue helicopters to assist in rescue operations.
:'''2010''' – [[Wen Jiabao]] visits Pakistan. More than 30 billion dollars worth of deals were signed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://dailytimespakistan.com/china-pm-inaugurates-pak-china-friendship-centre/|title=Gilani, Jiabao inaugurate Pak-China Friendship Centre|date=18 December 2010|accessdate=30 December 2010|publisher=[[Associated Press of Pakistan|APP]]|first=APP|last=Express}}</ref>
:'''2011''' – Pakistan is expected to buy air to air SD 10 missiles from China for its 250 JF 17 thunder fighter fleet
:'''2013''' - Management of [[Gwadar port]] is handed over to state-run Chinese Overseas Port Holdings after previously being managed by Singapore’s PSA International,<ref>[http://dawn.com/2013/02/07/decision-to-hand-over-gwadar-port-to-china-worries-india/ "Decision to hand over Gwadar port to China worries India"], ''[[Dawn (newspaper)]]'', 7th February, 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.</ref> and it becomes a matter of ''great concern'' for India.<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/503373/india-concerned-over-china-running-gwadar-port/ "India 'concerned' over China running Gwadar port"], ''[[The Express Tribune]]'', February 6, 2013. Retrieved on 13 February 2013.</ref>
:'''2013''' – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits Pakistan. Trade between China and Pakistan hit a 12-month figure of $12 billion for the first time in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-101959-Chinese-PM-begins-Pakistan-visit |title=Chinese PM begins Pakistan visit |publisher=Thenews.com.pk |date=2013-05-16 |accessdate=2013-05-23}}</ref>
:'''2013''' – On July 5, 2013, Pakistan and China approved the '''Pak-China Economic corridor''' which will link Pakistan’s [[Gwadar Port]] on the [[Arabian Sea]] and Kashghar in [[Xinjiang]] in northwest China. The [[$]]18 billion project will also includes the construction of a 200km-long tunnel.<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/572857/china-pakistan-friendship-sweeter-than-honey-nawaz/ Development projects: Nawaz signs $18 bn tunnel deal with China]</ref><ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/591372/boosting-trade-pak-china-economic-corridor-plan-gets-premiers-go-ahead/ Boosting trade: Pak-China economic corridor plan gets premier’s go-ahead]</ref>
:'''2013''' – On December 24, 2013, China announced a commitment $6.5 billion to finance the construction of a major nuclear power project in [[Karachi]], the project which will have two reactors with a capacity of 1,100 megawatts each.<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/649908/china-commits-6-5-billion-for-nuclear-project-in-pakistan/ China commits $6.5 billion for nuclear project in Pakistan- The Express Tribune]</ref>
:'''2014''': Chinese Premier announced investment of $31.5 billion in Pakistan mainly in countries energy, infrastructure and port expansion for [[Gwadar]]. According to ''[[The Express Tribune]]'' initially projects worth $15-20 billion will be started which include Lahore-Karachi motorway, Gwadar Port expansion and energy sector projects will be launched in [[Gadani]] and six coal projects near [[Thar coalfield]]. The newspaper further claimed that the government has also handed over to Pakistan Army the task of providing fool-proof security to Chinese officials in [[Balochistan, Pakistan]] in a bid to address [[Beijing]]’s concerns and execute the investment plan in the province, which will get 38% of the funds.<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/683281/balochistan-to-receive-big-slice-of-chinese-funds/ Balochistan to receive big slice of Chinese funds]</ref>

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book|last1=Cardenal|first1=Juan Pablo|authorlink1=Juan Pablo Cardenal|last2=Araújo|first2=Heriberto|authorlink2=Heriberto Araújo |title=La silenciosa conquista china |location=Barcelona|publisher=Crítica|year=2011|url=http://books.google.com.uy/books/about/La_silenciosa_conquista_china.html?id=jQ2fvBVpQpYC&redir_esc=y |pages=247ff}} {{es icon}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://blogs.reuters.com/india-expertzone/2012/01/20/the-limits-of-the-pakistan-china-alliance/ The limits of the Pakistan-China alliance]
*[http://www.youtube.com/v/Ogqj5UZiWEs&list=UURPwLKbd4S960c7hkYVNahQ&index=1&feature=plcp China hints at ally Pakistan's hand in Xinjiang unrest]
*[http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-02-12/news/31052205_1_china-pakistan-relationship-countries-trade-and-business-relationship Ahmed Rashid on the Sino-Pakistani relationship]
*[http://src-h.slav.hokudai.ac.jp/coe21/publish/no16_1_ses/11_rahman.pdf Eager Eyes Fixed on Eurasia Russia and Its Neighbors in Crisis Russia and Its Neighbors in Crisis, Edited by IWASHITA Akihiro, Slavic Research Center]
*[http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSISL9262520061124 CHRONOLOGY-Main events in Chinese-Pakistani relations]
*[http://www.hindustantimes.com/audio-news-video/AV-World/Pakistan-trained-militants-pose-a-threat-to-Xinjiang/Article2-841360.aspx Xinjiang-Pakistan]

{{China–Pakistan relations}}
{{Foreign relations of Pakistan}}
{{Foreign relations of China}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2012}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:China-Pakistan Relations}}
[[Category:China–Pakistan relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of China|Pakistan]]

Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung

2014-04-16T11:58:12Z

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{{refimprove}}
{{Infobox political party
|name = Cooperation and Development
|native_name = {{Hebrew|שיתוף ופיתוח}} إشراك وتطوير
|logo =
|leader =
|chairman =
|president =
|secretary =
|spokesperson =
|leader1_title =
|leader1_name =
|leader2_title =
|leader2_name =
|leader3_title =
|leader3_name =
|founded = 5 July 1966
|dissolved = 1 January 1967
|merger = [[Cooperation and Brotherhood]] and [[Progress and Development]]
|split =
|merged =
|headquarters =
|newspaper =
|youth_wing =
|wing1_title =
|wing1 =
|wing2_title =
|wing2 =
|wing3_title =
|wing3 =
|membership_year =
|membership =
|ideology = [[Israeli Arab]] interest
|national = [[Mapai]]
|international =
|europarl =
|affiliation1_title =
|affiliation1 =
|colors =
|seats1_title = Most MKs
|seats1 = 4 (1966-1967)
|seats2_title = {{nowrap|Fewest MKs}}
|seats2 = 4 (1966-1967)
|symbol =
|website =
|country = Israel
}}

'''Cooperation and Development''' ({{lang-he|שיתוף ופיתוח}}, ''Shituf VePituah''; {{lang-ar|إشراك وتطوير}}) was a short-lived [[List of political parties in Israel|political party]] in [[Israel]].

==History==
Cooperation and Development was established on 5 July 1966 during the [[Israeli legislative election, 1965|sixth Knesset]], when two of the three [[Israeli Arab]] parties, [[Cooperation and Brotherhood]] and [[Progress and Development]], merged.<ref>[http://www.knesset.gov.il/faction/eng/FactionHistoryAll_eng.asp Mergers and Splits Among Parliamentary Groups] Knesset website</ref> Both parties had had two seats, meaning the new union had four, which were taken by [[Seif-El-Din El-Zubi]], [[Jabr Muadi]], [[Elias Nakhleh]] and [[Diyab Obeid]].

Both parties had been part of [[Levi Eshkol]]'s coalition government, as they were associated with the [[Alignment (political party)|Alignment]], and the new party assumed their place as a coalition member.

However, on 1 January 1967, the party split into the original factions. Later during the Knesset session both parties split again, as Muadi broke away from Cooperation and Brotherhood to form the [[Druze Party]], whilst Nakhleh broke away from Progress and Development to form the [[Jewish-Arab Brotherhood]]. However, by the [[Israeli legislative election, 1969|1969 elections]], Muadi had joined Progress and Development, whilst Nakhleh had become a member of Cooperation and Brotherhood, the two effectively swapping parties.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.knesset.gov.il/faction/eng/FactionPage_eng.asp?PG=112 Cooperation and Development] Knesset website

{{Israeli political parties}}

[[Category:Political parties established in 1966]]
[[Category:Arab political parties in Israel]]
[[Category:Defunct political parties in Israel]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1967]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in Israel]]

Argentinisch-pakistanische Beziehungen

2013-12-09T04:54:49Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox Bilateral relations|Pakistan-Argentina|Pakistan|Argentina|filetype=svg}}
[[File:Naela Chohan, Pakistan-Argentina 60 Year Friendship, March 2012.gif|thumb|[[Naela Chohan]] attending a ceremony commemorating 60 Years of Pakistan-Argentina friendship (2012)]]
[[File:Naela Chohan Noche de Pakistan Buenos Aires.jpg|thumb|right|"Noche de Pakistan" in Buenos Aires, organized by [[Naela Chohan]] to promote Pakistani culture in Argentina (2012)]]
'''Argentina–Pakistan relations''' are the foreign relations between [[Argentina]] and [[Pakistan]]. The relationship has recently grown with important trade ties developing along with other inter-government communications.<ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=111DB8FDDC16FE10&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM NewsLibrary.com - newspaper archive, clipping service - newspapers and other news sources]</ref> Pakistan has an embassy in the Argentine capital [[Buenos Aires]], as does Argentina in [[Islamabad]].

==History==
Pakistan and Argentina formally established relations in October, 1951. The first significant agreement was signed in May 1983. Since then, high level visits have taken place in both countries and relations seem to have grown gradually into the cordial relationship seen today; with agreements, in principle at least, to continue discussions in fields of mutual interest such as their respective economic and political systems.<ref>[http://202.83.164.26/wps/portal/Most/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hQN68AZ3dnIwML82BTAyNXTz9jE0NfQwNfA_2CbEdFAA2MC_Y!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/MostCL/ministry/highlights/first+session+of+pakistan-argentina+joint+committee+on Ministry of Science and Technology - Government of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\08\story_8-3-2007_pg11_9 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

A formal agreement on bilateral trade and cooperation was signed between Argentina and Pakistan on 19 July 2002, giving their relationship "most favourable nation" status, in accordance with [[World Trade Organisation]] regulations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25682839_ITM Article: PAKISTAN, ARGENTINA SIGN DEAL ON TRADE COOPERATION. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref>

In March 2012, the Government of Argentina emphasised the importance of bilateral relations with Pakistan, inviting the Ambassador of Pakistan [[Naela Chohan]] as chief guest to a ceremony in Buenos Aires commemorating 60 years of Pakistan-Argentine friendship.<ref>
[http://www.casaprov.gba.gov.ar/web2012/notas_com/marzo/Pakistan290312.html LA EMBAJADA DE PAKISTAN CELEBRO SUS 60 AÑOS EN LA ARGENTINA (Spanish)]</ref><ref>Agencia Islamica de Notas (Spanish) [http://www.ain.com.ar/nota.php?nota=4815 Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires con un show cultural de trajes típicos]</ref><ref>Section Politica, Noticias de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Spanish) [http://www.seccionpolitica.com.ar/pakistan-celebro-su-dia-nacional-en-buenos-aires-aid14389.html Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Plaza de Pakistan==
[[File:Plaza de Pakistan Collage.jpg|thumb|300px|Clockwise from Top-Left: Official Demarcation of the Plaza de Pakistan, Modern Design seating at the Park’s center, Inauguration of the plaque of Iqbal by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]]; Plaque of Iqbal.]]

{{main|Plaza de Pakistan}}

The Plaza de Pakistan is a landmark in [[Buenos Aires]] commemorating [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|Argentine-Pakistan friendship]]. It is located in the heart of [[Parque Tres de Febrero]] in the neighborhood of [[Palermo, Buenos Aires|Palermo]]. It was redesigned in 2012 and inaugurated on July 27, 2012 by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] of Pakistan and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] of Federal Capital Buenos Aires, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|two friendly countries]].<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

The [[inauguration]] ceremony of Plaza de Pakistan was planned between Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14 and Independence Day of Argentina on July 9.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref> It was also to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries. The ceremony included the ribbon cutting by Ambassador Naela Chohan and Minister Diego Santilli followed by unveiling of the plaque with an engraving of a verse by [[Allama Iqbal]] which emphasises the importance of love for humanity.

Minister [[Diego Santilli]] in his speech, while appreciating the Ambassador for her role in the renovation of the Park, stated that the whole world was reflected in the City of Buenos Aires through its monuments, squares and parks and that Pakistan had a very special place in it.<ref>[http://www.amigosdiplomaticos.org/1552/plaza-republica-de-pakistan Plaza"República de Pakistán"(Spanish)]</ref>

The Ambassador, in her speech thanked Chief of Government [[Mauricio Macri]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] for their support in restoring Plaza Pakistan and recalled that there was a very beautiful Argentina Park in Islamabad which was a token of the love and affection Pakistan has for Argentina. And today’s occasion was a reciprocal gesture from Argentina. She added that "We deeply appreciate this important gesture of friendship and we need to further deepen these bonds of friendship through mutually beneficial co-operation in trade and culture".<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Diplomacy==
Argentina has been part of the consensus in favor of the resolution put forward by Pakistan on the right to self-determination which is debated annually at the General Assembly of the United Nations. {{citation needed|date=November 2012}} Pakistan has voted in favor of the UN Resolution stipulating that "the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the ideal of universal peace held by the United Nations", which has relevance for the [[Falkland Islands]] issue. Both countries also share common views on United Nations reforms and on the theme of expanding the United Nations Security Council.

The chair of the [[Pakistan Senate]] has said of the relationship that "Pakistan and Argentina [have] very close cooperation in various fields and unanimity of views on international issues".<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C03%5C08%5Cstory_8-3-2007_pg11_9Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

==Cooperation==
The two countries have well established trade links, they maintain a "Joint Economic Committee" and the Pak-Argentina Business Council, in order to expedite further growth in their relationship.<ref>http://www.commerce.gov.pk/news/read.asp?newsID=72</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19140200_ITM Article: PAKISTAN-ARGENTINA BUSINESS COUNCIL FORMED TO ENHANCE TRADE. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The two countries are currently most concerned with agricultural development schemes, particularly in the areas of livestock disease control, as well as political and diplomatic issues of mutual interest.<ref>[http://www.webnewswire.com/node/451280 Argentina to collaborate in Pakistan’s livestock sector | webnewswire.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\14\story_14-4-2009_pg5_14 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/14-Apr-2009/Argentina-to-collaborate-in-Pak-livestock-sector Argentina to collaborate in Pak livestock sector | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online]</ref>

Argentina's ambassador to Pakistan has stated that the two governments are involved in exploring new areas in which they can increase cooperation, saying they should both "step up efforts" for tapping into areas that they have not yet explored, including strengthening trade ties through importing wheat, in which Argentina is self-sufficient and in sending further trade delegations between the two nations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19144115_ITM Article: Pak-Argentina business council being set up. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce concurred with the ambassador and stressed the need for further formal agreements between his organisation and its opposite number in Buenos Ares.<ref>[http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144660 ONLINE - International News Network]</ref>

Argentine companies have also expressed their interest in the exploration and development of gas fields in the Pakistani provinces of [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] and [[Sindh]].<ref>http://www.daily.pk/business/businessnews/10421-argentineans-eye-pakistani-gas-fields.html</ref>

==State visits==
Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] visited Argentina in 2004 as part of a visit to three [[Latin America]]n countries in order to boost economic and political relations between Pakistan and the region as a whole and Argentina specifically.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/27/content_2266101.htm Musharraf's visit to L.America to boost economic, political ties: spokesman - Xinhuanet]</ref>

Musharraf also held meetings with the Argentine President and, in a speech to the Argentine Council for International Relations, alluded to further cooperation on issues of mutual interest at the UN and further strengthening of economic and political links between the nations.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/03/top3.htm | title=Democracy in place, says Musharraf (Top Stories) | newspaper=Dawn | date=3 December 2004}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Naela Chohan]] - the Ambassador of Pakistan to Argentina.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Foreign relations of Pakistan}}
{{Foreign relations of Argentina}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentina-Pakistan Relations}}
[[Category:Argentina–Pakistan relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Argentina|Pakistan]] 
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Pakistan]]

Argentinisch-pakistanische Beziehungen

2013-11-20T05:39:39Z

LibStar: /* Diplomacy */ rm uncited for one year

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox Bilateral relations|Pakistan-Argentina|Pakistan|Argentina|filetype=svg}}
[[File:Naela Chohan, Pakistan-Argentina 60 Year Friendship, March 2012.gif|thumb|[[Naela Chohan]] attending a ceremony commemorating 60 Years of Pakistan-Argentina friendship (2012)]]
[[File:Naela Chohan Noche de Pakistan Buenos Aires.jpg|thumb|right|"Noche de Pakistan" in Buenos Aires, organized by [[Naela Chohan]] to promote Pakistani culture in Argentina (2012)]]
'''Argentina–Pakistan relations''' are the foreign relations between [[Pakistan]] and [[Argentina]]. The relationship has recently grown with important trade ties developing along with other inter-government communications.<ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=111DB8FDDC16FE10&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM NewsLibrary.com - newspaper archive, clipping service - newspapers and other news sources]</ref> Pakistan has an embassy in the Argentine capital [[Buenos Aires]], as does Argentina in [[Islamabad]].

==History==
Pakistan and Argentina formally established relations in October, 1951. The first significant agreement was signed in May 1983. Since then, high level visits have taken place in both countries and relations seem to have grown gradually into the cordial relationship seen today; with agreements, in principle at least, to continue discussions in fields of mutual interest such as their respective economic and political systems.<ref>[http://202.83.164.26/wps/portal/Most/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hQN68AZ3dnIwML82BTAyNXTz9jE0NfQwNfA_2CbEdFAA2MC_Y!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/MostCL/ministry/highlights/first+session+of+pakistan-argentina+joint+committee+on Ministry of Science and Technology - Government of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\08\story_8-3-2007_pg11_9 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

A formal agreement on bilateral trade and cooperation was signed between Argentina and Pakistan on 19 July 2002, giving their relationship "most favourable nation" status, in accordance with [[World Trade Organisation]] regulations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25682839_ITM Article: PAKISTAN, ARGENTINA SIGN DEAL ON TRADE COOPERATION. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref>

In March, 2012 the Government of Argentina emphasised the importance of bilateral relations with Pakistan, inviting the Ambassador of Pakistan [[Naela Chohan]] as chief guest to a ceremony in Buenos Aires commemorating 60 years of Pakistan-Argentine friendship.<ref>
[http://www.casaprov.gba.gov.ar/web2012/notas_com/marzo/Pakistan290312.html LA EMBAJADA DE PAKISTAN CELEBRO SUS 60 AÑOS EN LA ARGENTINA (Spanish)]</ref><ref>Agencia Islamica de Notas (Spanish) [http://www.ain.com.ar/nota.php?nota=4815 Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires con un show cultural de trajes típicos]</ref><ref>Section Politica, Noticias de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Spanish) [http://www.seccionpolitica.com.ar/pakistan-celebro-su-dia-nacional-en-buenos-aires-aid14389.html Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Plaza de Pakistan==
[[File:Plaza de Pakistan Collage.jpg|thumb|300px|Clockwise from Top-Left: Official Demarcation of the Plaza de Pakistan, Modern Design seating at the Park’s center, Inauguration of the plaque of Iqbal by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]]; Plaque of Iqbal.]]

''For the full article, please see [[Plaza de Pakistan]]''

The Plaza de Pakistan is a landmark in [[Buenos Aires]] commemorating [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|Argentine-Pakistan friendship]]. It is located in the heart of [[Parque Tres de Febrero]] in the neighborhood of [[Palermo, Buenos Aires|Palermo]]. It was redesigned in 2012 and inaugurated on July 27, 2012 by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] of Pakistan and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] of Federal Capital Buenos Aires, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|two friendly countries]].<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

The [[inauguration]] ceremony of Plaza de Pakistan was planned between Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14 and Independence Day of Argentina on July 9.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref> It was also to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries. The ceremony included the ribbon cutting by Ambassador Naela Chohan and Minister Diego Santilli followed by unveiling of the plaque with an engraving of a verse by [[Allama Iqbal]] which emphasises the importance of love for humanity.

Minister [[Diego Santilli]] in his speech, while appreciating the Ambassador for her role in the renovation of the Park, stated that the whole world was reflected in the City of Buenos Aires through its monuments, squares and parks and that Pakistan had a very special place in it.<ref>[http://www.amigosdiplomaticos.org/1552/plaza-republica-de-pakistan Plaza"República de Pakistán"(Spanish)]</ref>

The Ambassador, in her speech thanked Chief of Government [[Mauricio Macri]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] for their support in restoring Plaza Pakistan and recalled that there was a very beautiful Argentina Park in Islamabad which was a token of the love and affection Pakistan has for Argentina. And today’s occasion was a reciprocal gesture from Argentina. She added that "We deeply appreciate this important gesture of friendship and we need to further deepen these bonds of friendship through mutually beneficial co-operation in trade and culture".<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Diplomacy==
Argentina has been part of the consensus in favor of the resolution put forward by Pakistan on the right to self-determination which is debated annually at the General Assembly of the United Nations. {{citation needed|date=November 2012}} Pakistan has voted in favor of the UN Resolution stipulating that "the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the ideal of universal peace held by the United Nations", which has relevance for the [[Falkland Islands]] issue. Both countries also share common views on United Nations reforms and on the theme of expanding the United Nations Security Council.

The chair of the [[Pakistan Senate]] has said of the relationship that "Pakistan and Argentina [have] very close cooperation in various fields and unanimity of views on international issues".<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C03%5C08%5Cstory_8-3-2007_pg11_9Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

==Cooperation==
The two countries have well established trade links, they maintain a "Joint Economic Committee" and the Pak-Argentina Business Council, in order to expedite further growth in their relationship.<ref>http://www.commerce.gov.pk/news/read.asp?newsID=72</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19140200_ITM Article: PAKISTAN-ARGENTINA BUSINESS COUNCIL FORMED TO ENHANCE TRADE. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The two countries are currently most concerned with agricultural development schemes, particularly in the areas of livestock disease control, as well as political and diplomatic issues of mutual interest.<ref>[http://www.webnewswire.com/node/451280 Argentina to collaborate in Pakistan’s livestock sector | webnewswire.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\14\story_14-4-2009_pg5_14 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/14-Apr-2009/Argentina-to-collaborate-in-Pak-livestock-sector Argentina to collaborate in Pak livestock sector | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online]</ref>

Argentina's ambassador to Pakistan has stated that the two governments are involved in exploring new areas in which they can increase cooperation, saying they should both "step up efforts" for tapping into areas that they have not yet explored, including strengthening trade ties through importing wheat, in which Argentina is self-sufficient and in sending further trade delegations between the two nations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19144115_ITM Article: Pak-Argentina business council being set up. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce concurred with the ambassador and stressed the need for further formal agreements between his organisation and its opposite number in Buenos Ares.<ref>[http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144660 ONLINE - International News Network]</ref>

Argentine companies have also expressed their interest in the exploration and development of gas fields in the Pakistani provinces of [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] and [[Sindh]].<ref>http://www.daily.pk/business/businessnews/10421-argentineans-eye-pakistani-gas-fields.html</ref>

==State visits==
Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] visited Argentina in 2004 as part of a visit to three [[Latin America]]n countries in order to boost economic and political relations between Pakistan and the region as a whole and Argentina specifically.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/27/content_2266101.htm Musharraf's visit to L.America to boost economic, political ties: spokesman - Xinhuanet]</ref>

Musharraf also held meetings with the Argentine President and, in a speech to the Argentine Council for International Relations, alluded to further cooperation on issues of mutual interest at the UN and further strengthening of economic and political links between the nations.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/03/top3.htm | title=Democracy in place, says Musharraf (Top Stories) | newspaper=Dawn | date=3 December 2004}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Naela Chohan]] - the Ambassador of Pakistan to Argentina.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Foreign relations of Pakistan}}
{{Foreign relations of Argentina}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentina-Pakistan Relations}}
[[Category:Argentina–Pakistan relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Argentina|Pakistan]] 
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Pakistan]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-22T14:24:34Z

LibStar: /* Education */ spelling

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub|date=July 2013}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=July 2013}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Governance==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. {{cn|date=July 2013}} This has been a success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. {{cn}}

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to rebuild the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild. {{cn}}

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-22T14:23:44Z

LibStar: /* Facilities */ already in education

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub|date=July 2013}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=July 2013}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Governance==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. {{cn|date=July 2013}} This has been a success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. {{cn}}

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-22T14:22:34Z

LibStar: /* Education */ rm advertising for private tutoring

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub|date=July 2013}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=July 2013}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Governance==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. {{cn|date=July 2013}} This has been a success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon has an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-04T06:49:01Z

LibStar: /* Facilities */ a non doctor offering surgety

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub|date=July 2013}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=July 2013}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Governance==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. {{cn}} This has been a success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon has an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-04T06:46:16Z

LibStar: /* Economy */

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub|date=July 2013}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=July 2013}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Governance==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. {{cn}} This has been a success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon has an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-04T06:43:29Z

LibStar: /* Governance */ move to economy

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub|date=July 2013}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=July 2013}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Governance==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon has an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-04T06:42:29Z

LibStar: /* Government and politics */

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub|date=July 2013}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=July 2013}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Governance==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon has an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn|date=July 2013}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-01T07:11:17Z

LibStar: /* Transportation */

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon has an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making an improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]]. {{cn}}

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-01T07:10:38Z

LibStar: /* Public services */ no need to list these

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Facilities==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon has an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-01T07:09:31Z

LibStar: /* Notable residents */ rm non notable and vandalism

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Public services==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon also boasts four doctor's surgeries, three dental practices, two opticians, an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a regular bus service to [[Swansea]] from the central bus station on West Street, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82. {{cn}}

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-01T07:07:10Z

LibStar: /* Agricultural and industrial development */

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==
{{unreferencedsect}}
Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Public services==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon also boasts four doctor's surgeries, three dental practices, two opticians, an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a regular bus service to [[Swansea]] from the central bus station on West Street, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
* Gwynnie - Well known football coach and dribble cleaner. Also well known school teacher.
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82.
* Jessica Sula (actress)
* Matt Ryan (actor)

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-07-01T07:05:30Z

LibStar: /* History */ rm uncited for 3 years potential original research

{{refimprove|date=June 2013}}
{{original research|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{section-stub}}

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect|date=June 2013}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==

Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Public services==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon also boasts four doctor's surgeries, three dental practices, two opticians, an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a regular bus service to [[Swansea]] from the central bus station on West Street, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
* Gwynnie - Well known football coach and dribble cleaner. Also well known school teacher.
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82.
* Jessica Sula (actress)
* Matt Ryan (actor)

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-06-29T16:26:23Z

LibStar:

{{refimprove}}
{{original research}}
{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{Refimprove|date=May 2010}}
'''The Common Story of Gorseinon'''
is that in the year 991, there were two princes – the [[Prince of South Wales]], Prince [[Ithol]] and the [[Prince of Glamorgan]], Prince [[Meredith (given name)|Meredith]]. They fought a bloody battle on [[Garngoch Common]] and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Einon Hywell, Einon meaning “leader”. After the battle Einon Hywell camped his men on the Gorse, near [[Penllergaer]]. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.

'''In Depth..'''
Einon of Gorseinon

The original form of Gorseinon was Cors Einon; Cors meaning bog, swamp, or marsh (The C changes to a G after the word “the” which over time has been dropped from the name.)

Einon, Einion or Eynon is a popular personal name.

The village now known as Penllergaer was originally known as Gorseinon or Cor Einon (Einon’s Marsh).
Popular Tradition: Einon was a warrior prince of Dyfed, who was mortally wounded in a battle. Einon escaped from the battle but he was so badly injured that he died on marshland which became known as Cors Einon or Einon’s Marsh.

'''Historical Evidence for Einon.'''

Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda, (Einon son of Owain son of Hywel Dda) was an historical character.

He was born in about 933 in Dinefwr, Llandyfeisant, Carmarthenshire, died 984 in the Battle of Pen Colwyn, Gwent. 9
He was a prince and war lord, his father was King Owain of Deheubarth, (Dyfed, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Breconshire and Pembrokeshire ). King Owain wanted to extend his lands and take over Gower and Morgannwg ( Glamorgan).

960, Owain, Einon’s father tried to expand his kingdom by invading Gower. He made several expeditions into Gower during the following decade. By 966, Einon had replaced his father as leader of the war band and during the 970s and 80s Einon continued to try to conquer Morgannwg. It is possible that Einon established a stronghold or Llys on a vantage point east of the Loughor around 970. This would have given him a strategic point from which to launch his attacks further east. The stronghold may have been called Llys Einon, which over the years became Llys Nini.

The War band, under Owain and then Einon, was also instrumental between 870 and 991 in repelling the Irish and Danes who continually raided South Wales during this time.

Einon was killed in battle in about 984, but there is some confusion about where the battle happened.
The battle is recorded by Dot Doomsday (9) as being at Pencoed Colwyn in Gwent, in the east of south Wales. While the Gwentian Chronicle records that "Einion son of Owain was slain" in 982 in "Gorwennydd where the action of Pencoed Colwyn took place"11 However, Gorfynnydd, which may be a form of Gorennydd, is recorded as part of the Kingdom of Glywysing, which on Glywysing's death was given to one of the old king's son, as were 6 other cartrefi including Cydweli and Gywr, which suggests that Gorfynnydd was close by and if Einon did battle there, it is even more possible that he may have died at Cor Einon tryin to return to his stronghold at Llys Nini.

