Speeches
Thursday, 07 August 2025
Australia Day Council Reception for Supporters and Volunteers
Rod and I, as Patron of the Australia Day Council of South Australia, are delighted to welcome the Australia Day Council community to Government House.
The Australia Day Council of South Australia brings us together, not just on Australia Day but on other days too. Often the focus is on the recipients of awards, speakers, what is happening “on stage” as it were.
Today, we turn our attention to what happens back stage or a little more behind the scenes as we celebrate how the Council, through you, connects with the community in all its facets and aspirations.
We have evolved as a nation of many faces, many voices, and many perspectives of what it means to be an Australian.
I know that is something that the Australia Day Council through its work seeks to recognise, to find the right words to describe, and sometimes to navigate.
There are challenges in doing so as we recognise our history and take important steps towards reconciliation.
Rod and I have been honoured to attend the Mourning in the Morning and smoking ceremonies on Australia Day on the banks of Karrawirra Parri.
There we come together to understand, to learn and to respect the perspectives of First Nations people.
Similarly, the Respecting Country Parade recognises people of many nationalities who contribute their cultures and insights to the building of our nation.
Today we celebrate you, the people who contribute your time and perspectives to the Australia Day Council. Rod and I thank you for your support of the council’s goals.
To give you an idea of the scope and scale of your contributions, let me draw on some of the data assembled by the Council.
More than 2,000 volunteers from 49 different multicultural organisations took part in the Respecting Country Parade on Australia Day in Adelaide this year.
Australia Day Council Ambassadors visited 24 council areas across the State to take part in Australia Day celebrations, travelling more than 9,000 kilometres to do so.
Board Members devote countless hours to overseeing the organisation’s strategic direction.
Volunteer panellists judge and spend hours reading and helping assess the many nominations for Australian of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Inspiring South Australian Women and the Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures, the ceremony for which has traditionally been held in the gardens of Government House.
The Open Circle Indigenous Group Members provide essential guidance on Mourning in the Morning.
I also congratulate the Australia Day Council on its partnerships with businesses and corporations and local government.
By celebrating achievement and community spirit, we can engender respect and build a society in which everyone feels they belong.
Rod and I wish the Council all the best for the future and look forward to being present at the South Australian Australian of the Year awards later this year.
To everyone, thank you for being part of building our identity and making Australia a nation of which to be proud.