Saturday 7 November 2026

Good evening.

Thank you for your warm welcome into the Legacy Brisbane community.

Thank you for your invitation to support this much-cherished organisation.

Established almost a century ago, Legacy Brisbane has enjoyed the patronage of successive Queensland Governors.

Tonight’s event is among my first commitments since being sworn-in as Governor last Sunday.

I am pleased to say that Legacy Brisbane is my first official patronage as the 28^th Governor of Queensland.

I am proud to begin my Vice-Regal journey with a gesture that honours the families of our Australian Defence Force personnel.

Tonight, we pause to reflect on the men and women  whose service to our nation came at a great personal cost.

Every family in Australia was touched by the Great War.

Every town and city has a memorial honouring the fallen.

Their tradition of service and sacrifice continued through all the engagements of the 20^th century and into present times.

As we look towards Remembrance Day next Wednesday, I acknowledge and thank

members of the Australian Defence Force for their dedicated service to our nation. 

Behind every uniform is a family story:

a partner who waited; a child who missed a parent; a loved one whose life was changed forever.

More than a century ago, the idea of Legacy was born from a simple promise

— a promise that the families of those who serve our nation will never stand alone.

A promise born of mateship, between comrades.

A promise of a fair go for the families whose sacrifice was part of the new nation’s great military effort.

Legacy is the living memorial to their mateship. What a wonderful thing.

Legacy Brisbane honours their promise.

It does so through its partners, supporters and volunteers — the “legatees”.

On behalf of Queensland, I thank you all for your united commitment to deliver on the promise to provide much-needed social, emotional and financial support to families of Australian veterans.

In this new role, I look forward to seeing first-hand the ways kindness, compassion and service shape and strengthen our communities around the State.

I look forward to continuing the enduring Vice-Regal relationship with Legacy Brisbane and the wider Defence and veterans’ community.

I will see some of you later this month as we gather at the new Legacy House in Greenslopes.

Governor Young turned the first sod, in June 2024, and it’s a privilege to be invited to officially open the facility.

To everyone gathered here tonight, thank you for your generosity and kindness, and for helping Legacy Brisbane continue to care so deeply about our Defence families.

In life, each of us seeks to make a difference, to leave our own legacy.

May tonight be one of those moments for each of you.