Celebrating 150 years of bravery

Government House recently played host to a special gathering to mark the sesquicentenary of The Royal Humane Society of Australasia — complete with a large-scale layer cake made in-house by our talented chefs.

During 150 years of operation in Australia, the Royal Humane Society has honoured the extraordinary courage of individuals who risk their lives to save others.

The organisation’s origins can be traced back to England in 1773, when two physicians pioneered resuscitation methods that led to the creation of the ‘Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned’. Over time, this evolved into the Royal Humane Society under the patronage of King George III.

Inspired by this legacy, the Australian branch was founded in 1874.

The Governor, who is the Society’s Patron in Queensland, reminded those gathered that philosophers and scientists had for centuries pondered the question of why people act bravely, concluding that it stemmed from a complex mix of personality, social, and moral factors.

“What we can say with certainty is that the desire of one human being to help another in distress, whatever the personal risk, remains one of humankind’s most extraordinary impulses. It restores our faith in humanity,” she said.

Her Excellency also remarked on the enduring success of the Society and its profound impact in fostering a culture of compassion and resilience: “That the Society has survived for 150 years is a tribute to the strength of that founding ethos, but also to the integrity of its award system, the value of its education and training programs, and the support the Society now gives to rescuers confronting personal and financial challenges as a result of their brave action.”

The preparation of the cake was a brave enough feat in itself. The vanilla, fresh strawberry and butter-cream layer-cake with chocolate-hazelnut ganache icing took around six hours to create yet lasted almost no time at all once served up to guests — with many compliments to the chefs of course. (And credit to chef Alejo for the video!)