Honours and Awards within the Australian Honours System Investiture Ceremony (C) for Residents of Queensland

It is with great pleasure and humility that Kaye and I welcome to Government House the members of the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Defence Force who are recognised today for their bravery, dedication and service. It is an honour to have them here as our guests and we also welcome our official guests and the proud families, friends and colleagues of our recipients.

I at once acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbul and Jagera peoples, and extend respect to Elders past and present.

Every ceremony where bravery awards are presented is unique but there is one facet that never changes – the gratitude that we feel, as individuals and a community, for the selfless actions of our fellow Queenslanders who have put their own lives at risk, often in perilous circumstances, in the service of others.

Today’s ceremony is particularly poignant and meaningful because, among those honoured today, is the late Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding who died as a result of wounds sustained when he and six of his police colleagues responded to an armed robbery incident in May, twenty-eleven. Six years after the incident, it is a privilege for us all to be here to see Sonya receive on his behalf his Bravery Medal, and to have Detective Senior Constable Leeding’s dedication and selfless service recognised alongside that of the other officers involved.

In addition to the officers involved in that fatal incident, a great number of officers today, two of them members of the Australian Defence Force, faced different but equally life-threatening situations when officers attempted to evacuate an elderly man from a burning house, and in separate incidents, other officers risked their lives extracting four people from a burning vehicle and attempted to prevent a man from committing suicide by setting fire to himself in a locked vehicle.

Few of the civilians here today (indeed few civilians at all) have experienced the degree of violence, fear and risk to life involved in such incidents, but every one of today’s recipients has served on the front line, protecting communities from harm.

The officers being honoured today by the award of the Australian Police Medal have given long and dedicated service to the Queensland community. Every one of them has served in the police force for more than a quarter of a century, some for more than thirty years.

They have seen unprecedented change in Australian society in that time and, after careers in uniform, have dedicated themselves to ensuring that the Queensland Police Service responds appropriately and proactively to those changes. They have helped introduce advances in forensics, road safety, disaster recovery and motor-cycle safety, and they have implemented professional development, welfare and mentoring programs to support the women and men in the Service.

It is worth noting the words that occur repeatedly in the citations for today’s awardees: professionalism, excellence, dedication, commitment, leadership, enthusiasm. These words are not used lightly and they express not only the core ethos of the Queensland Police Service, but the values and goals that we share as a society.

We value generosity and sacrifice; we value decency and integrity; we value dedication, commitment and service, and we appreciate and value those who support our communities.

I am pleased that I am able to recognise the outstanding contribution of the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Defence Force by presenting these honours and awards today. I am also very pleased that, as Governor, I am able to speak for all my fellow Queenslanders in congratulating and thanking every one of you for the difference you make in our communities and for helping to make Queensland a stronger and better State. It has been an honour. Thank you.