Andrew Leigh

I spoke in parliament today about Canberra hosting the Girl Guides' regional jamboree - for the first time in 47 years.

Girl Guides Jamboree
24 May 2012

On 16 April I attended the Girl Guides NSW & ACT Jamboree held at Exhibition Park, with the member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann, and Trudy McIntosh, an intern in my office. There were over 550 guides aged between 10 and 17 who pitched their tents for a week of fun-filled activities and leadership workshops. This was the first jamboree to be held in Canberra since 1966. Margaret Norris, a long-time girl guide, attended the opening night's celebrations and shared with the girls her experiences. Margaret had attended the first camp in Canberra in 1966 and her reflections were insightful.

There were Canberra girl guides from four local districts—Ginninderra, Gungahlin, Black Mountain and Murrungundie—who met with others from 261 districts across New South Wales and regions surrounding the ACT, including Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Yass and Bega. Kylie Gray, a guide leader staying in the camp all week, was dressed in a completely orange outfit, and brought along her polished tea set to make the girls feel more at home. Dressed in an orange feather boa, hat and orange overalls, she even had an orange camera to document the occasion.

Girl Guides NSW & ACT State Commissioner Belinda Allen spoke on the ability of guides to foster leadership skills. Youth leader Sam Chenney from Port Macquarie spoke of her love of Girl Guides and said that the best decision her mum ever made was to let her join the Girl Guides, given that she has had so many fantastic opportunities and met lifelong friends.