Speech delivered on 24 October 2026, Castle Hill NSW

Hello, everybody.  

I'm delighted to be here as your Governor-General, and of course, I want to start by acknowledging the Dharug people, the Traditional Owners of this beautiful land that we gather, and pay my respects to Elders, past and present. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people joining us in the festival today.  

I first want to thank Mr Ashish Desai, President of the Council of Indian Australians (CIA), and the CIA Leadership Team and volunteers who helped organise today's beautiful event. You brought us all here together; it's a wonderful day.  

I also must acknowledge the Honourable Chris Minns MP, Premier of New South Wales; Mark Hodges MP, the Member for Castle Hill representing Kellie Sloane MP, the Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales; the Honourable Prue Car MP, Deputy Premier of New South Wales; the Honourable Alex Hawke MP, Federal Member for Mitchell; Ms Robyn Preston MP, Member for Hawkesbury; Mayor Sandy Reddy, Strathfield Council; Deputy Mayor Frank De Masi, from the Hills Shire Council.

And Deputy Mayor, can I say that this only happens with the support of the Hills Shire Council. I think it's a wonderful thing that you do to support this wonderful day for Deepavali.  

There are many other distinguished guests, elected representatives, and community leaders. We also have representatives of SBS as one of today's major partners, and then very importantly, I want to acknowledge all of the festival artists, performers, volunteers, the stallholders, everyone who's wanted to have a photo with me and have helped me make food today. Thank you very much for welcoming me, and happy Deepavali, everybody.

It's a joy to be here with you at the Castle Hill Showground, and I'm delighted that we are all here together on this beautiful afternoon.  

Two years ago, just after I became your Governor-General, I had the honour of lighting a diya at Government House in Canberra. I remember it all vividly, and the warmth of the people who came into Yarralumla that beautiful morning to teach me more about Deepavali.

I am wearing a very special reminder of that morning. The scarf I am wearing today was given to me by the Canberra Indian community.  

I also had the very great pleasure of lighting candles at Admiralty House in Kirribilli just last year, with Dr Janakiraman and his wife and daughters, the Indian Consul-General of India in Sydney. So, this is my third year of lighting candles for Deepavali, and the message of light overcoming darkness, goodness, and hope must now speak to all of us. There's something very generous about taking the tradition that you cherish and inviting all of us, your neighbours, to be part of today.  

I do have to think, and many of you have raised it with me, it's been a very, very tough week in Australia. Many of us are still reeling from that terrible attack on Helen Haines down in Victoria. Many of you have asked me to pass on messages of goodwill and hope for Helen and the blessings of Deepavali, and I will do that.  

The message of light today is what we need to make sure that we are all better, Helen makes a good recovery, and that we use the spirit of Deepavali to make sure our country has light over darkness.  

Ashish, thank you for the invitation, and for all you and the Council of Indian Australians do to bring people together. I'm also very grateful for the Council’s commitment to supporting students and new migrants as they become part of our wonderful Australian community.  

Now, a festival like this takes an enormous amount of work. To everyone who helped plan the day, prepare the food, and rehearsed one of the wonderful performances we've already seen and the ones yet to come, you have given us a beautiful celebration, and thank you to every volunteer. I hope you have a chance to enjoy yourselves today.  

And a special shout out to the parents and grandparents here. I know there's something special about passing on those traditions to a younger generation, so they can make it their own. And I see a new generation of Indian Australians every week. When school groups come to Canberra and see me at Government House, I meet young Indian Australians whose families have been here for one, two, three or more generations. Their enthusiasm, their confidence, their determination for the very important parts of this country is helping to shape Australia's future. It's uplifting and inspiring. And when I ask the school children what they love most about Australia, they always say the same thing. They talk about their friends from different backgrounds and that everyone belongs in this country. That's what makes us a successful modern Australia. 

So, it gives me hope for an Australia where we embrace difference, listen to one another, and we can disagree without losing respect for the person who holds a different opinion. And that's what we celebrate today here at Deepavali.

I'm proud that you share your traditions with us and for the welcome you extended to others. I'm sure others are going to say this- the Indian Australian community is central to modern Australia, and it's a privilege as your Governor-General to celebrate what you bring now and have always brought for so long to our shared purpose as wonderful country.  

In July, I was lucky enough to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Australia. We had about an hour together and talked about the friendship between our two countries- a friendship that is strengthened every day by Indian Australians working with those from very different backgrounds.  

Thank you for the lives you lead, the communities you build, and the generosity you share with all of us.  

So, to everyone who brought us here to Castle Hill, thank you. Congratulations, and may this Deepavali season bring happiness, prosperity, and health to all of you and the people you love. It's wonderful to be here, and happy Deepavali.