2015 Winston Churchill Fellowship Awards

A speech delivered by His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC as Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia:  Kaye and I are delighted to welcome this year’s Churchill fellows, their families and friends, and our official guests, to Government House for today’s ceremony and reception.

As Governor of Queensland, this is the second year I have had the honour of presenting the Queensland recipients of Churchill Fellowships with their Certificates of Award and lapel badges.

I warmly congratulate them on their success, both personally and on behalf of my fellow Queenslanders.

This year, I am also able to extend congratulations on behalf of all Australians because I am currently serving as Administrator of the Commonwealth while His Excellency, General The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, our Governor-General, is in the Republic of Turkey. Sir Peter is there this week to take part in Australia’s commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Lone Pine.

This year also marks a very significant anniversary for the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust — fifty years since Churchill’s death and the consequent establishment of the fellowships that bear his name. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, these awards today are a living memorial to Churchill and continue to bring immense benefit to the recipients and to their communities.

It is very pleasing that Queenslanders have received twenty-one of the one hundred and nine Fellowships awarded in Australia this year and, as is always the case, the scope of the projects to be undertaken is truly extraordinary. Collectively, their studies will take them to a total of twenty-four countries, investigating subjects ranging from music to museums; fisheries to picture frame making; dance to domestic violence prevention; surrogacy to environmental and conservation studies; and from early childhood and educational issues to the law, medicine, health care, and surgery.

It is only at a ceremony such as this, when we hear descriptions of the projects read, that we fully appreciate the challenge faced by the selection panel and I thank them most sincerely for their dedication and effort.

Kaye and I wish the recipients every success as they embark on their projects. It is truly an opportunity of a lifetime, and we look forward to hearing of your success when you return.