This last entry from the Gwentian Chronicle names the place of Einon’s death as Gorwennydd (Gorfennydd?) and not Gwent. Gorwennydd was an area of south Wales which may have included Llansamlet in Swansea, which is less than 5 miles from Llys Nini and Penllergaer Village (Gorseinon).

If Einon fought in or around north west Swansea and was wounded he could have tried to get back to his base in Deheubarth. He may have aimed to cross the Loughor at the ancient crossing point at Llandeilo Talybont and if so, his route would have taken him through the present-day Penllergaer ( the then Gorseinon), where he may have died, thus giving his name to that place.

As above however, there is the other story, quoted by several sources “In the year 991, there were two Princes – the Prince of South Wales, Prince Ithol and the Prince of Glamorgan, Prince Meredith. They fought a bloody battle on Garngoch Common and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Hywel Einon. After the battle, Einon Hywel camped his men on the Gorse, near Penllergaer. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.” 15, 16 Although different dates,Hywel Einon is remarkedly close to Einon ap Owain ap Hywel, perhaps both have the same origin?

Which, if either, of these accounts is true cannot be said. But the latter seems more confused. Prince Einon, on his death was succeeded by his brother Meredudd (Meredith) of Deheubarth and not of Glamorgan. Ithol was the King of Gwent but was killed in 846 not 911. “ The men of Brecknock are said to have slain Ithol, the 53d king of Gwent, in 846. “139
(Neither of these battles should be confused with the Battle of Gower 1136 which was fought between the Welsh and the Anglo Normans or the on-going onslaughts from invading Vikings 950 to 1000. )

The stone or cross of Einon in Margam Stone Museum has the inscription “This cross of Christ, Enniaun made for the soul of Guorgoret.” J K Allen60 and others interpret Enniaun as Einon and the stone was erected between 850 and 933, which would coincide with the life of Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda. Then perhaps Einon’s Latinised name lives on in Llys Nini, in the former Gorseinon? It is perhaps more likely that an important property or “Llys” (court) was at that time named after a man rather than a woman.

Cors Einon and Llys Nini near Penller’rgaer are geographically close to each other, as are Porth Einon and Trenynni (Oxwich) on the Gower coast.

Moreover, the village close to Llys Nini, now known as Penllergaer, was originally called Gorseinon or Corsenion.

Some more local details may be found at http://www.gorseinon.info/sitepages/History.htm

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==

Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Public services==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon also boasts four doctor's surgeries, three dental practices, two opticians, an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a regular bus service to [[Swansea]] from the central bus station on West Street, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
* Gwynnie - Well known football coach and dribble cleaner. Also well known school teacher.
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82.
* Jessica Sula (actress)
* Matt Ryan (actor)

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-06-29T16:25:11Z

LibStar: /* Religious development */

{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{Refimprove|date=May 2010}}
'''The Common Story of Gorseinon'''
is that in the year 991, there were two princes – the [[Prince of South Wales]], Prince [[Ithol]] and the [[Prince of Glamorgan]], Prince [[Meredith (given name)|Meredith]]. They fought a bloody battle on [[Garngoch Common]] and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Einon Hywell, Einon meaning “leader”. After the battle Einon Hywell camped his men on the Gorse, near [[Penllergaer]]. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.

'''In Depth..'''
Einon of Gorseinon

The original form of Gorseinon was Cors Einon; Cors meaning bog, swamp, or marsh (The C changes to a G after the word “the” which over time has been dropped from the name.)

Einon, Einion or Eynon is a popular personal name.

The village now known as Penllergaer was originally known as Gorseinon or Cor Einon (Einon’s Marsh).
Popular Tradition: Einon was a warrior prince of Dyfed, who was mortally wounded in a battle. Einon escaped from the battle but he was so badly injured that he died on marshland which became known as Cors Einon or Einon’s Marsh.

'''Historical Evidence for Einon.'''

Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda, (Einon son of Owain son of Hywel Dda) was an historical character.

He was born in about 933 in Dinefwr, Llandyfeisant, Carmarthenshire, died 984 in the Battle of Pen Colwyn, Gwent. 9
He was a prince and war lord, his father was King Owain of Deheubarth, (Dyfed, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Breconshire and Pembrokeshire ). King Owain wanted to extend his lands and take over Gower and Morgannwg ( Glamorgan).

960, Owain, Einon’s father tried to expand his kingdom by invading Gower. He made several expeditions into Gower during the following decade. By 966, Einon had replaced his father as leader of the war band and during the 970s and 80s Einon continued to try to conquer Morgannwg. It is possible that Einon established a stronghold or Llys on a vantage point east of the Loughor around 970. This would have given him a strategic point from which to launch his attacks further east. The stronghold may have been called Llys Einon, which over the years became Llys Nini.

The War band, under Owain and then Einon, was also instrumental between 870 and 991 in repelling the Irish and Danes who continually raided South Wales during this time.

Einon was killed in battle in about 984, but there is some confusion about where the battle happened.
The battle is recorded by Dot Doomsday (9) as being at Pencoed Colwyn in Gwent, in the east of south Wales. While the Gwentian Chronicle records that "Einion son of Owain was slain" in 982 in "Gorwennydd where the action of Pencoed Colwyn took place"11 However, Gorfynnydd, which may be a form of Gorennydd, is recorded as part of the Kingdom of Glywysing, which on Glywysing's death was given to one of the old king's son, as were 6 other cartrefi including Cydweli and Gywr, which suggests that Gorfynnydd was close by and if Einon did battle there, it is even more possible that he may have died at Cor Einon tryin to return to his stronghold at Llys Nini.

This last entry from the Gwentian Chronicle names the place of Einon’s death as Gorwennydd (Gorfennydd?) and not Gwent. Gorwennydd was an area of south Wales which may have included Llansamlet in Swansea, which is less than 5 miles from Llys Nini and Penllergaer Village (Gorseinon).

If Einon fought in or around north west Swansea and was wounded he could have tried to get back to his base in Deheubarth. He may have aimed to cross the Loughor at the ancient crossing point at Llandeilo Talybont and if so, his route would have taken him through the present-day Penllergaer ( the then Gorseinon), where he may have died, thus giving his name to that place.

As above however, there is the other story, quoted by several sources “In the year 991, there were two Princes – the Prince of South Wales, Prince Ithol and the Prince of Glamorgan, Prince Meredith. They fought a bloody battle on Garngoch Common and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Hywel Einon. After the battle, Einon Hywel camped his men on the Gorse, near Penllergaer. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.” 15, 16 Although different dates,Hywel Einon is remarkedly close to Einon ap Owain ap Hywel, perhaps both have the same origin?

Which, if either, of these accounts is true cannot be said. But the latter seems more confused. Prince Einon, on his death was succeeded by his brother Meredudd (Meredith) of Deheubarth and not of Glamorgan. Ithol was the King of Gwent but was killed in 846 not 911. “ The men of Brecknock are said to have slain Ithol, the 53d king of Gwent, in 846. “139
(Neither of these battles should be confused with the Battle of Gower 1136 which was fought between the Welsh and the Anglo Normans or the on-going onslaughts from invading Vikings 950 to 1000. )

The stone or cross of Einon in Margam Stone Museum has the inscription “This cross of Christ, Enniaun made for the soul of Guorgoret.” J K Allen60 and others interpret Enniaun as Einon and the stone was erected between 850 and 933, which would coincide with the life of Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda. Then perhaps Einon’s Latinised name lives on in Llys Nini, in the former Gorseinon? It is perhaps more likely that an important property or “Llys” (court) was at that time named after a man rather than a woman.

Cors Einon and Llys Nini near Penller’rgaer are geographically close to each other, as are Porth Einon and Trenynni (Oxwich) on the Gower coast.

Moreover, the village close to Llys Nini, now known as Penllergaer, was originally called Gorseinon or Corsenion.

Some more local details may be found at http://www.gorseinon.info/sitepages/History.htm

==Religious development==
{{unreferencedsect}}
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==

Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Public services==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon also boasts four doctor's surgeries, three dental practices, two opticians, an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a regular bus service to [[Swansea]] from the central bus station on West Street, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
* Gwynnie - Well known football coach and dribble cleaner. Also well known school teacher.
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82.
* Jessica Sula (actress)
* Matt Ryan (actor)

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-06-29T16:24:12Z

LibStar: /* Entertainment */ WP:NOTDIR

{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{Refimprove|date=May 2010}}
'''The Common Story of Gorseinon'''
is that in the year 991, there were two princes – the [[Prince of South Wales]], Prince [[Ithol]] and the [[Prince of Glamorgan]], Prince [[Meredith (given name)|Meredith]]. They fought a bloody battle on [[Garngoch Common]] and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Einon Hywell, Einon meaning “leader”. After the battle Einon Hywell camped his men on the Gorse, near [[Penllergaer]]. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.

'''In Depth..'''
Einon of Gorseinon

The original form of Gorseinon was Cors Einon; Cors meaning bog, swamp, or marsh (The C changes to a G after the word “the” which over time has been dropped from the name.)

Einon, Einion or Eynon is a popular personal name.

The village now known as Penllergaer was originally known as Gorseinon or Cor Einon (Einon’s Marsh).
Popular Tradition: Einon was a warrior prince of Dyfed, who was mortally wounded in a battle. Einon escaped from the battle but he was so badly injured that he died on marshland which became known as Cors Einon or Einon’s Marsh.

'''Historical Evidence for Einon.'''

Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda, (Einon son of Owain son of Hywel Dda) was an historical character.

He was born in about 933 in Dinefwr, Llandyfeisant, Carmarthenshire, died 984 in the Battle of Pen Colwyn, Gwent. 9
He was a prince and war lord, his father was King Owain of Deheubarth, (Dyfed, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Breconshire and Pembrokeshire ). King Owain wanted to extend his lands and take over Gower and Morgannwg ( Glamorgan).

960, Owain, Einon’s father tried to expand his kingdom by invading Gower. He made several expeditions into Gower during the following decade. By 966, Einon had replaced his father as leader of the war band and during the 970s and 80s Einon continued to try to conquer Morgannwg. It is possible that Einon established a stronghold or Llys on a vantage point east of the Loughor around 970. This would have given him a strategic point from which to launch his attacks further east. The stronghold may have been called Llys Einon, which over the years became Llys Nini.

The War band, under Owain and then Einon, was also instrumental between 870 and 991 in repelling the Irish and Danes who continually raided South Wales during this time.

Einon was killed in battle in about 984, but there is some confusion about where the battle happened.
The battle is recorded by Dot Doomsday (9) as being at Pencoed Colwyn in Gwent, in the east of south Wales. While the Gwentian Chronicle records that "Einion son of Owain was slain" in 982 in "Gorwennydd where the action of Pencoed Colwyn took place"11 However, Gorfynnydd, which may be a form of Gorennydd, is recorded as part of the Kingdom of Glywysing, which on Glywysing's death was given to one of the old king's son, as were 6 other cartrefi including Cydweli and Gywr, which suggests that Gorfynnydd was close by and if Einon did battle there, it is even more possible that he may have died at Cor Einon tryin to return to his stronghold at Llys Nini.

This last entry from the Gwentian Chronicle names the place of Einon’s death as Gorwennydd (Gorfennydd?) and not Gwent. Gorwennydd was an area of south Wales which may have included Llansamlet in Swansea, which is less than 5 miles from Llys Nini and Penllergaer Village (Gorseinon).

If Einon fought in or around north west Swansea and was wounded he could have tried to get back to his base in Deheubarth. He may have aimed to cross the Loughor at the ancient crossing point at Llandeilo Talybont and if so, his route would have taken him through the present-day Penllergaer ( the then Gorseinon), where he may have died, thus giving his name to that place.

As above however, there is the other story, quoted by several sources “In the year 991, there were two Princes – the Prince of South Wales, Prince Ithol and the Prince of Glamorgan, Prince Meredith. They fought a bloody battle on Garngoch Common and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Hywel Einon. After the battle, Einon Hywel camped his men on the Gorse, near Penllergaer. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.” 15, 16 Although different dates,Hywel Einon is remarkedly close to Einon ap Owain ap Hywel, perhaps both have the same origin?

Which, if either, of these accounts is true cannot be said. But the latter seems more confused. Prince Einon, on his death was succeeded by his brother Meredudd (Meredith) of Deheubarth and not of Glamorgan. Ithol was the King of Gwent but was killed in 846 not 911. “ The men of Brecknock are said to have slain Ithol, the 53d king of Gwent, in 846. “139
(Neither of these battles should be confused with the Battle of Gower 1136 which was fought between the Welsh and the Anglo Normans or the on-going onslaughts from invading Vikings 950 to 1000. )

The stone or cross of Einon in Margam Stone Museum has the inscription “This cross of Christ, Enniaun made for the soul of Guorgoret.” J K Allen60 and others interpret Enniaun as Einon and the stone was erected between 850 and 933, which would coincide with the life of Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda. Then perhaps Einon’s Latinised name lives on in Llys Nini, in the former Gorseinon? It is perhaps more likely that an important property or “Llys” (court) was at that time named after a man rather than a woman.

Cors Einon and Llys Nini near Penller’rgaer are geographically close to each other, as are Porth Einon and Trenynni (Oxwich) on the Gower coast.

Moreover, the village close to Llys Nini, now known as Penllergaer, was originally called Gorseinon or Corsenion.

Some more local details may be found at http://www.gorseinon.info/sitepages/History.htm

==Religious development==
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==

Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Public services==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon also boasts four doctor's surgeries, three dental practices, two opticians, an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a regular bus service to [[Swansea]] from the central bus station on West Street, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
* Gwynnie - Well known football coach and dribble cleaner. Also well known school teacher.
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82.
* Jessica Sula (actress)
* Matt Ryan (actor)

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
[[Category:Swansea Bay (region)]]
[[Category:Communities in Swansea]]
[[Category:M4 corridor]]

Gorseinon

2013-06-29T16:23:26Z

LibStar: /* Places to Eat */ WP:NOTDIR

{{infobox UK place
|country = Wales
|static_image=[[File:A4240 Alexandra Road, Gorseinon - geograph.org.uk - 1480632.jpg|250px]]
|welsh_name=Gorseinon
|constituency_welsh_assembly=[[Gower (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Gower]]
|official_name= Gorseinon
|unitary_wales= [[Swansea]]
|lieutenancy_wales= [[West Glamorgan]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Gower (UK Parliament constituency)|Gower]]
|post_town= SWANSEA
|postcode_district = SA4
|postcode_area= SA
|dial_code= 01792
|os_grid_reference= SS585985
|latitude= 51.66
|longitude= -4.03
|map_type=
| population =
| population_ref = Town: 7,874<ref>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=801182&c=gorseinon&d=16&e=15&g=417134&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1198128086359&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 ONS: Neighbourhood Statistics for Gorseinon]</ref> Urban Area: 19,273
}}
'''Gorseinon''' is a town in the South West of [[Wales]], near the [[Loughor estuary]]. It was a small [[village]] until the late 19th century when it grew around the [[coal mining]] and [[tinplate]] industries. It is situated in the north west of [[Swansea]], around {{convert|6|mi|km}} north west of the city centre. Gorseinon is also a local [[Government]] [[community (Wales)|community]] with its own elected [[town council]].

The population of the Gorseinon town council area in the 2001 Census is 7,874. However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] defines an area called the Gorseinon Urban Area which comprises all of the continuous built up area in and around Gorseinon. This area includes Gorseinon, [[Loughor]], [[Garden Village, Swansea|Garden Village]]<ref>[http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/keystats/sqmap.aspx?kv=1367344941&type=-1&title= Nomis: Map of Gorseinon Urban Area]</ref> and has a population of 19,273.

==History==
{{Refimprove|date=May 2010}}
'''The Common Story of Gorseinon'''
is that in the year 991, there were two princes – the [[Prince of South Wales]], Prince [[Ithol]] and the [[Prince of Glamorgan]], Prince [[Meredith (given name)|Meredith]]. They fought a bloody battle on [[Garngoch Common]] and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Einon Hywell, Einon meaning “leader”. After the battle Einon Hywell camped his men on the Gorse, near [[Penllergaer]]. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.

'''In Depth..'''
Einon of Gorseinon

The original form of Gorseinon was Cors Einon; Cors meaning bog, swamp, or marsh (The C changes to a G after the word “the” which over time has been dropped from the name.)

Einon, Einion or Eynon is a popular personal name.

The village now known as Penllergaer was originally known as Gorseinon or Cor Einon (Einon’s Marsh).
Popular Tradition: Einon was a warrior prince of Dyfed, who was mortally wounded in a battle. Einon escaped from the battle but he was so badly injured that he died on marshland which became known as Cors Einon or Einon’s Marsh.

'''Historical Evidence for Einon.'''

Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda, (Einon son of Owain son of Hywel Dda) was an historical character.

He was born in about 933 in Dinefwr, Llandyfeisant, Carmarthenshire, died 984 in the Battle of Pen Colwyn, Gwent. 9
He was a prince and war lord, his father was King Owain of Deheubarth, (Dyfed, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Breconshire and Pembrokeshire ). King Owain wanted to extend his lands and take over Gower and Morgannwg ( Glamorgan).

960, Owain, Einon’s father tried to expand his kingdom by invading Gower. He made several expeditions into Gower during the following decade. By 966, Einon had replaced his father as leader of the war band and during the 970s and 80s Einon continued to try to conquer Morgannwg. It is possible that Einon established a stronghold or Llys on a vantage point east of the Loughor around 970. This would have given him a strategic point from which to launch his attacks further east. The stronghold may have been called Llys Einon, which over the years became Llys Nini.

The War band, under Owain and then Einon, was also instrumental between 870 and 991 in repelling the Irish and Danes who continually raided South Wales during this time.

Einon was killed in battle in about 984, but there is some confusion about where the battle happened.
The battle is recorded by Dot Doomsday (9) as being at Pencoed Colwyn in Gwent, in the east of south Wales. While the Gwentian Chronicle records that "Einion son of Owain was slain" in 982 in "Gorwennydd where the action of Pencoed Colwyn took place"11 However, Gorfynnydd, which may be a form of Gorennydd, is recorded as part of the Kingdom of Glywysing, which on Glywysing's death was given to one of the old king's son, as were 6 other cartrefi including Cydweli and Gywr, which suggests that Gorfynnydd was close by and if Einon did battle there, it is even more possible that he may have died at Cor Einon tryin to return to his stronghold at Llys Nini.

This last entry from the Gwentian Chronicle names the place of Einon’s death as Gorwennydd (Gorfennydd?) and not Gwent. Gorwennydd was an area of south Wales which may have included Llansamlet in Swansea, which is less than 5 miles from Llys Nini and Penllergaer Village (Gorseinon).

If Einon fought in or around north west Swansea and was wounded he could have tried to get back to his base in Deheubarth. He may have aimed to cross the Loughor at the ancient crossing point at Llandeilo Talybont and if so, his route would have taken him through the present-day Penllergaer ( the then Gorseinon), where he may have died, thus giving his name to that place.

As above however, there is the other story, quoted by several sources “In the year 991, there were two Princes – the Prince of South Wales, Prince Ithol and the Prince of Glamorgan, Prince Meredith. They fought a bloody battle on Garngoch Common and the Prince of South Wales, who was a brutal man, was defeated. Amongst those who took up arms against the Prince of South Wales was a man called Hywel Einon. After the battle, Einon Hywel camped his men on the Gorse, near Penllergaer. The name of Gorseynon was then created, later changed to Gorseinon.” 15, 16 Although different dates,Hywel Einon is remarkedly close to Einon ap Owain ap Hywel, perhaps both have the same origin?

Which, if either, of these accounts is true cannot be said. But the latter seems more confused. Prince Einon, on his death was succeeded by his brother Meredudd (Meredith) of Deheubarth and not of Glamorgan. Ithol was the King of Gwent but was killed in 846 not 911. “ The men of Brecknock are said to have slain Ithol, the 53d king of Gwent, in 846. “139
(Neither of these battles should be confused with the Battle of Gower 1136 which was fought between the Welsh and the Anglo Normans or the on-going onslaughts from invading Vikings 950 to 1000. )

The stone or cross of Einon in Margam Stone Museum has the inscription “This cross of Christ, Enniaun made for the soul of Guorgoret.” J K Allen60 and others interpret Enniaun as Einon and the stone was erected between 850 and 933, which would coincide with the life of Einon ap Owain ap Hywel Dda. Then perhaps Einon’s Latinised name lives on in Llys Nini, in the former Gorseinon? It is perhaps more likely that an important property or “Llys” (court) was at that time named after a man rather than a woman.

Cors Einon and Llys Nini near Penller’rgaer are geographically close to each other, as are Porth Einon and Trenynni (Oxwich) on the Gower coast.

Moreover, the village close to Llys Nini, now known as Penllergaer, was originally called Gorseinon or Corsenion.

Some more local details may be found at http://www.gorseinon.info/sitepages/History.htm

== Entertainment ==

=== Public houses in the area ===
* Mardy Hotel (Now Closed)
* The West End
* The Brighton Road Club
* The Llwchwr Workingmans Club (The Bug)
* The Riverside Inn (Previously 'The Bottom Hotel' and 'The Bryngwyn')
* The Station Hotel (The Gyp)
* The Cockle Shell (Toby Carvery)

'''Surrounding areas '''

''' Pontybrenin/Kingsbridge '''
* The Kingsbridge
* Tafarn-Y-Trap

''' Loughor '''
* The Cross Keys
* The Globe Inn
* The Porterhouse (Previously 'The Red Lion')
* The Reverend James

===== Surrounding areas =====
''' Pontybrenin/Kinsbridge '''
*Tafarn-Y-Trap
*The Kinsbridge
* Jolly Frier
'''Gowerton'''
* The Gowerton Con' club
* Harvester
''' Loughor '''
* The Porterhouse(Formerly 'The Red Lion')
* Hurren's Inn
* Reverend James
* Ship & Castle
* Loughor Boating Club
* John's Chippy
'''Penyrheol'''
* Julians
* Treasure Island

==Religious development==
In 1840 the population of Gorseinon was barely 250 people. There were only two churches in the area. One was the “Church on the Marsh”, also known as Loughor and Llandeilo (Talybont) – this has now been restored and rebuilt at [[St Fagans National History Museum|St. Fagan’s Folk Museum]]. The other church was Brynteg Chapel, the only [[non-conformist]] chapel for miles. This was built in 1815 and can still be seen today. The first church to be built in Gorseinon was Holy Trinity Church. This was built in 1882 – just opposite where Somerfield stands today. Seion Baptist Church was opened in 1886. It was built on the banks of a river at the bottom of Gorseinon, but by 1902 a new Seion was built in High Street. The old Seion was taken over by the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|English Methodist]]s, but this eventually became the Moose Hall. Bethel English Congregational Church (Evangelical) celebrated its centenary on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 July 1894 – 1994. Holy Trinity Church was extended in 1884. The English Congregationalist built a church in Masons Road, now known as West Street-Bethel Chapel. Then progress seemed to stop for a few years.

Ebenezer, the Welsh Congregational Chapel opened in 1887, but by 1909 a new chapel was built near Seion Capel.

St. Catherine’s Church was built in 1913 and the [[Salvation Army]] in 1910. The Roman Catholic Church was built at Pontardulais Road in 1932 but a new Church was built on Alexandra Road in the 1960s. The architect of the Catholic Church was Robert Robinson, a local Gower man.

==Agricultural and industrial development==

Gors Eynon first appeared on an [[Ordnance Survey]] map in 1813, but by 1830 the name appeared in its modern spelling.

The monks of Neath Abbey paid many visits to this locality, and evidence of this were several mills built on the banks of local rivers; Cadle Mill, on the Lliw, [[Pontlliw]], Melyn Mynach, and Loughor Mill.
There was one weaving mill and two flour mills on the river. These were worked by the monks to provide food and clothing for the Abbey, wool being brought here from [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]] sheeplands.
By the end of the thirteenth century the monks at Melyn Mynach owned vast acreage devoted to sheep farming. They produced high quality wool at Cwrt Y Carnau, which was traded in [[Flanders]] and Italy.
With the arrival of the black death and bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, labour became scarce and the monks were forced to sell or rent to the local farmers. Eventually, during Henry VIII’s reign, the few monks that were left were pensioned off, as their land passed into crown hands.

Mr. John Pryce, a legal gentleman, who was originally from the area but had moved to London, returned to raise a family at Cwrt Y Carne. In 1575 he purchased the manor and land, and also the mill at Melyn Mynach. The whole estate totalled over {{convert|130|acre|km2}}. Pryce tried to squeeze every penny out of his tenant farmers and many disputes followed. The Pryce family prospered and by the early eighteenth Century, the name had changed to Price.

The last owner of the Melyn Mynach was the husband of a Price family member. He was called Nathaniel Cameron – Mayor of Swansea. He also owned the Mountain Colliery but sold the Mill after getting into financial difficulties to Mr. William Lewis, the founder of Gorseinon.

There were few industries but coal was plentiful. A drift was opened in 1846 and became known as “The Mountain Coal”. This coal was transported on a narrow gauge railway line to Loughor, where it was loaded onto barges and sent to Llanelli for transportation all around the world. The drift mine continued to be worked until 1900, when a shaft was sunk.

In 1860 the [[L.N.W.R.]] wanted to extend the line from [[Pontarddulais]] to Swansea. William Lewis, a young industrialist sold them the land and a station was erected in 1870 – this became known as Gorseinon Station. The Mountain Colliery laid a siding from the Colliery to the Station and coal was redirected to [[Swansea Docks]].

The first day-school was opened in 1880 at [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]]. The Headmaster, Mr. Jones, afterwards transferred to Gorseinon. As Gorseinon’s industries grew so did its housing and streets, with the development of Mill Street, Gorseinon Terrace, Eynon Street and High Street.

In 1886 the Grovesend Tin Works was built and the Lewis Family built many houses around the area to house the workers. The Grovesend Steelworks opened in 1890, but in 1891 all tinplate workers in South Wales were involved in a seven-month strike and times were very hard for the workers.

Gorseinon had two [[public house]]s, the Gorseinon Hotel (Bottom Hotel) and the Station Hotel (the Gyp). It was said that the Bottom Hotel was for miners and the Gyp was for tinplate workers and it was a mortal sin to encroach on another man’s territory. Then in 1892 the West End Hotel was built and the Mardy in 1901 bring the number of public houses to four.

Gorseinon Institute was opened in 1904 and in 1908 the Bryngwyn Sheetworks was opened

==Government and politics==

===County Council===
Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, the town of '''Gorseinon''' was administered as part of the [[Lliw Valley]] district and previously [[Llwchwr]] Urban District Council. Since 1996, Gorseinon has been governed by the [[City and County of Swansea council]] and falls within the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] and [[Penyrheol (electoral ward)|Penyrheol]] wards of [[Swansea]].

===Town Council===
The community of Gorseinon comprises the [[Gorseinon (electoral ward)|Gorseinon]] ward and the southern part of the [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]] ward. The Gorseinon Town Council developed from the former Gorseinon Community Council in 1998, since when it was able to appoint a town [[mayor]] annually. The council now comprises sixteen unpaid volunteers who are elected every four years. The council meet at Gorseinon Institute every first Wednesday to discuss local business and planning applications.

===Gorseinon Development Trust===
Gorseinon Development Trust is a locally run charity that make voluntary decisions on issues such as car parking, business, litter, historic areas, tourism and parks in the area of Gorseinon. The Gorseinon Development Trust operates from the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre.

==Economy==
Gorseinon has a busy high street area in the centre of the town. The other major areas of employment are the nearby Garngoch Industrial estate, in Penllergaer, Gorseinon Business Park and Kingsbridge Business Park. Previously, the nearby Bryngwyn steel works and Valeo plant were major employers in the town, however they closed in the 1990s. In response to the closures, the National Assembly for Wales set up the Gorseinon Regeneration Strategy to invest in a number of regeneration schemes in the town.

The Canolfan Gorseinon Centre was built on the old Bryngwyn Steel Works and is a charity run, community based centre. This state-of-the-art building is home to the Gorseinon Development Trust and plays host to a number of local charities and organisations, such as
* Gorseinon Food Bank
* Musicality - Academy of Performing Arts
* Gorseinon Food Festival
* Gorseinon Community Cinema
* Gorseinon Players

Recently [[Asda]] was granted permission to build a store in the town, which opened in September 2010. This has been a great success for the people of Gorseinon and has resulted in many local charities and groups getting a grant from [[Asda]] funds.

===Twin Town===
The town of Gorseinon along with the community of [[Llwchwr]] is twinned with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Ploërmel]], [[France]]<ref>[http://www.twinning.org.uk/uk_twinnings.htm Twin Towns in the UK]</ref>

==Public services==
The town has a well-established local hospital, donated to the community prior to the establishment of the National Health Service by local industrialist and benefactor, (William) Rufus Lewis. Gorseinon also boasts four doctor's surgeries, three dental practices, two opticians, an Infants School, Junior School and a Secondary School as well as multiple Nurseries and childcare settings.

Gorseinon has a library, a regular bus service to [[Swansea]] from the central bus station on West Street, a District Housing Office, a [[Post Office]] and a telephone exchange.

