Speech delivered on December 5, Royal Military College, Duntroon

It’s a privilege to see you sitting there in your robes, full of expectation for today. I’m delighted to be here, and thank you, Brigadier Lara Troy, CSC, the Commandant of the Australian War College, for your opening remarks, and thank you for your leadership.

I want to acknowledge that we are gathering here today on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal people, and I pay my respects to Elders past and present. I also want to recognize any other people who have long-standing connections to Canberra, the ACT, and the surrounding regions. I acknowledge all First Nations people here, and your Elders and your Country.

Before I acknowledge our other formal guests, I wanted to share something I learned recently—because from a leadership point of view, we’re always trying to learn. So I thought I’d share a few tips today.

I was lucky to represent all Australians with the Prime Minister at the 40th anniversary of the handback of Ulura-Kata-Tjuta—a magnificent ceremony. While I was there with the local Anangu, they shared with me, through their Pitjantjatjara language and the NPY Land Council women, what they do before they start an event. They find a word in Pitjantjatjara that says how they are feeling, to set the tone for the day. They have a box of words they share, and I wanted to share with you the word I chose—and the word I think might describe how the graduands are feeling.

I am feeling pulapa, which means I’m really happy and full of energy—and that’s because of all of you and your families. The energy you radiate, you’ll take into leadership. I feel very strongly about that as Commander-in-Chief. I’m hoping you are feeling kanpi, which is the word for proud—full of pride and confidence after everything you’ve done.

It’s interesting when we think about language and other cultures—sometimes one word in another language can describe a range of feelings and attitudes. Today, I wanted to share that with you because of all of you, and I hope it means something as you progress in your leadership.

Now, of course, I’ll return to the formalities and acknowledge our distinguished guests: Admiral David Johnston, AC, Chief of the Defence Force—I know he’s not quite here yet, he’s at Parliament House but will join us shortly—along with Mr Greg Moriarty, Secretary of the Department of Defence. Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, OAM, DSC, CSC, Chief of Air Force; Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, AO, OAM, Chief of Navy; Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, AO, DSC, Chief of Army; senior leaders and members of the Australian Defence Force; senior leaders of the Australian Public Service; Commissioner Gavan Reynolds, AO, from the Australian Border Force; Acting Deputy Commissioner Nigel

Ryan, Australian Federal Police; Distinguished Professor Matthew Clarke, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University; Professor Harvinder Sidhu, Deputy Rector, UNSW Canberra; Rear Admiral James Lybrand, CSC, Commander of the Australian Defence College. I also acknowledge the faculty and staff of the Defence College and War College for your exceptional work in supporting our graduands.

Distinguished guests—of which there are many—but the most distinguished today are our graduands. Congratulations and welcome to this wonderful occasion celebrating you. I also acknowledge your families—some of whom we can hear, and that’s a good thing! It’s why we lead: to make the world safe for the future of our families and kids. So anyone holding a child—don’t worry about the noise, we love it.

I want to acknowledge all of you for the support you’ve given the graduands, particularly those who’ve spent a long time away from home. It’s a great honour for me in this role to return to the War College to congratulate you on your significant achievements.

One of the great privileges of my role is to see firsthand, in official visits overseas, the vital international defence relationships that underpin our shared goal of peace, stability, and security. The relationships and connections you’ve built at the Australian War College are the building blocks of our broader strategic relationships. Almost 30 nations are represented in the graduates today, and I especially thank those from other countries for your time away from home and for creating new friendships and bilateral education opportunities.

Today marks the culmination of an intense year of study—preparing you for leadership or extending your existing leadership and command at the highest levels. In this ceremony, we recognize your hard work and attainment, and we acknowledge the support of your families as you returned to full-time study—a big change in family life.

Many of you know I am the daughter of a veteran of the Australian Army. My father served in the Royal Corps of Signals for almost 40 years, so I understand the role families play in supporting those who choose a life of service.

