Welcome to Government House.
This is a place of peace and welcome, where everyone belongs.
As the first Canberra-born Governor-General, it is a special privilege, in this 50th anniversary year for our honours system, to bestow these awards on many Canberrans, and people from the region, who give so much to this important capital city.
Investitures always inspire me.
With glimpses of the service, integrity, creativity, care, and achievement that flourish across our nation, we cannot help but be moved by your contributions and selflessness.
I have just returned from an official visit to Türkiye, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, with attendance at the funeral of Pope Francis.
Of course, the centrepiece of our trip was to be at Gallipoli for Anzac Day and to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the first landings there.
Standing in the places where Australians fell so long ago, and meeting the Australians – pilgrims, diplomats, defence personnel – who today represent our diverse modern nation …
… brought home to me that Australians – past and present, near and far – carry with them a deep commitment to care, and share the qualities of courage, resolution and respect; imagination, and kindness.
It also brought to mind another commemoration – on Christmas Day, I was in Darwin for the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy.
Together we remembered the remarkable courage and recovery, the care Darwin’s people showed for each other and for their city.
It is not surprising that their efforts were reflected in the very first Australian honours, in 1975.
Women like Corporal Rose Finn and RAAF nurse Brenda Walton, who were made Members of the Order that year because of their tireless care in the hours and days following the disaster.
And Major General Alan Stretton, head of the brand-new National Disasters Organisation. His excellence in overseeing the evacuation of Darwin led to him being made not only an Officer of the Order, but 1975’s Australian of the Year.
In the same year, we find people like Patrick White, Manning Clark, Joan Sutherland, and Nugget Coombs – all made Companions of the Order that year.
In its very beginning, the Order of Australia recognised the best and the bravest.
Ever since, our honours system has been a record of how Australians respond to the perils and promise of life in our country.
Today, we celebrate the fact that you belong in the company of Australians whose lives have a lasting impact on the world.
When I became Governor-General, I undertook during my term to focus unstintingly on the uplifting power of care, kindness and respect.
Care for each other, care for those who care for others, care for our extraordinary continent and its environmental beauty, care for civics and institutions, and care for the way in which we discuss and debate the issues of our time without judgement, anger, or violence.
Care also means reflecting on the braided strength we find in the history of our nation,
- 65,000 years of continuous Indigenous history and culture …
- … of stability, equality and prosperity assured by the strength of our democracy and institutions of government …
- … and our modern chapter of belonging, progress, and success, underpinned by remarkable multiculturalism. Over half a century of immigration and refugee arrivals – over 7.5 million migrants and almost one million refugees.
I also made a commitment to amplify the stories of those who embed care in the way they encounter the world around them.
That is exactly what I see and feel in this room, and will see across this special week of investitures.
It is a privilege to hear your stories, and to take them with me wherever I go.
Thank you for everything you have done, and what you continue to do every day. As we celebrate half a century of Australian honours, today you embody that legacy we cherish.
Thank you to your families, friends and colleagues who have nurtured and supported you, and who join you to celebrate with you today.
Congratulations on these well-deserved awards.