[[Martin Caton]] MP for Gower, has his office in [[Pontarddulais]] Road, Gorseinon and holds regular surgeries for his constituents.

==Sport and leisure==
Gorseinon's local rugby team is [[Gorseinon RFC]] while [[Garden Village F.C.|Garden Village FC]] of the Welsh Football League play on the outskirts of the town in Kingsbridge, [[Gorseinon Cricket Club]]<ref>[http://www.gorseinoncc.co.uk]</ref> who play in the South Wales Cricket association, also Gorseinon Inline Hockey Club who play in BIPHA South Wales.
Gorseinon hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1980.

For more than 50 years, Gorseinon was home to '[[La Charrette]]', the UK's smallest cinema, established by local electrician, the late Gwyn Phillips. Built from a disused railway carriage, the cinema opened in 1953; when the decay of its structure forced closure in February 2008, 'La Charrette' was dismantled and taken to the [[Gower Heritage Centre]]. The last film shown at La Charette was a black-tie premiere of [[Danny Boyle]]'s [[Alien Love Triangle]] attended by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and organised by Observer film critic [[Mark Kermode]].<ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7260348.stm "Starry last night for tiny cinema"], 24 February 2008, accessed 22 January 2010.</ref>

A new community facility has been completed - Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which features a multi-use hall, training rooms, office room for small businesses, a creche and a new bar and cafe.<ref>[http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22460 City and County of Swansea: Early boost for Gorseinon Centre]</ref>

==Education==

Gorseinon has a range of Education and childcare settings. Gorseinon Nursery is the main nursery for children within the catchment area. Gorseinon Infants and Junior School are the two separate schools providing education to children before they go to the local Secondary School. From September 2012, Gorseinon Nursery, Infants and Junior will become Gorseinon Primary School in an effort to unite education provision in the area.

[[Penyrheol Comprehensive School]] is where 90% of 11-16 year old pupils within the catchment area go. The school suffered a major arson attack in 2006 and as a result most of the school pupils lost GCSE coursework. Alan Tootill, the Headteacher has worker hard with [[City and County of Swansea Council]] to reboot the school. In 2010, the new school building was opened after a £9 Million rebuild.

Gorseinon has a branch of 'Kip McGrath', a private sector tutoring school for children who require additional support. This is based on West Street and is well used by local children.

Additionally the town is home to one campus of [[Gower College Swansea]], a tertiary college that provides further education and adult learning.

==Notable residents==
*[[Margaret Priscilla (Lewis) Sanchez]], played for the Gorseinon ladies bowling team and the Welsh Ladies Bowing team [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Welsh_Women%E2%80%99s_Bowling_Association&redirect=no] during the 1960s
*[[David Grenfell]], born in nearby [[Penyrheol, Swansea|Penyrheol]], former Father of the House of Commons and local [[Member of Parliament]] for 37 years.
*[[Michael Howard]], former British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Leader and former [[Home Secretary]]
*Roy Evans, former General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation,
*Hanlyn Davies, Emeritus Professor of Art at Massachusetts University
*[[Norman Gale (rugby player)|Norman Gale]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Richard Moriarty]], former [[Welsh rugby union]] captain
*[[Leigh Halfpenny]], Welsh International Rugby Union and [[British and Irish Lions]] player
*[[Lewis Jones (rugby)|Lewis Jones]], Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer.
*[[Lord Garel-Jones]], former Conservative MP for Watford and minister
*[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], actor, comedian, musician, singer/songwriter
*[[Gwynne Howell]], renowned operatic bass
*[[Colin Jones (boxer)|Colin Jones]], Welsh welterweight boxer
*[[Robbie James]], the late footballer.
*[[Leighton James]], Welsh International Footballer
*[[James Henry Govier]], (1910–1974) British painter, etcher and engraver lived in Gorseinon from 1914-1945.
*Aneurin Gareth Thomas, novelist, born 1963.
*[[Beth Morris]], Television actress.
*[[Aneirin Talfan Davies]], Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.
*[[Sir Alun Talfan Davies]] QC, Welsh lawyer, writer and publisher.
*[[Phil John (prop)|Phil John]], Welsh Rugby Union player
*[[Colin Edwards (journalist)|Colin Edwards]], (1924–1994) radio journalist and documentary film maker.
*[[Elin Manahan Thomas]], classical soprano, broadcaster and presenter
* Gwynnie - Well known football coach and dribble cleaner. Also well known school teacher.
*T M Haydn Rees CBE DL, County Clerk, Flintshire County Council 1967-73 and Chief Executive, Clwyd County Council 1974-77; Chairman, Welsh Water Authority 1977-82.
* Jessica Sula (actress)
* Matt Ryan (actor)

==Transportation==
Gorseinon bus station is located just off West Street in the town centre. Bus services are provided by [[First Cymru]] with services to the surrounding villages and to [[Llanelli]] and [[Swansea city centre]]. The bus station was rebuilt making a great improvement to the area. The town lost its train service in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]].

The primary route through Gorseinon is the [[A4240 road]] which crosses the town centre as High Street and Alexandra Road. The A4240 connects Gorseinon with [[Llanelli]] to the west; and [[Penllergaer]] and the [[M4 Motorway]] (Junction 47) to the east.

==Plans==
Supermarket chain [[Asda]] have received planning permission for a £25m store development at Heol y Mynydd in northeast Gorseinon.<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Supermarket-giant-Asda-25m-plan/article-594242-detail/article.html South Wales Evening Post - Supermarket giant Asda back with £25m plan]</ref>
Aug 2012 This store has now been open for some time.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swansea}}

[[Category:Towns in Swansea]]
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ABU TV Song Festival 2012

2012-12-24T15:14:20Z

LibStar:

{{active editnotice}} 
{{About||the Radio Festival|ABU Radio Song Festival 2012}}
{{Infobox ABU TV
| name = ABU TV Song Festival
| уear = 2012
| image =
| theme = ''"Beyond the Wave!"''
| logo = ABU TV Song Festival 2012.svg
| final = 21 October 2012<ref name=Seoul2012>{{cite web|title=Asia Song Festival - Seoul 2012|url=http://www.abu2012seoul.com/s61.html|accessdate=16 August 2012|date=16 August 2012}}</ref>
| presenters = {{ubl|Han Seok Joon|Jamaica dela Cruz}}<ref name="ABU TV"/>
| director =
| exsupervisor = Hanizah Hamzah {{fact}}
| winner =
| vote =
| host = [[Korean Broadcasting System]] (KBS)<ref>{{cite web|last=Kenny|first=Luke|title=Korea to host ABU radio and TV song festivals|url=http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/korea-host-abu-radio-and-tv-song-festivals-next-year|publisher=radioandmusic.com|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=7 November 2011}}</ref>
| venue = {{ubl|[[KBS Hall|KBS Concert Hall]],|[[Seoul]], [[South Korea]]<ref name=Seoul2012/>}}
| entries = 11
| debut = {{ubl|{{flagcountry|Afghanistan}}|{{flagcountry|Australia}}|{{flagcountry|China}}|{{flagcountry|Hong Kong}}|{{flagcountry|Indonesia}}|{{flagcountry|Japan}}|{{flagcountry|Malaysia}}|{{flagcountry|Singapore}}|{{flagcountry|South Korea}}|{{flagcountry|Sri Lanka}}|{{flagcountry|Vietnam}}}}
| return =
| withdraw = {{ubl|{{flagcountry|Mongolia}}}}
| null =
| interval = MIJI, "[[Fly Me to the Moon]]"<ref name=acts>{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Special guests|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu_tv.htm|work=ABU TV Song Festival 2012|publisher=ESCKaz|accessdate=22 October 2012|date=22 October 2012}}</ref>
| opening = Chongdong Theatre, "Miso"<ref name=acts/>
| reprise = Joint song, "[[Heal the World]]"<ref name=acts/>
| map year = 2012
| col1 = #22B14C | tag1 = Confirmed countries
| col2 = #FFC20E | tag2 = Countries that cancelled participation in 2012

}}

The '''ABU TV Song Festival 2012''' was the first annual edition of the ABU TV Song Festival. The festival, which was non-competitive, took place in the [[KBS Hall|KBS Concert Hall]], located in the [[South Korea]]n capital of [[Seoul]] and coincided with the 49th general assembly of the [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]] (ABU).<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU Upcoming Events|url=http://www.abu.org.my/event_List_Upcoming.aspx|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|date=16 August 2012|accessdate=16 August 2012}}</ref> Eleven countries confirmed their participation in this début competition.<ref name="ABU TV">{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=ABU TV Song Festival 2012 Participants|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu_tv.htm|publisher=ESCKaz|accessdate=4 October 2012|date=4 October 2012}}</ref>

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) had previously ran international contests, inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest, for their members during 1985 - 1987.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kamarul-Baharin|first=Ross|title=Biggest Party in Europe|url=http://ecentral.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/25/music/18041299&sec=music|publisher=The Star Online|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=25 June 2007}}</ref> The European Broadcasting Union had proposed a partnership with the ABU in 2008 to establish the Asiavision Song Contest, however these talks never produced any overall results. The ABU announced in 2011 that they would organise their own ABU Radio and TV Song Festivals.<ref name=EBUABU>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebu.ch/fr/union/news/2008/tcm_6-63136.php|title=Eurovision Song Contest goes to Asia|publisher=''European Broadcasting Union''|accessdate=23 October 2012|date=18 September 2008}}</ref>

The format used was different from that of the Eurovision Song Contest, as there were two festivals that took place. The ABU TV Song Festival was a non-competitive musical gala orientated, while the Radio Song Festival being the competitive version. The festival was not aired live by any of the competing broadcasters, but are scheduled to be broadcast between October and November 2012.

== History ==
{{Main|ABU Song Festivals}}
The [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]] (ABU) had already ran an international song contest for its members inspired by the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] in 1985-1987, called the ''ABU Popular Song Contest'', with 14 countries of Asia-Pacific region competing.<ref name=Participants>{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Participants - ABU TV and Radio Song Festivals 2012|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu.htm|publisher=escKaz.com|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=16 August 2012}}</ref> The show had a similar concept to the current festivals with winners being chosen by a professional jury. [[South Korea]], [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]] celebrated victories in this competition. In 1989-1991 ABU co-produced the ''ABU Golden Kite World Song Festival'' in Malaysia with participation of Asia-Pacific countries, as well as [[Yugoslavia]] and [[Finland]].<ref name=Participants/>

In 2008, the [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) proposed a partnership with ABU on the establishment of an ''Asiavision Song Contest'',<ref name=Participants/> however these talks didn't produce any result, and in September 2008 it was announced that the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] format for Asian production had been sold to a private company from [[Singapore]], Asiavision Pte. Ltd..<ref name=EBUABU/> The original name intended for that event was ''Asiavision Song Contest'', but it was later changed to ''[[Our Sound|Our Sound - The Asia-Pacific Song Contest]]'' following a request from the ABU, who uses the [[Asiavision]] name for their news exchange service.<ref name=Participants/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asiavision.tv/press_releases/OurSoundPR040309.pdf|title=Our Sound – The Asia-Pacific Song Contest defies economic slump|publiser=asiavision.tv|date=4 March 2009|accessdate=23 August 2012}}</ref> Initially, the contest (which was supposed to be a two program live broadcast TV show with public voting) was set to premiere in 2009, but it was later rescheduled for March 2010 in [[Macao]] and then for November 2010 in [[Mumbai]], at the end being postponed indefinitely "due to the ongoing issues between the organizers and EBU".<ref>{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Our Sound - The Asia-Pacific Song Contest|url=http://esckaz.com/2010/news3.htm#oursound|publisher=ESCKAZ.com|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=16 August 2012}}</ref>

Shortly before launching the ABU Song Festival, the ABU had been considering the possibility to organize the ''ABU ASEAN TV Song Festival'' in Thailand.<ref name=Participants/> Historically, [[ASEAN]] song contests had been organized in periods between 1981 and 1997, however since 2011 the ASEAN Festival had been organized between local Radio stations as ''Bintang Radio ASEAN''.

In November 2011, the [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union|ABU]] announced that they would organize its own TV and Radio Song Festivals to take place in [[Seoul]], the South Korean capital, in time with 49th General Assembly in October 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU to launch 'Asiavision Song Contest'|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=39913&_t=abu_to_launch_asiavision_song_contest|publisher=[[EBU]]|date=8 November 2011|accessdate=9 June 2012|date=9 June 2012}}</ref> The name ''Asiavision Song Contest'' was initially mentioned as a possibility, but they were later officially titled ''ABU TV Song Festival'' and ''[[ABU Radio Song Festival 2012|ABU Radio Song Festival]]''. According to the ABU, the deadline for participation applications for ABU TV Song Festival was 18 May 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU TV Song Festival|url=http://www.abu.org.my/Programme-@-ABU_TV_Song_Festival.aspx|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|date=17 August 2012|accessdate=17 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ABU to launch 'Asiavision Song Contest'|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=39913&_t=abu_to_launch_asiavision_song_contest|publisher=[[EBU]]|date=8 November 2011|accessdate=9 June 2012}}</ref>

== Location ==
{{Details|Seoul|the host city}}
{{location map+|South Korea
| width = 150
| float = left
| caption = Location of the host city in [[South Korea]].
| places =
{{location map~|South Korea|lat=37.566536|long=126.977969|label=[[Seoul]]|position=right}}
}}

Seoul, officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest [[metropolis]] of [[South Korea]]. A [[megacity]] with a population of over 10 million, it is the [[List of cities proper by population|largest city proper]] in the [[OECD]] [[developed world]].<ref name="CitypopKoreaSouth">{{cite web|url=http://www.citypopulation.de/KoreaSouth-MunRegPop.html|first=Thomas|last=Brinkhoff|publisher=www.citypopulation.de|title=South Korea, The registered population of the South Korean provinces and urban municipalities|date=31 December 2007|accessdate=23 October 2012}}</ref>

{{clear}}

== Format ==

Unlike the format used in the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] there are two versions of the ABU Song Festival. The [[ABU Radio Song Festival 2012]] and the ABU TV Song Festival 2012, which were both scheduled to take place between 11 - 17 October 2012 during the 49th ABU General Assembly.<ref>{{cite web|title=KBS to Host 49th ABU General Assembly|url=http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Cu_detail.htm?No=91427&id=Cu|publisher=[[KBS World]]|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=2 July 2012}}</ref> During the TV Festival, participants from eleven countries performed a song from their [[repertoire]] in a musical gala presentation.<ref name=Seoul2012/> The theme for the festivals was 'Beyond the Wave', which has been inspired by the digital evolution changes in the global media.<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU 2012 Seoul…’Beyond the Wave’|url=http://www.theasian.asia/?p=25076|publisher=The Asian|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=24 July 2012}}</ref>

===National host broadcaster===
[[Korean Broadcasting System]] (KBS) is the host broadcaster for the first edition of the inaugural festivals, which was staged in the [[KBS Hall|KBS Concert Hall]]. The host broadcaster has offered to cover costs for staging the show as well as the accommodation for the participants of ABU TV Song Festival.<ref name=Seoul2012/><ref name=ASF2012>{{cite web|title=ABU Song Festival 2012|url=http://aburadiosongfestival.asia|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|accessdate=16 August 2012}}</ref>

== Participating countries ==
[[File:Havana-Brown2012.jpg|100px|thumb|right|Havana Brown, participant from Australia]]
[[File:TVXQ in BKK.jpg|150px|thumb|right|TVXQ, participant from South Korea]]
Eleven entries are scheduled to participate in the final of the ABU TV Song Festival (as shown in the table below).<ref name="ABU TV"/> [[Mongolia]] had initially selected Naran with the song "Nudnii shil (Shades)", but subsequently withdrew their participation on 14 September 2012.<ref name="ABU TV"/>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Draw<ref name=RunningOrder>{{cite web|last=Hamzah|first=Hanizah|title=ABU TV Song Festival|url=http://www.abu.org.my/Programme-@-ABU_TV_Song_Festival.aspx|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|accessdate=4 October 2012}}</ref>
! Country
! Language
! Artist
! Song
! {{nowrap|English translation}}
|-
| 01
| {{flagcountry|Singapore}}
| Malay
| [[Taufik Batisah]]
| Usah Lepaskan
| Don't let go
|-
| 02
| {{flagcountry|Australia}}
| English
| [[Havana Brown (DJ)|Havana Brown]]
| [[We Run the Night]]
| -
|-
| 03
| {{flagcountry|Sri Lanka}}
| Sinhalese
| Arjuna Rookantha & Shanika Madhumali
| Me Jeewithe (මේජීවිතේ)
| This life
|-
| 04
| {{flagcountry|Vietnam}}
| Vietnamese
| Lê Việt Anh
| Mây
| Cloud
|-
| 05
| {{flagcountry|Malaysia}}
| Malay
| [[Hafiz (Malaysian singer)|Hafiz]]
| Awan Nano
| Nano-clouds
|-
| 06
| {{flagcountry|Japan}}
| [[Japanese language|Japanese]]
| [[Perfume (Japanese band)|Perfume]]
| [[Spring of Life (Perfume single)|Spring of Life]]
| -
|-
| 07
| {{flagcountry|Hong Kong}}
| [[Cantonese]]
| [[Alfred Hui]] (許廷鏗)
| Ma Ngai (螞蟻) (Ma Yi in Mandarin)
| The Ant
|-
| 08
| {{flagcountry|Indonesia}}
| Indonesian
| Maria Calista
| Karena Ku Sanggup
| Because I Can
|-
| 09
| {{flagcountry|China}}
| [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]
| Cao Fujia (曹芙嘉)
| Qian gua (牵挂)
| Don't Worry
|-
| 10
| {{flagcountry|Afghanistan}}
| [[Persian language|Persian]]{{ref|a|1}}
| Hameed Sakhizada (حمید سخی زاده)
| Folk music (Malestani)
| -
|-
| 11
| {{flagcountry|South Korea}}
| Korean, English
| [[TVXQ]] (동방신기)
| Catch Me
| -
|-
|}
'''Notes'''
: 1.{{note|a}}Specifically [[Hazaragi dialect|Hazaragi]], a [[Persian language|Persian]] dialect spoken in [[Hazarajat]], in central Afghanistan.

== International broadcasts ==
Each participating country will be invited to broadcast both events across their respective networks and provide commentary in the native languages to add insight and description to the shows<ref name=Participants/>. The festival was not broadcast live, although each broadcaster has stated that they will broadcast the festival between October - November 2012 with an estimated audience of 2 billion people, twenty times the audience that is reached by the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] which reaches an audience of approximately 100 million people.<ref name="Broadcast schedules">{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Broadcasting schedules|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu.htm#news|work=ABU TV Song Festival 2012|publisher=ESCKaz|date|16 October 2012|accessdate=21 October 2012}}</ref>

{{Div col|cols=2}}
* {{flagicon|Afghanistan}} Afghanistan – [[Radio Television Afghanistan]]
* {{flagicon|Australia}} Australia – [[SBS One]] (28 October 2012) / [[SBS Two]] (1 November 2012)<ref name="Broadcast schedules"/>
* {{flagicon|China}} China – [[China Central Television]]
* {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} Hong Kong – [[TVB|Television Broadcasts Limited]] (10 November 2012)
* {{flagicon|Indonesia}} Indonesia - [[TVRI|Televisi Republik Indonesia]] (3 November 2012)
* {{flagicon|Japan}} Japan – [[NHK|Japanese Broadcasting Corporation]]
* {{flagicon|Malaysia}} Malaysia – [[Radio Televisyen Malaysia]]
* {{flagicon|Singapore}} Singapore – [[MediaCorp Suria]] (November 2012)<ref name="Broadcast schedules"/>
* {{flagicon|South Korea}} South Korea – [[KBS 1TV]] (21 October 2012)<ref name="Broadcast schedules"/>
* {{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} Sri Lanka – [[MTV Channel]]
* {{flagicon|Vietnam}} Vietnam – [[Vietnam Television]]
{{Div col end}}


== See also ==
* [[ABU Radio Song Festival 2012]]
* [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]
* [[Eurovision Song Contest]]
* [[Our Sound]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.abu2012seoul.com/s61.html ABU TV Song Festival page at GA 2012 Seoul website]
*[http://esckaz.com/2012/abu_tv.htm ABU TV Song Festival at ESCKaz]

{{ABU TV Song Festival 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2012}}

[[Category:2012 in South Korea]]
[[Category:ABU Song Festivals 2012]]
[[Category:Music competitions]]
[[Category:Singing competitions]]
[[Category:Song contests]]
[[Category:South Korean culture]]

[[de:Asia-Pacific_Broadcasting_Union#ABU_TV_Song_Festival]]
[[it:ABU Song Festivals 2012]]
[[pt:Festivais ABU da Canção de 2012]]
[[ru:Наш Звук 2012]]
[[tr:ABU TV Şarkı Festivali 2012]]

ABU TV Song Festival 2012

2012-12-24T15:13:14Z

LibStar: /* Location */ nothing to do with song festival can all be found in Seoul

{{active editnotice}} 
{{About||the Radio Festival|ABU Radio Song Festival 2012}}
{{Infobox ABU TV
| name = ABU TV Song Festival
| уear = 2012
| image =
| theme = ''"Beyond the Wave!"''
| logo = ABU TV Song Festival 2012.svg
| final = 21 October 2012<ref name=Seoul2012>{{cite web|title=Asia Song Festival - Seoul 2012|url=http://www.abu2012seoul.com/s61.html|accessdate=16 August 2012|date=16 August 2012}}</ref>
| presenters = {{ubl|Han Seok Joon|Jamaica dela Cruz}}<ref name="ABU TV"/>
| director =
| exsupervisor = Hanizah Hamzah
| winner =
| vote =
| host = [[Korean Broadcasting System]] (KBS)<ref>{{cite web|last=Kenny|first=Luke|title=Korea to host ABU radio and TV song festivals|url=http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/korea-host-abu-radio-and-tv-song-festivals-next-year|publisher=radioandmusic.com|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=7 November 2011}}</ref>
| venue = {{ubl|[[KBS Hall|KBS Concert Hall]],|[[Seoul]], [[South Korea]]<ref name=Seoul2012/>}}
| entries = 11
| debut = {{ubl|{{flagcountry|Afghanistan}}|{{flagcountry|Australia}}|{{flagcountry|China}}|{{flagcountry|Hong Kong}}|{{flagcountry|Indonesia}}|{{flagcountry|Japan}}|{{flagcountry|Malaysia}}|{{flagcountry|Singapore}}|{{flagcountry|South Korea}}|{{flagcountry|Sri Lanka}}|{{flagcountry|Vietnam}}}}
| return =
| withdraw = {{ubl|{{flagcountry|Mongolia}}}}
| null =
| interval = MIJI, "[[Fly Me to the Moon]]"<ref name=acts>{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Special guests|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu_tv.htm|work=ABU TV Song Festival 2012|publisher=ESCKaz|accessdate=22 October 2012|date=22 October 2012}}</ref>
| opening = Chongdong Theatre, "Miso"<ref name=acts/>
| reprise = Joint song, "[[Heal the World]]"<ref name=acts/>
| map year = 2012
| col1 = #22B14C | tag1 = Confirmed countries
| col2 = #FFC20E | tag2 = Countries that cancelled participation in 2012

}}

The '''ABU TV Song Festival 2012''' was the first annual edition of the ABU TV Song Festival. The festival, which was non-competitive, took place in the [[KBS Hall|KBS Concert Hall]], located in the [[South Korea]]n capital of [[Seoul]] and coincided with the 49th general assembly of the [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]] (ABU).<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU Upcoming Events|url=http://www.abu.org.my/event_List_Upcoming.aspx|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|date=16 August 2012|accessdate=16 August 2012}}</ref> Eleven countries confirmed their participation in this début competition.<ref name="ABU TV">{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=ABU TV Song Festival 2012 Participants|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu_tv.htm|publisher=ESCKaz|accessdate=4 October 2012|date=4 October 2012}}</ref>

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) had previously ran international contests, inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest, for their members during 1985 - 1987.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kamarul-Baharin|first=Ross|title=Biggest Party in Europe|url=http://ecentral.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/25/music/18041299&sec=music|publisher=The Star Online|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=25 June 2007}}</ref> The European Broadcasting Union had proposed a partnership with the ABU in 2008 to establish the Asiavision Song Contest, however these talks never produced any overall results. The ABU announced in 2011 that they would organise their own ABU Radio and TV Song Festivals.<ref name=EBUABU>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebu.ch/fr/union/news/2008/tcm_6-63136.php|title=Eurovision Song Contest goes to Asia|publisher=''European Broadcasting Union''|accessdate=23 October 2012|date=18 September 2008}}</ref>

The format used was different from that of the Eurovision Song Contest, as there were two festivals that took place. The ABU TV Song Festival was a non-competitive musical gala orientated, while the Radio Song Festival being the competitive version. The festival was not aired live by any of the competing broadcasters, but are scheduled to be broadcast between October and November 2012.

== History ==
{{Main|ABU Song Festivals}}
The [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]] (ABU) had already ran an international song contest for its members inspired by the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] in 1985-1987, called the ''ABU Popular Song Contest'', with 14 countries of Asia-Pacific region competing.<ref name=Participants>{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Participants - ABU TV and Radio Song Festivals 2012|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu.htm|publisher=escKaz.com|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=16 August 2012}}</ref> The show had a similar concept to the current festivals with winners being chosen by a professional jury. [[South Korea]], [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]] celebrated victories in this competition. In 1989-1991 ABU co-produced the ''ABU Golden Kite World Song Festival'' in Malaysia with participation of Asia-Pacific countries, as well as [[Yugoslavia]] and [[Finland]].<ref name=Participants/>

In 2008, the [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) proposed a partnership with ABU on the establishment of an ''Asiavision Song Contest'',<ref name=Participants/> however these talks didn't produce any result, and in September 2008 it was announced that the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] format for Asian production had been sold to a private company from [[Singapore]], Asiavision Pte. Ltd..<ref name=EBUABU/> The original name intended for that event was ''Asiavision Song Contest'', but it was later changed to ''[[Our Sound|Our Sound - The Asia-Pacific Song Contest]]'' following a request from the ABU, who uses the [[Asiavision]] name for their news exchange service.<ref name=Participants/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asiavision.tv/press_releases/OurSoundPR040309.pdf|title=Our Sound – The Asia-Pacific Song Contest defies economic slump|publiser=asiavision.tv|date=4 March 2009|accessdate=23 August 2012}}</ref> Initially, the contest (which was supposed to be a two program live broadcast TV show with public voting) was set to premiere in 2009, but it was later rescheduled for March 2010 in [[Macao]] and then for November 2010 in [[Mumbai]], at the end being postponed indefinitely "due to the ongoing issues between the organizers and EBU".<ref>{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Our Sound - The Asia-Pacific Song Contest|url=http://esckaz.com/2010/news3.htm#oursound|publisher=ESCKAZ.com|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=16 August 2012}}</ref>

Shortly before launching the ABU Song Festival, the ABU had been considering the possibility to organize the ''ABU ASEAN TV Song Festival'' in Thailand.<ref name=Participants/> Historically, [[ASEAN]] song contests had been organized in periods between 1981 and 1997, however since 2011 the ASEAN Festival had been organized between local Radio stations as ''Bintang Radio ASEAN''.

