Lyceum Club Brisbane Christmas Morning Tea

President, Mrs Coleen Andrews and fellow committee members; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen. Good morning.

It is my great pleasure to attend this special Christmas morning tea, hosted by our magnificent Lyceum Club Brisbane.

Congratulations on this one-hundredth Christmas celebration – what a marvellous achievement!

As Patron of the Lyceum Club Brisbane, it has been my honour to attend several outstanding events and celebrations with you over the years, including the opening of the new Club rooms earlier this year.  

I have long admired the Club’s commitment to creating a welcoming environment where friendships are formed, and where lifelong learning and respectful conversation is encouraged.

Events like today’s also wonderfully promote and draw on the goodwill of the festive season.

Paul and I have recently been to Stanthorpe, the Lockyer Valley and parts of the Sunshine Coast following these devastating bushfires. We will visit more affected communities next year.

I know many members of our Club do a lot to help those in need in our community. I thank you for the good work you do. It is appreciated by many.

Speaking of the spirit of the season, in preparing to come along to this special Christmas celebration, I was delighted to learn about some of the anecdotes about the Club’s annual Christmas events of years past.

Press coverage of these gatherings, although scant, provides us with wonderful glimpses of the festive spirit of past members.

I particularly enjoyed the anecdotes about the members congregating and singing together – a tradition still practiced today, and what a thrill it will be to shortly hear our 2019 Doreen Ord prize winner perform!

There was also the year when about 30 curios were brought into the Club and there was a kind of “show and tell” as members spoke about these objects and their significance.

What I am constantly struck by is the spirit of generosity and care held by members. Whether it is through the joyous act of singing, or, as the press cuttings show from the Club’s Christmas event in 1939, a comedic sketch performance – no, there won’t be a reprise from me today!, or the simple act of beautifying Club rooms with freshly cut, home grown flowers, I think we can all take a moment to think about how these small acts of kindness and friendship truly reflect the Christmas spirit.

In that same spirit of generosity, may I express once again how delighted I am to be part of this historic occasion.

I sincerely hope Clubs such as ours continue to flourish in years ahead, as more women discover the joy, friendship and collegiality of this happy and welcoming space.

My very warmest wishes to you and your families for a safe and Merry Christmas. Thank you.