Speeches
Friday, 28 August 2026
Closing of National Science Week and Presentation of the Citizen Science Awards
I am pleased to join you this evening at MOD, Australia’s leading future-focused museum, for the Closing of National Science Week and the presentation of the Citizen Science Awards.
Two weeks ago, Rod and I took part in an entertaining elephant toothpaste experiment at the South Australian Museum, launching this year's National Science Week celebrations under the theme, Seeds of Science: Nurturing Knowledge for All.
As I said on that occasion, science speaks to our curiosity, our creativity, and our capacity to solve problems together.
It’s been my pleasure to see this first-hand at several National Science Week events during my term.
It was great to see the enthusiasm of students at the STEM Day Out and Careers Showcase at the Adelaide Showground, to meet promising young professionals at the Women in STEM event, and to highlight our state's growing capabilities in defence, space, energy transition and hydrogen along the way.
It’s also been my pleasure to present, as part of Science Week, the SA Young Tall Poppy, Unsung Hero and Citizen Science Awards - the latter being announced this evening. Over the years, it’s been heartening to watch National Science Week grow and evolve.
The annual event has run in Australia for 29 years, and this year's program has again shown the depth of curiosity and collaboration that exists across our state.
More than three million Australians take part in National Science Week each year, and I understand that more than 90 per cent of this year's events, delivered across our metropolitan, regional and remote communities, were free.
I thank the National Science Week Coordinating Committee, event organisers, educators, public institutions, community partners and volunteers, whose dedication made this year's program such a success.
Through your effort, science has been brought to life in museums, libraries, community halls, schools, galleries and public spaces right across South Australia. It’s embraced a range of formats to engage children and adults with science, from storytelling and music at the Naracoorte Caves to the ‘Chaos in the Kitchen’ live science show, and a Scientific Photography Competition that turned a curious eye on the everyday.
It’s also pleasing to see National Science Week celebrating citizen science through this evening’s awards. I’m heartened to know there are a range of informal and formal opportunities available for South Australians to take part in research and discovery.
I thank our citizen scientists for their notable contribution to our state's progress, helping to build the scientific literacy our community needs to navigate an increasingly complex world.
Friends, Scientific excellence is not confined to a single week in South Australia; it is a defining aspect of our state throughout the year. I wish our state’s science community well for the future. To all the scientists in the room: I look forward to seeing where your curiosity leads next.
May South Australia's spirit of discovery continue to flourish, today, this year, and in the years to come.