In November 2011, the [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union|ABU]] announced that they would organize its own TV and Radio Song Festivals to take place in [[Seoul]], the South Korean capital, in time with 49th General Assembly in October 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU to launch 'Asiavision Song Contest'|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=39913&_t=abu_to_launch_asiavision_song_contest|publisher=[[EBU]]|date=8 November 2011|accessdate=9 June 2012|date=9 June 2012}}</ref> The name ''Asiavision Song Contest'' was initially mentioned as a possibility, but they were later officially titled ''ABU TV Song Festival'' and ''[[ABU Radio Song Festival 2012|ABU Radio Song Festival]]''. According to the ABU, the deadline for participation applications for ABU TV Song Festival was 18 May 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU TV Song Festival|url=http://www.abu.org.my/Programme-@-ABU_TV_Song_Festival.aspx|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|date=17 August 2012|accessdate=17 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ABU to launch 'Asiavision Song Contest'|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=39913&_t=abu_to_launch_asiavision_song_contest|publisher=[[EBU]]|date=8 November 2011|accessdate=9 June 2012}}</ref>

== Location ==
{{Details|Seoul|the host city}}
{{location map+|South Korea
| width = 150
| float = left
| caption = Location of the host city in [[South Korea]].
| places =
{{location map~|South Korea|lat=37.566536|long=126.977969|label=[[Seoul]]|position=right}}
}}

Seoul, officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest [[metropolis]] of [[South Korea]]. A [[megacity]] with a population of over 10 million, it is the [[List of cities proper by population|largest city proper]] in the [[OECD]] [[developed world]].<ref name="CitypopKoreaSouth">{{cite web|url=http://www.citypopulation.de/KoreaSouth-MunRegPop.html|first=Thomas|last=Brinkhoff|publisher=www.citypopulation.de|title=South Korea, The registered population of the South Korean provinces and urban municipalities|date=31 December 2007|accessdate=23 October 2012}}</ref>

{{clear}}

== Format ==

Unlike the format used in the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] there are two versions of the ABU Song Festival. The [[ABU Radio Song Festival 2012]] and the ABU TV Song Festival 2012, which were both scheduled to take place between 11 - 17 October 2012 during the 49th ABU General Assembly.<ref>{{cite web|title=KBS to Host 49th ABU General Assembly|url=http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Cu_detail.htm?No=91427&id=Cu|publisher=[[KBS World]]|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=2 July 2012}}</ref> During the TV Festival, participants from eleven countries performed a song from their [[repertoire]] in a musical gala presentation.<ref name=Seoul2012/> The theme for the festivals was 'Beyond the Wave', which has been inspired by the digital evolution changes in the global media.<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU 2012 Seoul…’Beyond the Wave’|url=http://www.theasian.asia/?p=25076|publisher=The Asian|accessdate=17 August 2012|date=24 July 2012}}</ref>

===National host broadcaster===
[[Korean Broadcasting System]] (KBS) is the host broadcaster for the first edition of the inaugural festivals, which was staged in the [[KBS Hall|KBS Concert Hall]]. The host broadcaster has offered to cover costs for staging the show as well as the accommodation for the participants of ABU TV Song Festival.<ref name=Seoul2012/><ref name=ASF2012>{{cite web|title=ABU Song Festival 2012|url=http://aburadiosongfestival.asia|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|accessdate=16 August 2012}}</ref>

== Participating countries ==
[[File:Havana-Brown2012.jpg|100px|thumb|right|Havana Brown, participant from Australia]]
[[File:TVXQ in BKK.jpg|150px|thumb|right|TVXQ, participant from South Korea]]
Eleven entries are scheduled to participate in the final of the ABU TV Song Festival (as shown in the table below).<ref name="ABU TV"/> [[Mongolia]] had initially selected Naran with the song "Nudnii shil (Shades)", but subsequently withdrew their participation on 14 September 2012.<ref name="ABU TV"/>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Draw<ref name=RunningOrder>{{cite web|last=Hamzah|first=Hanizah|title=ABU TV Song Festival|url=http://www.abu.org.my/Programme-@-ABU_TV_Song_Festival.aspx|publisher=[[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]|accessdate=4 October 2012}}</ref>
! Country
! Language
! Artist
! Song
! {{nowrap|English translation}}
|-
| 01
| {{flagcountry|Singapore}}
| Malay
| [[Taufik Batisah]]
| Usah Lepaskan
| Don't let go
|-
| 02
| {{flagcountry|Australia}}
| English
| [[Havana Brown (DJ)|Havana Brown]]
| [[We Run the Night]]
| -
|-
| 03
| {{flagcountry|Sri Lanka}}
| Sinhalese
| Arjuna Rookantha & Shanika Madhumali
| Me Jeewithe (මේජීවිතේ)
| This life
|-
| 04
| {{flagcountry|Vietnam}}
| Vietnamese
| Lê Việt Anh
| Mây
| Cloud
|-
| 05
| {{flagcountry|Malaysia}}
| Malay
| [[Hafiz (Malaysian singer)|Hafiz]]
| Awan Nano
| Nano-clouds
|-
| 06
| {{flagcountry|Japan}}
| [[Japanese language|Japanese]]
| [[Perfume (Japanese band)|Perfume]]
| [[Spring of Life (Perfume single)|Spring of Life]]
| -
|-
| 07
| {{flagcountry|Hong Kong}}
| [[Cantonese]]
| [[Alfred Hui]] (許廷鏗)
| Ma Ngai (螞蟻) (Ma Yi in Mandarin)
| The Ant
|-
| 08
| {{flagcountry|Indonesia}}
| Indonesian
| Maria Calista
| Karena Ku Sanggup
| Because I Can
|-
| 09
| {{flagcountry|China}}
| [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]
| Cao Fujia (曹芙嘉)
| Qian gua (牵挂)
| Don't Worry
|-
| 10
| {{flagcountry|Afghanistan}}
| [[Persian language|Persian]]{{ref|a|1}}
| Hameed Sakhizada (حمید سخی زاده)
| Folk music (Malestani)
| -
|-
| 11
| {{flagcountry|South Korea}}
| Korean, English
| [[TVXQ]] (동방신기)
| Catch Me
| -
|-
|}
'''Notes'''
: 1.{{note|a}}Specifically [[Hazaragi dialect|Hazaragi]], a [[Persian language|Persian]] dialect spoken in [[Hazarajat]], in central Afghanistan.

== International broadcasts ==
Each participating country will be invited to broadcast both events across their respective networks and provide commentary in the native languages to add insight and description to the shows<ref name=Participants/>. The festival was not broadcast live, although each broadcaster has stated that they will broadcast the festival between October - November 2012 with an estimated audience of 2 billion people, twenty times the audience that is reached by the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] which reaches an audience of approximately 100 million people.<ref name="Broadcast schedules">{{cite web|last=Mikheev|first=Andy|title=Broadcasting schedules|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu.htm#news|work=ABU TV Song Festival 2012|publisher=ESCKaz|date|16 October 2012|accessdate=21 October 2012}}</ref>

{{Div col|cols=2}}
* {{flagicon|Afghanistan}} Afghanistan – [[Radio Television Afghanistan]]
* {{flagicon|Australia}} Australia – [[SBS One]] (28 October 2012) / [[SBS Two]] (1 November 2012)<ref name="Broadcast schedules"/>
* {{flagicon|China}} China – [[China Central Television]]
* {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} Hong Kong – [[TVB|Television Broadcasts Limited]] (10 November 2012)
* {{flagicon|Indonesia}} Indonesia - [[TVRI|Televisi Republik Indonesia]] (3 November 2012)
* {{flagicon|Japan}} Japan – [[NHK|Japanese Broadcasting Corporation]]
* {{flagicon|Malaysia}} Malaysia – [[Radio Televisyen Malaysia]]
* {{flagicon|Singapore}} Singapore – [[MediaCorp Suria]] (November 2012)<ref name="Broadcast schedules"/>
* {{flagicon|South Korea}} South Korea – [[KBS 1TV]] (21 October 2012)<ref name="Broadcast schedules"/>
* {{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} Sri Lanka – [[MTV Channel]]
* {{flagicon|Vietnam}} Vietnam – [[Vietnam Television]]
{{Div col end}}


== See also ==
* [[ABU Radio Song Festival 2012]]
* [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]]
* [[Eurovision Song Contest]]
* [[Our Sound]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.abu2012seoul.com/s61.html ABU TV Song Festival page at GA 2012 Seoul website]
*[http://esckaz.com/2012/abu_tv.htm ABU TV Song Festival at ESCKaz]

{{ABU TV Song Festival 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2012}}

[[Category:2012 in South Korea]]
[[Category:ABU Song Festivals 2012]]
[[Category:Music competitions]]
[[Category:Singing competitions]]
[[Category:Song contests]]
[[Category:South Korean culture]]

[[de:Asia-Pacific_Broadcasting_Union#ABU_TV_Song_Festival]]
[[it:ABU Song Festivals 2012]]
[[pt:Festivais ABU da Canção de 2012]]
[[ru:Наш Звук 2012]]
[[tr:ABU TV Şarkı Festivali 2012]]

Argentinisch-pakistanische Beziehungen

2012-11-03T03:50:48Z

LibStar: /* State visits */

{{Infobox Bilateral relations|Pakistan-Argentina|Pakistan|Argentina|filetype=svg}}
[[File:Naela Chohan, Pakistan-Argentina 60 Year Friendship, March 2012.gif|thumb|[[Naela Chohan]] attending a ceremony commemorating 60 Years of Pakistan-Argentina friendship (2012)]]
[[File:Naela Chohan Noche de Pakistan Buenos Aires.jpg|thumb|right|"Noche de Pakistan" in Buenos Aires, organized by [[Naela Chohan]] to promote Pakistani culture in Argentina (2012)]]
'''Argentina–Pakistan relations''' are the foreign relations between [[Pakistan]] and [[Argentina]]. The relationship has recently grown with important trade ties developing along with other inter-government communications.<ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=111DB8FDDC16FE10&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM NewsLibrary.com - newspaper archive, clipping service - newspapers and other news sources]</ref> Pakistan has an embassy in the Argentine capital [[Buenos Aires]], as does Argentina in [[Islamabad]].

==History==
Pakistan and Argentina formally established relations in October, 1951. The first significant agreement was signed in May 1983. Since then, high level visits have taken place in both countries and relations seem to have grown gradually into the cordial relationship seen today; with agreements, in principle at least, to continue discussions in fields of mutual interest such as their respective economic and political systems.<ref>[http://202.83.164.26/wps/portal/Most/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hQN68AZ3dnIwML82BTAyNXTz9jE0NfQwNfA_2CbEdFAA2MC_Y!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/MostCL/ministry/highlights/first+session+of+pakistan-argentina+joint+committee+on Ministry of Science and Technology - Government of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\08\story_8-3-2007_pg11_9 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

A formal agreement on bilateral trade and cooperation was signed between Argentina and Pakistan on the 19th of July 2002, giving their relationship "most favourable nation" status, in accordance with [[World Trade Organisation]] regulations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25682839_ITM Article: PAKISTAN, ARGENTINA SIGN DEAL ON TRADE COOPERATION. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref>

In March, 2012 the Government of Argentina emphasised the importance of bilateral relations with Pakistan, inviting the Ambassador of Pakistan [[Naela Chohan]] as chief guest to a ceremony in Buenos Aires commemorating 60 years of Pakistan-Argentine friendship.<ref>
[http://www.casaprov.gba.gov.ar/web2012/notas_com/marzo/Pakistan290312.html LA EMBAJADA DE PAKISTAN CELEBRO SUS 60 AÑOS EN LA ARGENTINA (Spanish)]</ref><ref>Agencia Islamica de Notas (Spanish) [http://www.ain.com.ar/nota.php?nota=4815 Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires con un show cultural de trajes típicos]</ref><ref>Section Politica, Noticias de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Spanish) [http://www.seccionpolitica.com.ar/pakistan-celebro-su-dia-nacional-en-buenos-aires-aid14389.html Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Plaza de Pakistan==
[[Image:Plaza de Pakistan Collage.jpg|thumb|300px|Clockwise from Top-Left: Official Demarcation of the Plaza de Pakistan, Modern Design seating at the Park’s center, Inauguration of the plaque of Iqbal by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]]; Plaque of Iqbal.]]

''For the full article, please see [[Plaza de Pakistan]]
''

The Plaza de Pakistan is a landmark in [[Buenos Aires]] commemorating [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|Argentine-Pakistan friendship]]. It is located in the heart of [[Parque Tres de Febrero]] in the neighborhood of [[Palermo, Buenos Aires|Palermo]]. It was redesigned in 2012 and inaugurated on July 27, 2012 by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] of Pakistan and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] of Federal Capital Buenos Aires, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|two friendly countries]].<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

The [[inauguration]] ceremony of Plaza de Pakistan was planned between Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14 and Independence Day of Argentina on July 9.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref> It was also to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries. The ceremony included the ribbon cutting by Ambassador Naela Chohan and Minister Diego Santilli followed by unveiling of the plaque with an engraving of a verse by [[Allama Iqbal]] which emphasises the importance of love for humanity.

Minister [[Diego Santilli]] in his speech, while appreciating the Ambassador for her role in the renovation of the Park, stated that the whole world was reflected in the City of Buenos Aires through its monuments, squares and parks and that Pakistan had a very special place in it.<ref>[http://www.amigosdiplomaticos.org/1552/plaza-republica-de-pakistan Plaza“República de Pakistán”(Spanish)]</ref>

The Ambassador, in her speech thanked Chief of Government [[Mauricio Macri]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] for their support in restoring Plaza Pakistan and recalled that there was a very beautiful Argentina Park in Islamabad which was a token of the love and affection Pakistan has for Argentina. And today’s occasion was a reciprocal gesture from Argentina. She added that “We deeply appreciate this important gesture of friendship and we need to further deepen these bonds of friendship through mutually beneficial co-operation in trade and culture”.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Diplomacy==
Argentina has been a friend of Pakistan during times of difficulty including the 1971 war. {{fact}} Argentina has also been part of the consensus in favor of the resolution put forward by Pakistan on the right to self-determination which is debated annually at the General Assembly of the United Nations. {{fact}} Pakistan has voted in favor of the UN Resolution stipulating that "the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the ideal of universal peace held by the United Nations", which has relevance for the [[Falkland Islands]] issue. Both countries also share common views on United Nationas reforms and on the theme of expanding the United Nations Security Council.

The chair of the [[Pakistan Senate]] has said of the relationship that "Pakistan and Argentina [have] very close cooperation in various fields and unanimity of views on international issues".<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C03%5C08%5Cstory_8-3-2007_pg11_9Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

==Cooperation==
The two countries have well established trade links, they maintain a "Joint Economic Committee" and the Pak-Argentina Business Council, in order to expedite further growth in their relationship.<ref>http://www.commerce.gov.pk/news/read.asp?newsID=72</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19140200_ITM Article: PAKISTAN-ARGENTINA BUSINESS COUNCIL FORMED TO ENHANCE TRADE. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The two countries are currently most concerned with agricultural development schemes, particularly in the areas of livestock disease control, as well as political and diplomatic issues of mutual interest.<ref>[http://www.webnewswire.com/node/451280 Argentina to collaborate in Pakistan’s livestock sector | webnewswire.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\14\story_14-4-2009_pg5_14 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/14-Apr-2009/Argentina-to-collaborate-in-Pak-livestock-sector Argentina to collaborate in Pak livestock sector | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online]</ref>
 

Argentina's ambassador to Pakistan has stated that the two governments are involved in exploring new areas in which they can increase cooperation, saying they should both "step up efforts" for tapping into areas that they have not yet explored, including strengthening trade ties through importing wheat, in which Argentina is self sufficient and in sending further trade delegations between the two nations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19144115_ITM Article: Pak-Argentina business council being set up. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce concurred with the ambassador and stressed the need for further formal agreements between his organisation and its opposite number in Buenos Ares.<ref>[http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144660 ONLINE - International News Network]</ref>

Argentine companies have also expressed their interest in the exploration and development of gas fields in the Pakistani provinces of [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] and [[Sindh]].<ref>http://www.daily.pk/business/businessnews/10421-argentineans-eye-pakistani-gas-fields.html</ref>

==State visits==
Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] visited Argentina in 2004 as part of a visit to three [[Latin America]]n countries in order to boost economic and political relations between Pakistan and the region as a whole and Argentina specifically.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/27/content_2266101.htm Musharraf's visit to L.America to boost economic, political ties: spokesman - Xinhuanet]</ref>

Musharraf also held meetings with the Argentine President and, in a speech to the Argentine Council for International Relations, alluded to further cooperation on issues of mutual interest at the UN and further strengthening of economic and political links between the nations.<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/03/top3.htm Democracy in place, says Musharraf -DAWN - Top Stories; 03 December, 2004]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Naela Chohan]] - the Ambassador of Pakistan to Argentina.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Foreign relations of Pakistan}}
{{Foreign relations of Argentina}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentina–Pakistan Relations}}
[[Category:Argentina–Pakistan relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Argentina|Pakistan]] 
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Pakistan]]

Argentinisch-pakistanische Beziehungen

2012-11-03T03:48:57Z

LibStar: /* See also */ already mentioned

{{Infobox Bilateral relations|Pakistan-Argentina|Pakistan|Argentina|filetype=svg}}
[[File:Naela Chohan, Pakistan-Argentina 60 Year Friendship, March 2012.gif|thumb|[[Naela Chohan]] attending a ceremony commemorating 60 Years of Pakistan-Argentina friendship (2012)]]
[[File:Naela Chohan Noche de Pakistan Buenos Aires.jpg|thumb|right|"Noche de Pakistan" in Buenos Aires, organized by [[Naela Chohan]] to promote Pakistani culture in Argentina (2012)]]
'''Argentina–Pakistan relations''' are the foreign relations between [[Pakistan]] and [[Argentina]]. The relationship has recently grown with important trade ties developing along with other inter-government communications.<ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=111DB8FDDC16FE10&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM NewsLibrary.com - newspaper archive, clipping service - newspapers and other news sources]</ref> Pakistan has an embassy in the Argentine capital [[Buenos Aires]], as does Argentina in [[Islamabad]].

==History==
Pakistan and Argentina formally established relations in October, 1951. The first significant agreement was signed in May 1983. Since then, high level visits have taken place in both countries and relations seem to have grown gradually into the cordial relationship seen today; with agreements, in principle at least, to continue discussions in fields of mutual interest such as their respective economic and political systems.<ref>[http://202.83.164.26/wps/portal/Most/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hQN68AZ3dnIwML82BTAyNXTz9jE0NfQwNfA_2CbEdFAA2MC_Y!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/MostCL/ministry/highlights/first+session+of+pakistan-argentina+joint+committee+on Ministry of Science and Technology - Government of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\08\story_8-3-2007_pg11_9 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

A formal agreement on bilateral trade and cooperation was signed between Argentina and Pakistan on the 19th of July 2002, giving their relationship "most favourable nation" status, in accordance with [[World Trade Organisation]] regulations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25682839_ITM Article: PAKISTAN, ARGENTINA SIGN DEAL ON TRADE COOPERATION. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref>

In March, 2012 the Government of Argentina emphasised the importance of bilateral relations with Pakistan, inviting the Ambassador of Pakistan [[Naela Chohan]] as chief guest to a ceremony in Buenos Aires commemorating 60 years of Pakistan-Argentine friendship.<ref>
[http://www.casaprov.gba.gov.ar/web2012/notas_com/marzo/Pakistan290312.html LA EMBAJADA DE PAKISTAN CELEBRO SUS 60 AÑOS EN LA ARGENTINA (Spanish)]</ref><ref>Agencia Islamica de Notas (Spanish) [http://www.ain.com.ar/nota.php?nota=4815 Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires con un show cultural de trajes típicos]</ref><ref>Section Politica, Noticias de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Spanish) [http://www.seccionpolitica.com.ar/pakistan-celebro-su-dia-nacional-en-buenos-aires-aid14389.html Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Plaza de Pakistan==
[[Image:Plaza de Pakistan Collage.jpg|thumb|300px|Clockwise from Top-Left: Official Demarcation of the Plaza de Pakistan, Modern Design seating at the Park’s center, Inauguration of the plaque of Iqbal by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]]; Plaque of Iqbal.]]

''For the full article, please see [[Plaza de Pakistan]]
''

The Plaza de Pakistan is a landmark in [[Buenos Aires]] commemorating [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|Argentine-Pakistan friendship]]. It is located in the heart of [[Parque Tres de Febrero]] in the neighborhood of [[Palermo, Buenos Aires|Palermo]]. It was redesigned in 2012 and inaugurated on July 27, 2012 by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] of Pakistan and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] of Federal Capital Buenos Aires, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|two friendly countries]].<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

The [[inauguration]] ceremony of Plaza de Pakistan was planned between Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14 and Independence Day of Argentina on July 9.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref> It was also to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries. The ceremony included the ribbon cutting by Ambassador Naela Chohan and Minister Diego Santilli followed by unveiling of the plaque with an engraving of a verse by [[Allama Iqbal]] which emphasises the importance of love for humanity.

Minister [[Diego Santilli]] in his speech, while appreciating the Ambassador for her role in the renovation of the Park, stated that the whole world was reflected in the City of Buenos Aires through its monuments, squares and parks and that Pakistan had a very special place in it.<ref>[http://www.amigosdiplomaticos.org/1552/plaza-republica-de-pakistan Plaza“República de Pakistán”(Spanish)]</ref>

The Ambassador, in her speech thanked Chief of Government [[Mauricio Macri]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] for their support in restoring Plaza Pakistan and recalled that there was a very beautiful Argentina Park in Islamabad which was a token of the love and affection Pakistan has for Argentina. And today’s occasion was a reciprocal gesture from Argentina. She added that “We deeply appreciate this important gesture of friendship and we need to further deepen these bonds of friendship through mutually beneficial co-operation in trade and culture”.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Diplomacy==
Argentina has been a friend of Pakistan during times of difficulty including the 1971 war. {{fact}} Argentina has also been part of the consensus in favor of the resolution put forward by Pakistan on the right to self-determination which is debated annually at the General Assembly of the United Nations. {{fact}} Pakistan has voted in favor of the UN Resolution stipulating that "the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the ideal of universal peace held by the United Nations", which has relevance for the [[Falkland Islands]] issue. Both countries also share common views on United Nationas reforms and on the theme of expanding the United Nations Security Council.

The chair of the [[Pakistan Senate]] has said of the relationship that "Pakistan and Argentina [have] very close cooperation in various fields and unanimity of views on international issues".<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C03%5C08%5Cstory_8-3-2007_pg11_9Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

==Cooperation==
The two countries have well established trade links, they maintain a "Joint Economic Committee" and the Pak-Argentina Business Council, in order to expedite further growth in their relationship.<ref>http://www.commerce.gov.pk/news/read.asp?newsID=72</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19140200_ITM Article: PAKISTAN-ARGENTINA BUSINESS COUNCIL FORMED TO ENHANCE TRADE. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The two countries are currently most concerned with agricultural development schemes, particularly in the areas of livestock disease control, as well as political and diplomatic issues of mutual interest.<ref>[http://www.webnewswire.com/node/451280 Argentina to collaborate in Pakistan’s livestock sector | webnewswire.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\14\story_14-4-2009_pg5_14 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/14-Apr-2009/Argentina-to-collaborate-in-Pak-livestock-sector Argentina to collaborate in Pak livestock sector | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online]</ref>
 

Argentina's ambassador to Pakistan has stated that the two governments are involved in exploring new areas in which they can increase cooperation, saying they should both "step up efforts" for tapping into areas that they have not yet explored, including strengthening trade ties through importing wheat, in which Argentina is self sufficient and in sending further trade delegations between the two nations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19144115_ITM Article: Pak-Argentina business council being set up. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce concurred with the ambassador and stressed the need for further formal agreements between his organisation and its opposite number in Buenos Ares.<ref>[http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144660 ONLINE - International News Network]</ref>

Argentine companies have also expressed their interest in the exploration and development of gas fields in the Pakistani provinces of [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] and [[Sindh]].<ref>http://www.daily.pk/business/businessnews/10421-argentineans-eye-pakistani-gas-fields.html</ref>

==State visits==
Additionally, then Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] visited Argentina as part of a visit to three [[Latin America]]n countries in order to boost economic and political relations between Pakistan and the region as a whole and Argentina specifically.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/27/content_2266101.htm Musharraf's visit to L.America to boost economic, political ties: spokesman - Xinhuanet]</ref>

Musharraf also held meetings with the Argentine President and, in a speech to the Argentine Council for International Relations, alluded to further cooperation on issues of mutual interest at the UN and further strengthening of economic and political links between the nations.<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/03/top3.htm Democracy in place, says Musharraf -DAWN - Top Stories; 03 December, 2004]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Naela Chohan]] - the Ambassador of Pakistan to Argentina.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Foreign relations of Pakistan}}
{{Foreign relations of Argentina}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentina–Pakistan Relations}}
[[Category:Argentina–Pakistan relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Argentina|Pakistan]] 
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Pakistan]]

Argentinisch-pakistanische Beziehungen

2012-11-03T03:48:03Z

LibStar: /* Diplomacy */

{{Infobox Bilateral relations|Pakistan-Argentina|Pakistan|Argentina|filetype=svg}}
[[File:Naela Chohan, Pakistan-Argentina 60 Year Friendship, March 2012.gif|thumb|[[Naela Chohan]] attending a ceremony commemorating 60 Years of Pakistan-Argentina friendship (2012)]]
[[File:Naela Chohan Noche de Pakistan Buenos Aires.jpg|thumb|right|"Noche de Pakistan" in Buenos Aires, organized by [[Naela Chohan]] to promote Pakistani culture in Argentina (2012)]]
'''Argentina–Pakistan relations''' are the foreign relations between [[Pakistan]] and [[Argentina]]. The relationship has recently grown with important trade ties developing along with other inter-government communications.<ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=111DB8FDDC16FE10&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM NewsLibrary.com - newspaper archive, clipping service - newspapers and other news sources]</ref> Pakistan has an embassy in the Argentine capital [[Buenos Aires]], as does Argentina in [[Islamabad]].

==History==
Pakistan and Argentina formally established relations in October, 1951. The first significant agreement was signed in May 1983. Since then, high level visits have taken place in both countries and relations seem to have grown gradually into the cordial relationship seen today; with agreements, in principle at least, to continue discussions in fields of mutual interest such as their respective economic and political systems.<ref>[http://202.83.164.26/wps/portal/Most/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hQN68AZ3dnIwML82BTAyNXTz9jE0NfQwNfA_2CbEdFAA2MC_Y!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/MostCL/ministry/highlights/first+session+of+pakistan-argentina+joint+committee+on Ministry of Science and Technology - Government of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\08\story_8-3-2007_pg11_9 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

A formal agreement on bilateral trade and cooperation was signed between Argentina and Pakistan on the 19th of July 2002, giving their relationship "most favourable nation" status, in accordance with [[World Trade Organisation]] regulations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25682839_ITM Article: PAKISTAN, ARGENTINA SIGN DEAL ON TRADE COOPERATION. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref>

In March, 2012 the Government of Argentina emphasised the importance of bilateral relations with Pakistan, inviting the Ambassador of Pakistan [[Naela Chohan]] as chief guest to a ceremony in Buenos Aires commemorating 60 years of Pakistan-Argentine friendship.<ref>
[http://www.casaprov.gba.gov.ar/web2012/notas_com/marzo/Pakistan290312.html LA EMBAJADA DE PAKISTAN CELEBRO SUS 60 AÑOS EN LA ARGENTINA (Spanish)]</ref><ref>Agencia Islamica de Notas (Spanish) [http://www.ain.com.ar/nota.php?nota=4815 Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires con un show cultural de trajes típicos]</ref><ref>Section Politica, Noticias de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Spanish) [http://www.seccionpolitica.com.ar/pakistan-celebro-su-dia-nacional-en-buenos-aires-aid14389.html Pakistán celebró su día nacional en Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Plaza de Pakistan==
[[Image:Plaza de Pakistan Collage.jpg|thumb|300px|Clockwise from Top-Left: Official Demarcation of the Plaza de Pakistan, Modern Design seating at the Park’s center, Inauguration of the plaque of Iqbal by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]]; Plaque of Iqbal.]]

''For the full article, please see [[Plaza de Pakistan]]
''

The Plaza de Pakistan is a landmark in [[Buenos Aires]] commemorating [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|Argentine-Pakistan friendship]]. It is located in the heart of [[Parque Tres de Febrero]] in the neighborhood of [[Palermo, Buenos Aires|Palermo]]. It was redesigned in 2012 and inaugurated on July 27, 2012 by Ambassador [[Naela Chohan]] of Pakistan and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] of Federal Capital Buenos Aires, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the [[Argentina-Pakistan relations|two friendly countries]].<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

The [[inauguration]] ceremony of Plaza de Pakistan was planned between Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14 and Independence Day of Argentina on July 9.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref> It was also to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries. The ceremony included the ribbon cutting by Ambassador Naela Chohan and Minister Diego Santilli followed by unveiling of the plaque with an engraving of a verse by [[Allama Iqbal]] which emphasises the importance of love for humanity.

Minister [[Diego Santilli]] in his speech, while appreciating the Ambassador for her role in the renovation of the Park, stated that the whole world was reflected in the City of Buenos Aires through its monuments, squares and parks and that Pakistan had a very special place in it.<ref>[http://www.amigosdiplomaticos.org/1552/plaza-republica-de-pakistan Plaza“República de Pakistán”(Spanish)]</ref>

The Ambassador, in her speech thanked Chief of Government [[Mauricio Macri]] and Minister [[Diego Santilli]] for their support in restoring Plaza Pakistan and recalled that there was a very beautiful Argentina Park in Islamabad which was a token of the love and affection Pakistan has for Argentina. And today’s occasion was a reciprocal gesture from Argentina. She added that “We deeply appreciate this important gesture of friendship and we need to further deepen these bonds of friendship through mutually beneficial co-operation in trade and culture”.<ref>[http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1221453/ Pakistan Park re-launched at Buenos Aires]</ref>

==Diplomacy==
Argentina has been a friend of Pakistan during times of difficulty including the 1971 war. {{fact}} Argentina has also been part of the consensus in favor of the resolution put forward by Pakistan on the right to self-determination which is debated annually at the General Assembly of the United Nations. {{fact}} Pakistan has voted in favor of the UN Resolution stipulating that "the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the ideal of universal peace held by the United Nations", which has relevance for the [[Falkland Islands]] issue. Both countries also share common views on United Nationas reforms and on the theme of expanding the United Nations Security Council.

