Reception in support of The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation

Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Ms Simone Garske and Members of the Board; Hospital and Foundation executives and staff; supporters; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands on which we gather, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here today.

Graeme and I are so pleased you could join us at Government House this evening, to celebrate the remarkable impact you are having on improving the health and wellbeing of people in Queensland, and beyond.

As Patron of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation, and as a passionate supporter of our public health system, I am proud to be amongst a group of such generous, and forward-thinking individuals, who are helping to ensure that our approach to patient care and health services continues to improve, and that the benefits of life-saving research flow from our laboratories and out into the world.

Each year, more than 600,000 people who are sick and injured, rely on the acclaimed expertise and capabilities of the RBWH to help them heal.

Within the Herston Health Precinct, leading research institutes and centres are harnessing the power of ideas and driving ground-breaking inquiry that reaches into almost every area relating to medicine and health.

This incredible powerhouse of brilliance and innovation is a far-cry from the hospital’s humbler beginnings—at a time when typhoid fever raged, infant mortality was high, and the discovery of the first antibiotic was still some 80 years away.  The very idea that the human body could be imaged via an x-ray, let alone a 3D Scanner would have seemed like science fiction!

Over the years, we have all benefitted from the truly astounding breakthroughs in medicine, and the rapid technological inventions that have seen significant advancements in treatment and care.

Yet, despite such tremendous shifts in understanding and approach, there remain many crucial medical puzzles to be solved, and that is why your contribution to the work of the Foundation, the RBWH and its research partners, is not only deeply appreciated, but incredibly vital.

Your efforts, and philanthropic support is helping the RBWH Foundation in its purpose to save lives through the extraordinary power of giving.

The impact you are having today, will be felt well into the future—as our state’s largest hospital continues to respond to the changing needs of our population—and I speak for all Queenslanders, when I say I am profoundly grateful for your outstanding altruism and vision.

I also thank the Foundation’s Chair and Board, Hospital and Foundation Executives and Staff, and of course, all of our amazing medical personnel and researchers for being so committed to serving the public with their powerful blend of compassion and expertise.

I wish you all ongoing success, and hope you enjoy this special opportunity to celebrate all you have achieved.