Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown—Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)— History Illuminated is an annual week-long festival celebrating all things history across Lake Macquarie.

The 2023 edition ran from Friday 1 September to Sunday 10 September. Now in its sixth year, the festival is going from strength to strength. Amongst the forty-four events planned for the festival was a two hour cruise between Swansea and Catherine Hill Bay aboard CoastXP's 10.8 metre eco-tourism rigid inflatable boat "Atmos".

This was the first time a maritime cruise has been part of the History Illuminated festival, but by all accounts it won't be the last! It was local historian and Charlestown resident Ed Tonks who used that incredible ocean backdrop to share his extensive knowledge of all things Lake Macquarie with the twenty people aboard. His commentary included information on shipwrecks, collieries, bushfires, a jetty, a railway, and a mine camp, and I'm sure his stories brought the past to life for the lucky tourists. Every community has more than its share of interesting stories, including Lake Macquarie—and I want to thank Ed for helping to share these interesting stories.

A Community Recognition Notice is an opportunity for an MP to submit a short statement praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Notice, please email and let me know!