The chair of the [[Pakistan Senate]] has said of the relationship that "Pakistan and Argentina [have] very close cooperation in various fields and unanimity of views on international issues".<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C03%5C08%5Cstory_8-3-2007_pg11_9Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref>

==Cooperation==
The two countries have well established trade links, they maintain a "Joint Economic Committee" and the Pak-Argentina Business Council, in order to expedite further growth in their relationship.<ref>http://www.commerce.gov.pk/news/read.asp?newsID=72</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19140200_ITM Article: PAKISTAN-ARGENTINA BUSINESS COUNCIL FORMED TO ENHANCE TRADE. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The two countries are currently most concerned with agricultural development schemes, particularly in the areas of livestock disease control, as well as political and diplomatic issues of mutual interest.<ref>[http://www.webnewswire.com/node/451280 Argentina to collaborate in Pakistan’s livestock sector | webnewswire.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\04\14\story_14-4-2009_pg5_14 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan]</ref><ref>[http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/14-Apr-2009/Argentina-to-collaborate-in-Pak-livestock-sector Argentina to collaborate in Pak livestock sector | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online]</ref>
 

Argentina's ambassador to Pakistan has stated that the two governments are involved in exploring new areas in which they can increase cooperation, saying they should both "step up efforts" for tapping into areas that they have not yet explored, including strengthening trade ties through importing wheat, in which Argentina is self sufficient and in sending further trade delegations between the two nations.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19144115_ITM Article: Pak-Argentina business council being set up. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy]</ref> The President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce concurred with the ambassador and stressed the need for further formal agreements between his organisation and its opposite number in Buenos Ares.<ref>[http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144660 ONLINE - International News Network]</ref>

Argentine companies have also expressed their interest in the exploration and development of gas fields in the Pakistani provinces of [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] and [[Sindh]].<ref>http://www.daily.pk/business/businessnews/10421-argentineans-eye-pakistani-gas-fields.html</ref>

==State visits==
Additionally, then Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] visited Argentina as part of a visit to three [[Latin America]]n countries in order to boost economic and political relations between Pakistan and the region as a whole and Argentina specifically.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/27/content_2266101.htm Musharraf's visit to L.America to boost economic, political ties: spokesman - Xinhuanet]</ref>

Musharraf also held meetings with the Argentine President and, in a speech to the Argentine Council for International Relations, alluded to further cooperation on issues of mutual interest at the UN and further strengthening of economic and political links between the nations.<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/03/top3.htm Democracy in place, says Musharraf -DAWN - Top Stories; 03 December, 2004]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Naela Chohan]] - the Ambassador of Pakistan to Argentina.
* [[Plaza de Pakistan]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Foreign relations of Pakistan}}
{{Foreign relations of Argentina}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentina–Pakistan Relations}}
[[Category:Argentina–Pakistan relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Argentina|Pakistan]] 
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Pakistan]]

George Wootten

2012-09-03T04:24:17Z

LibStar:

{{refimprove}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
|name = Sir George Wootten
|birth_date = {{birth-date|df=yes|1 May 1893}}
|death_date = {{death-date and age|df=yes|30 March 1970|1 May 1893}}
|birth_place = [[Marrickville, New South Wales]]
|death_place = [[Concord, New South Wales]]
|image = Wootten AWM 085563.jpg
|caption=
|allegiance = [[Australia]]
|branch = [[Australian Army]]
|serviceyears = 1911–1923 1937–1958
|rank = [[Major General (Australia)|Major General]]
|commands = 21st Light Horse Regiment 2/2nd Infantry Battalion 16th Infantry Brigade 18th Infantry Brigade [[9th Division (Australia)|9th Division]] [[3rd Division (Australia)|3rd Division]]
|battles=[[World War I]]
*[[Gallipoli Campaign]]
*[[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]
[[World War II]]
*[[North African Campaign]]
*[[Siege of Tobruk]]
*[[Kokoda Track campaign]]
*[[Battle of Milne Bay]]
*[[Battle of Buna-Gona]]
*[[Salamaua-Lae campaign]]
*[[Huon Peninsula campaign]]
*[[Borneo campaign (1945)|Borneo campaign]]
*[[Operation Oboe Six]]
|awards = [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] [[Distinguished Service Order|Distinguished Service Order & Bar]] [[Efficiency Decoration]] [[Mention in Despatches]] (4) [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] (United States)
|laterwork=
}}
[[Major General (Australia)|Major General]] '''Sir George Frederick Wootten''' [[Order of the British Empire|KBE]], [[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO & Bar]], [[Efficiency Decoration|ED]] (1 May 1893 – 30 March 1970), was an [[Australian Army|Australian soldier]], [[civil servant|public servant]], [[Right-wing politics|right wing]] political activist and [[solicitor]]. He rose to the rank of temporary [[Major General]] during [[World War II]].

Wootten was famous, in part, for his heavy build. He put on weight after giving up smoking in 1930, and by 1941 — even though he was 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) tall — he weighed 127 kg (20 st). Nevertheless, he earned the respect of his soldiers and superiors; [[General]] [[Douglas MacArthur]] described Wootten as "the best soldier in the Australian Army who had it in him to reach the highest position".<ref>A. J. Hill, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160699b.htm 'Wootten, Sir George Frederick (1893 - 1970)'], Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 16, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 586-588.</ref>

==Early life==
[[File:AWM C01920 wootten gallipoli.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Rest Gully", [[Gallipoli]]. June 1915. Captain George Wootten, Adjutant, 1st Infantry Battalion, shaving at the entrance to his dugout.]]

Wootten was born in [[Marrickville, New South Wales|Marrickville]], [[Sydney]], the seventh child of English migrant parents, William Frederick Wootten (a carpenter and later a civil engineer) and Louisa Wootten, née Old, both of whom were born in [[London]]. George Wootten attended [[Fort Street High School|Fort Street Model School]] in Sydney.

He entered the [[Royal Military College, Duntroon]], in 1911, and graduated in August 1914 as a [[Lieutenant]].

==World War I==
Wootten's graduation coincided with the outbreak of [[World War I]]. He was posted to the 1st Battalion, went [[Landing at Anzac Cove|ashore at Gallipoli]] on 25 April 1915, and was promoted to [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] in May that year. He was a [[major]] by December.

Wootten later served on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]. He was [[Brigade Major]] with the 11th Brigade, then with the 9th Brigade (under [[Brigadier General]] [[Charles Rosenthal]]). Wootten was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] in October 1917 for staff work. He was then appointed to the staff of the [[5th Division (Australia)|5th Division]]. In October 1918, he was appointed to the staff of [[Field Marshal]] Sir [[Douglas Haig]], commander of [[British Empire]] forces in France. He was [[mentioned in despatches]] four times.

Following the end of hostilities, Wootten was sent to the [[Staff college|Staff College]], [[Camberley]], England, in March 1919.

==Civilian life between the wars==
He married Muriel Frances Anna Bisgood, a nurse, at St Joseph's Catholic Church, [[Roehampton]], London on 3 January 1920. Wootten was posted back went to Australia that same year.

He resigned his commission in 1923, and moved back to London, where he worked as manager of a clothing factory.

Wootten returned to New South Wales in 1926 and became an [[articled clerk]] at [[West Wyalong, New South Wales|West Wyalong]]. He was also recruited by a secret, quasi-official [[militia]] organisation, the [[Old Guard (Australia)|Old Guard]], which had been formed by the [[Nationalist Party of Australia|conservative]] Australian government of the day, in response to its fears about the supposed [[Subversion (politics)|subversive]] activities of [[left wing]] organisations. Wootten was admitted as a solicitor in July 1930, by which time he had four children. In 1931 he became an organiser for the Old Guard in Sydney.

[[File:AWM E01583 wootten 1918.jpg|130px|thumb|right|[[Samer]], France. December 16, 1917. Major George Wootten DSO (right) at the time a Staff Officer with the [[5th Division (Australia)|5th Division]].]]

Wootten joined the [[Australian Army Reserve|Citizen Military Forces]] (CMF; the army reserve corps) and on 1 July 1937 — as a [[lieutenant colonel]] — was appointed commander of the 21st Light Horse Regiment.

==World War II==
Following the outbreak of [[World War II]], On 13 October 1939, Wootten was seconded to the [[Second Australian Imperial Force|AIF]], and from 24 October 1939 until 9 February 1940, he commanded the 2/2nd Infantry Battalion. He then acting commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade until 20 May 1940.

[[I Corps (Australia)|I Corps]] was attached to the British [[Middle East Command]], and when an AIF Reinforcement Depot was set up in [[Palestine]], in late 1940, Wootten was promoted to temporary brigadier and made its commander.

Wootten was promoted to [[brigadier]], and from 1 February 1941, he commanded the [[7th Division (Australia)|18th Infantry Brigade]] (7th Division), on active service in the [[North African campaign]], including the [[Battle of Tobruk|siege of Tobruk]].

Following the outbreak of [[Pacific War|war with Japan]], the 7th Division returned to Australia and the 18th Brigade saw [[Kokoda Track campaign|action on the Kokoda Track]], and was part of the historic [[Battle of Milne Bay|victory over Japanese forces at Milne Bay]]. This was followed by the fierce and costly fighting at [[Battle of Buna-Gona|Buna and Sanananda]].

On 15 March 1943, Wootten was promoted to temporary [[Major General (Australia)|major general]] and became General Officer Commanding, [[9th Division (Australia)|9th Australian Infantry Division]]. Between September that year and January 1944 he led the 9th Division in the [[Salamaua-Lae campaign|Battle of Lae]] and the [[Huon Peninsula campaign]].

After a year of leave, consolidation, and re-training in Australia, the 9th took part in the [[Borneo campaign (1945)|Borneo campaign]], including [[Operation Oboe Six]], the amphibious landings at Brunei and Labuan.

Wootten's nephew, Driver Evans, was a POW in Borneo who took part in one of the [[Sandakan death marches]], and was killed at [[Ranau, Malaysia|Ranau]].<ref>Wall, nd, 224</ref>

[[File:Awm118409.jpg|thumb|250px|Major General Wootten (second left) with Australian ex-POWs at [[Batu Lintang camp|Batu Lintang POW/internment camp]], Kuching, Sarawak, 12 September 1945.]]

Following the Japanese surrender in August 1945, Wootten commanded the British Borneo Civil Affairs Unit, overseeing the recuperation and repatriation of Allied prisoners, surrendered Japanese personnel, and the transition back to civilian rule.

Wootten returned to Sydney on on 22 September, and transferred to the Reserve of Officers on 14 October. However, he was soon appointed to a military court of inquiry into Maj. Gen. [[Gordon Bennett (general)|Gordon Bennett]]'s departure from Singapore in 1942.

In 1945-58, Wootten chaired the [[Repatriation Commission]], in [[Melbourne]]. He commanded the [[3rd Division (Australia)|3rd Division]] (CMF), in 1947-50 and was the CMF member of the Military Board in 1948-50. After retiring from the commission in 1958, he returned to Sydney.

Wootten died at the [[Repatriation General Hospital, Concord]] in 1970.

===Honours===
In recognition of his wartime service, Wootten was appointed a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]], [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]], and Companion of the [[Distinguished Service Order]], with bar. He was also awarded the US [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] and [[Mentioned in Despatches]] four times. He was elevated to a [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (KBE) in 1958.

A 1956 portrait of Wootten by [[William Dargie|Sir William Dargie]] is held at the [[Australian War Memorial]], [[Canberra]].

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==References/external links==
{{Commons category|Sir George Frederick Wootten}}
*Wall, Don (no date, post-1993) ''Kill the Prisoners!'' Mona Vale, NSW, Australia: Don Wall ISBN 0-646-27834-7
*[http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160699b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography (online edition), "Wootten, Sir George Frederick (1893 - 1970)"] Access date: 19 April 2007.
*[http://www.awm.gov.au/honours/honours/person.asp?p=NX7 Australian War Memorial, "Honours and awards (gazetted) George Frederick Wootten"] Access date: 19 April 2007.
*[http://www.generals.dk/general/Wootten/Sir_George_Frederick/Australia.html generals.dk " Wootten, Sir George Frederick, Major-General (1893 – 1970)"] Access date: 19 April 2007.
*[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=575294 Australian World War Two Nominal Roll, "WOOTTEN, GEORGE FREDERICK"] Access date: 19 April 2007.
*[http://www.ordersofbattle.com/PersonData.aspx?PerX=779 ordersofbattle.com, "George Frederick Wootten"] Access date: 19 April 2007.

{{Persondata 
| NAME = Wootten, George
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian general
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1 May 1893
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Marrickville, New South Wales]]
| DATE OF DEATH = 30 March 1970
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Concord, New South Wales]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wootten, George}}
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1970 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian military personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Australian military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Australian generals]]
[[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order and Bar]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:People from Marrickville]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Australian solicitors]]
[[Category:Australian Anglicans]]
[[Category:Australian activists]]
[[Category:Australian people of English descent]]

[[sl:George Frederick Wootten]]

Bildungssystem in Malaysia

2012-08-23T06:42:26Z

LibStar: /* School types and medium of instruction */

{{Infobox Education
| agency = [[Ministry of Education (Malaysia)|Ministry of Education]] [[Ministry of Higher Education (Malaysia)|Ministry of Higher Education]]
| agency image = [[Image:Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia Logo.svg|150px]]
| country name = Malaysia
| leader titles = Minister of Education Minister of Higher Education
| leader names = [[Tan Sri]] [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] [[Datuk Seri]] [[Mohamed Khaled Nordin]]
| budget = RM30 billion (USD10 billion)1
| budget year = 2006
| primary languages = [[Malay language|Malay]], [[English language|English]], [[Mandarin Chinese]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
| system type = National
| established events = Established
| established dates = 1956
| literacy year = 2009
| literacy total = 95%
| literacy total = 95% (all 15 yrs and above)
| literacy men = 95% total, 98% 15-24 yrs
| literacy women = 95% total, 98% 15-24 yrs
| enroll total = 5,407,865 with 405,716 teachers (ratio 13:1), incl. 163,746 pre-school
| enroll primary = 2,899,228 (survival rate to last primary grade, Grade 6 is 99%)
| enroll secondary = 2,344,891 (66% male & 72% female students move up to Secondary 1 from Primary 6)
| enroll post-secondary =
| attain secondary =
| attain post-secondary =
| footnotes=1[http://mstar.com.my/berita/cerita.asp?file=/2009/10/23/mstar_berita/20091023173735&sec=mstar_berita "Budget 2010", mstar]
}}

'''Education in Malaysia''' is overseen by two government ministries. The [[Ministry of Education (Malaysia)|Ministry of Education]] (''Kementerian Pelajaran'') handles matters pertaining to pre-school, primary school, secondary school and post-secondary school. Matters regarding tertiary education are dealt with by the [[Ministry of Higher Education (Malaysia)|Ministry of Higher Education]] (''Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi''). Although education is the responsibility of the federal government, each [[states of Malaysia|state]] has an Education Department to coordinate educational matters in its territory. The main legislation governing education is the Education Act of 1996.

Education may be obtained from the multilingual [[state school|public school]] system, which provide free education for all Malaysians, or [[private school]]s, or through [[homeschooling]]. By law, [[primary education]] is [[compulsory education|compulsory]]. As in many Asia-Pacific countries such as the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Japan, [[Standardised testing|standardised tests]] are a common feature.

== History ==
[[File:Batu Pahat High School.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Batu Pahat High School, Johor]]

Sekolah Pondok (literally, Hut school), [[Madrasah]] and other [[Islamic]] schools were the earliest forms of schooling available in Malaysia. Early works of Malay literature such as [[Hikayat Abdullah]] mention these schools indicating they pre-date the current secular model of education.

Secular schools in Malaysia were largely an innovation of the British colonial government. Many of the earliest schools in Malaysia were founded in the [[Straits Settlements]] of [[Penang]], [[Melaka]], and [[Singapore]]. The oldest English-language school in Malaya is the [[Penang Free School]], founded in 1816, followed by Malacca High School, and [[Anglo Chinese School, Klang]]. Many English-language schools are considered quite prestigious.

British historian [[Richard O. Winstedt]] worked to improve the education of the Malays and was instrumental in establishing [[Sultan Idris Training College]] with the purpose of producing Malay teachers. [[R J Wilkinson]] helped established the [[Malay College Kuala Kangsar]] in 1905 which aimed to educate the Malay elite.

Initially, the British colonial government did not provide for any Malay-language secondary schools, forcing those who had studied in Malay during primary school to adjust to an English-language education. Many Malays failed to pursue additional education due to this issue.<ref>Puthucheary, Mavis (1978). ''The Politics of Administration: The Malaysian Experience'', p. 9. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-580387-6.</ref> Despite complaints about this policy, the British Director of Education stated:

{{cquote2|It would be contrary to the considered policy of government to afford to a community, the great majority of whose members find congenial livelihood and independence in agricultural pursuits, more extended facilities for the learning of English which would be likely to have the effect of inducing them to abandon those pursuits.<ref>Puthucheary, pp. 9–10.</ref>}}

Malay representatives in the Federal Council as well as the [[Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements|Legislative Council of Singapore]] responded vehemently, with one calling the British policy "a policy that trains the Malay boy how not to get employment" by excluding the Malays from learning in the "bread-earning language of Malaya". He remarked:

{{cquote2|In the fewest possible words, the Malay boy is told 'You have been trained to remain at the bottom, and there you must always remain!' Why, I ask, waste so much money to attain this end when without any vernacular school, and without any special effort, the Malay boy could himself accomplish this feat?<ref>Puthucheary, p. 10.</ref>}}

To remedy this problem, the British established the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. However, it was mainly intended as a way to educate low-level civil servants and not as a means to opening the doors of commerce to the Malays — the school was never intended to prepare students for entrance to higher institutions of education.<ref>Puthucheary, pp. 10–11.</ref>

[[Missionary|Missionaries]] of Christian denominations, such as the [[Roman Catholic]] Josephian order and the [[Lasallian Brothers]], [[Marist Brothers]], [[Seventh-day Adventist]], [[Anglican]] as well as [[Methodist]] started a series of mission schools which provided primary and secondary education in the English language. Most of these were [[single-sex schools]]. Although nowadays they have fully assimilated into the Malay-medium national school system and most admit students regardless of gender and background (some single-sex schools remain), many of the schools still bear their original names, such as the ones with the names of saints or words such as “Catholic”, “Convent”, “Advent” and “Methodist”.

During the British colonial period, large numbers of immigrants from [[China]] and [[India]] arrived in Malaya. The [[Malaysian Chinese|Chinese]] and [[Malaysian Indian|Indian]] communities eventually established their vernacular schools with school curricula and teachers from China and India respectively.

In the 1950s, there were four initial proposals for developing the national education system: the [[Barnes Report]] (favoured by the Malays), Ordinance Report (modification of the Barnes Report), the [[Fenn-Wu Report]] (favoured by the Chinese and Indians), and the [[Razak Report]] (a compromise between the two reports). The Barnes proposal was implemented through the 1952 Education Ordinance amidst Chinese protests. In 1956, the Razak Report was adopted by the Malayan government as the education framework for independent Malaya. The Razak Report called for a national school system consisting of Malay-, English-, Chinese- and Tamil-medium schools at the primary level, and Malay- and English-medium schools at the secondary schools, with a uniform national curriculum regardless of the medium of instruction. Malay-medium schools would be known as "national", while other languages schools would be known as "national-type".

In the early years of independence, existing Chinese, Tamil and mission schools accepted government funding and were allowed to retain their medium of instructions on the condition that they adopt the national curriculum. Chinese secondary schools were given the options of accepting government funding and change into English national-type schools or remain Chinese and private without government funding. Most of the schools accepted the change, although a few rejected the offer and came to be known as [[Chinese Independent High School]]s. Shortly after the change, some of the national-type schools reestablished their Chinese independent high school branches.

In the 1970s, in accordance to the national language policy, the government began to change English-medium primary and secondary national-type schools into Malay-medium national schools. The language change was made gradually starting from the first year in primary school, then the second year in the following year and so on. The change was completed by the end of 1982.

In 1996, the Education Act of 1996 was passed to amend the Education Ordinance of 1956 and the Education Act of 1961.

==School grades==
The school year is divided into two semesters. The first begins in the beginning of January and ends in June; the second begins in July and ends in December.
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"
|-
!Level/Grade !! Typical age
|- style="background:silver;"
| colspan=2 | [[Preschool]]
|-
| [[Pre-school playgroup]] || 3–4
|-
| [[Kindergarten]] || 4–6
|- style="background:silver;"
| colspan=2 | [[Primary school]]
|-
| [[First grade|Darjah 1]] || 7
|-
| [[Second grade|Darjah 2]] || 8
|-
| [[Third grade|Darjah 3]] || 9
|-
| [[Fourth grade|Darjah 4]] || 10
|-
| [[Fifth grade|Darjah 5]] || 11
|-
| [[Sixth grade|Darjah 6]] || 12
|- style="background:silver;"
| colspan=2 | [[Secondary school]]
|-
| [[Seventh grade|Tingkatan 1]] || 13
|-
| [[Eighth grade|Tingkatan 2]] || 14
|-
| [[Ninth grade|Tingkatan 3]] || 15
|-
| [[Tenth grade|Tingkatan 4]] || 16
|-
| [[Eleventh grade|Tingkatan 5]] || 17
|-
| [[Twelfth grade|Tingkatan 6]] || 18–19 (Available in some schools)
|- style="background:silver;"
| colspan=2 | [[Post-secondary education]]
|-
| [[Tertiary education]] ([[College]] or [[University]]) || Ages vary (usually four years, referred to as Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior years)
|}

== Preschool education ==
There is no fixed rules on when a child needs to start preschool education but majority would start when the child turns 5 years old. Schooling can begin earlier, from 3-6, in [[kindergarten]]. Preschool education usually lasts for 2 years, before they proceed to primary school at age 7. There is no formal preschool curriculum except a formal mandatory training and certification for principals and teachers before they may operate a preschool. The training covers lessons on child psychology, teaching methodologies, and other related curricula on childcare and development.

Preschool education is mainly provided by private for-profit preschools, though some are run by the government or religious groups. Some primary schools have attached preschool sections. Attendance in a preschool programme is not universal; while people living in urban areas are generally able to send their children to private kindergartens, few do in rural areas. Registered preschools are subjected to zoning regulations and must comply to other regulations such as health screening and fire hazard assessment. Many preschools are located in high density residential areas, where normal residential units compliant to regulations are converted into the schools.

== Primary education ==
Primary education in Malaysia begins at age seven and lasts for six years, referred to as Year (''Tahun'') 1 to 6 (also known as Standard (''Darjah'') 1 to 6). Year 1 to Year 3 are classified as Level One (''Tahap Satu'') while Year 4 to Year 6 are considered as Level Two (''Tahap Dua''). Students are promoted to the next year regardless of their academic performance.

From 1996 until 2000, the ''Penilaian Tahap Satu'' (PTS) or the Level One Evaluation was administered to Year 3 students. Excellence in this test allowed students to skip Year 4 and attend Year 5 instead. However, the test was removed from 2001 onwards due to concerns that parents and teachers were unduly pressuring students to pass the exam.

Before progressing to secondary education, Year 6 pupils sit for the Primary School Achievement Test (''[[Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah]]'', UPSR).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.malaysia.gov.my/EN/Relevant%20Topics/Education%20and%20Learning/Non%20Citizen/nTheNationalEducationSystem/nPrimaryEducation/Pages/PrimarySchoolEducation.aspx |title=Primary School Education |publisher=Malaysia.gov.my |date= |accessdate=2010-10-26}}</ref> The subjects tested are Malay comprehension, written Malay, English, Science and Mathematics. In addition to the five subjects, Chinese comprehension and written Chinese are compulsory in Chinese schools, while Tamil comprehension and written Tamil are compulsory in Tamil schools.

===School types and medium of instruction===
{{See also|Tamil primary schools in Malaysia}}

Public primary schools are divided into two categories based on the [[medium of instruction]]:
*[[Malay language|Malay]]-medium National Schools (''Sekolah Kebangsaan'', SK)
*non-Malay-medium National-type Schools (''Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan'', SJK), also known as "vernacular schools",<ref>{{cite web|last=Mustafa |first=Shazwan |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malay-groups-want-vernacular-schools-abolished/ |title=Malay groups want vernacular schools abolished |publisher=The Malaysian Insider |date=2010-08-22 |accessdate=2010-09-18}}</ref> further divided into
**National-type School (Chinese) (''Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina)'', SJK(C)), [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]-medium and [[simplified Chinese characters|simplified Chinese]] writing
**National-type School (Tamil) (''Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil)'', SJK (T)), [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-medium

All schools admit students regardless of racial and language background.

Malay and [[English language|English]] are compulsory subjects in all schools. All schools use the same syllabus for non-language subjects regardless of the medium of instruction. The teaching of the Chinese language is compulsory in SJK(C), and Tamil language is compulsory in SJK(T). Additionally, a National School must provide the teaching of Chinese or Tamil language, as well as indigenous languages wherever practical, if the parents of at least 15 pupils in the school request that the particular language to be taught.

In January 2003, a mixed medium of instruction was introduced so that students would learn Science and Mathematics in English. Due to pressure from the Chinese community, SJK(C) teach Science and Mathematics in both English and Chinese. However, the government reversed the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English in July 2009, and previous languages of instruction will be reintroduced in stages from 2012.<ref>[http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Frontpage/20090709083157/Article/index_html English in Schools: Policy reversed but English hours extended], [[New Straits Times]], 9 July 2009.</ref>

By degree of government funding, National Schools are government-owned and operated, while National-type Schools are mostly government-aided, though some are government-owned. In government-aided National-type Schools, the government is responsible for funding the school operations, teachers’ training and salary, and setting the school curriculum, while the school buildings and assets belong to the local ethnic communities, which elect a board of directors for each school to safeguard the school properties. Between 1995 and 2000, the [[Seventh Malaysia Plan]] allocation for primary education development allocated 96.5% to National Schools which had 75% of total enrollment. Chinese National-type Schools (21% enrollment) received 2.4% of the allocation while Tamil National-type Schools (3.6% enrollment) received 1% of the allocation. {{Fact}}

Previously, there were also other types of National-type Schools. The English National-type Schools were assimilated to become National Schools as a result of [[decolonization]]. Others, such as those for the [[Punjabi language]] were closed due to the dwindling number of students. The role of promoting the Punjabi language and culture is currently fulfilled by [[Gurdwara]]s (Sikh temples) based organizations.

The division of public education at the primary level into National and National-type Schools has been criticised for allegedly creating [[racial polarisation]] at an early age.<ref>Beech, Hannah (October 30, 2006). [http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501061106/story3.html Not the Retiring Type] (page three). ''TIME''.</ref> To address the problem, attempts have been made to establish ''Sekolah Wawasan'' ("vision schools"). Under the concept, three schools (typically one SK, one SJK(C) and one SJK(T)) would share the same school compound and facilities while maintaining different school administrations, ostensibly to encourage closer interaction. However, this was met with objections from most of the Chinese and Indian communities as they believe this will restrict the use of their mother tongue in schools.

== Secondary education ==
[[File:Smjkchiomin.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Chio Min Secondary School, [[Kulim]], [[Kedah]].]]
Public secondary education in Malaysia is provided by National Secondary Schools (''Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan'', ''SMK''). National Secondary Schools use Malay as the main medium of instruction. English is a compulsory subject in all schools. Since 2003, Science and Mathematics had been taught in English, however in 2009 the government decided to revert back to using Malay starting in 2012.<ref>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/world/asia/10iht-malay.html?ref=world
|title=In Malaysia, English Ban Raises Fears for Future – NYTimes.com
|publisher=[[The New York Times|NYTimes]]
|accessdate=9 July 2009
|last=Gooch
|first=Liz
| date=10 July 2009
}}</ref>

As in primary schools, a National Secondary School must provide teaching of Chinese and Tamil languages, as well as indigenous languages wherever practical, on request of parents of at least 15 pupils in the school. In addition, foreign languages such as [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[German language|German]] or [[French language|French]] may be taught at certain schools.

Secondary education lasts for five years, referred to as Form (''Tingkatan'') 1 to 5. Form 1 to Form 3 are known as Lower Secondary (''Menengah Rendah''), while Form 4 and 5 are known as Upper Secondary (''Menengah Atas''). Most students who had completed primary education are admitted to Form 1. Students from national-type primary schools have the additional requirement to obtain a minimum C grade for the Malay subjects in UPSR, failing which they will have to attend a year-long transition class, commonly called "Remove" (''Kelas/Tingkatan Peralihan''), before proceeding to Form 1. As in primary schools, students are promoted to the next year regardless of their academic performance.

Co-curricular activities are compulsory at the secondary level, where all students must participate in at least 2 activities for most states, and 3 activities for the Sarawak region. There are many co-curricular activities offered at the secondary level, varying at each school and each student is judged based in these areas. Competitions and performances are regularly organized. Co-curricular activities are often categorized under the following: Uniformed Groups, Performing Arts, Clubs & Societies, Sports & Games. Student may also participate in more than 2 co-curricular activities.

At the end of Form 3, the ''[[Penilaian Menengah Rendah]]'' (PMR, formerly known as Sijil Pelajaran Rendah (SRP) or Lower Certificate of Education (LCE)) or Lower Secondary Evaluation is taken by students. Based on PMR results and choice, they will be streamed into either the Science stream or Arts stream starting in Form 4. The Science stream is generally more desirable. Students are allowed to shift to the Arts stream from the Science stream, but rarely vice-versa.

At the end of Form 5, students are required to take the ''[[Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia]]'' (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of Education examination, before graduating from secondary school. The SPM was based on the old British ‘School Certificate’ examination before it became [[General Certificate of Education]] 'O' Levels examination, which became the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). As of 2006, students are given a GCE 'O' Level grade for their English paper in addition to the normal English SPM paper. (Previously, this was reported on result slips as a separate result labelled 1119, which meant students received two grades for their English papers.) This separate grade is given based on the marks of the essay-writing component of the English paper. The essay section of the English paper is remarked under the supervision of officials from the British 'O' Levels examination. Although not part of their final certificates, the 'O' Level grade is included on their results slip.

