12 April 2026, Tobruk House, Albert Park, Melbourne.

Thank you, Stuart Tolliday, for your kind welcome.

I acknowledge the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we gather today, and pay my respects to Elders past and present.

I also acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are here with us today. 

I acknowledge: 

• Josh Burns MP, Member for Macnamara
• Nina Taylor MP, Member for Albert Park
• Mr Anish Rajan, ConsulGeneral of India in Melbourne
• Ms Bella Katz, Commissioner for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and ConsulGeneral of New Zealand in Melbourne
• Mr Michael Eyley, representing the ConsulGeneral of the United Kingdom in Melbourne
• Dr Mark Schröffel, State President, Returned Services League of Victoria
• Stuart Tolliday, Chairman, Rats of Tobruk Association, and all committee members
• Keith Wolahan, our keynote speaker today, former Member for Menzies in the Federal Parliament and a former Army officer
• Distinguished guests
• And importantly, the families and descendants of the Rats of Tobruk 

As Governor-General, Commander-in-chief, and as the daughter of an Army veteran, I am proud to join you for this important Sunday service to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Siege of Tobruk.

Before I turn to my formal remarks, I want to share a small anecdote that speaks to the extraordinary reach of the Rats of Tobruk.

William Dargie — a well-known Rat of Tobruk, but also one of Australia’s most celebrated painters — discovered he had won the Archibald Prize for his portrait of Sir James Elder while he was digging a trench at Tobruk.

Today, in the front corridor of Government House in Canberra, we pass one of Dargie’s most beautiful portraits every day — his portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

It is a lovely reminder of the extraordinary lengths of a life — from a Rat of Tobruk to a legacy of Australia’s finest portraiture.

Just yesterday, in Bendigo, I was privileged to attend the celebration of the centenary of Bendigo Legacy, honouring its lifechanging work in supporting veteran families across the region.

And so, it is a great pleasure to be here today to honour the valour of the Rats of Tobruk — those who came home, and those who lost their lives — and to pay tribute to the important work of the Rats of Tobruk Association over the decades.

With Tobruk House at its heart, the Association ensures the Rats’ story of service, sacrifice, grit and heroism will never be forgotten and will always be a source of pride.

The Siege of Tobruk stands as one of our nation’s most exceptional stories of war.

But for the Rats, it was anything other than a story.

It was real and dramatic.

It was days of relentless heat and dust, and nights of fatigue and fear — nights spent waiting, listening, enduring.

From April to December 1941, 242 days tested each man’s resolve, courage and endurance.

Despite their extraordinary resilience, the Rats paid a very heavy price, in the loss of so many precious lives.

And for many, Tobruk was only the beginning — the prelude to long years of service in other battles before the war’s end.

As a way to preserve their bond, and to commemorate the fallen, the Rats of Tobruk Association emerged as a system of mutual support, encouragement and friendship.

With the death of Thomas Pritchard, the last surviving Australian Rat of Tobruk, in 2024, we lost the living thread that directly tied us to those days in Tobruk.

(And I note that George Kiszely, a Polish veteran of Tobruk, still lives in Australia. He is now 102, lives in Noosa, and became an Australian citizen in 1949.)

Today, the Association upholds the legacy of the Rats of Tobruk through its programs of activities, education and ceremonies of remembrance — just like this one.

And through important initiatives such as the Rats of Tobruk Association Neuroscience Fellowship Fund, providing generous support for research into paediatric neuroscience.

And through the primary school's program, recognising students who demonstrate the values of service, courage, respect, integrity and resilience — values so powerfully exemplified by the Rats of Tobruk — ensuring that generations now, and generations yet to come, will hold their stories in reverence.

When I was sworn into office as your Governor-General, I promised to put care, kindness and respect at the core of everything I do.

Care for each other. 
Care for those who care for others. 
Care for our continent. 
Care for our civics and institutions. 
And care for the way we discuss the hardest issues of our time — without rancour, anger or judgement.

For me, the work of this Association has always epitomised that care.

As your Governor-General, and on behalf of all Australians, thank you for all that you have done — and all that you continue to do.

Your work is a powerful tribute to service and sacrifice, and a fitting act of commemoration for all that the Rats of Tobruk gave in defence of our nation, 85 years ago.

I am honoured to be here with you today.

Lest we forget.