Royal Queensland Golf Club Heritage Day Luncheon

Thank you, Mr Gahan for your kind introduction. Mr President; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen. This is the fourth year I have attended the Heritage Day Luncheon, and I must say it gets better each year.

The only thing that could possibly improve the day is if the Guest Speaker could get a stroke off his handicap for each year he attends.

I see the President shaking his head. Oh well, it was worth a try.

I suppose, in the long and illustrious history of this Club, four years is not such a milestone.

Australia’s vice-regal representatives have been associated with the Club since its beginning – a happy association we celebrate today with the presentation of the Governor-General’s Trophy, the Governor’s Trophy and the Governor’s Medal.

There is a marvelous photograph in the State Library’s John Oxley Collection of Sir Leslie Wilson, Queensland’s 15^th Governor, teeing off here in 1932.

The rather admiring editorial refers to Sir Leslie as “Queensland’s Sporting Governor, who likes nothing better than propelling the pill on the links”. 

It was, of course, a very different time.

I can’t imagine what the Courier-Mail would make of a photograph of me on the golf course – especially if I wore the knickerbockers sported by Sir Leslie in 1934.

When I mentioned this idea to my social media adviser, he just shuddered.

And yet, in this – and in other articles following Sir Leslie on the links, one can’t help but discern the pride in the newspaper at a world class golf course located here in Brisbane.

Since then Brisbane has hosted the Commonwealth Games, and a great number of World Championships – and, it should be noted, the Australian Open Championships, three times, here at the Club.

Our city is today resplendent with world class sporting facilities of many kinds.

Perhaps on this heritage day we can allow ourselves to savour just a little of the pride of the founders, and acknowledge our debt to those who have poured their love of the game and passion for the Club into the fine facilities we enjoy today.

As I mentioned earlier, to borrow a term from horse-racing, I will shortly present the Vice Regal Trifecta – the Governor-General’s Trophy, the Governor’s Trophy and Governor’s Medal – as well as the Hickory Championship Trophy.

I congratulate all of our Heritage Day Championship competitors.

And I extend my warmest congratulations to our President, board members, Club Captains, and the expert team under the guidance of our General Manager – heading towards our centenary, the course has never looked better.