Shortly after the release of the 2005 SPM results in March 2006, the Education Ministry announced it was considering reforming the SPM system due to what was perceived as over-emphasis on As. Local educators appeared responsive to the suggestion, with one professor at the [[University of Malaya]] deploring university students who could not write letters, debate, or understand [[footnoting]]. He complained that "They don't understand what I am saying. ... I cannot communicate with them." He claimed that "Before 1957 (the year of independence), school heroes were not those with 8As or 9As, they were the great debaters, those good in drama, in sport, and those leading the [[Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia|Scouts]] and [[Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia|Girl Guides]]." A former Education Director-General, Murad Mohd Noor, agreed, saying that "The rat race now begins at Standard 6 with the UPSR, with the competition resulting in parents forcing their children to attend private [[tuition]]." He also expressed dismay at the prevalence of students taking 15 or 16 subjects for the SPM, calling it "unnecessary".<ref>"Experts: Go back to drawing board", p. 22. (March 21, 2006). ''[[New Straits Times]]''.</ref>

A subset of the public secondary schools are known as National-type Secondary Schools (''Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan'', SMJK). At Malayan Independence (1957), it was decided that secondary education would be provided in Malay-medium National Secondary Schools and English-medium National-type Secondary Schools. Fee paying, English-medium schools owned and administered by missionaries/religious bodies were offered government aid provided that they adopted the national curriculum. Secondary schools using other languages as medium of instruction, most of them Chinese schools, were offered government aid on the condition that they convert into English-medium schools. In the 1970s, as the government began to abolish English-medium education in public schools, all National-type Secondary School were gradually converted into Malay-medium schools. The term "National-type Secondary School" is not present in the Education Act of 1996, which blurred the distinction between SMK and SMJK. However, Chinese educational groups are unwelcoming of the new development and continue to push for the distinction to be made between the 78 formerly Chinese-medium schools and other secondary schools. The schools continue to have "SMJK" on the school signboards and boards of directors continue to manage the school properties, as opposed to schools that are directly managed by the government. Furthermore, these schools usually have compulsory Chinese language classes incorporated into the school teaching hours, as opposed to other schools where elective language classes are conducted outside normal school hours.

Other types of government or government-aided secondary schools include Religious Secondary School (''Sekolah Menengah Agama''), Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), [[Sekolah Berasrama Penuh|Residential Schools]] and [[MARA Junior Science College]] (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).


Within the national public school system are a few magnet type/charter public high schools. Admissions are very selective, reserved for students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and potential at the elementary level, Year/Standard 1 through 6. These schools are either full time day or boarding schools ('asrama penuh'). Examples of these schools are [[Malacca High School]], [[Royal Military College (Malaysia)]] and [[Penang Free School]].

Residential schools or [[Sekolah Berasrama Penuh]] are also known as Science Schools. These schools used to cater mainly for Malay elites but have since expanded as schools for nurturing Malays who are outstanding academically or those displaying talents in sports and leadership. The schools are modeled after British Boarding School.

== Post-secondary education ==
After the SPM, students from public secondary school would have a choice of either studying Form 6 or the [[Malaysian Matriculation Programme|matriculation]] (pre-university). If they are accepted to continue studying in Form 6, they will also take the [[Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia]] (which is usually abbreviated as STPM) or Malaysian Higher School Certificate examination (its British equivalent is the [[General Certificate of Education]] 'A' Levels examination or internationally, the [[Higher School Certificate (UK)|Higher School Certificate]]). STPM is regulated by the [http://www.mpm.edu.my/bi/main.php Malaysian Examinations Council]. Form 6 consists of two years of study which is known as Lower 6 (''Tingkatan Enam Rendah'') and Upper 6 (''Tingkatan Enam Atas''). Although it is generally taken by those desiring to attend public universities in Malaysia, it is internationally recognised and may also be used, though rarely required, to enter private local universities for [[undergraduate]] courses.

Additionally all students may apply for admission to [[matriculation]]. However, unlike STPM, the matriculation certificate is only valid for universities in Malaysia. This matriculation is a one or two-year programme<ref name="test">[http://www.moe.gov.my/?id=88 Matriculation Programme], From the official website of Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Retrieved 9 August 2011.</ref> run by the Ministry of Education. Previously, it was a one-year programme, but beginning 2006, 30% of all matriculation students were offered two-year programmes.

Not all applicants for matriculation are admitted and the selection criteria are not publicly declared, which has led to speculation that any criteria existing may not be adhered to. A race-based quota is applied on the admission process, with 90% of the places being reserved for the Bumiputeras, and the other 10% for the non-Bumiputeras.

The matriculation programme has come under some criticism {{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} as it is the public opinion that this programme is easier than the sixth form programme leading to the STPM and serves to help Bumiputeras enter public universities easily. Having been introduced after the abolishment of a racial-quota-based admission into universities, the matriculation programme continues the role of its predecessor, albeit in modified form.The matriculation programme adopts a semester basis examination (two semesters in a year) whilst STPM involves only one final examination, covering all one and a half years' syllabus in one go.

The Centre for Foundation Studies in Science, University of Malaya, offers two programmes only for Bumiputera students : i) The Science Program, a one-year course under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education. After completing the program, the students are placed into various science-based courses in local universities through the meritocracy system. ii) The Special Preparatory Program to Enter the Japanese Universities, a two-year intensive programme under the Look East Policy Division of the Public Service Department of Malaysia in cooperation with the Japanese Government.

Some students undertake their pre-university studies in private colleges. They may opt for programmes such as the British 'A' Levels programme, the Canadian matriculation programme or the equivalent of other national systems - namely the Australian NSW Board of Studies Higher School Certificate and the American High School Diploma with AP subjects. More recently, the [[International Baccalaureate]] Diploma Programme is becoming more popular as a pre-university option.

The Government has claimed {{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} that admission to universities are purely meritocracy based, but having so many different pre-university programmes and without a standard basis for comparison among the students, the public has been highly sceptical of the claim.

== Tertiary education ==
{{See also|List of universities in Malaysia}}
[[Tertiary education]] is heavily subsidised by the government. Before the introduction of the matriculation system, students aiming to enter public universities had to complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (''[[Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia]]'', STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or [['A' levels]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.studymalaysia.com/education/art_education.php?id=smhappendixC|title=Academic Qualification Equivalence|work=StudyMalaysia.com|accessdate=September 15, 2010}}</ref> Since the introduction of the matriculation programme as an alternative to STPM in 1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges (kolej matrikulasi in Malay) can enrol in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10% of the places are open to non-Bumiputra students.<ref>{{Cite book
| last = Saw
| first = Swee-Hock
| authorlink = Swee-Hock Saw
| last2 = Kesavapany
| first2 = K
| authorlink2 = K. Kesavapany
| coauthors =
| title = Malaysia: recent trends and challenges
| publisher = Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
| year = 2006
| location = Singapore
| page = 259
| url = http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=EHtO7JdRLO0C&printsec=frontcover&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 981-230-339-1}}</ref> Excellence in these examinations does not guarantee a place in a public university. The selection criteria are largely opaque as no strictly enforced defined guidelines exist.

The classification of tertiary education in Malaysia is organised upon the [[Malaysian Qualifications Framework]] (MQF) which seeks to set up a unified system of post secondary qualifications offered on a national basis both in the vocational as well as higher educational sectors.

In 2004, the government formed the Ministry of Higher Education to oversee tertiary education in Malaysia. The ministry is headed by [[Mustapa Mohamed]].

Although the government announced a reduction of reliance of racial quotas in 2002, instead leaning more towards [[meritocracy]].
Prior to 2004, all lecturers in public tertiary institutions were required to have some post-graduate award as a requisite qualification. In October 2004, this requirement was removed and the Higher Education Ministry announced that industry professionals who added value to a course could apply for lecturing positions directly to universities even if they did not have postgraduate qualifications. To head off possible allegations that the universities faced a shortage of lecturers, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said "This is not because we are facing a shortage of lecturers, but because this move will add value to our courses and enhance the name of our universities...Let's say Bill Gates and Steven Spielberg, both [undergraduates but] well known and outstanding in their fields, want to be teaching professors. Of course, we would be more than happy to take them in." He went on to offer as an example the field of architecture whereby well-known architects recognized for their talents do not have masters' degrees.

There are a number of public universities established in Malaysia. The academic independence of public universities' faculty has been questioned. Critics like Bakri Musa cite examples such as a scientist who was reprimanded by Deputy Prime Minister [[Najib Razak]] for "publishing studies on air pollution", and a professor of mathematics at [[Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia]] who was reproved for criticising the government policy of teaching mathematics and science in English at the primary and secondary levels.<ref>{{cite book |last=Musa |first=M. Bakri |title=Towards A Competitive Malaysia |year=2007 |publisher=Strategic Information and Research Development Centre |location=Petaling Jaya |isbn=978-983-3782-20-8|pages=143 }}</ref>

Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Private universities are also gaining a reputation for international quality education and students from all over the world attend these universities. Many of these institutions offer courses in cooperation with a foreign institute or university, especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing students to spend a portion of their course duration abroad as well as getting overseas qualifications. One such example is [[SEGi University College]] which partnered with [[University of Abertay Dundee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.segi.edu.my/partners/p_uad.htm|title=University Partners: University of Abertay Dundee, UK|publisher=[[SEGi University College]]|accessdate=21 June 2010}}</ref> Many private colleges offer programmes whereby the student does part of his degree course here and part of it in the other institution, this method is named "twinning". The nature of these programs is somewhat diverse and ranges from the full "twinning" program where all credits and transcripts are transferable and admission is automatic to programs where the local institution offers an "associate degree" which is accepted at the discretion of the partnering university. In the latter case, acceptance of transcripts and credits is at the discretion of the partner. Some of them are branch campuses of these foreign institutions. In addition, four reputable international universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘offshore campus’ of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are:
* [[Monash University Malaysia Campus]]
* [[Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus]]
* [[Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus]]
* [[University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus]].

Others are
* [[SAE Institute]], Australia
* [[Raffles Design Institute]], Singapore

The net outflow of academics from Malaysia led to a "brain gain" scheme by then (1995) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamed. The scheme set a target of attracting 5,000 talents annually. In 2004, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Datuk Dr [[Jamaluddin Jarjis]] in a parliamentary reply stated that the scheme attracted 94 scientists (24 Malaysians) in pharmacology, medicine, semi-conductor technology and engineering from abroad between 1995 and 2000. At the time of his reply, only one was remaining in Malaysia.

=== Postgraduate programmes ===
Postgraduate degrees such as the [[Master of Business Administration]] (MBA) and the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) are becoming popular and are offered by both the public universities and the private colleges.

All public and most private universities in Malaysia offer Master of Science degrees either through coursework or research and Doctor of Philosophy degrees through research.

=== Vocational programmes and polytechnics schools ===
Besides the university degrees, students also have the option of continuing their education in professional courses such as the courses offered by the ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) etc. Polytechnics in Malaysia provide courses for diploma level (3 years) and certificate level (2 years).

The following is a list of the public polytechnics in Malaysia.

*[[Ungku Omar Premier Polytechnic - University Status]]
*Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah
*Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah
*Politeknik Kota Bharu
*Politeknik Kuching Sarawak
*[[Politeknik Port Dickson]]
*Politeknik Kota Kinabalu
*Politeknik Premier Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah - University Status
*Politeknik Premier Johor Bahru - University Status
*Politeknik Seberang Perai([[:ms:Politeknik Seberang Perai]])
*Politeknik Kota, Melaka ([http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politeknik_Kota%2C_Melaka|Malay Version])
*Politeknik Kota, Kuala Terengganu
*Politeknik Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin
*Politeknik Merlimau
*[[Polytechnic Of Sultan Azlan Shah]] or Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah
*Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah
*Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah [http://www.psis.edu.my/ Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah]
*Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
*Politeknik Muadzam Shah
*Politeknik Mukah

The Vocational Courses for Automotive Technology:
*TEKAT Automotive College

Universities produce almost 150,000 skilled graduates annually.

==Other types of schools==
{{See also|List of schools in Malaysia}}

Apart from national schools, there are other types of schools in Malaysia.

===Islamic religious schools===
A system of Islamic religious schools exists in Malaysia. Primary schools are called ''Sekolah Rendah Agama'' (SRA), while secondary schools are called ''Sekolah Menengah Agama'' (SMA).

Another type of schools available in Malaysia is the Islamic religious schools or ''sekolah agama rakyat'' (SAR). The schools teach Muslim students subjects related to Islam such as early Islamic history, [[Arabic language]] and [[Fiqh]]. It is not compulsory though some states such as [[Johor]] make it mandatory for all Muslim children aged six to twelve to attend the schools as a complement to the mandatory primary education. In the final year, students will sit an examination for graduation. Most SAR are funded by respective states and managed by states' religious authority.

Previously, former Prime Minister Tun [[Mahathir Mohammad]] suggested to the government that the SARs should be closed down and integrated into the national schools. However, his proposal was met with resistance and later, the matter was left to die quietly.

Such schools still exist in Malaysia, but are generally no longer the only part of a child's education in urban areas. Students in rural parts of the country do still attend these schools. Since the academic results published by these schools are not accepted by mainline universities, many of these students have to continue their education in locations such as Pakistan or Egypt. Some of their alumni include Nik Adli (Son of PAS leader Nik Aziz).

Some parents also opt to send their children for religious classes after secular classes. Dharma classes, Sunday schools and after school classes at the mosque are various options available.

=== Chinese independent high schools ===

After receiving primary education in national-type primary schools, some students from SJK(C) may choose to study in a [[Chinese independent high school]]. Chinese independent high schools are funded mostly by the [[Malaysian Chinese]] public, with UCSCAM (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia, also known as ''Dong Jiao Zong'' after its Chinese acronym) as the overall coordination body. Students in Chinese independent high schools study in three junior middle levels and three senior middle levels, similar to the secondary schools systems in [[education in the People's Republic of China|mainland China]] and [[education in Taiwan|Taiwan]]; each level usually takes one year. Like the students in public secondary schools, students in Chinese independent high schools are put into several streams like Science or Art/Commerce in the senior middle levels. However, some schools recently provided unique streams like Electrical Engineering, Food and Beverage Studies or Arts Design. The medium of instruction in Chinese independent high schools is [[Standard Mandarin|Mandarin]] and uses [[simplified Chinese characters]] in writing.

Students in Chinese independent high schools take standardized tests known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) at the end of Junior Middle 3 and Senior Middle 3. UEC has been run by UCSCAM since 1975. The UEC is available in three levels: Vocational Unified Exam (UEC-V), UEC Junior Middle Level (UEC-JML/JUEC) and Senior Middle Level (UEC-SML/SUEC). The syllabus and examinations for the UEC-V and UEC-JML are only available in the Chinese language. The UEC-SML has questions for mathematics, sciences (biology, chemistry and physics), bookkeeping, accounting and commerce in both Chinese and English.

UEC-SML is recognised as an entrance qualification in many tertiary educational institutions internationally, including those in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China and some European countries, as well as most private colleges in Malaysia, but not by the government of Malaysia for entry into public universities. As the government of Malaysia does not recognize the UEC, some Chinese independent high schools provide instructions in the public secondary school syllabus in addition to the independent school syllabus, thus enabling the students to sit for PMR, SPM, or even STPM.

====Dong Jiao Zong's policy====
=====A "rooted" Chinese=====

According to UCSCAM (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia), known as DJZ ([[Dong Jiao Zong]]: the stronghold/fortress of Chinese), it was the British colonial policy (1786–1957) allowing the vernacular language schools to exist and develop, at the same time enabling the Malays while placing restrictions on the Chinese. Students of British schools gained better opportunities in employment than any other schools. Nevertheless, under such policy, the development of Chinese language education thrived. Before Malaysia gained independence, the Chinese had 1300 primary schools, nearly 100 high schools, and even Nanyang University, built without the financial support of the government. The report of UCSCAM claimed that the main reason for many Chinese parents sending their children to Chinese schools was that they generally hoped their children would retain their Chinese identity, with love and awareness of the nation, love of their own culture and traditions, ethnic pride, and most importantly being aware of their ethnic roots.

[[Lim Lian Geok]] ({{zh|s=林连玉|t=林連玉}}), known as the "Soul of Ethnic Chinese" (Chinese: 族魂), the former president of UCSCAM, said: "One’s culture is the soul of one’s ethnicity, and its value as important to us as our lives. And if any of you (Chinese) want to inherit Chinese cultural heritage, and if any of you (Chinese) want to live a 'true' Chinese, your children must be sent to a Chinese school."{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}

====="Final goal"=====

The UCSCAM believed that the government of Malaysia had a "final goal" (referring to the [[Razak Report]]) to eradicate the Chinese schools and Tamil schools. The report claimed that the government of Malaysia's culture and language education policy, over the past 50 years was, to not give up implementation of the "final goal": a final "national school" with the Malay language (National language) as the main medium of instruction. The language of other ethnic groups, namely Chinese and Tamil, thus could only serve as a foreign language. The reason given by the government was that the Chinese and Tamil primary schools were the root cause of disunity of this country. To achieve "national unity", all other non-national schools should be restricted, and finally merge with the national school.

====="Do not give up and do not compromise"=====

The standpoint of UCSCAM is that only the implementation of a multilingual school policy befits Malaysia's multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-religious society. Dong Jiao Zong's distinctive position for this protest has remained unchanged over the last 50 years. [http://www.djz.edu.my/hjdaobao/hj.php?id=79&period=54]

===International schools===
In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. International schools offer students the opportunity to study the curriculum of another country. These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country. International schools include: [http://www.realschools.edu.my/ R.E.A.L Schools] (British Curriculum), [[Melaka International School]] (British curriculum),<ref>http://mis.edu.my/</ref> [[Australian International School, Malaysia]] (Australian curriculum), The [[Alice Smith School]] (British Curriculum), [[elc International school]] (British Curriculum), [[Garden International School|The Garden International School]] (British Curriculum), [[Lodge School (Malaysia)|Lodge International School]] (British Curriculum), The [[International School of Kuala Lumpur]] (International Baccalaureate and American Curriculum), The [[Mont' Kiara International School]] (International Baccalaureate and American Curriculum), The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (Japanese Curriculum), The Chinese Taipei School, Kuala Lumpur and The Chinese Taipei School, Penang (Taiwanese Curriculum), The International School of Penang (International Baccalaureate and British Curriculum), [[Dalat International School]] in Penang (American Curriculum), The Prince of Wales Island International School in Penang (British Curriculum, opening in September 2011), [http://www.lfkl.edu.my/ Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur] (French Curriculum), Horizon International Turkish School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=20031129174159986|title=Foreigners in Malaysia Prefer Turkish Schools}}</ref> amongst others.

==School uniforms==

{{See also|School uniform#Malaysia}}

[[File:18548000849097l.jpg|thumb|A Malaysian secondary school class photo. The girls are wearing the baju kurung. The woman not in uniform is the teacher.]] Present-day Malaysia introduced [[Western world|Western]] style [[school uniforms]] (''pakaian seragam sekolah'') in the late 19th century during the [[United Kingdom|British]] colonial era. Today, school uniforms are almost universal in the public and private school systems. Standardised beginning January 1, 1970, public school uniforms are compulsory for all students and standardised nationwide.

A common version of Malaysian school uniform is of public schools. The dress code for males is the most standardised while female uniforms are more varied based on the religion of students and the type of schools. Male students are required to wear a collared shirt with a pair of shorts or long pants. Female students may wear a knee-length [[pinafore]] and a collared shirt, a knee-length skirt and a collared shirt, or a ''baju kurung'' consisting of a top and a long skirt with an optional [[hijab]] (tudung) for Muslim students. White socks and shoes of black or white are almost universally required for students, while ties are included in certain dress codes. [[Prefect]]s and students with other additional school duties may wear uniforms of different colours; colours may differ between primary and secondary schools.

==Education policy==
Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry of Education.<ref>{{Sourcetext|source=Constitution of Malaysia|chapter=Ninth Schedule|verse=|range= }}</ref> In July 2006, Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat stated that a review of the controversial [[Universities and University Colleges Act]] (UUCA) will be held among Malaysian MPs.<ref>[http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=14677 theSun]</ref> The ruling political alliance is composed of ethnically based parties and one of the concessions allowed by the controlling Malay party is to allow the Chinese and Indian parties to start colleges.

===National Education Blueprint===
In 2006, the National Education Blueprint 2006–10 was released. The Blueprint set a number of goals, such as establishing a National Pre-School Curriculum, setting up 100 new classes for students with special needs, increasing the percentage of single-session schools to 90% for primary schools and 70% for secondary schools, and decreasing class sizes from 31 to 30 students in primary schools and from 32 to 30 in secondary schools by the year 2010. The Blueprint also provided a number of statistics concerning weaknesses in education. According to the Blueprint, 10% of primary schools and 1.4% of secondary schools do not have a 24-hour electricity supply, 20% and 3.4% respectively do not have a public water supply, and 78% and 42% are over 30 years old and require refurbishing. It was also stated that 4.4% of primary students and 0.8% of secondary students had not mastered the [[3Rs]] (reading, writing and arithmetic). The drop-out rate for secondary schools was given as 9.3% in urban areas and 16.7% in rural areas.<ref>Koh, Lay Chin (January 17, 2007). "Free hand for 'clusters' to excel", p. 12. ''New Straits Times''.</ref>

The Blueprint also aimed to address the problem of [[racial polarisation]] in schools. Under the Blueprint, schools will hold seminars on the [[Constitution of Malaysia]], motivational camps to increase cultural awareness, food festivals to highlight different ethnic cooking styles, and essay competitions on different cultural traditions. [[Standard Mandarin|Mandarin]] and [[Tamil language]] classes will be held in national schools, beginning with a pilot project in 220 schools in 2007.<ref>"Enhancing racial unity in national schools", p. 13. (January 17, 2007). ''New Straits Times''.</ref>

The Blueprint has been subject to some criticism. Academic [[Khoo Kay Kim]] has criticised the plan, saying:

{{cquote2|We do not need this blueprint to produce excellent students. What we need is a revival of the old education system... meaning the education system we had before 1957. That was when we saw dedication from the teachers. The Malaysian education system then was second to none in Asia. We did not have sports schools but we produced citizens who were Asian class, if not world class.<ref>"Review of curricula soon", p. 13. (January 17, 2006). ''New Straits Times''.</ref>}}

== Issues in Malaysian education ==

The history of issues in Malaysian education started from the British government: the [[Barnes Report]] in 1951 to unite all races with the colonial language. The later [[Razak Report]] was made to replace the unsuccessful Barnes Report, and the system remains until today.

===Language===
The issue of language and schools is a key issue for many political groups in Malaysia. UMNO champions the cause of using Malay as the medium of instruction in all schools. However, under the Razak Report, primary schools using the Chinese and Tamil language as medium of instruction are retained. Up until 1981 in Peninsular Malaysia (and some years later in Sarawak), there were English-medium schools, set up by the former colonial government and Christian missionaries. Following the severe race riots in Kuala Lumpur in May 1969, English-medium schools were phased out from January 1970; by 1982 these became Malay-medium schools ("national schools").

The existence of national-type schools is used by non-Malays components of the ruling Barisan Nasional to indicate that their culture and identity have not been infringed upon by the Malay people. Dong Jiao Zhong (the association of Chinese school boards and teachers) and other Chinese education organizations took on the role of safeguarding Chinese education in the country and are opposed to Malay replacing Chinese as medium of instruction in Chinese schools. They shape much of the views of the Chinese educated community, which is a key electoral constituency.

In 2002, the government announced that from 2003 onwards, the teaching of [[Science]] and [[Mathematics]] would be done in English, to ensure that Malaysia would not be left behind in a world that was rapidly becoming [[globalisation|globalised]]. This paved the way for the establishment of mixed-medium education. However, the policy was heavily criticized by [[Malay language|Malay]] linguists and activists, fearing that the policy might erode the usage of Malay language in science and mathematics, which led to a massive rally in Kuala Lumpur on 7 March 2009.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title= Malaysian police fire teargas at protesters: witnesses |curly= |url= http://news.my.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=2722919 |format= |agency= AFP |work= |publisher= MSN News |location= |id= |pages= |page= |date= |accessdate=10 March 2009 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> Chinese education groups were opposed to the policy as well, fearing that it might erode the usage of Chinese as the medium of instruction in Chinese schools. The government announced in 2009 that this policy will be reversed in 2012: the teaching of both subjects would be reverted back to Malay.<ref>{{cite news | title=Teaching Of Science And Mathematics Back To Bahasa Melayu| url=http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=423799| publisher=Bernama|date= 2009-07-08| accessdate=2009-07-08}}</ref>

Due to the lack of Chinese students attending national schools, coupled with the increasing number of non-Chinese students attending Chinese national-type schools, the government announced in April 2005 that all national schools will begin teaching Chinese and Tamil to attract more students, not as mother tongue courses but as elective courses.

===Gender===
In 2004 the UNDP ([[United Nations Development Programme]]) representative Dr. Richard Leete stated that Malaysia's ranking in the UNDP gender index was not "as high as it should be". Former Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh replied that it was not unique to Malaysia. His quoted statistics revealed that there was a 2:1 ratio of boys to girls in polytechnics and at public higher learning institutions. In virtually all developed countries females and males enter university in approximately equal ratios. Thus, the 2:1 ratio in Malaysia is seen as rather peculiar when placed in a global context.

Malaysian polytechnics and community colleges are not degree-producing institutions and none have post-graduate programmes. Most are vocational or technical institutions. This imbalance is corrected once the respective genders leave the education system.

=== Racial quotas in public universities ===
In 1973, the Malaysian government implemented an affirmative action program, setting a quota of 55% of university places for Malay and the remaining 45% for Chinese and Indian students. The university quota system created considerable unhappiness among the Chinese and Indians. In 2002, it was found that Malay students constituted 69% of state university places. This was interpreted by the then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to mean that fewer Chinese and Indians were applying for these places. In 2003 the university quota system was officially abolished.<ref>http://www.lyen.net/gpage115.html</ref>

However, in 2004, 128 non-Malay students who obtained perfect 5As in STPM were denied their first choice of course which was medicine. All students managed to successfully gain offers to private institutions but some did not pursue a medical education due to lack of funds and financial support.

In 2010, the Indian community was shocked at the low 2% to 3% intake of Indian students into public universities. Indians are faring badly under the meritocratic system used for university intake. Under the quota system, about 5% to 10% of the students were Indians.<ref>http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/meritocracy-indian-students-need-assistance-1.15177</ref>

After the abolishment of the race quota, matriculation was introduced as an alternative for STPM. It has come under criticism for being easier than STPM and serves as an easier education path for Bumiputeras. Matriculation certificate, however, is only valid in Malaysia unlike STPM which is recognized across the world.

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*[http://www.tradeport.org/countries/malaysia/01grw.html "Country Facts - Malaysia"]. Retrieved October 16, 2005.
*[http://www.moe.gov.my/tayang.php?laman=imbasan_sejarah&bhs=en "A Glimpse of History"]. Retrieved October 16, 2005.
*[http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=158185 "PM Unveils Caring Budget, More New Measures To Perk Up Economy"]. (September 30, 2005). ''Bernama''.
*Yusop, Husna (October 16, 2005). [http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=11569 Speaking of culture]. ''The Sun''.
*Yusop, Husna (March 9, 2006). [http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2006/03/time-to-overhaul-education-system.htm Time to overhaul education system]. ''[[Malaysia Today]]''.
*Tan, Peter K. W. (2005), ‘The medium-of-instruction debate in Malaysia: English as a Malaysian language?’, ''Problems & Language Planning'' 29: 1, pp. 47–66 [http://www.benjamins.com/jbp/series/LPLP/29-1/art/0003a.pdf The medium-of-instruction debate in Malaysia]
{{refend}}

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.uniguru.co.in/studyabroad/malaysia/universities-colleges/list-university.html?lang=en Universities and Colleges in Malaysia]
* [http://www.moe.gov.my/?lang=en Ministry of Education official website]
* [http://www.portal.mohe.gov.my/portal/page/portal/ExtPortal/MOHE_MAIN_PAGE Ministry of Higher Education official website]
* [http://educationmalaysia.gov.my Education Malaysia], government website promoting education in Malaysia
* [http://www.djz.edu.my United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM)], also known as Dong Jiao Zong (董教总)

{{Malaysia topics}}
{{Education in Asia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Education In Malaysia}}
[[Category:Education in Malaysia| ]]

[[ar:التعليم في ماليزيا]]
[[ms:Pendidikan di Malaysia]]
[[sv:Utbildning i Malaysia]]
[[zh:马来西亚教育]]

Kuah

2012-03-23T13:32:10Z

LibStar:

{{unreferenced}}
[[Image:Kuah Town.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Kuah Town]]

'''Kuah''' is a town and district capital of [[Langkawi]], [[Kedah]], and is the entry point for those coming by ferry from either the mainland or [[Penang]] Island. The town is centered on its jetty, which brings in flocks of tourists each year who come to enjoy the shopping and other attractions of [[Langkawi]]. Over the years, Kuah has developed to become a modern and vibrant town with many shopping and dining opportunities, helped by the astounding growth of visitors to [[Langkawi]].