In preparing to speak today, I read reflections from a former student, Infantry Officer Dan Ellis, published on The Cove. His advice to new students was that this year is not to prepare you for your next appointment—or even the one after that. It’s a year to think and reflect—on strategy, operations, and leadership—rather than simply being a proficiency course. It’s an investment in you individually as an asset for the future.

Throughout your time in the Defence and Strategic Studies Course, the Australian Command and Staff Course, and affiliated programs, you’ve engaged with complex ideas and challenges: grand strategy, operational art, capability development, statecraft, and the preservation of peace—and, when required, the response to war.

You’ve wrestled with strategic competition, climate change, technological disruption, and much more that defines our modern world.

You’ve also reckoned with questions of ethics and empathy as warfare evolves to include autonomous systems and AI—learning to apply human intelligence and oversight, honing ethical judgment and leadership, and instilling value for dignity and moral agency.

Leadership begins with care—care for your teams, your mission, the people impacted by your decisions, and care for yourself. When I was sworn in as Governor-General 16 months ago, and became Commander-in-Chief, 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 environment, care for our institutions, and care for how we think and talk about issues—without anger or violence, but always with respect.

To some, care might not seem an obvious word for the Defence Force. Many ascribe softness to care—but care is not soft. Care is rigorous and accountable. It means showing up and working for something larger than yourself. It means striving for excellence and leaving no one behind. Care is often hard to maintain—it requires perseverance and commitment. I believe this is the essence of our modern Defence Force.

Graduands, you’ve embodied care this year—in your studies and in the collegial relationships you’ve built. You’ve joined with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and professional expertise, and you’ve welcomed and respected each other with kindness. In completing the rigours of your course, you’ve demonstrated care for the future of our Defence Force, our nation, our region, your countries, and our global future together.

In a moment, I will present the Governor-General’s Prize and the Blamey Memorial Prize to students of merit. Sir Thomas Blamey—Australia’s only Field Marshal—attended Staff College in Quetta, in what was then India. His Commandant reported that Blamey “came here uneducated in the military sense, but by the end of the first year, he had exceeded beyond all expectation.” His year was formative—readying him for service in both World Wars and exceptional leadership in the Pacific War.

Your preparation has been for a very different world. You’ve learned the skills and built the capabilities we need in a modern, dynamic, connected environment in the Indo-Pacific and beyond—where partnerships and trust are paramount. Leaders who embody care, kindness, and respect will shape the future. They will build coalitions, resolve crises, and inspire confidence in times of uncertainty.

As you graduate today, you leave with new knowledge and skills, and with the capacity for ethical thinking, intellectual nuance, and psychological insight—along with wonderful new relationships and understanding of different cultures and experiences. You now have the capability to lead with integrity, listen with empathy, act with courage, and contribute to a safer, more just, and stable world. In short, you are the leaders we need now.

I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of you earlier in your careers—often as my aides-de-camp. Over my time as Commander-in-Chief, I will meet 18 aides. Today, Lieutenant Tiffany McCormack joins me—a bright rising star of Navy. I often share advice with them before they head off to their next posting, and I thought I’d share some with you.

First, always look around the rooms you are in—the rooms you lead—and pay attention to the views that challenge you most. Someone who says something that piques your curiosity, even disturbs you—listen to them. There might be deep learning in that moment.

Second, ask yourself: Who is not in the room? Who’s missing? Which experience do you need? Go and find them and invite them in. It might breach a little of the command chain, but always listen to those absent voices.

Finally, don’t sit in a meeting waiting to talk. Learn the skill of active listening—of enjoying silence and reflecting. Many leaders just wait to drop their line. I’ve done that—and I’m embarrassed to admit it. But when you enter a room and truly listen, people want to hear you when you speak—because they know you’ve been listening.

I wanted to leave you with those three insights. Congratulations to each and every one of you. Take your experiences and wisdom and apply them to everything you do. Thank you for committing to yourselves, to our nations, and to peace. Go well—I look forward to presenting your certificates. Congratulations.