Reception for Major Supporters of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Chairman, Dr McTaggart; Director, Professor Gannon; and members of the enthusiastic and inspirational QIMR family – Kaye and I welcome you most warmly to this historic house this evening.

One of Fernberg’s previous residents was Queensland’s 15^th Vice-Regal representative, Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, who was Governor when QIMR was established in 1945.  By that time, Sir Leslie had already been in the role for 13 years!

Prior to World War Two, Sir Leslie was also witness to the impact on our State of another great global struggle – the Great Depression.  He officially opened two major infrastructure projects that provided work for Queenslanders in that time of great hardship – the Hornibrook Highway, and Brisbane’s Story Bridge.

Both of those events involved significant pomp and ceremony. Not so the establishment of QIMR, with its handful of staff in temporary premises, in huts previously used by US Armed Forces.

But, like the two bridges, QIMR has turned out to be highly durable.  And QIMR has since been building bridges of its own – with other research centres and health institutions in Australia and overseas. For example, in Hong Kong, last year, I was fortunate to witness the establishment of an agreement between QIMR and Hong Kong University for potentially important work on cancer therapies.  

Also like the two Brisbane bridges, QIMR has been transformative for the communities it serves, by improving community health over more than seven decades through the development of more effective preventative, diagnostic and treatment programs.  

The Institute’s recent announcement of a collaborative effort to combat the Zika virus is typical of this approach.

As is the case for all infrastructure, QIMR needs resources to keep it in tip-top shape and to ensure that it is able to achieve its rightly ambitious goals.  

An important proportion of those resources is provided by generous donors, many of whom are here this evening.

The many millions of dollars that, collectively, these admirable people and corporations have provided to QIMR have supported many topical and practical research and translational programs – and right up to date, with attention now to one of the increasingly recognised disorders of this particular age, in the area of mental health.

As Patron of QIMR Berghofer, and on behalf of the Institute’s Board, Executive and staff, I warmly thank every one of the donors for their public-mindedness and generosity.

I applaud them for their acknowledgement that their philanthropy is well-placed in the hands of this Institute – with its proven record of achievement, innovative research, progressive and responsible management – if you get my gist, and a very great contribution to our State of Queensland.

We honour you this evening, donors, for your wonderful commitment, through QIMR, to the enhancement of the well-being of the many communities of our State, country and region – indeed our world.

Thank you all – and please enjoy the evening.