The name ‘Kuah’ comes from the Malay word for ketchup, and legend has it that the town arose from a cup of gravy spilled on the land by two giants fighting.{{citation needed|date=July 2010}} Kuah has a wide range of hotels but no resorts, as the town has no proper beach despite being located by the sea. Also, the nightlife in Kuah consists mostly of eating out in seafood restaurants, though there are a few bars and pubs located in some of the hotels.

Still, Kuah boasts many facilities and attractions, making it a convenient and attractive place to stay despite the lack of beach and night spots. Today, Kuah is indeed booming as a commercial center with shopping complexes, restaurants, fast food outlets, hotels and handicraft shops sprouting all over the horizon.

==Places of Attraction==
While Kuah is more of a commercial center and shopping zone, there are a few landmark attractions you can visit in Kuah. Most of these are recreational parks where you can come to enjoy some rest and relaxation as well as the gentle cooling breeze from the sea.

===Dataran Lang===
Dataran Lang, or ‘Eagle Square’, is a huge monument in the shape of a sea-eagle in pre-flight pose perched on some rocks. This huge 12-meter high statue greets visitors who come to Kuah by ferry as they ride to the jetty. The eagle is symbolic of [[Langkawi]] Island as its name derives from the Malay word for eagle. The square is a landscaped area with ponds, terraces and bridges, making it a nice place to take a stroll and admire the view of the sea.

===Taman Lagenda===
Taman Lagenda or Lagenda Park is a recreational area dedicated to Langkawi’s heritage of myths and fables. The park covers an area of 50 hectares of reclaimed land and is more of an open-air museum built with the theme of a flowering garden. Indeed, the park is full of flowers, shrubs and fruit trees growing around pathways and along ponds that dot the garden.

Along with the flowering vegetation, the park has 17 sculptures that depict the many legends found in [[Langkawi]], such as the duel between two giants that led to the formation of Mat Cincang and Raya Mountains, mythical birds and fairy-tales of princesses. In addition, there are 4 artificial lakes and a man-made beach to complement the picturesque scenery. The park is open from morning till late at night and is within walking distance from the jetty.

===CHOGM Park===
Also another park within Kuah, the CHOGM Park was built to commemorate the [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1989|1989 Commonwealth meeting]] in [[Malaysia]]. [[Langkawi]] was the retreat destination for the Government heads that attended the function. Today, the Park still carries the flags of all the [[Commonwealth Nations]] that participated, standing tall in the garden that is lushly planted with trees. This is a good place to take a stroll and relax in.

===Al-Hana Mosque===
[[File:Al-Hana Mosque 2007.jpg|thumb|Al-Hana Mosque in 2007.]]
The Al-Hana Mosque is one of the island’s largest and most popular mosques. It is conveniently located in Kuah town to accommodate Muslim patrons and also receive visitors who come to view the architecture. Indeed, this majestic mosque incorporates motifs and carvings from [[Uzbekistan]] along with traditional [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay]] elements. Also, the mosque has sentimental value to [[Langkawi]] as it was opened by the first [[Prime Minister of Malaysia]] [[Tunku Abdul Rahman]] in 1959.

==Shopping==
Langkawi has been allotted as a duty-free zone within the country. Kuah town has the highest concentration of shopping centers and shop lots that retail duty-free goods and souvenirs.

===Jetty Point Mall===
The Jetty Point Mall enjoys a strategic location by being part of the jetty complex itself. This makes it a frequent last-minute shopping place for visitors before they disembark on ferry back to the mainland. Housed with the mall are many shop lots that stock various duty-free goods. In addition, there are cafes, bakeries and fast food outlets such as [[KFC]] and [[Starbucks]] with wireless internet access.

===Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall===
The Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall is one of the largest shopping malls in Langkawi with over 100 individual shops and an adjoining supermarket cum departmental store. Duty-free goods, along with souvenirs, fashion apparel, sports attire and electronic items, can be purchased here. Other facilities include fast food outlets, a food court, money changer and an information counter for tourists.

===Teow Soon Huat===
Teow Soon Huat is a large [[duty-free shop]]ping mall with over 40 outlets, 8 food and beverage outlets including a food gallery, a department store and a supermarket selling fresh, frozen and canned foods. This is one of the most popular places to shop in [[Langkawi]] despite being located at the fringes of Kuah Town. With a family-oriented theme, one can find household commodities, family apparel, electronics and groceries besides fashion clothing, tobacco, liquor, confectionery, local souvenirs and luggage bags all at duty-free prices. Services include money exchange, ATM and a tourist information counter.
The only cinema in Langkawi is located on the 10th floor and there is abundant parking available on-site and also in the multi-level car park attached to shopping mall.

===Saga Shopping Center===
The Saga Shopping Center is another one of Langkawi’s most established shopping complexes. It provides a wide range of household items and perishables such as wine, beer, spirits, confectionery, dried food and tobacco at duty-free prices. Stuffed toys, shoes, ceramics and crystal ware are also available.

===Around Kuah Town Center===
Among the many shop lots in Kuah Town are retail outlets that resemble sundry stores. These outlets stock duty-free liquor, tobacco and confectionery.

{{Kedah}}

{{coord|6|19|N|99|51|E|region:MY_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Populated places in Kedah]]

[[es:Kuah]]
[[ms:Pekan Kuah]]
[[nl:Kuah]]
[[sv:Kuah]]

Benutzer:Reinhard Kraasch/South West Rocks, New South Wales

2012-03-08T14:47:56Z

LibStar: /* Development */ links back to here

{{refimprove|date=March 2012}}

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town
| name = South West Rocks
| state = nsw
| image = Southwestrocksswr.jpg
| caption = South West Rocks
| lga = [[Kempsey Shire]]
| postcode = 2431
| coordinates = {{Coord|30|53|03|S|153|02|25|E|type:city(4069)_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}}
| latd = 30
| latm = 53
| lats = 03
| longd = 153
| longm = 02
| longs = 25
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4,069 (2006 Census)
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census2006Y>{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL170200|name=South West Rocks (Urban Centre/Locality) |accessdate=19 November 2009|quick=on}}</ref>
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Oxley (New South Wales)|Oxley]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| maxtemp = 23.2
| mintemp = 15.6
| rainfall = 1481.1

| dist1 = 40
| location1= [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]
}}

'''South West Rocks''' is located on the [[Mid North Coast]] of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], near the mouth of the [[Macleay River]]. It is approximately 40 km from [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]. [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]] is located nearby.

The population of South West Rocks is 4,069 people,<ref name=Census2006Y /> though the town maintains a steady growth rate, the tourist population of South West Rocks increases markedly during the holiday season. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as [[Trial Bay Gaol]] and [[Smoky Cape]] Lighthouse are published as local tourist attractions.

[[Trial Bay]] is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

==History==
Whilst [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]] was originally established as the township on Trial Bay in 1866, by 1889 South West Rocks had established itself as a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley. South West Rocks got its name most likely from the captains of passing ships, who claimed it was safest to moor vessels near the rocks, south west of Laggers Point (the point on which Trial Bay Gaol is built). Another theory is that their moorings would be safe if they kept the rocks to their south west. Trial Bay was named after a [[brig]], ''The Trial'', which was stolen and wrecked by [[convicts]] in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

On 13 May 1770, Captain [[James Cook]] observed smoke from a fire on a mountain which he named Smoky Cape. The headland in front of the mountain is now the location of Smoky Cape Lighthouse. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

In 1972, a Sydney Harbour showboat, ''Sydney Queen,'' and the former Newcastle [[car carrier]]s ''Lurgurena'' and ''Koondooloo,'' were wrecked on the Main Beach after breaking free from their moorings in heavy storms.<ref name="Argus">{{cite news| last =Connaughton |first =Todd |coauthors = |title =Righting record: Night of wrecks recalled in detail | work =Macleay Argus | pages =11 | publisher =Rural Press Ltd | date =4 August 2009}}</ref> Elements of all three vessels were salvaged, but the hull of ''Sydney Queen'' filled with sand and could not be removed. It was eventually burned to the waterline to remove the obstruction from the beach.<ref name="Argus"/>

==Media==
South West Rocks has a weekly news paper ''The South West Rocks News'' which comes as a cover page to Tuesday edition of the Kempsey ''The Macleay Valley Argus''. A weekly free paper and magazine are home delivered every Wednesday to households within the Kempsey Shire and [[Nambucca Shire]].

TV Broadcasts are received from [[Coffs Harbour]], though it is possible to receive some stations from the [[Taree]] transmitter.

Radio signals are able to be received from many stations between [[Port Macquarie]] and Coffs Harbour. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

==Shopping==
South West Rocks' main street is Prince Of Wales Avenue, which is lined with shops, the other major place for shopping is [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] (which includes a Bi-Lo) which is placed closer to the towns entrance, there are also a 2 petrol stations and an [[Independent Grocers of Australia|IGA]] on Gregory Street.

==Development==

Development in the town has increased over the past few years, with a new shopping centre The Rocks Shopping Fair opening in 2002, and an adjacent housing subdivision known as [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]].

South West Rocks may be divided into five main areas: South West Rocks, [[Arakoon]], Oceanside, New Entrance and Spencerville. Arakoon is located to the east of South West Rocks and is home to [[Trial Bay Gaol]]. New Entrance is the river mouth located to the west of South West Rocks and locals also refer to the residential area on a ridge just to the east of the Macleay River at the river mouth as New Entrance.

Oceanside is located adjacent to [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]]; it is a relatively new subdivision in South West Rocks and consists of recently built houses. {{fact|date=March 2012}} Spencerville is the most southern area of South West Rocks, it runs from The Rocks Shopping Fair south to Spencers Creek Bridge and used to be its own village before recent development in Oceanside joined South West Rocks and Spencerville.

==Suburbs==
* South West Rocks
* [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]]
* [[New Entrance, New South Wales|New Entrance]]
* [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]]
* [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]]
* [[Spencerville, New South Wales|Spencerville]]

==Education==
There are two pre-schools located at South West Rocks, as well as Government primary school. There is no high school at South West Rocks, despite the efforts of the Lower Macleay Valley High School Association. High school students travel to Kempsey every weekday to one of the three high schools, Melville High School, Kempsey High School or St Paul's Catholic College. A few Primary school students also travel to St Josephs Primary School, Kempsey East Public School or Kinchela Primary School.

==Climate==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2012}}
South West Rocks has a warm and wet [[subtropical]] climate. The warmest month on average is February with a [[mean]] maximum temperature of 26.9°C and the coldest month on average is July with a mean maximum temperature of 18.7°C. The wettest month is March and the driest month is September. South West Rocks experiences a mean of 137.4 raindays annually, with the most occurring in March and the least occurring in July. South West Rocks gets the highest mean amount of rain during the Autumn and the lowest mean amount of rain during the Spring. South West Rocks' [[thunderstorm]] activity is mainly during the period from September to March (inclusive), with October and November being the months where the risk of a [[severe thunderstorm]] is increased due to a relatively high frequency of unstable [[atmospheric]] conditions which favour frequent and strong thunderstorm development. [[Hail]] is relatively rare at South West Rocks, only occurring once every year or two, and it is usually less than 2 centimetres in [[diameter]].

===Climatic Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto 0 auto;"
|+ '''Climate Table'''
|-
!
! Jan
! Feb
! Mar
! Apr
! May
! Jun
! Jul
! Aug
! Sep
! Oct
! Nov
! Dec
!YEAR
|-
! Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)
|26.8
|26.9
|26.1
|24.0
|21.4
|19.2
|18.7
|19.8
|21.7
|23.2
|24.4
|25.9
|'''23.2'''
|-90.900
! Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)
|19.5
|19.7
|18.8
|16.6
|14.3
|12.1
|11.2
|11.7
|13.4
|15.1
|16.7
|18.4
|'''15.6'''
|-12342.8897
! Mean total rainfall (mm)
|149.7
|169.1
|183.9
|169.9
|135.6
|131.8
|78.8
|82.2
|56.9
|91.3
|112.8
|118.5
|'''1481.1'''
|-
! Mean number of rain days (>0.2mm)
|13.5
|14.0
|15.3
|12.8
|11.3
|10.4
|8.0
|8.2
|8.4
|11.1
|11.8
|12.56
|'''137.4'''
|-
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_059030_All.shtml Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)]

== References ==
* ''Tales of Trial Bay - An Early History of South west Rocks'', Written by Caroline Carey, Printed by Australian Print Group, 1993, Published in Australia ISBN 0-646-14914-8
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]

[[fr:South West Rocks]]
[[nl:South West Rocks]]
[[pl:South West Rocks]]

Benutzer:Reinhard Kraasch/South West Rocks, New South Wales

2012-03-01T04:39:51Z

LibStar:

{{refimprove}}

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town
| name = South West Rocks
| state = nsw
| image = Southwestrocksswr.jpg
| caption = South West Rocks
| lga = [[Kempsey Shire]]
| postcode = 2431
| coordinates = {{Coord|30|53|03|S|153|02|25|E|type:city(4069)_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}}
| latd = 30
| latm = 53
| lats = 03
| longd = 153
| longm = 02
| longs = 25
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4,069 (2006 Census)
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census2006Y>{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL170200|name=South West Rocks (Urban Centre/Locality) |accessdate=19 November 2009|quick=on}}</ref>
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Oxley (New South Wales)|Oxley]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| maxtemp = 23.2
| mintemp = 15.6
| rainfall = 1481.1

| dist1 = 40
| location1= [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]
}}

'''South West Rocks''' is located on the [[Mid North Coast]] of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], near the mouth of the [[Macleay River]]. It is approximately 40 km from [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]. [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]] is located nearby.

The population of South West Rocks is 4,069 people,<ref name=Census2006Y /> though the town maintains a steady growth rate, the tourist population of South West Rocks increases markedly during the holiday season. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as [[Trial Bay Gaol]] and [[Smoky Cape]] Lighthouse are published as local tourist attractions.

[[Trial Bay]] is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

==History==
Whilst [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]] was originally established as the township on Trial Bay in 1866, by 1889 South West Rocks had established itself as a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley. South West Rocks got its name most likely from the captains of passing ships, who claimed it was safest to moor vessels near the rocks, south west of Laggers Point (the point on which Trial Bay Gaol is built). Another theory is that their moorings would be safe if they kept the rocks to their south west. Trial Bay was named after a [[brig]], ''The Trial'', which was stolen and wrecked by [[convicts]] in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

On 13 May 1770, Captain [[James Cook]] observed smoke from a fire on a mountain which he named Smoky Cape. The headland in front of the mountain is now the location of Smoky Cape Lighthouse. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

In 1972, a Sydney Harbour showboat, ''Sydney Queen,'' and the former Newcastle [[car carrier]]s ''Lurgurena'' and ''Koondooloo,'' were wrecked on the Main Beach after breaking free from their moorings in heavy storms.<ref name="Argus">{{cite news| last =Connaughton |first =Todd |coauthors = |title =Righting record: Night of wrecks recalled in detail | work =Macleay Argus | pages =11 | publisher =Rural Press Ltd | date =4 August 2009}}</ref> Elements of all three vessels were salvaged, but the hull of ''Sydney Queen'' filled with sand and could not be removed. It was eventually burned to the waterline to remove the obstruction from the beach.<ref name="Argus"/>

==Media==
South West Rocks has a weekly news paper ''The South West Rocks News'' which comes as a cover page to Tuesday edition of the Kempsey ''The Macleay Valley Argus''. A weekly free paper and magazine are home delivered every Wednesday to households within the Kempsey Shire and [[Nambucca Shire]].

TV Broadcasts are received from [[Coffs Harbour]], though it is possible to receive some stations from the [[Taree]] transmitter.

Radio signals are able to be received from many stations between [[Port Macquarie]] and Coffs Harbour. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

==Shopping==
South West Rocks' main street is Prince Of Wales Avenue, which is lined with shops, the other major place for shopping is [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] (which includes a Bi-Lo) which is placed closer to the towns entrance, there are also a 2 petrol stations and an [[Independent Grocers of Australia|IGA]] on Gregory Street.

==Development==

Development in the town has increased over the past few years, with a new shopping centre [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] opening in 2002, and an adjacent housing subdivision known as [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]].

South West Rocks may be divided into five main areas: South West Rocks, [[Arakoon]], Oceanside, New Entrance and Spencerville. Arakoon is located to the east of South West Rocks and is home to [[Trial Bay Gaol]]. New Entrance is the river mouth located to the west of South West Rocks and locals also refer to the residential area on a ridge just to the east of the Macleay River at the river mouth as New Entrance.

Oceanside is located adjacent to [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]]; it is a relatively new subdivision in South West Rocks and consists of recently built houses. {{fact}} Spencerville is the most southern area of South West Rocks, it runs from The Rocks Shopping Fair south to Spencers Creek Bridge and used to be its own village before recent development in Oceanside joined South West Rocks and Spencerville.

==Suburbs==
* South West Rocks
* [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]]
* [[New Entrance, New South Wales|New Entrance]]
* [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]]
* [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]]
* [[Spencerville, New South Wales|Spencerville]]

==Education==
There are two pre-schools located at South West Rocks, as well as Government primary school. There is no high school at South West Rocks, despite the efforts of the Lower Macleay Valley High School Association. High school students travel to Kempsey every weekday to one of the three high schools, Melville High School, Kempsey High School or St Paul's Catholic College. A few Primary school students also travel to St Josephs Primary School, Kempsey East Public School or Kinchela Primary School.

==Climate==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2012}}
South West Rocks has a warm and wet [[subtropical]] climate. The warmest month on average is February with a [[mean]] maximum temperature of 26.9°C and the coldest month on average is July with a mean maximum temperature of 18.7°C. The wettest month is March and the driest month is September. South West Rocks experiences a mean of 137.4 raindays annually, with the most occurring in March and the least occurring in July. South West Rocks gets the highest mean amount of rain during the Autumn and the lowest mean amount of rain during the Spring. South West Rocks' [[thunderstorm]] activity is mainly during the period from September to March (inclusive), with October and November being the months where the risk of a [[severe thunderstorm]] is increased due to a relatively high frequency of unstable [[atmospheric]] conditions which favour frequent and strong thunderstorm development. [[Hail]] is relatively rare at South West Rocks, only occurring once every year or two, and it is usually less than 2 centimetres in [[diameter]].

===Climatic Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto 0 auto;"
|+ '''Climate Table'''
|-
!
! Jan
! Feb
! Mar
! Apr
! May
! Jun
! Jul
! Aug
! Sep
! Oct
! Nov
! Dec
!YEAR
|-
! Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)
|26.8
|26.9
|26.1
|24.0
|21.4
|19.2
|18.7
|19.8
|21.7
|23.2
|24.4
|25.9
|'''23.2'''
|-90.900
! Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)
|19.5
|19.7
|18.8
|16.6
|14.3
|12.1
|11.2
|11.7
|13.4
|15.1
|16.7
|18.4
|'''15.6'''
|-12342.8897
! Mean total rainfall (mm)
|149.7
|169.1
|183.9
|169.9
|135.6
|131.8
|78.8
|82.2
|56.9
|91.3
|112.8
|118.5
|'''1481.1'''
|-
! Mean number of rain days (>0.2mm)
|13.5
|14.0
|15.3
|12.8
|11.3
|10.4
|8.0
|8.2
|8.4
|11.1
|11.8
|12.56
|'''137.4'''
|-
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_059030_All.shtml Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)]

== References ==
* ''Tales of Trial Bay - An Early History of South west Rocks'', Written by Caroline Carey, Printed by Australian Print Group, 1993, Published in Australia ISBN 0-646-14914-8
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]

[[fr:South West Rocks]]
[[nl:South West Rocks]]
[[pl:South West Rocks]]

Benutzer:Reinhard Kraasch/South West Rocks, New South Wales

2012-03-01T04:38:28Z

LibStar: /* New Entrance */ rm uncited

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town
| name = South West Rocks
| state = nsw
| image = Southwestrocksswr.jpg
| caption = South West Rocks
| lga = [[Kempsey Shire]]
| postcode = 2431
| coordinates = {{Coord|30|53|03|S|153|02|25|E|type:city(4069)_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}}
| latd = 30
| latm = 53
| lats = 03
| longd = 153
| longm = 02
| longs = 25
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4,069 (2006 Census)
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census2006Y>{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL170200|name=South West Rocks (Urban Centre/Locality) |accessdate=19 November 2009|quick=on}}</ref>
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Oxley (New South Wales)|Oxley]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| maxtemp = 23.2
| mintemp = 15.6
| rainfall = 1481.1

| dist1 = 40
| location1= [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]
}}

'''South West Rocks''' is located on the [[Mid North Coast]] of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], near the mouth of the [[Macleay River]]. It is approximately 40 km from [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]. [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]] is located nearby.

The population of South West Rocks is 4,069 people,<ref name=Census2006Y /> though the town maintains a steady growth rate, the tourist population of South West Rocks increases markedly during the holiday season. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as [[Trial Bay Gaol]] and [[Smoky Cape]] Lighthouse are published as local tourist attractions.

[[Trial Bay]] is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

==History==
Whilst [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]] was originally established as the township on Trial Bay in 1866, by 1889 South West Rocks had established itself as a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley. South West Rocks got its name most likely from the captains of passing ships, who claimed it was safest to moor vessels near the rocks, south west of Laggers Point (the point on which Trial Bay Gaol is built). Another theory is that their moorings would be safe if they kept the rocks to their south west. Trial Bay was named after a [[brig]], ''The Trial'', which was stolen and wrecked by [[convicts]] in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

On 13 May 1770, Captain [[James Cook]] observed smoke from a fire on a mountain which he named Smoky Cape. The headland in front of the mountain is now the location of Smoky Cape Lighthouse. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

In 1972, a Sydney Harbour showboat, ''Sydney Queen,'' and the former Newcastle [[car carrier]]s ''Lurgurena'' and ''Koondooloo,'' were wrecked on the Main Beach after breaking free from their moorings in heavy storms.<ref name="Argus">{{cite news| last =Connaughton |first =Todd |coauthors = |title =Righting record: Night of wrecks recalled in detail | work =Macleay Argus | pages =11 | publisher =Rural Press Ltd | date =4 August 2009}}</ref> Elements of all three vessels were salvaged, but the hull of ''Sydney Queen'' filled with sand and could not be removed. It was eventually burned to the waterline to remove the obstruction from the beach.<ref name="Argus"/>

==Media==
South West Rocks has a weekly news paper ''The South West Rocks News'' which comes as a cover page to Tuesday edition of the Kempsey ''The Macleay Valley Argus''. A weekly free paper and magazine are home delivered every Wednesday to households within the Kempsey Shire and [[Nambucca Shire]].

TV Broadcasts are received from [[Coffs Harbour]], though it is possible to receive some stations from the [[Taree]] transmitter.

Radio signals are able to be received from many stations between [[Port Macquarie]] and Coffs Harbour. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

==Shopping==
South West Rocks' main street is Prince Of Wales Avenue, which is lined with shops, the other major place for shopping is [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] (which includes a Bi-Lo) which is placed closer to the towns entrance, there are also a 2 petrol stations and an [[Independent Grocers of Australia|IGA]] on Gregory Street.

==Development==

Development in the town has increased over the past few years, with a new shopping centre [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] opening in 2002, and an adjacent housing subdivision known as [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]].

South West Rocks may be divided into five main areas: South West Rocks, [[Arakoon]], Oceanside, New Entrance and Spencerville. Arakoon is located to the east of South West Rocks and is home to [[Trial Bay Gaol]]. New Entrance is the river mouth located to the west of South West Rocks and locals also refer to the residential area on a ridge just to the east of the Macleay River at the river mouth as New Entrance.

Oceanside is located adjacent to [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]]; it is a relatively new subdivision in South West Rocks and consists of recently built houses. {{fact}} Spencerville is the most southern area of South West Rocks, it runs from The Rocks Shopping Fair south to Spencers Creek Bridge and used to be its own village before recent development in Oceanside joined South West Rocks and Spencerville.

==Suburbs==
* South West Rocks
* [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]]
* [[New Entrance, New South Wales|New Entrance]]
* [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]]
* [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]]
* [[Spencerville, New South Wales|Spencerville]]

==Education==
There are two pre-schools located at South West Rocks, as well as Government primary school. There is no high school at South West Rocks, despite the efforts of the Lower Macleay Valley High School Association. High school students travel to Kempsey every weekday to one of the three high schools, Melville High School, Kempsey High School or St Paul's Catholic College. A few Primary school students also travel to St Josephs Primary School, Kempsey East Public School or Kinchela Primary School.

==Climate==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2012}}
South West Rocks has a warm and wet [[subtropical]] climate. The warmest month on average is February with a [[mean]] maximum temperature of 26.9°C and the coldest month on average is July with a mean maximum temperature of 18.7°C. The wettest month is March and the driest month is September. South West Rocks experiences a mean of 137.4 raindays annually, with the most occurring in March and the least occurring in July. South West Rocks gets the highest mean amount of rain during the Autumn and the lowest mean amount of rain during the Spring. South West Rocks' [[thunderstorm]] activity is mainly during the period from September to March (inclusive), with October and November being the months where the risk of a [[severe thunderstorm]] is increased due to a relatively high frequency of unstable [[atmospheric]] conditions which favour frequent and strong thunderstorm development. [[Hail]] is relatively rare at South West Rocks, only occurring once every year or two, and it is usually less than 2 centimetres in [[diameter]].

===Climatic Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto 0 auto;"
|+ '''Climate Table'''
|-
!
! Jan
! Feb
! Mar
! Apr
! May
! Jun
! Jul
! Aug
! Sep
! Oct
! Nov
! Dec
!YEAR
|-
! Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)
|26.8
|26.9
|26.1
|24.0
|21.4
|19.2
|18.7
|19.8
|21.7
|23.2
|24.4
|25.9
|'''23.2'''
|-90.900
! Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)
|19.5
|19.7
|18.8
|16.6
|14.3
|12.1
|11.2
|11.7
|13.4
|15.1
|16.7
|18.4
|'''15.6'''
|-12342.8897
! Mean total rainfall (mm)
|149.7
|169.1
|183.9
|169.9
|135.6
|131.8
|78.8
|82.2
|56.9
|91.3
|112.8
|118.5
|'''1481.1'''
|-
! Mean number of rain days (>0.2mm)
|13.5
|14.0
|15.3
|12.8
|11.3
|10.4
|8.0
|8.2
|8.4
|11.1
|11.8
|12.56
|'''137.4'''
|-
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_059030_All.shtml Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)]

== References ==
* ''Tales of Trial Bay - An Early History of South west Rocks'', Written by Caroline Carey, Printed by Australian Print Group, 1993, Published in Australia ISBN 0-646-14914-8
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]

[[fr:South West Rocks]]
[[nl:South West Rocks]]
[[pl:South West Rocks]]

Benutzer:Reinhard Kraasch/South West Rocks, New South Wales

2012-03-01T04:37:52Z

LibStar: /* Development */

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town
| name = South West Rocks
| state = nsw
| image = Southwestrocksswr.jpg
| caption = South West Rocks
| lga = [[Kempsey Shire]]
| postcode = 2431
| coordinates = {{Coord|30|53|03|S|153|02|25|E|type:city(4069)_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}}
| latd = 30
| latm = 53
| lats = 03
| longd = 153
| longm = 02
| longs = 25
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4,069 (2006 Census)
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census2006Y>{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL170200|name=South West Rocks (Urban Centre/Locality) |accessdate=19 November 2009|quick=on}}</ref>
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Oxley (New South Wales)|Oxley]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| maxtemp = 23.2
| mintemp = 15.6
| rainfall = 1481.1

| dist1 = 40
| location1= [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]
}}

'''South West Rocks''' is located on the [[Mid North Coast]] of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], near the mouth of the [[Macleay River]]. It is approximately 40 km from [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]. [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]] is located nearby.

The population of South West Rocks is 4,069 people,<ref name=Census2006Y /> though the town maintains a steady growth rate, the tourist population of South West Rocks increases markedly during the holiday season. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as [[Trial Bay Gaol]] and [[Smoky Cape]] Lighthouse are published as local tourist attractions.

[[Trial Bay]] is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

==History==
Whilst [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]] was originally established as the township on Trial Bay in 1866, by 1889 South West Rocks had established itself as a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley. South West Rocks got its name most likely from the captains of passing ships, who claimed it was safest to moor vessels near the rocks, south west of Laggers Point (the point on which Trial Bay Gaol is built). Another theory is that their moorings would be safe if they kept the rocks to their south west. Trial Bay was named after a [[brig]], ''The Trial'', which was stolen and wrecked by [[convicts]] in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

On 13 May 1770, Captain [[James Cook]] observed smoke from a fire on a mountain which he named Smoky Cape. The headland in front of the mountain is now the location of Smoky Cape Lighthouse. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

In 1972, a Sydney Harbour showboat, ''Sydney Queen,'' and the former Newcastle [[car carrier]]s ''Lurgurena'' and ''Koondooloo,'' were wrecked on the Main Beach after breaking free from their moorings in heavy storms.<ref name="Argus">{{cite news| last =Connaughton |first =Todd |coauthors = |title =Righting record: Night of wrecks recalled in detail | work =Macleay Argus | pages =11 | publisher =Rural Press Ltd | date =4 August 2009}}</ref> Elements of all three vessels were salvaged, but the hull of ''Sydney Queen'' filled with sand and could not be removed. It was eventually burned to the waterline to remove the obstruction from the beach.<ref name="Argus"/>

==Media==
South West Rocks has a weekly news paper ''The South West Rocks News'' which comes as a cover page to Tuesday edition of the Kempsey ''The Macleay Valley Argus''. A weekly free paper and magazine are home delivered every Wednesday to households within the Kempsey Shire and [[Nambucca Shire]].

