Speeches

Sunday, 25 January 2026

150th anniversary of Port Pirie's declaration as a municipality

I am delighted to be with you all tonight to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Port Pirie as a municipality.

We come together not only to celebrate the past, but to share the progress that has been made and turn our sights to the future.

My earliest connection with Port Pirie, or so I have always thought, came via a school friend.

I was a day‑girl at Walford Anglican School for Girls and had a friend from Port Pirie who, necessarily, boarded. I recall a home‑stay with her family, the Wards, as a warm and positive experience.

I am pleased to report the same sensation when, after a gap of some 40 years during which I had left South Australia and made a career elsewhere, I next returned, as Governor, in 2023, and again, in 2024, on that occasion to address the Port Pirie Branch of Soroptimists International on International Women’s Day.

The community spirit and pride that have been apparent to me on each visit are powerful assets in helping Port Pirie realise its aspirations.

I have come to learn that I have an earlier connection to Port Pirie too – through my great great uncle Arthur Cashmore, who settled here in 1890, worked for a shipping and stevedoring company and later became the Port Pirie manager for Elder, Smith and Co. Arthur and his wife Annie had a daughter, Sister Patricia Cashmore, a nurse who lost her life during World War II. Patricia’s name is listed on your memorial gates and a street not far from here is named after her.

On such a significant milestone as a 150th anniversary, it is appropriate to look back for a moment:

  • To the Aboriginal groups, including the Nukunu who knew it as Thalpiri Yarta, or muddy creek, who walked this land and met together to trade.
  • To the first European sighting of the area by explorer Matthew Flinders, whose coffin plate rests, at this moment, in Government House in Adelaide.
  • To the exploration of the land by Edward Eyre.
  • To the pastoralists who settled the region.
  • To the setting‑up of industries which took advantage of the city’s strategic geographic position.
  • To the expansion of the port.
  • To the contribution of migrants including the Russians, Greeks and Italians to the cultural life of the city and the workforce of its industries.
  • To the establishment of the smelter which, ups and downs notwithstanding, has been pivotal to the city and the state’s development.

All of this takes place in the stunning Lower Flinders environment, against the natural beauty of the region, especially its coastline, and the beauty of its built environment, most notable on Ellen St.

At Port Pirie’s heart, both then and now, are its people - those who contribute, influence and take responsibility for their community and help shape its destiny.

It is a pleasure to see so many of you here tonight:

  • those who have taken the lead and served as members of Council or Parliament.
  • community leaders who help shape and advocate for the region
  • those who have volunteered and given back to this community because they want to make Port Pirie a vibrant place to live and are passionate about improving the lives of those around them.

I thank you all for doing so. You have all helped Port Pirie become the largest city and the main centre of the Mid North of South Australia.

Port Pirie I am sure is justly proud of many of those from the region who have gone on to big things:

  • Mark Bickley, former Crows AFL captain;
  • Lillian Crombie, “Aunty Lillian”, Aboriginal stage, film and television actress and dancer;
  • Keith Michell, internationally renowned actor who was raised in Warnertown;
  • Robert Stigwood, the international music entrepreneur.

I am sure their stories are told often as an example of how this region has been the foundation for successful and significant contributions to the wider world.

As we mark the 150th anniversary I thank the council for its stewardship and foresight and I look forward to joining you for the Australia Day celebrations tomorrow morning.

While there may be differing perspectives about Australia Day and what the day means to Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, I believe the day provides a marker for us to contemplate the kind of society we wish Australia to be and to become. And importantly how each of us can shape it.

In that context I have every faith that Port Pirie’s future is in safe hands.

I congratulate you on your 150th anniversary and I wish you well for anniversaries to come.

Coming events