Hear and Say Playgroup

Hear and Say Board Chair Mr Matthew Ames; CEO Ms Sharon Stokell and staff; volunteers; families, friends and children.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here this morning.

As Governor of Queensland and Patron of Hear and Say, I am delighted to be joining you for Playgroup this morning. Given my daughters are now adults, it has been a while since I attended a playgroup!

This is a rare treat, and a lovely way to start a day!

On behalf of all Queenslanders, let me express enormous gratitude for the many decades that Hear and Say has served as Queensland’s specialised provider of audiology and speech pathology and the work you have done to fulfil your vision of creating ‘a world where everyone can communicate, connect and live their best lives’.

I imagine by now you have a sense of the appreciation people feel, be they parents of a newborn, families of a toddler, or people well into adulthood who have found their way to you, possibly years after beginning the search for support.

Visiting this morning’s playgroup was a wonderful opportunity for me to see your life-changing work first hand.

I saw fun and smiles and joy. I saw families who recognise and value what has been accomplished with them and for them. And what a truly lovely sight to see.

It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, and I think the adage is particularly relevant here. The staff of Hear and Say, the volunteers, the board directors and the committee members, the partners, the parents and the friends all come together to form this village, this community of care where service delivery is at the core of the organisation, and love is at its heart.

The history of Hear and Say is such an inspiring one. The efforts of Dr. Dimity Dornan AO in setting up the organisation in 1992 have had a profound and lasting impact that has grown with time.

Annual Reports document this growth from year to year, and a couple of figures stood out for me, especially within the Speech Pathology stream, reporting an increase of 500 per cent in occasions of services compared with the previous year, and a 52 per cent increase in client numbers in the 2023-2024 financial year.

These are large increases indeed and are due directly to the inspirational teams of people who make up Hear and Say.

I know it brings each and every one of you joy, and I hope a sense of pride, seeing the incredible improvements in a child’s development socially, emotionally and educationally, especially from initiatives such as this playgroup.

Thank you for inviting me to play with you this morning!