Private Investiture Ceremony for Mrs Lynnette Gambrill OAM

Ladies and gentlemen, I am greatly honoured to be here for today’s Investiture Ceremony.

The Medal of the Order of Australia I have just presented to Mrs Gambrill is one of the highest civilian honours a Governor can confer for service to one’s community.  

Nominations are received, not from government, but from one’s peers.

This, in my mind, denotes these Honours as exceptional, and their recipients as remarkable.

There is great ceremony attached to these presentations, regardless of whether there are one or one hundred recipients.

This is as it should be. These ceremonies are an expression of wider community gratitude for outstanding contributions.

They also concentrate community attention on those aspects of society which bind and unite us.

Mrs Gambrill, your citation speaks of a life lived in utter dedication of others, most conspicuously through beneficial service to veterans and their families with the Women’s Auxiliary of the Returned and Services League of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, most recently as State President.

That is most worthy of community acclamation. I am aware yours are indeed very big shoes to fill.

I thank the family, friends and hospital staff gathered here for their assistance with organising today’s ceremony.

I acknowledge RSL State President, Mr Tony Ferris, for his presence.

As Patron of the RSL, Queensland Branch, and as Governor, on behalf of all Queenslanders, I wholeheartedly thank you, Mrs Gambrill, for all you have done for our State and nation.