State Dinner in honour of the Lord Mayor of the City of London

Lord Mayor of the City of London, The Right Honourable Alderman Nicholas Lyons and representatives of the City of London Corporation; Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement, The Honourable Mick de Brenni MP, Lord Mayor of the City of Brisbane, The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Brisbane Councillor Adrian Schrinner; Consul-General of the United Kingdom in Brisbane, Mr Richard Cowin MBE; distinguished guests.

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.

Graeme and I welcome you all to Government House this evening to honour our very special guests from the City of London Corporation.

Our original plans to hold this dinner last September were sadly delayed by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II—an event met with great sorrow by so many around the globe.

So, as we enter a new era in the British monarchy, we also welcome to Queensland a new Lord Mayor of the City of London— Alderman Lyons—who would have been with us last year in his role as Aldermanic Sheriff, but who now joins us as the City’s head.

I am also delighted to have another opportunity to meet Mr Richard Cowin, the new British Consul General in Queensland, who arrived here only a few weeks ago.

And, of course, I would like to acknowledge those at the table who are representing Queensland. Your valuable contributions help make our State the vibrant, thriving place we all enjoy.

Queensland’s connections to the UK stretch back over 250 years, and this close relationship has contributed significantly to our current fortunes.

And, while the relatively short time since Queensland’s emergence as a separately governed colony cannot compare with the impressive 1,000 years of the City of London’s civic administration, we have both been built on the same spirit of hard work, tenacity and innovation.

In this world—where trade and investment have an ever-growing reach—it is even more important to strengthen these early ties, particularly when the challenges we face are becoming increasingly complex.

We can learn so much by listening to others and sharing expertise. And, we all benefit enormously from being able to showcase our own unique attributes and assets to the world.

On that note, this evening’s dinner menu—devised by our Head Chef, Paul Newsham—celebrates Queensland’s delicious fresh produce and outstanding local wines.

Our state’s strength and leadership across diverse sectors ensure a brilliant future, as we continue to form mutually beneficial partnerships that will help shape our way forward.

In my capacity as the 27^th Governor of Queensland, I therefore thank the 694^th Lord Mayor of the City of London for bringing this delegation to Queensland, and for sharing his vision of a “resilient, resourceful and responsible” Square Mile that champions financial inclusion for all.

I add that Alderman Lyons enters the history books as the first Lord Mayor of London to stay at Queensland Government House, so we feel very proud that this dinner will also be adding a new chapter to the rich narrative of this special place.

I wish you every success during your time here, and safe travels.