Investiture Ceremony F, Thurs 1 May 2pm

Representing the Commissioner of the Queensland Fire Department, Chief Officer Kaylene Jones; Representing the President of the Order of Australia Association Queensland Branch, Mrs Jennifer Gregory OAM; Immediate Past State Commissioner of Girl Guides Queensland, Mrs Kathryn Pearson; families, friends and colleagues of the recipients; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.  

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

Today’s investiture is a very special occasion for our medal recipients, their families and colleagues, and I am delighted that you have all been able to join us here at Government House for this formal ceremony.

I look forward to meeting and chatting with you all later when we gather on the lawn to celebrate the contribution and achievements of the awardees.

This wonderful heritage building is not just Government House; it a house for all Queenslanders and I extend a warm welcome to each of you, and especially to the three family members who have accepted Medals of the Order of Australia of loved ones passed, being The Late Mr Neil Donaldson, The Late Mr Gunther Schmida, and The Late Ms Frances Wager.

One of the most respected features of Australia’s unique system is that the honours of the Order of Australia can be awarded posthumously – although you must be alive to be nominated – and I thank those family members for being here today to accept these honours. By doing this, you have given us all the opportunity to remember and celebrate the significant contributions they made to Australian society during their lifetimes.

Another special feature of the Australian system of honours and awards is that, since 1992, all Australian athletes who win gold medals at Olympic or Paralympic Games automatically receive the Medal of the Order of Australia and I am delighted that we have been joined this afternoon by three Queenslanders who won gold in Paris last year as part of the highly successful Dolphins swimming team, helping the team to a total of 27 medals.

The Australian system is managed by an independent unit in the Office of the Governor General in Canberra – the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat, and the decision to confer Medals of the Order of Australia automatically on gold medallists is an example of the constant effort made by the Secretariat in the to ensure that our Australian system remains fair and fit for purpose.

The decision was made in 1992 because by then it had become clear that, while some Olympians had been awarded honours in the past, there were many equally deserving athletes who had not – simply because they had not been nominated.

A recommendation was therefore made to the Australian Government that the Medal of the Order of Australia – the OAM, be awarded automatically not only to those who had won gold in Barcelona that year, but retrospectively to those who had done so in previous Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As well as being acknowledged for its fairness, the Order of Australia has earned respect world-wide for the exceptionally diverse range of individuals who can be recognised. It does this through the highly egalitarian, democratic method of allowing any Australian to nominate any other person for an honour and by ensuring that each nomination is carefully scrutinised and researched by the Secretariat in Canberra before being approved by the Governor-General and announced.

In the 50 years since the Order was created, almost 36,000 individuals have been appointed to the Order of Australia and the system has thoroughly justified its international reputation for integrity.

Today, we have admitted 19 more Queenslanders to this society of honour and I congratulate you all again on the tireless, selfless work you have done and the contribution you have made to Australian society through your efforts.

In the citations read earlier, you’ve heard of contributions to public and community health, drought relief, swimming, information technology, the livestock industry, the Paralympics, emergency services, Girl Guides, basketball, the road transport industry, museums and galleries, music, agricultural shows, wildlife photography, and individual communities across our vast State.

It is a truly astonishing range but while the honours presented today range from the Medal of the Order – the OAM, to Officer of the Order, the second highest honour, all of them recognise the vital contribution that each individual has made to building a sustainable, resilient, respectful Australia.

Each recipient’s individual story reminds us that determination, commitment, generosity of spirit and sheer hard work are qualities that we value, admire and respect as Australians. Their achievements, collectively, help us to define who we are as nation and tell our common story, and on behalf of all Queenslanders, I thank you for this and, once again, congratulate you on the honours you have received.