True Relationships and Reproductive Health 50th Anniversary Celebration High Tea

Thank you, Natalie, for the kind welcome.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, and extend greetings to Elders, past, present and emerging.

I was delighted to receive an invitation from Alice to attend today’s 50^th anniversary event.

Not only is this my first high tea as Governor, today also provides me with a timely opportunity to continue my involvement with True which began many years ago as Chief Health Officer.

When Family Planning Queensland opened its first clinic back in 1972, reproductive health was very much a taboo topic, and a lot of the information which was available was extremely hard to access and often lacked medical rigour.

What those pioneering members and clinicians achieved back then, nearly 50 years ago, was nothing short of game changing.

They dragged these important issues out of the darkness and into the light, against sustained and significant opposition which continued really for some decades.

The range of services the organisation now provides under the ‘True’ banner has expanded enormously over the last fifty years to include a wider range of reproductive and sexual health clinics, alongside other important education, advocacy, training and counselling initiatives.

Along the way, the organisation has never lost sight of its core mission, to provide a safe and reliable source of inclusive advice which is medically informed, and which makes a real impact to people’s lives.

As Governor for all of Queensland, it is particularly reassuring that True’s services are not just focussed here in the South East, with outreach clinics operating across the full breadth of the State from Bowen to Julia Creek and all the way down to tiny Texas on the New South Wales border.

I also applaud the ongoing efforts to provide practical information to First Nations communities and in other languages.

I congratulate everyone involved with the success of True as it approaches its 50^th anniversary.

The organisation’s remarkable achievements have depended on the grit, determination and perseverance of many individuals.

As Governor, I pay tribute to them all.

I wish you all a most rewarding and successful 50^th anniversary year in 2022, and a safe and Merry Christmas. Thank you.