Community & Business
22 September, 2025
Special guests at Anglican Parish Dinner
A group of farm workers from the Solomon Islands were the special guests at the Allora Clifton Anglican Parish Dinner held recently in Allora.
Kerry and Simon McCarthy, who employ these workers, were invited to speak at the dinner by parish members Ash and Helen Gillam.
Kerry said it was a wonderful evening with the opportunity to thank the Allora and Clifton communities for being so welcoming to the team who live in the local community whilst working in Australia.
Around 20 of the McCarthy’s current work-force attended the dinner and a service held beforehand at St. David’s Anglican Church.
They sang the Solomon Islands national anthem ‘God Save Our Solomon Islands’ and four church hymns.
Also in attendance were Parish Rev’d Courtney Smith and Western Regional Bishop Rev’d Cameron Venables.
Rev’d Venables is very familiar with the Pacific area having close ties with Papua New Guinea.
The team is employed under the PALM (Pacific Australia Labour Mobility) scheme sponsored by Kerry and Simon McCarthy’s business Harvest Hands Labour.
The McCarthys have been employing the Solomon Islanders for over 13 years with many of the same workers returning each year.
The PALM scheme offers employment to citizens of the Pacific Island to come to work in Australia to fill local labour shortages.
The Solomon Islands has a strong Christian faith with 92 per cent of people being Christian and the Anglican Church has the largest following.
