Vice-Regal couple visit North Burnett region

The Governor and Professor Nimmo this week undertook an official visit to the historic North Burnett region of our State, part of Her Excellency’s continued commitment to supporting regional Queensland.

The region is renowned for its top-quality fruit and produce and features several vibrant townships and diverse communities that owe much of their success in modern times to the agricultural industry.

The Vice-Regal couple stopped in Gayndah, Mundubbera, Eidsvold and Biggenden, visiting several schools and health centres and two commercial orchards, paying their respects to the region’s fallen servicemen and women, and enjoying numerous opportunities to chat with community members along the way.

While visiting Gayndah State School, which turned 160 last year, the Governor addressed the school assembly. The school's Heritage Room is believed to be one of the oldest school buildings still in use in Queensland, dating back to when Queensland was named as an independent State. Immediately following, the Vice-Regal couple laid a wreath on behalf of all Queenslanders at the Gayndah War Memorial, observing a minute's silence. At Mundubbera State College, they officially unveiled the College’s four new flagpoles, which will proudly fly the flags of our Indigenous peoples alongside the Australian and State flags. The Governor’s Standard was raised in honour of Her Excellency’s visit. At Eidsvold State School, the Governor congratulated school leaders on their focus on health and wellbeing and Indigenous language and enjoyed a performance by the school's Yumbin dancers. At Biggenden State School, they proudly presented school leadership badges. During each visit, they enjoyed reading Government House’s own children’s book, 'A Place for All Queenslanders', to the younger students.

Her Excellency and Professor Nimmo also met with staff and patients at Gayndah Hospital, Mundubbera Multipurpose Health Service, and the Biggenden Multipurpose Health Service, expressing support for Queensland's frontline health workers. The Governor has pledged to visit all public hospitals in the State during her term. 

And they toured both the Blue Cow Citrus orchard in Gayndah and the Smart Berries blueberry farm in Boynewood, where they discussed the challenges facing the citrus industry in Queensland along with its many successes. 

They were delighted to attend several community receptions along the way to show their support for these vibrant and hardworking communities.

For more photos and videos capturing highlights of the trip, visit our Facebook and Instagram accounts, and our YouTube page.