ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OMITTED

It is a great pleasure to welcome the Order of St John back to Government House.

This afternoon’s ceremony has been a moving reminder of my own investiture as Prior of St John Ambulance Australia in April.

Over the decades, this Drawing Room has played host to countless investiture and award ceremonies.

In a little over a year as your Governor-General, like my predecessors before me, I have so often presided at ceremonies as exceptional people are honoured for their works of service, performed for the benefit of their fellow Australians.

Each ceremony is characterised by the same deeply moving spirit of pride, humility, gratitude and respect.

Without exception, the people we honour are not motivated by a desire for recognition or thanks – in fact, that recognition often weighs heavily, and it is not sought. 

But it is what others feel is important to recognise, for the gift of your time, your expertise and your expression of care, kindness, respect and compassion for all those who come to you for help.

What we honour in you today is the spirit of the Order of St John – acting with integrity, dedicated to relieving sickness, suffering and distress, and preserving life. 

In April, I reflected on how much I was looking forward to learning personally about the difference St John’s makes every day, and to celebrating the Order as a community of great Australians.

Since then, I have seen all over the country that you do make a difference, and you have built a wonderful community. 

In every state, and at all kinds of events, St John’s Ambulance crews are poised on the sidelines, making safety a priority for Australians at work and play. 

Right now, in Brisbane, St John’s is at the Ekka, dealing with all the things that can go wrong when you bring livestock, rollercoasters and strawberry sundaes together in one place – just as I saw at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney.

Just as you were present, just a few weeks ago, at Canberra’s Kanga Cup – in the worst of July’s damp and cold – offering over 400 hours of your time to the safety of the young players and their spectators. 

In Victoria, where you gave some young locals the opportunity to spend their school holidays getting their first, and vital, lessons in first aid, and in Western Australia, where you stood in the red dust of the Onslow Rodeo.

From Hobart’s Salamanca Markets to trackside at the Townsville 500, St John’s shows locals just how much safety counts. 

As volunteers, you demonstrate a powerful commitment to upholding the safety and wellbeing of all Australians.

As I have experienced myself – here at Government House on Open Day and at events across the country, your crews are just as happy having a chat as dispensing first aid.

Welcoming, calm, interested and dependable, you are a trusted presence and a valued friend.

I am proud to be associated with St John’s Ambulance Australia, and always delighted to see the signature green uniform at events around the country.

And I am very much looking forward to joining the next generation of St Johns at the National Cadet Camp First Aid Competition in Sydney at the end of September.

Congratulations to you all, and thank you for coming to Government House to share this important ceremony with us.