TV Broadcasts are received from [[Coffs Harbour]], though it is possible to receive some stations from the [[Taree]] transmitter.

Radio signals are able to be received from many stations between [[Port Macquarie]] and Coffs Harbour. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

==Shopping==
South West Rocks' main street is Prince Of Wales Avenue, which is lined with shops, the other major place for shopping is [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] (which includes a Bi-Lo) which is placed closer to the towns entrance, there are also a 2 petrol stations and an [[Independent Grocers of Australia|IGA]] on Gregory Street.

==Development==

Development in the town has increased over the past few years, with a new shopping centre [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] opening in 2002, and an adjacent housing subdivision known as [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]].

South West Rocks may be divided into five main areas: South West Rocks, [[Arakoon]], Oceanside, New Entrance and Spencerville. Arakoon is located to the east of South West Rocks and is home to [[Trial Bay Gaol]]. New Entrance is the river mouth located to the west of South West Rocks and locals also refer to the residential area on a ridge just to the east of the Macleay River at the river mouth as New Entrance.

Oceanside is located adjacent to [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]]; it is a relatively new subdivision in South West Rocks and consists of recently built houses. {{fact}} Spencerville is the most southern area of South West Rocks, it runs from The Rocks Shopping Fair south to Spencers Creek Bridge and used to be its own village before recent development in Oceanside joined South West Rocks and Spencerville.

===New Entrance===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2012}}
The Geographical Names Board of New South Wales designates New Entrance as a river mouth and describes it as “The mouth of the Macleay River where it enters the Pacific Ocean about 2 km NW of South West Rocks.” The name was acquired in 1893 when the river changed its course and created a new river entrance.

Locals refer to the neighbouring hillside residential estate as New Entrance although this is not officially a recognised locality.

A boat ramp and fishing charters also leave from this area. Although there are no shops, New Entrance has the Riverside Tavern.

The area is home to some of South West Rocks' more expensive houses, as the area has panoramic views of the surrounding area to the west and the Pacific Ocean. Despite this, the area has a well known{{By whom|date=June 2010}} sandfly problem and is often referred to by locals as "Sandfly Hill".

==Suburbs==
* South West Rocks
* [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]]
* [[New Entrance, New South Wales|New Entrance]]
* [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]]
* [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]]
* [[Spencerville, New South Wales|Spencerville]]

==Education==
There are two pre-schools located at South West Rocks, as well as Government primary school. There is no high school at South West Rocks, despite the efforts of the Lower Macleay Valley High School Association. High school students travel to Kempsey every weekday to one of the three high schools, Melville High School, Kempsey High School or St Paul's Catholic College. A few Primary school students also travel to St Josephs Primary School, Kempsey East Public School or Kinchela Primary School.

==Climate==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2012}}
South West Rocks has a warm and wet [[subtropical]] climate. The warmest month on average is February with a [[mean]] maximum temperature of 26.9°C and the coldest month on average is July with a mean maximum temperature of 18.7°C. The wettest month is March and the driest month is September. South West Rocks experiences a mean of 137.4 raindays annually, with the most occurring in March and the least occurring in July. South West Rocks gets the highest mean amount of rain during the Autumn and the lowest mean amount of rain during the Spring. South West Rocks' [[thunderstorm]] activity is mainly during the period from September to March (inclusive), with October and November being the months where the risk of a [[severe thunderstorm]] is increased due to a relatively high frequency of unstable [[atmospheric]] conditions which favour frequent and strong thunderstorm development. [[Hail]] is relatively rare at South West Rocks, only occurring once every year or two, and it is usually less than 2 centimetres in [[diameter]].

===Climatic Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto 0 auto;"
|+ '''Climate Table'''
|-
!
! Jan
! Feb
! Mar
! Apr
! May
! Jun
! Jul
! Aug
! Sep
! Oct
! Nov
! Dec
!YEAR
|-
! Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)
|26.8
|26.9
|26.1
|24.0
|21.4
|19.2
|18.7
|19.8
|21.7
|23.2
|24.4
|25.9
|'''23.2'''
|-90.900
! Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)
|19.5
|19.7
|18.8
|16.6
|14.3
|12.1
|11.2
|11.7
|13.4
|15.1
|16.7
|18.4
|'''15.6'''
|-12342.8897
! Mean total rainfall (mm)
|149.7
|169.1
|183.9
|169.9
|135.6
|131.8
|78.8
|82.2
|56.9
|91.3
|112.8
|118.5
|'''1481.1'''
|-
! Mean number of rain days (>0.2mm)
|13.5
|14.0
|15.3
|12.8
|11.3
|10.4
|8.0
|8.2
|8.4
|11.1
|11.8
|12.56
|'''137.4'''
|-
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_059030_All.shtml Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)]

== References ==
* ''Tales of Trial Bay - An Early History of South west Rocks'', Written by Caroline Carey, Printed by Australian Print Group, 1993, Published in Australia ISBN 0-646-14914-8
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]

[[fr:South West Rocks]]
[[nl:South West Rocks]]
[[pl:South West Rocks]]

Benutzer:Reinhard Kraasch/South West Rocks, New South Wales

2012-03-01T04:36:09Z

LibStar: Reverted edits by 58.106.85.16 (talk) to last version by Helpful Pixie Bot

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town
| name = South West Rocks
| state = nsw
| image = Southwestrocksswr.jpg
| caption = South West Rocks
| lga = [[Kempsey Shire]]
| postcode = 2431
| coordinates = {{Coord|30|53|03|S|153|02|25|E|type:city(4069)_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}}
| latd = 30
| latm = 53
| lats = 03
| longd = 153
| longm = 02
| longs = 25
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4,069 (2006 Census)
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census2006Y>{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL170200|name=South West Rocks (Urban Centre/Locality) |accessdate=19 November 2009|quick=on}}</ref>
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Oxley (New South Wales)|Oxley]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| maxtemp = 23.2
| mintemp = 15.6
| rainfall = 1481.1

| dist1 = 40
| location1= [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]
}}

'''South West Rocks''' is located on the [[Mid North Coast]] of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], near the mouth of the [[Macleay River]]. It is approximately 40 km from [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]. [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]] is located nearby.

The population of South West Rocks is 4,069 people,<ref name=Census2006Y /> though the town maintains a steady growth rate, the tourist population of South West Rocks increases markedly during the holiday season. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as [[Trial Bay Gaol]] and [[Smoky Cape]] Lighthouse are published as local tourist attractions.

[[Trial Bay]] is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

==History==
Whilst [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]] was originally established as the township on Trial Bay in 1866, by 1889 South West Rocks had established itself as a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley. South West Rocks got its name most likely from the captains of passing ships, who claimed it was safest to moor vessels near the rocks, south west of Laggers Point (the point on which Trial Bay Gaol is built). Another theory is that their moorings would be safe if they kept the rocks to their south west. Trial Bay was named after a [[brig]], ''The Trial'', which was stolen and wrecked by [[convicts]] in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

On 13 May 1770, Captain [[James Cook]] observed smoke from a fire on a mountain which he named Smoky Cape. The headland in front of the mountain is now the location of Smoky Cape Lighthouse. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

In 1972, a Sydney Harbour showboat, ''Sydney Queen,'' and the former Newcastle [[car carrier]]s ''Lurgurena'' and ''Koondooloo,'' were wrecked on the Main Beach after breaking free from their moorings in heavy storms.<ref name="Argus">{{cite news| last =Connaughton |first =Todd |coauthors = |title =Righting record: Night of wrecks recalled in detail | work =Macleay Argus | pages =11 | publisher =Rural Press Ltd | date =4 August 2009}}</ref> Elements of all three vessels were salvaged, but the hull of ''Sydney Queen'' filled with sand and could not be removed. It was eventually burned to the waterline to remove the obstruction from the beach.<ref name="Argus"/>

==Media==
South West Rocks has a weekly news paper ''The South West Rocks News'' which comes as a cover page to Tuesday edition of the Kempsey ''The Macleay Valley Argus''. A weekly free paper and magazine are home delivered every Wednesday to households within the Kempsey Shire and [[Nambucca Shire]].

TV Broadcasts are received from [[Coffs Harbour]], though it is possible to receive some stations from the [[Taree]] transmitter.

Radio signals are able to be received from many stations between [[Port Macquarie]] and Coffs Harbour. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

==Shopping==
South West Rocks' main street is Prince Of Wales Avenue, which is lined with shops, the other major place for shopping is [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] (which includes a Bi-Lo) which is placed closer to the towns entrance, there are also a 2 petrol stations and an [[Independent Grocers of Australia|IGA]] on Gregory Street.

==Development==
Development in the town has increased over the past few years, with a new shopping centre [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] opening in 2002, and an adjacent housing subdivision known as [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]].

South West Rocks may be divided into five main areas: South West Rocks, [[Arakoon]], Oceanside, New Entrance and Spencerville. Arakoon is located to the east of South West Rocks and is home to [[Trial Bay Gaol]]. New Entrance is the river mouth located to the west of South West Rocks and locals also refer to the residential area on a ridge just to the east of the Macleay River at the river mouth as New Entrance. Oceanside is located adjacent to [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]]; it is a relatively new subdivision in South West Rocks and consists of recently built houses. Spencerville is the most southern area of South West Rocks, it runs from The Rocks Shopping Fair south to Spencers Creek Bridge and used to be its own village before recent development in Oceanside joined South West Rocks and Spencerville.

===New Entrance===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2012}}
The Geographical Names Board of New South Wales designates New Entrance as a river mouth and describes it as “The mouth of the Macleay River where it enters the Pacific Ocean about 2 km NW of South West Rocks.” The name was acquired in 1893 when the river changed its course and created a new river entrance.

Locals refer to the neighbouring hillside residential estate as New Entrance although this is not officially a recognised locality.

A boat ramp and fishing charters also leave from this area. Although there are no shops, New Entrance has the Riverside Tavern.

The area is home to some of South West Rocks' more expensive houses, as the area has panoramic views of the surrounding area to the west and the Pacific Ocean. Despite this, the area has a well known{{By whom|date=June 2010}} sandfly problem and is often referred to by locals as "Sandfly Hill".

==Suburbs==
* South West Rocks
* [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]]
* [[New Entrance, New South Wales|New Entrance]]
* [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]]
* [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]]
* [[Spencerville, New South Wales|Spencerville]]

==Education==
There are two pre-schools located at South West Rocks, as well as Government primary school. There is no high school at South West Rocks, despite the efforts of the Lower Macleay Valley High School Association. High school students travel to Kempsey every weekday to one of the three high schools, Melville High School, Kempsey High School or St Paul's Catholic College. A few Primary school students also travel to St Josephs Primary School, Kempsey East Public School or Kinchela Primary School.

==Climate==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2012}}
South West Rocks has a warm and wet [[subtropical]] climate. The warmest month on average is February with a [[mean]] maximum temperature of 26.9°C and the coldest month on average is July with a mean maximum temperature of 18.7°C. The wettest month is March and the driest month is September. South West Rocks experiences a mean of 137.4 raindays annually, with the most occurring in March and the least occurring in July. South West Rocks gets the highest mean amount of rain during the Autumn and the lowest mean amount of rain during the Spring. South West Rocks' [[thunderstorm]] activity is mainly during the period from September to March (inclusive), with October and November being the months where the risk of a [[severe thunderstorm]] is increased due to a relatively high frequency of unstable [[atmospheric]] conditions which favour frequent and strong thunderstorm development. [[Hail]] is relatively rare at South West Rocks, only occurring once every year or two, and it is usually less than 2 centimetres in [[diameter]].

===Climatic Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto 0 auto;"
|+ '''Climate Table'''
|-
!
! Jan
! Feb
! Mar
! Apr
! May
! Jun
! Jul
! Aug
! Sep
! Oct
! Nov
! Dec
!YEAR
|-
! Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)
|26.8
|26.9
|26.1
|24.0
|21.4
|19.2
|18.7
|19.8
|21.7
|23.2
|24.4
|25.9
|'''23.2'''
|-90.900
! Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)
|19.5
|19.7
|18.8
|16.6
|14.3
|12.1
|11.2
|11.7
|13.4
|15.1
|16.7
|18.4
|'''15.6'''
|-12342.8897
! Mean total rainfall (mm)
|149.7
|169.1
|183.9
|169.9
|135.6
|131.8
|78.8
|82.2
|56.9
|91.3
|112.8
|118.5
|'''1481.1'''
|-
! Mean number of rain days (>0.2mm)
|13.5
|14.0
|15.3
|12.8
|11.3
|10.4
|8.0
|8.2
|8.4
|11.1
|11.8
|12.56
|'''137.4'''
|-
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_059030_All.shtml Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)]

== References ==
* ''Tales of Trial Bay - An Early History of South west Rocks'', Written by Caroline Carey, Printed by Australian Print Group, 1993, Published in Australia ISBN 0-646-14914-8
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]

[[fr:South West Rocks]]
[[nl:South West Rocks]]
[[pl:South West Rocks]]

Benutzer:Reinhard Kraasch/South West Rocks, New South Wales

2012-01-03T10:13:41Z

LibStar: /* Climate */

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town
| name = South West Rocks
| state = nsw
| image = Southwestrocksswr.jpg
| caption = South West Rocks
| lga = [[Kempsey Shire]]
| postcode = 2431
| coordinates = {{Coord|30|53|03|S|153|02|25|E|type:city(4069)_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}}
| latd = 30
| latm = 53
| lats = 03
| longd = 153
| longm = 02
| longs = 25
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4,069 (2006 Census)
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census2006Y>{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL170200|name=South West Rocks (Urban Centre/Locality) |accessdate=19 November 2009|quick=on}}</ref>
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Oxley (New South Wales)|Oxley]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| maxtemp = 23.2
| mintemp = 15.6
| rainfall = 1481.1

| dist1 = 40
| location1= [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]
}}

'''South West Rocks''' is located on the [[Mid North Coast]] of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], near the mouth of the [[Macleay River]]. It is approximately 40 km from [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]. [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]] is located nearby.

The population of South West Rocks is 4,069 people,<ref name=Census2006Y /> though the town maintains a steady growth rate, the tourist population of South West Rocks increases markedly during the holiday season. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as [[Trial Bay Gaol]] and [[Smoky Cape]] Lighthouse are published as local tourist attractions.

[[Trial Bay]] is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

==History==
Whilst [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]] was originally established as the township on Trial Bay in 1866, by 1889 South West Rocks had established itself as a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley. South West Rocks got its name most likely from the captains of passing ships, who claimed it was safest to moor vessels near the rocks, south west of Laggers Point (the point on which Trial Bay Gaol is built). Another theory is that their moorings would be safe if they kept the rocks to their south west. Trial Bay was named after a [[brig]], ''The Trial'', which was stolen and wrecked by [[convicts]] in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name. {{fact}}

On 13 May 1770, Captain [[James Cook]] observed smoke from a fire on a mountain which he named Smoky Cape. The headland in front of the mountain is now the location of Smoky Cape Lighthouse. {{fact}}

In 1972, a Sydney Harbour showboat, ''Sydney Queen,'' and the former Newcastle [[car carrier]]s ''Lurgurena'' and ''Koondooloo,'' were wrecked on the Main Beach after breaking free from their moorings in heavy storms.<ref name="Argus">{{cite news| last =Connaughton |first =Todd |coauthors = |title =Righting record: Night of wrecks recalled in detail | work =Macleay Argus | pages =11 | publisher =Rural Press Ltd | date =4 August 2009}}</ref> Elements of all three vessels were salvaged, but the hull of ''Sydney Queen'' filled with sand and could not be removed. It was eventually burned to the waterline to remove the obstruction from the beach.<ref name="Argus"/>

==Media==
South West Rocks has a weekly news paper ''The South West Rocks News'' which comes as a cover page to Tuesday edition of the Kempsey ''The Macleay Valley Argus''. A weekly free paper and magazine are home delivered every Wednesday to households within the Kempsey Shire and [[Nambucca Shire]].

TV Broadcasts are received from [[Coffs Harbour]], though it is possible to receive some stations from the [[Taree]] transmitter.

Radio signals are able to be received from many stations between [[Port Macquarie]] and Coffs Harbour. {{fact}}

==Shopping==
South West Rocks' main street is Prince Of Wales Avenue, which is lined with shops, the other major place for shopping is [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] (which includes a Bi-Lo) which is placed closer to the towns entrance, there are also a 2 petrol stations and an [[Independent Grocers of Australia|IGA]] on Gregory Street.

==Development==
Development in the town has increased over the past few years, with a new shopping centre [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] opening in 2002, and an adjacent housing subdivision known as [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]].

South West Rocks may be divided into five main areas: South West Rocks, [[Arakoon]], Oceanside, New Entrance and Spencerville. Arakoon is located to the east of South West Rocks and is home to [[Trial Bay Gaol]]. New Entrance is the river mouth located to the west of South West Rocks and locals also refer to the residential area on a ridge just to the east of the Macleay River at the river mouth as New Entrance. Oceanside is located adjacent to [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]]; it is a relatively new subdivision in South West Rocks and consists of recently built houses. Spencerville is the most southern area of South West Rocks, it runs from The Rocks Shopping Fair south to Spencers Creek Bridge and used to be its own village before recent development in Oceanside joined South West Rocks and Spencerville.

===New Entrance===
{{unreferencedsect}}
The Geographical Names Board of New South Wales designates New Entrance as a river mouth and describes it as “The mouth of the Macleay River where it enters the Pacific Ocean about 2 km NW of South West Rocks.” The name was acquired in 1893 when the river changed its course and created a new river entrance.

Locals refer to the neighbouring hillside residential estate as New Entrance although this is not officially a recognised locality.

A boat ramp and fishing charters also leave from this area. Although there are no shops, New Entrance has the Riverside Tavern.

The area is home to some of South West Rocks' more expensive houses, as the area has panoramic views of the surrounding area to the west and the Pacific Ocean. Despite this, the area has a well known{{By whom|date=June 2010}} sandfly problem and is often referred to by locals as "Sandfly Hill".

==Suburbs==
* South West Rocks
* [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]]
* [[New Entrance, New South Wales|New Entrance]]
* [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]]
* [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]]
* [[Spencerville, New South Wales|Spencerville]]

==Education==
There are two pre-schools located at South West Rocks, as well as Government primary school. There is no high school at South West Rocks, despite the efforts of the Lower Macleay Valley High School Association. High school students travel to Kempsey every weekday to one of the three high schools, Melville High School, Kempsey High School or St Paul's Catholic College. A few Primary school students also travel to St Josephs Primary School, Kempsey East Public School or Kinchela Primary School.

==Climate==
{{unreferencedsect}}
South West Rocks has a warm and wet [[subtropical]] climate. The warmest month on average is February with a [[mean]] maximum temperature of 26.9°C and the coldest month on average is July with a mean maximum temperature of 18.7°C. The wettest month is March and the driest month is September. South West Rocks experiences a mean of 137.4 raindays annually, with the most occurring in March and the least occurring in July. South West Rocks gets the highest mean amount of rain during the Autumn and the lowest mean amount of rain during the Spring. South West Rocks' [[thunderstorm]] activity is mainly during the period from September to March (inclusive), with October and November being the months where the risk of a [[severe thunderstorm]] is increased due to a relatively high frequency of unstable [[atmospheric]] conditions which favour frequent and strong thunderstorm development. [[Hail]] is relatively rare at South West Rocks, only occurring once every year or two, and it is usually less than 2 centimetres in [[diameter]].

===Climatic Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto 0 auto;"
|+ '''Climate Table'''
|-
!
! Jan
! Feb
! Mar
! Apr
! May
! Jun
! Jul
! Aug
! Sep
! Oct
! Nov
! Dec
!YEAR
|-
! Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)
|26.8
|26.9
|26.1
|24.0
|21.4
|19.2
|18.7
|19.8
|21.7
|23.2
|24.4
|25.9
|'''23.2'''
|-90.900
! Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)
|19.5
|19.7
|18.8
|16.6
|14.3
|12.1
|11.2
|11.7
|13.4
|15.1
|16.7
|18.4
|'''15.6'''
|-12342.8897
! Mean total rainfall (mm)
|149.7
|169.1
|183.9
|169.9
|135.6
|131.8
|78.8
|82.2
|56.9
|91.3
|112.8
|118.5
|'''1481.1'''
|-
! Mean number of rain days (>0.2mm)
|13.5
|14.0
|15.3
|12.8
|11.3
|10.4
|8.0
|8.2
|8.4
|11.1
|11.8
|12.56
|'''137.4'''
|-
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_059030_All.shtml Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)]

== References ==
* ''Tales of Trial Bay - An Early History of South west Rocks'', Written by Caroline Carey, Printed by Australian Print Group, 1993, Published in Australia ISBN 0-646-14914-8
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]

[[fr:South West Rocks]]
[[nl:South West Rocks]]
[[pl:South West Rocks]]

Benutzer:Reinhard Kraasch/South West Rocks, New South Wales

2012-01-03T10:12:29Z

LibStar: /* Media */

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town
| name = South West Rocks
| state = nsw
| image = Southwestrocksswr.jpg
| caption = South West Rocks
| lga = [[Kempsey Shire]]
| postcode = 2431
| coordinates = {{Coord|30|53|03|S|153|02|25|E|type:city(4069)_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}}
| latd = 30
| latm = 53
| lats = 03
| longd = 153
| longm = 02
| longs = 25
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4,069 (2006 Census)
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census2006Y>{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL170200|name=South West Rocks (Urban Centre/Locality) |accessdate=19 November 2009|quick=on}}</ref>
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Oxley (New South Wales)|Oxley]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| maxtemp = 23.2
| mintemp = 15.6
| rainfall = 1481.1

| dist1 = 40
| location1= [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]
}}

'''South West Rocks''' is located on the [[Mid North Coast]] of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], near the mouth of the [[Macleay River]]. It is approximately 40 km from [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]]. [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]] is located nearby.

The population of South West Rocks is 4,069 people,<ref name=Census2006Y /> though the town maintains a steady growth rate, the tourist population of South West Rocks increases markedly during the holiday season. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as [[Trial Bay Gaol]] and [[Smoky Cape]] Lighthouse are published as local tourist attractions.

[[Trial Bay]] is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

==History==
Whilst [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]] was originally established as the township on Trial Bay in 1866, by 1889 South West Rocks had established itself as a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley. South West Rocks got its name most likely from the captains of passing ships, who claimed it was safest to moor vessels near the rocks, south west of Laggers Point (the point on which Trial Bay Gaol is built). Another theory is that their moorings would be safe if they kept the rocks to their south west. Trial Bay was named after a [[brig]], ''The Trial'', which was stolen and wrecked by [[convicts]] in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name. {{fact}}

On 13 May 1770, Captain [[James Cook]] observed smoke from a fire on a mountain which he named Smoky Cape. The headland in front of the mountain is now the location of Smoky Cape Lighthouse. {{fact}}

In 1972, a Sydney Harbour showboat, ''Sydney Queen,'' and the former Newcastle [[car carrier]]s ''Lurgurena'' and ''Koondooloo,'' were wrecked on the Main Beach after breaking free from their moorings in heavy storms.<ref name="Argus">{{cite news| last =Connaughton |first =Todd |coauthors = |title =Righting record: Night of wrecks recalled in detail | work =Macleay Argus | pages =11 | publisher =Rural Press Ltd | date =4 August 2009}}</ref> Elements of all three vessels were salvaged, but the hull of ''Sydney Queen'' filled with sand and could not be removed. It was eventually burned to the waterline to remove the obstruction from the beach.<ref name="Argus"/>

==Media==
South West Rocks has a weekly news paper ''The South West Rocks News'' which comes as a cover page to Tuesday edition of the Kempsey ''The Macleay Valley Argus''. A weekly free paper and magazine are home delivered every Wednesday to households within the Kempsey Shire and [[Nambucca Shire]].

TV Broadcasts are received from [[Coffs Harbour]], though it is possible to receive some stations from the [[Taree]] transmitter.

Radio signals are able to be received from many stations between [[Port Macquarie]] and Coffs Harbour. {{fact}}

==Shopping==
South West Rocks' main street is Prince Of Wales Avenue, which is lined with shops, the other major place for shopping is [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] (which includes a Bi-Lo) which is placed closer to the towns entrance, there are also a 2 petrol stations and an [[Independent Grocers of Australia|IGA]] on Gregory Street.

==Development==
Development in the town has increased over the past few years, with a new shopping centre [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]] opening in 2002, and an adjacent housing subdivision known as [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]].

South West Rocks may be divided into five main areas: South West Rocks, [[Arakoon]], Oceanside, New Entrance and Spencerville. Arakoon is located to the east of South West Rocks and is home to [[Trial Bay Gaol]]. New Entrance is the river mouth located to the west of South West Rocks and locals also refer to the residential area on a ridge just to the east of the Macleay River at the river mouth as New Entrance. Oceanside is located adjacent to [[The Rocks Shopping Fair]]; it is a relatively new subdivision in South West Rocks and consists of recently built houses. Spencerville is the most southern area of South West Rocks, it runs from The Rocks Shopping Fair south to Spencers Creek Bridge and used to be its own village before recent development in Oceanside joined South West Rocks and Spencerville.

===New Entrance===
{{unreferencedsect}}
The Geographical Names Board of New South Wales designates New Entrance as a river mouth and describes it as “The mouth of the Macleay River where it enters the Pacific Ocean about 2 km NW of South West Rocks.” The name was acquired in 1893 when the river changed its course and created a new river entrance.

Locals refer to the neighbouring hillside residential estate as New Entrance although this is not officially a recognised locality.

A boat ramp and fishing charters also leave from this area. Although there are no shops, New Entrance has the Riverside Tavern.

The area is home to some of South West Rocks' more expensive houses, as the area has panoramic views of the surrounding area to the west and the Pacific Ocean. Despite this, the area has a well known{{By whom|date=June 2010}} sandfly problem and is often referred to by locals as "Sandfly Hill".

==Suburbs==
* South West Rocks
* [[Arakoon, New South Wales|Arakoon]]
* [[New Entrance, New South Wales|New Entrance]]
* [[Jerseyville, New South Wales|Jerseyville]]
* [[Oceanside, New South Wales|Oceanside]]
* [[Spencerville, New South Wales|Spencerville]]

==Education==
There are two pre-schools located at South West Rocks, as well as Government primary school. There is no high school at South West Rocks, despite the efforts of the Lower Macleay Valley High School Association. High school students travel to Kempsey every weekday to one of the three high schools, Melville High School, Kempsey High School or St Paul's Catholic College. A few Primary school students also travel to St Josephs Primary School, Kempsey East Public School or Kinchela Primary School.

==Climate==
South West Rocks has a warm and wet [[subtropical]] climate. The warmest month on average is February with a [[mean]] maximum temperature of 26.9°C and the coldest month on average is July with a mean maximum temperature of 18.7°C. The wettest month is March and the driest month is September. South West Rocks experiences a mean of 137.4 raindays annually, with the most occurring in March and the least occurring in July. South West Rocks gets the highest mean amount of rain during the Autumn and the lowest mean amount of rain during the Spring. South West Rocks' [[thunderstorm]] activity is mainly during the period from September to March (inclusive), with October and November being the months where the risk of a [[severe thunderstorm]] is increased due to a relatively high frequency of unstable [[atmospheric]] conditions which favour frequent and strong thunderstorm development. [[Hail]] is relatively rare at South West Rocks, only occurring once every year or two, and it is usually less than 2 centimetres in [[diameter]].

===Climatic Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto 0 auto;"
|+ '''Climate Table'''
|-
!
! Jan
! Feb
! Mar
! Apr
! May
! Jun
! Jul
! Aug
! Sep
! Oct
! Nov
! Dec
!YEAR
|-
! Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)
|26.8
|26.9
|26.1
|24.0
|21.4
|19.2
|18.7
|19.8
|21.7
|23.2
|24.4
|25.9
|'''23.2'''
|-90.900
! Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)
|19.5
|19.7
|18.8
|16.6
|14.3
|12.1
|11.2
|11.7
|13.4
|15.1
|16.7
|18.4
|'''15.6'''
|-12342.8897
! Mean total rainfall (mm)
|149.7
|169.1
|183.9
|169.9
|135.6
|131.8
|78.8
|82.2
|56.9
|91.3
|112.8
|118.5
|'''1481.1'''
|-
! Mean number of rain days (>0.2mm)
|13.5
|14.0
|15.3
|12.8
|11.3
|10.4
|8.0
|8.2
|8.4
|11.1
|11.8
|12.56
|'''137.4'''
|-
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_059030_All.shtml Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Averages for South West Rocks (Smoky Cape Lighthouse)]

== References ==
* ''Tales of Trial Bay - An Early History of South west Rocks'', Written by Caroline Carey, Printed by Australian Print Group, 1993, Published in Australia ISBN 0-646-14914-8
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mid North Coast]]

[[fr:South West Rocks]]
[[nl:South West Rocks]]
[[pl:South West Rocks]]