United Service Club Patron’s Dinner

United Service Club President, Major Ian Harding RFD and Committee Members; Incoming President, Major General Darryl Low Choy AM MBE RFD; Past President, Colonel Richard Olive AM RFD; Veterans; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

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 with us this evening.

This is the third occasion on which Graeme and I have had the pleasure of joining the members of the United Service Club for this marvellous tradition of the annual Patron’s Dinner, and I thank Major Harding for his invitation and for his warm welcome.

Over the past three years, Graeme and I have become Patrons of some 170 organisations. In the process, we have both come to understand a great deal more about the concept of patronage and what it means in Australia today.

Patronage first emerged at a time when the financial support of emperors and kings was needed to do things like build cathedrals, send explorers around the world and encourage musicians and artists.

But by the time Queen Victoria was born, just over 200 years ago, patronage had begun to shift towards fostering scientific and technological innovation and supporting educational institutions, charities and reforms.

And over the last century, it has become an increasingly important way of advocating on behalf of contemporary causes and issues.

For our King and his Vice-Regal representatives like me throughout the Commonwealth, patronage today focuses on encouraging public and voluntary service, promoting humanitarian values, and helping to sustain social cohesion.

The Royal Family today maintain a close association with more than a thousand charities, military organisations, and professional and public service bodies,and here in Queensland, the groups and entities that Graeme and I support range from large, established charities to small associations of volunteers dedicated to a particular cause.

But irrespective of their size, Vice-Regal patronage highlights the vital work they all do and allows their achievements and contributions to society to be more widely recognised and promoted.

Increasingly, Vice-Regal patronage in Australia today is linked to social justice and inclusivity with greater support being given to issues such as environmental sustainability and social inequality.

The United Service Club itself is a great example of that evolution. When it was established in 1892, its main purpose was to serve as a private club where military officers could meet and socialise.

Today, not only has the Club’s membership expanded to include civilians, but its focus has shifted to charitable activities and to hosting events that promote veteran welfare and greater awareness of the support they need in areas such as mental health.

I congratulate the Board and members on the extent to which the Club has embraced its changing role in the community while preserving its important military connections and historical role. On behalf of all Queenslanders, I thank you for that commitment; I am proud to be your Patron.