Reception in Support of Vice-Regal Arts and Community Patronages

Distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I at once acknowledge the traditional owners of these lands and extend respectful greetings to Elders and emerging leaders.

Since my appointment as Queensland’s 26^th Governor in July twenty-fourteen, Kaye and I have had the privilege and pleasure of acting as patrons for a wide range of organisations.

Representatives of many of those organisations are here tonight and it is a great pleasure to welcome you as our guests for one of the last receptions we will host before we leave Fernberg in a fortnight’s time.

I have left on the piano the sheet music for one of my ‘faves’ over the last seven years, Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern’s ‘The Folks Who Live On The Hill’.

I was bold enough to think Warwick Adeney might play it for us, but he is a violinist not so much a pianist! He is probably right to demur, because it will very shortly be the folks who ‘lived’ on the hill!

Some of you represent major charities or significant businesses; others are from small associations and clubs dependent on the support of members; others still are from our State’s premiere arts companies.

But, irrespective of the size of your organisation or its raison d’être, all of you share two important qualities: passion and commitment.

Guided by those two qualities, every one of the organisations here has made (and continues to make) an enormous contribution to Queensland and to the lives of Queenslanders.

In particular, I acknowledge your exceptional efforts during the pandemic that has affected lives around the globe over the past 18 months.

Every one of your organisations has had to find fresh reserves of energy, creativity, resilience and compassion, as well as the financial wherewithal, to continue to operate and respond to needs.

It is only your passion and commitment that have made this possible, and, on behalf of all Queenslanders, I thank you.

As Kaye and I prepare to leave Fernberg, I have reflected on how different the past seven years have been from my many years in the law.

In that profession, there are daily encounters with lawbreakers and liars, ruffians and rogues, and at times, it can be challenging to continue to believe in the fundamental goodness of humankind.

As Governor, everything I have done, with Kaye’s support, has been grounded in happiness!

We have travelled the state, meeting people like you and organisations like those here tonight whose generosity and care help support families and communities, strengthen the fabric of society, sustain the values we all cherish, and lift our spirits through fabulous performances.

Kaye and I thank you once again for the privilege of being your Patron.