2026 RBWH Foundation Ruby Gala Ball

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation, Board Chair,  Ms Kristin Devitt and Chief Executive Officer, Ms Simone Garske; Board members, staff, Ambassadors and supporters; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I also begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here tonight.

This evening, we gather for one of the RBWH Foundation’s signature fundraising events — the Ruby Gala Ball — in support of its ongoing commitment to advancing patient care, research, education and innovation at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

As Patron of the Foundation, it is a great pleasure to acknowledge the clinicians, researchers, staff, volunteers, sponsors, donors, patient ambassadors and friends whose generosity and commitment continue to strengthen healthcare for Queenslanders.

The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital [RBWH] holds a special place in the life of this state. As one of Queensland’s leading hospitals, it has cared for generations of patients, responded to moments of great need, and helped shape the standards of excellence and innovation for which Queensland healthcare is rightly respected.

That contribution is seen every day in the skill and compassion of its medical teams, in the discoveries made through research, and in the confidence given to patients and families at some of the most important and vulnerable times in their lives.

Tonight’s audience includes many clinicians from the RBWH and the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service — or STARS — as well as patient ambassadors who remain closely connected to these hospitals because of the care they received and the dedication of the teams who treated them.

Their presence is a powerful reminder that hospitals are more than buildings, wards and operating theatres. They are communities of expertise, courage and hope — places where knowledge, teamwork and humanity combine to change lives.

The work of the RBWH Foundation is central to this mission. Through philanthropy, the Foundation helps make possible life-changing research, the purchase of vital equipment, and programs that improve outcomes for patients and help ease the burden on their families.

Fundraising events such as the Ruby Gala Ball translate goodwill into practical support. They bring together people who may contribute in different ways, but who share a belief that world-class healthcare and medical research are worth investing in.

That belief matters. It enables researchers to pursue promising ideas, helps clinicians access the tools they need, and supports innovations that can move from the laboratory to the bedside, and into the lives of patients across Queensland and beyond.

To the healthcare workers and researchers here tonight: thank you for the professionalism, compassion and perseverance you bring to your work. To the patient ambassadors: thank you for sharing your stories and helping others understand the real human impact of care. And to the supporters, sponsors and volunteers: thank you for standing beside the Foundation and the hospitals and research centres it supports.  

Your collective contribution reflects the very best of community generosity — generosity that is not simply measured in dollars raised, but in the opportunities created, the discoveries supported, and the lives improved.

In this way, the Ruby Gala Ball is much more than an evening of celebration. It is an expression of confidence in the future of healthcare, and of gratitude for those who devote their knowledge, energy and care to improving outcomes for others.

This evening, I warmly congratulate the RBWH Foundation on bringing this community together once again, and I thank every person here for the part you play in supporting excellence in care, research, education and innovation.

May the 2026 Ruby Gala Ball be a wonderful success, and may the funds raised tonight continue to support work that changes lives for the better.

Thank you all.