Order of St John in Australia Investiture and Awards Presentation

Kaye and I welcome you most warmly to Government House today.

The Order of St John is nothing if not tenacious. Over its long history, its fortunes have waxed and waned. But the Order has always found ways to revive and reinvent itself, and to maintain its commitment to its ethos: For the Faith; For the Service of Mankind.   

That tradition of service is now most evident to Queenslanders who see the familiar uniforms at major events – including Government House Open Day – or who undertake the Order’s popular first aid courses.

The benefit to our communities from these activities is not as well-appreciated as it should be. Thousands of Queenslanders have been given first aid assistance. Tens of thousands have attended first aid courses. Many thousands of hours have been devoted to services that support to the vulnerable in our society.  

This is a marvellous and admirable contribution to the well-being of Queensland communities.   

And none of it would happen without the commitment of the Order’s small army of volunteers.

Today we gather for the presentation of awards to those who have risen in the ranks of the Order and who have served the organisation for decades – for over half a century in the case of one of today’s awardees.

We also welcome new members into the organisation and recognise excellence and leadership among the younger members of the Order.  

I look forward to making these presentations shortly.  

For now, as Governor of Queensland, and Patron of the Order in Queensland, I thank the senior representatives here today for the invaluable work that the Order continues to do for Queensland and Queenslanders.

And I thank and congratulate all of today’s deserving awardees for their marvellous service to the community through the Order of St John. Thank you.