Afternoon Tea in Support of the Croydon Community

Mayor, Cr Pickering; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen; girls and boys. 

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

I am delighted to have achieved the important goal of visiting Croydon and to have the pleasure of joining you all here today.  

I regret that I did not arrive via the railway – like Queensland’s 10^th Governor, Lord Chelmsford, who continued to Normanton. And I realise now I’ve well and truly missed this morning’s Gulflander train.

A leisurely trip through Gulf country would have been marvellous, but the need to meet as many Queenslanders as possible in the time available rightly puts paid to such idle fancies!   

Today’s visit is part of Regional Government House, when we move the operations of Government House out to regional Queensland once a year. This time we are based in Charters Towers for five days, which has fortunately given us time to come to Julia Creek and Croydon.  

Today I’ve visited the local school, as I do at every available opportunity, to meet the next generation of Queenslanders – your town’s future is assured, by the way, your students present impressively! I was also delighted to meet and read to the children at the Childcare Centre.

The aim of Regional Government House is to undertake the type of programme I would pursue in Brisbane, but from the regions. 

Just before this afternoon tea, I held a meeting of the Executive Council – where I meet with Ministers to approve major government business – via telephone from Croydon Shire Council.

This was an historic first for Queensland – a Governor in regional Queensland, Ministers in Brisbane, conducting essential business electronically. 

They were intrigued to learn I was in Croydon – and they sent their best regards! 

My time in Croydon has made it abundantly clear that this is a town that honours and carefully preserves its own history and heritage. That is admirable in itself, with the bonus that it has encouraged tourism.   

The town and Shire boast a rich Indigenous history, a mining history, a fascinating community history, and a pastoral industry that remains the mainstay of the local economy.  

I thank the Mayor, Councillors, and the broader community for sharing with me their great their pride in the town’s past and present.    

This afternoon tea is a small token of my thanks, as are the copies of the book that I will present to the Mayor and to you all shortly – The Governors of Modern Queensland.  And, yes, I get a few mentions in its pages!   

Above all, I offer my very best wishes for the future to the welcoming, resilient, self-reliant people who give Croydon, the Croydon Shire, and the Gulf Savannah country such great community strength and special character. 

Thank you.