South Australian Election - Keeping Kavel Blue
The colony of South Australia was merely two years old when Prussian immigrants arrived on Adelaide soil in 1838. Establishing the farming village currently known as Hahndorf, the harsh conditions of an undeveloped country side forced the majority of settlers to toil for wealthy landowners as well as strive to maintain their own farming properties. Men spent most days clearing unforgiving bushland and building important structures; women laboured on small farms producing tradeable goods such as vegetables, butter, cheese and various livestock. It was not uncommon for women to travel over 30 kilometres throughout the night in winding tracks and dense bush, only for a 4am arrival outside of Adelaide to sell the goods carried on their backs and buy little luxuries unavailable at home - tobacco, sugar, tea, etc.
Many years have passed since the original settlers paved the way for the Hahndorf community that we currently know. Today you’ll find determined pioneers paving a new path for future generations to come! Dan Creegan - Liberal candidate for the Kavel electorate - and his team have worked tirelessly in the months leading up to this election to maintain the seat of Kavel, which has been held by Liberal MP Mark Goldsworthy since 2002. Dan and his team have been door knocking, letter boxing, phone canvassing and attending public forums to ensure the constituents of Kavel receive every opportunity to raise their ideas and concerns.
I arrived in South Australia during the early hours of Sunday afternoon: I was briefly shown around the city of Adelaide and then immediately put to work! Our time was used wisely; we mail dropped and raised corflutes late into Sunday night. The members of the hard-working Kavel Liberal team are no strangers to late nights, willingly sacrificing recreational time to aid the local community and the campaign.
The Adelaide Cup Day public holiday was spent at various shopping centres handing out free shopping bags; this was a great opportunity to converse with the local community. The chilly morning air was warmed by the friendly faces of the early morning grocery shoppers and made for an extremely warming experience!
Dan’s months of rigorous door knocking with Young Liberals and Liberal Volunteers has made him a familiar and trusty face amongst the locals.
Tuesday and Wednesday were predominately spent pre-polling. Handing out voting cards and sharing coffees with the other volunteers turned the long days into memorable and educational experiences. Wednesday evening was then followed by more mail drops in the picturesque town of Nairne.
We witnessed Dan’s sharp debating skills on Tuesday night at the Nairne Public Forum; candidates such as Andrew Stratham (SA Best) could not match Dan’s charming demeanour and articulate arguments. Not only does Dan know the issues and needs of the surrounding areas back to front but he has also dedicated tremendous amounts of time and effort studying solutions to aid his community in the most effective way possible.
The daily struggle of traversing over 30km through harsh terrain has ended, but it’s inspiring to see so many members of the Liberal Party cherish the values which built the beautiful South Australia we know today. Hard work, dedication and courage can be seen within every corner of the Adelaide Hills! It has been an incredible privilege working with the team in Kavel: I wish Dan and the other Candidates all the best for the upcoming election!
Hayden Tognela is a member of the Young Liberal Movement of Western Australia