Speech to the Women and Infants Research Foundation, Government House, Perth

I really am so delighted to join you this evening.   

And, of course, I thank Mrs Dawson, for inviting me to be here to mark World Prematurity Day.  

Through patronage, the Governor and Mrs Dawson do so much to amplify and share the extraordinary work of the Women and Infants Research Foundation, and the significance of this important day.  

The pathways to pre-term birth are complex and varied.  

And the aftermath and outcomes are challenging for medical professionals and deeply distressing for families.  

In the anxiety, anguish and, tragically, grief after loss, there is a deep human need for care, connection and community.  

When I was sworn-in as Governor-General, I undertook to put an unstinting focus on care, kindness and respect at the core of my work over the years ahead.    

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 in the way in which we discuss and debate the issues of our time without judgement or rancour.   

Care, kindness and respect are not soft options.   

They are tangible and practical.     

And they are evident in the rigorous and groundbreaking research of the WIRF, which strives to alleviate and, where possible, prevent pre-term birth.  

When care is missing from our encounters with each other, our communities and the world around us- we put our humanity, and the most vulnerable among us, at risk of harm.  

As WIRF demonstrates, when care is at the centre, it can be the catalyst for change, discovery and progress that has an impact on the lives of all Australians.  

Thank you for the work you do, every day, to give children the best possible start in life and assure the long-term health of women. 

Since arriving in Western Australia, I have encountered groups and organisations who demonstrate the power of care to bring people together to find strength in connection and community.  

While this is my first visit to your great state, I can assure you that it will not be the last. 

Taking away the stories and impressions I have gathered of the modernity and optimism that is so evident in the fabric of your lives and the spirit of your communities, I will share them -- wherever I can – and amplify them as a message of hope to uplift all Australians. 

Thank you.