We believe Kevin has chosen a woman uniquely made for him. Equally, we applaud Kevin for his excellent judgement – but let me come back to that in a moment.

Much work has gone into this day. Not least the preparation of Bridget and Kevin by Father Kevin, the support of Kevin’s parents, Beryl and Keith, Bridget’s grandfather, Kevin Miller (you have a good name Kevin!); And most especially, the work done by Bridget’s mother, Frances with all too little help from her husband over the last 27 years.

Though, in September 1978, after a particularly difficult delivery Bridget emerged into the world, leaving her mother very much the worse for that first journey – obviously letting her know that Bridget was tough, determined and strong-willed, character traits that have carried her through to this man and brought her to this night.

As doctors and nurses worked on Fran, a newly minted father walked the corridors of St Margaret’s Hospital here in Sydney carrying an unwashed newborn wrapped in blankets – a nurse had said, “Here, you take this, we’ll fix your wife!” I made calls to grandparents, aunts and uncles and wondered what I was supposed to do as Bridget slept peacefully in my arms. Some 2 ½ hours later and two floors below where I started, this very harried nurse came running along the corridor asking did I have “baby Shanahan”. Well I had to own up and surrender my firstborn priceless treasure into the hands of this boss woman – but only for a few days.

And Bridget – those 2 ½ hours have never let me. Fran was very ill. And remained so for three days after you were born. She has little memory of those first few days. Those first two and a half hours, the hospital left us alone, we were completely at peace, and you slept in my arms completely content.

And I had not a clue in the world what I was supposed to do with you!!

This in a roundabout way brings me to Kevin Shadforth. Last night, I needed Adam’s (the Best Man’s) mobile phone number. He gave it to me on the back of one of Kevin’s naval business cards. That describes Kevin’s business as “warfare” and within that, more specifically, his specialty class is that of “survivability”.

Now, I like that. I would think Bridget does too!

It takes a man of character to choose an occupation that will deliberately expose him and his colleagues to risk on the half of others. Kevin has seen active service for Australia – he recently spent six months in the Gulf. Indeed close friends of both Bridget and Kevin are not here this evening as they are back in the Middle East or on other active service postings. Michael Alison on his second tour on the ground in Iraq comes to mind – his parents here tonight. We wish Michael and all of Kevin and Bridget’s friends a safe and speedy return and peace in the regions where they serve.

But this issue of “survivability” intrigued me. (And Father Kevin touched on it also in his homily during their wedding when he mentioned the terrors of life we face that Isaiah described in the Psalm Kevin and Bridget chose to be read.)

Now, how did these two meet?

Well, a little over two years ago, Bridget was going to a Ball. The gentleman slated to accompany her deserted ship at the last moment. Bridget decided not to go. Resigned herself to spending the night at home with the family. Now, equally as determined and definite and strong willed as Bridget are her mother Frances and sister Emily – they cajoled and persuaded a most uninspired Bridget that now she could go and really enjoy herself unhindered and unfettered by the baggage of an arranged “blind” and now very “departed” date – she could cut loose. Cause mischief even!

Fran and Emily drove Bridget to Darling Harbour. Here the story does get interesting!

Next day, Kevin Shadforth placed a phone call to Eastwood Fire Station. The gentleman who is now entitled to refer to me as his father-in-law asked a couple of his mates there: “I met Bridget Shanahan; she says she knows all of you.

“What is she like?

“How do you know her?

“What is the story?”

Now, to piece this together, wind back the clock three or four years from tonight. Bridget has a young son, Timothy, now 7, turns 8 on 28 November. What entertains a very active, quick talking, likes to know everything 3 – 4 year old more than a bright red truck with flashing lights, screaming sirens, roaring engines, men with great big boots, special uniforms, funny poles out the back of their “garage” who are always doing strange things with their very odd looking hoses.

Now my daughter is also very attractive. She looks magnificent. She is quite persuasive – and as I have commented, determined, quite prepared to ask several different million ways until an appropriately nuanced question is answered with a “yes”.

Timothy Shanahan has had the pleasure of being interrupted at his birthday parties in parks by fire engines arriving, with their sirens screaming, lights flashing, crews disembarking, to wish him “happy birthday”. So Kevin, who has worked for many years as a volunteer with the Rural Fire Service, if I may use a somewhat colloquial expression, “checked out” my daughter to assess whether his “survivability” stakes were any good. Today confirms the accuracy of the positive assessment of his professional colleagues, and his own.

Bridget has always made abundantly clear to any man who sought to claim her attentions that she came as a package. While Timothy grew up at 11 Darvall Rd for the first 4 years or so of his life, and called me “Dad” because everyone else in the house called me “Dad” (Bridget was living there during that time too – when she did move into a flat on her own, Tim went too).

Any man seeking Bridget’s hand had to win the love and affection of Tim too.

It has been with great joy that we have watched Kevin, from the very early days of his relationship with Bridget, genuinely respond to Tim – and to listen to Tim acknowledge Kevin and hear Tim talk about Kevin with growing love, affection, warmth and admiration.

It takes a big man to take up what Kevin has done today, a big man with a big heart – we applaud him for that and congratulate him.

And to our dear daughter Bridget, who has pushed through to today and can now be wife and mother, may God be with you always on your journey.

Join with me now as we toast the bride and groom, Bridget and Kevin.

The first year in the Corps was all about basic training, particularly on the Friday afternoon parades. We trained for the fun we would have on the annual camp held at the Army Training Facility in country Singleton.

Much of the basic training focused on presentation. We wore jungle green clothing. We were issued with web belts, anklet gaiters, traditional Australian Army slouch hats and standard issue Army boots. As cadets we had only one pair of boots – they had to do the task of training on dust swept grounds, basic bush training and parade ground presentation.

