Speeches
Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Aboriginal Leaders Luncheon
Rod and I warmly welcome you to Government House.
It’s a pleasure today to gather with Aboriginal leaders who have shaped the path of First Nations advancement and reconciliation in South Australia over these past five years.
I thank the members of the First Nations Voice to Parliament for the wisdom they bring to strengthening the influence of Aboriginal voices in the decisions that affect their communities.
I thank the Elders, artists, cultural practitioners, young people and community organisations in this room, whose leadership on reconciliation reaches far and wide.
And I thank, too, the senior government representatives working in Aboriginal affairs, whose steady efforts have had a profound impact on the lives of South Australians.
At Government House, Rod and I encourage all South Australians to engage with reconciliation and the advancement of First Nations people.
Since I was sworn in as Governor in October 2021, it has been Rod’s and my privilege to listen to and learn from First Nations South Australians, and to do what we can to advance reconciliation in our community.
The morning in May 2022 when the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were raised permanently on our new flag deck, remains one of my warmest memories – even more so giving Royal Assent to the First Nations Voice Act in 2023 on the steps of Parliament House.
It’s been a source of pride for Rod and me to display in Government House’s public rooms a range of striking First Nations artwork, telling stories of country across many lands and regions.
We have been encouraged by cultural businesses and environmental conservation projects led by Aboriginal people.
We have been fortunate to engage with Aboriginal young people in schools across our state, including in the APY Lands, and to listen firsthand to their perspectives and their hopes for the future.
At the Aboriginal Veterans Commemorative Service each year, we have been moved by the service and sacrifice of indigenous servicemen and women.
We have been welcomed by community bodies advocating for members of the Stolen Generations.
And, most movingly of all, we have witnessed the reburial of your old people at Wangayarta.
Even though there is so much still to be done, we draw encouragement from the sustained, practical and necessary work towards reconciliation that continues here in South Australia.
The advancement of First Nations people and reconciliation are, ultimately, collective endeavours, shaped by people of all ages and backgrounds.
As Aboriginal leaders, I thank you for the wisdom and most of all the friendship you have extended to me and Rod during my term.
We are both deeply grateful for the privilege of having been able to walk this path with you, and after 6 October, when I conclude my term, we will continue to walk side by side with you as private citizens.
Rod and I wish you the very best as you work to achieve equality of outcomes, harmony and justice in our community, to share the beauty, diversity and rich history of First Nations people and culture, and to create a better South Australia for all.