Public Messages
STATEMENT FROM HER EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR
Wednesday, 1 April 2026
As has already been reported in the media, the Premier has invited me to consider remaining as Governor beyond 6 October 2026, by which time I will have completed 5 years in office.
I have today let the Premier know that, while I greatly appreciate the honour of being asked to continue, I have chosen not to do so.
In the meantime, supported by my husband Rod, I will continue to serve the State and people of South Australia to the best of my ability.
THE KING’S COMMONWEALTH MESSAGE TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, REALMS AND THE COMMONWEALTH
Friday, 6 March 2026
We join together on this Commonwealth Day at a time of great challenge and great possibility. Across our world, communities and nations face the increasing pressures of conflict, climate change and rapid transformation. Yet it is often in such testing moments that the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth is most clearly revealed.
Ours is a remarkable association that spans every ocean and continent. Embracing an extraordinary diversity of culture, language and faith, our Commonwealth family is united by shared values of justice, democracy, opportunity, compassion and mutual respect. In a world that can feel increasingly fragmented, this voluntary union of free association remains rare and precious – a forum for open and honest discussion and debate to help improve the lives of the nearly three billion people who call our Member States home.
Our Commonwealth of Nations holds untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners. With nearly two-thirds of our population under the age of thirty, we are a family defined by youth and possibility. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that they inherit not only hope and ambition, but also a world in which they can flourish.
That inheritance depends upon the health of our planet and on the restoration of the natural world on which we depend. Across so many parts of our Commonwealth climate change is not an abstract or distant threat, but a lived reality. The stewardship of Nature, the protection of oceans and forests, and the pursuit of prosperity secured in harmony with the natural world are duties we owe not only to one another, but to generations yet unborn.
As we look ahead to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda later this year, we are reminded that the great gatherings of our nations are strengthened by the daily endeavours of their people. What distinguishes the Commonwealth is not only what our governments resolve together, but what our people do each day in countless acts of service, enterprise and creativity. When leaders meet, they do so on behalf of millions whose quiet determination, resilience and generosity give true meaning to our shared endeavour.
Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good – grounded in community, committed to the kind of restorative sustainability that has a return on investment, enriched by culture, steadfast in its care for our planet, and united in friendship and in the service of its people.
STATEMENT FROM HER EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR ON THE DEATH OF SIR ERIC JAMES NEAL, AC, CVO, KSTJ, FTSE
Tuesday, 2 September, 2025
Rod and I were saddened to learn of the passing of Sir Eric Neal AC CVO KtStJ FTSE and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Sir Eric on many occasions and benefiting from his wisdom and experience.
I met him most recently when I visited him at his home in June to congratulate him on the occasion of his 101st birthday.
I found him, as ever, an attentive host, engaged with current affairs, and a model of courtesy, dignity, and good humour.
Among the changes that Sir Eric brought to Government House which have been continued and developed by his successors are, in particular, the Governors’ Leadership Awards and, together with his beloved wife the late Lady Neal, a tradition of greater openness of the house and grounds to the South Australian public.
In Adelaide and during my travels across the state, South Australians have often recalled Sir Eric’s time in office with fondness, respect, and admiration.
Rod and I look forward to joining others in paying our respects to Sir Eric and his remarkable life at his state funeral.
Commonwealth Day was an occasion of particular pride for my beloved Mother, The late Queen - a treasured opportunity to celebrate our Commonwealth family, to whose service she dedicated her long and remarkable life.
In succeeding Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, I draw great strength from her example, together with all that I have learnt from the extraordinary people I have met, throughout the Commonwealth, over so many years.
The Commonwealth has been a constant in my own life, and yet its diversity continues to amaze and inspire me. Its near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its sheer scale challenges us to unite and be bold.
This week marks the tenth anniversary of the Charter of the Commonwealth, which gives expression to our defining values - peace and justice; tolerance, respect and solidarity; care for our environment, and for the most vulnerable among us.
These are not simply ideals. In each lies an imperative to act, and to make a practical difference in the lives of the 2.6 billion people who call the Commonwealth home.
Whether on climate change and biodiversity loss, youth opportunity and education, global health, or economic co-operation, the Commonwealth can play an indispensable role in the most pressing issues of our time. Ours is an association not just of shared values, but of common purpose and joint action.
In this we are blessed with the ingenuity and imagination of a third of the world's population, including one and a half billion people under the age of thirty. Our shared humanity contains such precious diversity of thought, culture, tradition and experience. By listening to each other, we will find so many of the solutions that we seek.
This extraordinary potential, which we hold in common, is more than equal to the challenges we face. It offers us unparalleled strength not merely to face the future, but to build it. Here, the Commonwealth has an incredible opportunity, and responsibility, to create a genuinely durable future - one that offers the kind of prosperity that is in harmony with Nature and that will also secure our unique and only planet for generations to come.
The myriad connections between our nations have sustained and enriched us for more than seven decades. Our commitment to peace, progress and opportunity will sustain us for many more.
Let ours be a Commonwealth that not only stands together, but strives together, in restless and practical pursuit of the global common good.
In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service.
Today, it is rewarding to observe a modern, vibrant and connected Commonwealth that combines a wealth of history and tradition with the great social, cultural and technological advances of our time. That the Commonwealth stands ever taller is a credit to all who have been involved.
We are nourished and sustained by our relationships and, throughout my life, I have enjoyed the privilege of hearing what the relationships built cross the great reach and diversity of the Commonwealth have meant to people and communities.
Our family of nations continues to be a point of connection, cooperation and friendship. It is a place to come together to pursue common goals and the common good, providing everyone with the opportunity to serve and benefit. In these testing times, it is my hope that you can draw strength and inspiration from what we share, as we work together towards a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future for all.
And on this special day for our family — in a year that will include the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the Commonwealth Games — I hope we can deepen our resolve to support and serve one another, and endeavour to ensure the Commonwealth remains an influential force for good in our world for many generations to come.