The front part of the boot, just below the laces to the tip of the boot, was especially toughened. We were trained how to spit polish this part of the boot so that it shone like a mirror (well that’s what we liked to think anyway).

The webbing was blackened with a special stain. The web belt was done up with brass clips – and on each side of the brass clips were brass stays to enable the belt to be fitted for length. Naturally, the brass was expected to be highly polished. We used a product called (naturally enough) Brasso – it was most effective in banishing the verdigris/green muck that accumulated on the brass bits if not cleaned regularly and carefully.

Towards the end of the year, the whole of the school’s cadet corps paraded on First Field at the College. Our parents attended and we all sought to perform parade ground drills at an excellent standard.

Now at the annual parade, prizes for achievement or exemplary conduct were awarded to cadets including some from the most senior ranks down to one from ‘C’ Company, the Company to which all first year cadets were attached for recruit training.

Some three Fridays prior to the holding of the Annual Parade, Senior Cadet Under Officers (CUOs) – students who had been in the Corps for at least three years and who had undertaken in addition to attendance at the annual Singleton camps, specialised leadership training also conducted at Singleton – named five cadet recruits from ‘C’ Company and asked that they present themselves outside the Armoury at the conclusion of the day’s training.

I was one of the 5 – and quite uncertain as to why my name had been called out. As we made our way to the Armory, the 5 of us wondered as to what we might have done, or not done, that had led to us being called out for a mini-Parade.

I have three older brothers – one was a couple of years’ older than me. He had finished school in 1965. He too had been in the cadets. John was always into discovering nick-nacks that helped make life easier. He had discovered an ironing tool that could be used to keep the bend in his slouch hat. He had discovered something even better than spit to polish his boots and he had passed his secret on to me – neither of us were aware just how this would help me on that fateful day.

The 5 of us arrived a few minutes before the CUOs joined us at the Armory.

That Friday afternoon was warm with a bright sun and little cloud. We had trained on the College’s Second Field. There had been no rain for days and the Field was dusty. Everything was dirty. All the gear we were wearing desperately needed a wash.

As we lined up at the Armory, I put my hand in one of the deep pockets of the trousers. I pulled out a cloth dampened with Brasso  - wiped the damp section over the brass without removing the webbing. I wiped the drying Brasso off with a dry corner of the cloth. The brass accoutrements gleamed.

I reached into pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle with a black cap – unscrewing the cap revealed a foam appliqué positioned above a container with black fluid.

Reaching down, I ran the appliqué over the front part of my boots, over the part we had been encouraged to spit polish. In less than 30 seconds, the front of my boots were gleaming. Spit polish might leave a longer-lasting shine, but I wasn’t going to bet on that.

The Regimental Warrant Officer called the five of us to attention – we still did not know why we were on parade. The CUOs began to review – I was the 4th from the right so I was the 2nd last to be approached. As the CUOs moved done the line,they reached me and stopped. Almost as though someone had punched them. They completed the review and moved away to have a brief discussion. Two of them returned to me and, with the other cadets with me still in parade, challenged me – did I know why we were on parade. Had someone told me to leave the training parade early and put clean gear on. I answered in the negative to all of this.

The Regimental Commander dismissed the others and asked me to remain at attention.

All the CUOs and the RSM then approached me and advised that as I “had clean boots” they had decided to choose me as that year’s “Smartest Recruit”.

Now I like to think that I was the Best Recruit of 1966 – and maybe I was, they just call the award something a little different. And perhaps being smartest is even a little more difficult than being the best.

The truth is, an older brother, using the wisdom of his years of experience, gave me the nod to have a bottle of Collonil always close at hand. A wonderful German product I still use today.

From a prospective employee’s perspective, there is a belief that a consultant can open doors otherwise firmly closed. This may happen. However job seekers must understand that consultants are paid by a hiring entity. In Australia, recruitment consultants may not charge a fee for assisting individuals gain employment.

Increasingly over the past ten years, larger organisations have brought the recruitment function in-house. There are a variety of strong models which have been established. Now, easily installed software suites manage the whole hiring process and can be readily deployed by organisations – these are designed to ensure that each stage of the recruitment process is monitored and performance at each point optimised.

In-house recruitment supported by purpose built software is particularly effective for recruitment at all levels of infrastructure projects such as the desalination planes being built round the country.

If one was to cast a hand over a crystal ball and forecast what is going to happen in this industry, one may not be far from complete accuracy in suggesting that the recruitment industry model of the past forty five years is fading quite rapidly from view.

There remains scope for consultants to add value to the selection process at several points. Consultants can bring to the table a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, often with significant enhanced access to potential candidates in other countries. This is probably most useful for senior management appointments as well as those in industries and functions where there are too few candidates with appropriate skills. There is a caveat about the need to use third party recruitment consultants for the most senior roles.

There is a belief that effective global searches for the most senior roles are best conducted by the international search firms. This is incorrect. The tools available to everyone make a strong argument for using skilled researchers for every role once core attributes of the preferred candidate are agreed.

One can also suggest that smaller organisations may not have the skills and expertise in-house which would otherwise enable them to identify and attract potential new employees using their own resources.

The recruitment process is greatly aided by LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. In particular, the professional focus of LinkedIn enables targeted searches by industry, company, function and geography. LinkedIn is similar to a giant networking engine.

Results from LinkedIn are greatest when effort is put into developing connections before they are needed. Searching when the need arises without prior network development is still useful – tilling the ground in advance accelerates the process.

Anyone can use these tools. Third party recruiters, in house corporate human resource managers and  prospective candidates, are able to build effective targeted networks that are directly relevant to a candidate or job search.

• Are you up-to-date with the research functions available in social media?
• Is your profile up-to-date?
• How did you secure your last role?