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27th Governor of Queensland Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM

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Afternoon Tea in Support of the of the Queensland Country Women’s Association and the Public Rural Crisis Fund

Speech delivered by Official Secretary:

Patron of the Queensland Country Women’s Association, Mrs Kaye de Jersey; Your Excellency; QCWA President, Mrs Christine King; distinguished guests. 

Welcome to Government House – you finally made it!

We had hoped to present this cheque back in March, but certain events got in the way. 

The annual Christmas Lights Display in December is one of the major events here at Government House.

Donations are not usually collected.

However, Government House was deeply moved by the plight of regional communities the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited in late 2019.

Many were suffering a double blow from drought and bushfire.

The decision to collect and direct donations to the Queensland Country Women’s Association’s Public Rural Crisis Fund, was a simple one. 

Firstly, the Fund provides practical financial support directly to regional Queensland families in distress.

Secondly, it carries the imprimatur of one of Queensland’s most cherished institutions, the Country Women’s Association.

The choice of beneficiary also reinforced the proud vice-regal links between Government House and the QCWA, which began with Governor, Sir Matthew Nathan in 1922 and have continued through to the present day. 

Queenslanders responded with enthusiasm and generosity to the call for gold coin donations. More than $4,300 was collected across the eight nights of Christmas Lights.

Before a cheque for this amount is formally presented to the QCWA Patron, a short mention of today’s hospitality. 

The chefs at Fernberg have been busily preparing afternoon tea using recipes from the In My Country Kitchen Cookbook, gifted to Mrs de Jersey at the 96th State Conference in 2018.  

We have: breakfast muffins, from Ms Yvonne Hillard from Lowood Branch; Falls Farm pumpkin damper with tomato relish, from Ms Raymonda Hall from Blackwater Branch; Ms Beverley Milligan’s quiche recipe from Millaa Millaa Branch; and, finally, a mango, pineapple and coconut banana bread, by Ms Angela Stephenson from Howard Branch.

We hope you don’t scrutinise us too hard! 

Without further ado, I now ask Mr Scott Allen, who project managed the Government House Christmas Lights, to present a cheque to Mrs Kaye de Jersey, Patron of the Queensland Country Women’s Association, for $4,395.50, donated by the people of Queensland to the Public Rural Crisis Fund.

That concludes formalities, I invite you all to enjoy the QCWA-inspired hospitality of Government House.