Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem Reception 2024

Grand Prior of the Order of Australia, the Australian Priory of the Order of St Lazarus, the Honourable Chev Gavin Fielding AM; President, Queensland Commandery, Grand Priory of Australia, Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem, Captain David Ellis OAM; Members of the Order; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners 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 with us today.

Graeme and I are delighted to host this afternoon’s reception to mark the beginning of the 2024 National Chapter of the Grand Priory of Australia.

It is no small task to coordinate an event that brings together the members of an organisation that operates in seven of Australia’s eight states and territories, and I know it will have required a great deal of time and effort by the organising committee. I take this opportunity to thank them for their commitment to doing everything possible to ensure a productive and inspiring program of meetings, social events, and services.

In Australia and around the world today, charitable organisations like the Order of St Lazarus work tirelessly to alleviate the plight of the sick and poor. As Vice-Regal patron of many such charities here in Queensland, I know all too well the challenges they face when they’re competing for an ever-shrinking pool of donations, philanthropic gifts and bequests.

To counter this, the Order of St Lazarus in Australia wisely established its Foundation a decade ago, and today, thanks to the generosity of members and the general public, the Foundation has been able to provide flood and bushfire relief and other, much-needed community support.

This is a great tribute to the strong sense of social responsibility of everyone associated with the Order, and is particularly remarkable when compared with the contribution of enormous, world-wide service organisations such as Rotary or Lions.

With 7,000 members spread across 37 countries, the Order supports an impressive and targeted range of projects around the world, quietly and humbly working to reduce suffering and disadvantage and, in the process, helping to build strong, cohesive, resilient communities.

It's a marvellous success story and a tribute to the power of practical Christianity and to the enduring chivalric ideals of charity and compassion that underpin everything the Order does.

As Governor, I am privileged to speak for all Queenslanders and, on their behalf, I thank you for all that you do. May the Order continue to thrive!