Official Opening of the 2016 Red Shield Appeal Queensland

Minister Lynham representing the Premier; Federal Minister Dutton; Mr Langroek representing the Queensland Opposition Leader; our Lord Mayor; Chair of the Brisbane Red Shield Appeal, Mrs Hollows; senior Salvation Army representatives, ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be here with you this morning, at what is my second Red Shield Appeal launch as Governor – reminding us that soon it will be a scarcely believable two years since I was sworn in. 

Looking at the large numbers in attendance today, and the strong support for the Red Shield Appeal that those numbers represent, I find it well nigh impossible to imagine that the community’s relationship with the Salvation Army has ever been otherwise.  

And yet, when the Salvation Army was first established in Australia in the 1880s, its activities were sometimes met with suspicion and even hostility from some parts of the community.

Inevitably, however, the steadfast commitment of those first brave souls in Salvation Army uniforms to the well-being of the communities in which they lived, overcame any doubts about this new and very active organisation.

Of course, the Salvos now occupy a much valued and highly admired place in the life of our communities, and have done for well over a century. The sight of those distinctive uniforms evokes, not suspicion, but a deep sense of comfort and reassurance.     

The Salvos’ support for Queenslanders who need a helping hand reaches deeply into our communities.  

One such activity is the Bridge Program, the Salvation Army’s suite of services devoted to meeting the recovery needs of people living with addiction, whether to alcohol, illicit substances, or gambling.

A bridge implies that it possible to cross from one place to another.  For those living with addiction, it suggests that there is a way of moving from one kind of existence to another, better place.

This is the language of hope. And that spirit of hope pervades every activity the Salvos undertake, an ethos captured succinctly by Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu when he said: Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.

It is hope, backed up by eminently practical programs, which the Salvos bring to the task of helping unravel the severe challenges and complexities of life in which some Queenslanders find themselves enmeshed. 

It is hope that the Salvos bring to prisons, to Queenslanders traumatised by natural disasters, to victims of domestic violence, to young people in need, and to many others throughout our State.    

That potent combination of hope and action, animated by the Salvos’ deep Christian faith, has rightly earned our enduring admiration. The range of organisations and institutions represented here, and at such senior levels, once again attests to this.

As Governor and Patron of the Red Shield Appeal in Queensland, I encourage Queenslanders all over the State, and from all walks of life, to match the support and generosity already demonstrated by those in this room – by giving generously to the 2016 Red Shield Appeal. 

In this way, we can transform our admiration for the Salvos into practical support. In this way, we can help ensure that the Salvation Army is resourced to maintain the great scope and pace of their vital work within our communities, for which I most sincerely thank the Salvos once again.

In that context of practical support, I thank also all those involved in organising the complex logistics of the Appeal, including the wonderful volunteers without whom the Appeal would falter.  

And in the spirit of generosity, and of hope, it now gives me great pleasure to officially launch the 2016 Red Shield Appeal in our marvellous State. Thank you.