Breakfast in Honour of the Engineers Australia Centenary Year

It is a great honour to welcome members of Engineers Australia to historic Queensland Government House, and that is partly because Fernberg owes so much of its heritage and integrity to regular skilled assessments and advice of professional engineers.

I have long maintained a particular affinity for engineers, notwithstanding that my nephew was – not an engineer – but forgive him, an architect! Though my wife was the Electrical Engineering Librarian at UQ in the 1970s.

One of the first plaques I unveiled as Governor, back in 2014, marked the official opening of the new wastewater treatment plant outside Mackay at Sarina.

We so often take our essential services for granted! But that was a timely reminder for me, so early in my governorship, there is nary a single element of modern life which has not been improved by engineers.

Ladies and gentlemen, yours is a noble profession, and one so central to the contentment and advancement of our society.   

It is a great honour, during Engineers Australia’s historic centenary year, to support you all.

The founding members of the Institute of Engineers, now Engineers Australia, would be amazed, I think, to see today the enormous growth and depth of their professional organisation, and the transformations underway within the profession.

I thank our Queensland President, Mr Lendich, and General Manager, Ms Rawlings, for suggesting that I host today’s breakfast. Please enjoy the hospitality on offer as token of my appreciation, and that of the people of our State, for all that you do.