Reception to Acknowledge Donors and to Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research

Kaye and I are delighted to welcome you all to Government House this evening, particularly our CEO Professor Frank Gannon and Chairman Mr Doug McTaggart.

As the former chairman of the Council of the QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research, albeit for only a short few months, I was delighted to accept the invitation to become Patron of this great Queensland institution when I was appointed as Governor last year. I continue to feel a strong affinity with the staff and council members.

And I note my surname remains with the Council. It was the Governor in Council which appointed my brother last year. I felt impelled, at the meeting, to declare a conflict of interest. But I am pleased to say that the merit of the appointment was so plain that my conflict evaporated into irrelevance!

Reading the Council meeting papers, which I may say always rather daunted this humble lawyer, my brother will be bringing to bear an understanding of the science to which of course I would not even pretend.

Kaye and I are delighted that so many staff and councillors have been able to join us tonight to acknowledge the contribution made to the Institute by its wonderful donors.

Their generosity has helped sustain this iconic Queenslander since the very beginning.

It has enabled the Institute to grow from its original staff of just seven scientists in temporary premises, to a world-renowned medical research organisation with more than six hundred staff and state-of-the-art facilities.

The major philanthropic investments of men such as Clive Berghofer and Chuck Feeney have been truly extraordinary – and I am particularly pleased that Clive is able to be with us tonight.

In the seventy years since it was established under its own Act of Parliament, as the brain child of Dr Derrick who I remember was mentioned in my household as a child, the Institute has gone from focusing on just a single disease (malaria) to cutting-edge, internationally significant research into mental health and a wide range of cancers, infectious diseases, and complex disorders, all with a focus on practical outcomes. It’s an exceptional record and a truly remarkable story.

Back in nineteen forty-five, the Institute’s founding mission was ‘the betterment of the health and wellbeing of the people of Queensland’.

It is that fundamental dedication to the people of our State and its commitment to remaining in tune with community concerns, which make this a truly great Queensland institution.

It was an ethos which made me very pleased to accept the position of Chairman of the Council in twenty-thirteen, and which makes me very proud, now, as its Patron, to join with you in celebrating its seventieth anniversary year.

I congratulate all concerned on those seven magnificent decades of achievement, and, on behalf of all Queenslanders, thank the donors and benefactors whose support has enabled that splendid record to continue. You have set a fine example of generosity which I am confident will inspire many others to join you as philanthropists.