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27th Governor of Queensland Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM

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RACQ Honorary Life Member Dinner 2015

Thank you for your warm welcome, Nigel.  I too acknowledge former Governor of Queensland, General Arnison, and all distinguished guests.

I am delighted to join you all, as Patron, in the year of the RACQ’s 110th anniversary, for my second Honorary Life Members’ Dinner.

When the Club was established in 1905, its intrepid founders had to deal with basics – persuading the community that motor vehicles were not the invention of the devil, putting up their own signposts around Brisbane, and observing a speed limit in Queen Street of eight miles per hour.   

Moving forward many decades – as dedicated readers of The Road Ahead will know, my first car was a hand-me-down Morris Minor – enough said – and my second was a Mini Cooper S. 

The Mini had a certain cachet. It might even have qualified as “groovy”.  It certainly was by 1969, when the Mini Minor – emphatically not the Morris Minor – played a starring role in the movie, The Italian Job.    

The scope and speed of change since my early driving days has been unprecedented – in vehicle technology, reliability, safety, traffic volumes, and fuel prices! 

Sadly, we are still dealing with a tragic road toll.  It is only small consolation to know that fatalities have fallen substantially since the 1960s and 1970s.

The RACQ, through vigorous advocacy, has played a significant role in bringing about many positive changes for Queensland motorists. 

Through the expansion of the range and reach of its services, as Nigel has reminded us, the Club has established an enviable reputation among its members and in the wider community.   

And, through the continued generosity of the RACQ Foundation, the Club has built further on its reputation as an excellent corporate citizen.

I am delighted to celebrate these achievements with a select group of RACQ Honorary Life Members whom I thank for their tremendous contributions to the Club’s successes over the decades.  

As Governor and Patron, I also thank and congratulate the RACQ’s Directors and executive team on the Club’s continued dedication to and success in serving over one million members.  

And I wish the RACQ a happy 110th birthday and many happy returns.

Thank you.