Reception for the Unveiling of a Portrait of His Excellency at the Bar Association of Queensland

Mr President and past Presidents, Your Honours, Councillors, Life Members, ladies and gentlemen.

Just as I was very proud to be admitted to Life Membership of the Association some years ago, I was very touched that the Association wanted to commission this portrait by Robert Hannaford, about to be revealed.

So far as it matters, Kaye and I are very pleased with the result, as we are with the judicial portrait now hanging in the courthouse.

As I said to the artist at the time, he has made me look interesting in a way I have never perceived myself to be. I would go further with a definition of ‘interesting’ in that context.

Well, you will make your own assessments – and with the steely objectivity which characterizes the Bar.

I am also greatly honoured to be joining Justice Kiefel, former Justice Callinan, the late Cedric Hampson QC, and an array of significant legal figures in this gallery of which the Association and its members must be proud: it goes tangibly and with distinction to the preservation of the heritage of our Bar.

But principally tonight, I want to express my humble gratitude to the Association for its inclination to take the kind and generous step of including me.

Thank you all very much, and I will now proceed to remove the cloth…