North Queensland Investiture Ceremony, April 2025

Acting Mayor Townsville City Council, Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney; Representing Major General Ashley Collingburn AM DSM, Commander, 1st Division, Australian Army, Brigadier Ben McLennan CSC and Bar; Representing Air Commodore Robert Graham, Commander, Combat Support Group, RAAF, Wing Commander Paul Howell; Representing the Order of Australia Association Queensland Branch, Mr David Jackson OAM; recipients and your families and friends; ladies and gentlemen.

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

One of the great privileges of my position as Governor is presenting Queenslanders with the medals they have been awarded as part of Australia’s Honours and Awards system, and I am delighted to welcome today’s recipients and their families to this special Investiture Ceremony.

It is particularly pleasing to confer these honours in 2025 because Australia’s unique system is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. Australia Post released a special stamp in February, and later this month a 50-cent commemorative coin will be minted.

Of course, for today’s five recipients, the most important reason to celebrate is that you have each been recognised by your fellow citizens for your contribution to Australian society.

Collectively, the honours and awards presented since 1975 tell the story of the nation we have become over the last 50 years; their history is our history.

Looking back, we can see that the 1970s was a time of rapid, sweeping change.

The government under Prime Minister Gough Whitlam introduced Medicare and free university education, established diplomatic links with China, withdraw Australia from the Vietnam War and made many more changes that had a profound impact on the way we saw ourselves as a nation

Those changes also contributed to a growing sense that we needed to have our own way of recognising outstanding Australians.

Until 1975, the only way of doing this was through the Order of the British Empire, but as there was no longer an Empire and Australia had been a nation for almost three-quarters of a century, a proposal to have an Australian honours system was put to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as our Head of State.

Happily, she agreed and on the fourteenth of February 1975, the letters patent establishing our own unique system were signed.

Since then, that system has not only enabled us to recognise the significant contributions to Australian society by thousands of individuals but has helped to reinforce the values of selfless service, hard work, commitment and excellence.

It has influenced our perceptions of gender, multiculturalism and Indigenous Australians, and has helped reinforce the ideal of a nation that is united in its commitment to equity, diversity and inclusivity.

In fact, one of the most defining features of our system is that it highlights the achievements of everyday Australians and is rare in the world in being free of patronage and undue influence.

In 1975, the system had just three elements – the Order of Australia, the Australian bravery decorations, and the National Medal.

As part of our national commitment nation to diversity, fairness and inclusivity, the system now has 60 different honours, four of which were presented today: the Order of Australia Medal, the Australian Conspicuous Service Cross, the Conspicuous Service Medal, and the Commendation for Distinguished Service.

The Order of Australia was established with four levels, one of which was a medal specifically intended to acknowledge Australian citizens who make an exceptional contribution to a particular locality, group or field of activity.

Since 1975, the hard work and dedication of more than thirty-thousand of Australia’s unsung heroes have been recognised through being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia Medal, and I once again congratulate Mr Jansen and thank him for all he has done for the sport of cricket in our State.

The highest of the four honours presented today was the Australian Conspicuous Service Cross. It is one of two Conspicuous Service Decorations introduced to recognises service in non-warlike operations, primarily by members of the Australian Defence Force.

There were only 11 Conspicuous Service Cross winners when it was first awarded in 1991; 34 years on it is a similarly rare distinction, with just 26 recipients announced in the Australia Day Honours in January.

Both the Conspicuous Service Cross and the Conspicuous Service Medal require the recommendation of the Minister for Defence and a stringent appraisal before being approved by the Governor General, so I once again congratulate Air Commodore Jones, Major Dunne and Captain Kirkham on their awards.

As well as recognising contributions in non-warlike situations, our honours system acknowledges leadership in military action through Distinguished Service Decorations.

These were introduced in 1991, and it was an honour today to present Rohan Conlon with his Commendation for Distinguished Service 16 years after his involvement as a combat first-aider in Operation Slipper in Afghanistan.

My husband Graeme and I are very aware, through our joint patronage of RSL Queensland and involvement in events such as Run Army, that the impacts of that service are enduring, and, on behalf of all Queenslanders, I congratulate you again on the honour you have received and thank you for your service.