Reception for Girl Guides Queensland Presentation of the 2025 Annual Awards

Minister for Local Government and Water and Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers, the Honourable Ann Leahy MP; Girl Guides Queensland State Commissioner, Ms Susan Hayes; Assistant State Commissioner, Ms Amanda Nicholls; Immediate Past State Commissioner, Mrs Kathryn Pearson; Board Chair, Ms Jacqui Moore, Board Members and CEO Ms Carmen Jenkinson; distinguished guests; awardees – including our wildly creative and talented Girl Scribes winners – your family and friends, good evening. 

I acknowledge 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 all First Nations people here today.

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Government House for the presentation of the Girl Guides Queensland 2025 annual awards. 

As Patron of Girl Guides Queensland, I am delighted to recognise the remarkable commitment, leadership and service represented in this room.

For generations, Girl Guides has provided girls and young women with opportunities to challenge themselves, develop confidence, build resilience, and discover the value of service to others. 

In Queensland alone, close to 2,600 youth members and 1,500 volunteers and adult members contribute to a movement that continues to shape future leaders and strengthen communities across our state.

Yet guiding is also something much larger — a truly global movement built on friendship, cooperation and shared purpose. 

Across the Asia-Pacific region alone, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts reach more than four-point-five-million girls and young women, creating connections that transcend borders, cultures and languages.

I was recently pleased to welcome delegates from across the Asia-Pacific to Government House for the Friends of Asia Pacific World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts General Assembly — the first ever held in Australia. 

It was a powerful reminder that guiding not only develops leadership and confidence in individuals but also builds international understanding and enduring bonds between nations.

At the heart of guiding is a simple but powerful promise: to be true to oneself, to serve the community and Australia, and to live by the Guide Law. Those principles — respect, honesty, courage, optimism and service — remain as important today as ever.

One of the enduring strengths of Girl Guides Queensland is that leadership is not taught solely through words, but through action and example. Young members learn from women who generously give their time, skills and encouragement to help others grow. Today’s award recipients embody that spirit of leadership through service.

I particularly acknowledge the volunteers and adult leaders whose dedication creates safe, supportive and inspiring environments in which girls and young women can thrive. 

Behind every camp, activity, challenge, meeting and milestone are countless hours of preparation, mentorship and care, and the impact of adult volunteers is profound and long-lasting.

During my term as Governor, occasions such as this have provided an opportunity to reflect on the many inspiring Queenslanders I have met through my patronages and community engagements.

Few organisations reflect the values of service, inclusion, resilience and leadership quite so strongly as Girl Guides Queensland.

Today’s awards recognise individual achievement across many levels of Guiding — from extraordinary personal development and leadership to sustained service, mentoring and organisational contribution. 

Each recipient has demonstrated commitment not only to their own growth, but to helping others succeed and flourish.

I look forward to shortly presenting the Queen's Guide Award, Olave Baden-Powell Award, Commonwealth Award, and the Adult Good Service Awards.

Thank you and congratulations to all.