Presentation of the 2026 Winston Churchill Trust Fellowship Medallions

Chair, The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Queensland Selection Committee, Adjunct Professor Dr Fiona Hawthorne; Chair, the Churchill Trust, Dr Richard Roylance; Medallion recipients; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I 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 today.

I am very pleased to welcome you all to Government House to honour the accomplishments of our state’s newest Churchill Fellows, and at the outset I extend my sincere congratulations to this select group of Queenslanders.

This morning’s Medallion presentation is the final stage in a journey of discovery that took you to places near and far , and enabled you to more fully explore fresh ways to address the many challenges we face in our contemporary world.

The diversity of your areas of focus reflects the Trust’s unique objective to embrace the capabilities and potential of individuals from all walks of life—underpinned by Sir Winston Churchill’s own passionate belief that ordinary people have the power to “achieve great things” . 

No doubt that remarkable leader and visionary would be thrilled to see the incredible breadth of the projects you have undertaken.

After all, he was well-known for being an enthusiast for the benefits of life-long intellectual and practical learning, and for possessing an intensely curious mind.

Your work seeks improvement and enrichment in the areas of the arts and science, health and medicine, the environment, education and beyond.

Such variety not only strengthens the many institutions, organisations and industries that rely on innovation to develop and grow, but most significantly it is also reflected in those you are ultimately helping—the veterans, Indigenous people, at-risk-youth, children, our primary producers, those with spinal cord injuries—to name but a few.

The knowledge and insights you have brought back with you from your experiences, and which are conveyed in your final reports, provide valuable new viewpoints that will inform policy and practice, and inspire ingenuity and creative thinking into the future.

This morning you become part of a special community of determined changemakers, here and abroad, who are building on a charitable legacy that commenced over 60 years ago.

Present at the awarding of Medallions to the very first cohort in 1966, was Mr Colin Blumson CF, who is here today, and whose beautiful woodcarvings adorn St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane. Since then, almost 5,000 Fellowships have been presented, demonstrating an impressive record of success.

Of course, the legacy would not continue without the support of all of those who are charged with administering the Churchill Trust and overseeing the Fellowship award scheme.

I acknowledge the enthusiasm and dedication of the Queensland Selection Committee, and the Trust’s executive, staff and members, for upholding its foundational values, and for ensuring that the organisation continues to thrive in our state.

And I also commend the Churchill Fellows Association of Queensland President, Committee and members who along with generous sponsors and volunteers, do so much to support both applicants and Fellows on their quests.

This day has been the culmination of outstanding determination, and courage, but such achievements have undoubtedly required the love and guidance of friends and family, and I thank them for their encouragement.

This, sadly, will be the last time I present these awards as Governor of Queensland, but I feel deeply reassured by knowing that the inspirational achievements of our 2026 Fellows will continue to make our state smarter and fairer. 

Congratulations once again.