Speeches
Thursday, 16 July 2026
Morning tea for Indigenous Australian Engineering School
Rod and I warmly welcome you to Government House.
Last year we were pleased to welcome to Government House the first cohort of students in the Indigenous Australian Engineering School at Flinders University.
Today it’s our pleasure to welcome you, the 2026 students, particularly those of you who have travelled all the way from the Northern Territory.
I trust your studies this week have given you a real taste of what engineers do, from clean energy and sustainable cities to robotics, health technology and smart manufacturing.
As Governor, I have visited with ROd schools right across South Australia, and we are consistently heartened by the interest young South Australians take in science, technology, engineering and maths.
We have seen how a program built around real mentors, real industry visits and real problems can turn that interest into a clear sense of direction.
Rod is a physicist, and we both enjoy engaging with South Australia's scientific community and STEM sector.
Just last week, for example, we visited the SA Drill Core Library, an enormous archive of rocks and minerals found below the ground in South Australia accumulated over more than 100 years.
Most have been pulled up from boreholes when companies explore for petroleum or minerals such as copper, uranium and gold.
Drilling engineers and geotechnical engineers are crucial to this work.
As Governor, I have also valued the opportunity to deepen my understanding of indigenous engineering knowledge, which existed on this continent long before the word "engineer" was ever used.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples navigated by the stars, managed land and water with precision across tens of thousands of years, and engineered tools and traps suited to this country and its seasons.
I note that this depth of knowledge is part of the foundation on which the Indigenous Australian Engineering School builds.
South Australia has a vital need for STEM professionals to secure its future.
There are exciting careers waiting to be built here, in our growing defence industry, in space, and in the renewable energy and infrastructure that will shape this state for decades to come.
I thank Flinders University for developing and hosting this program at Tonsley.
I thank Engineering Aid Australia for its important contribution to the education and career pathways of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students over close to three decades.
I thank the industry representatives here today for the opportunities you offer these students, in this program and well beyond it.
To the students, I thank you for your curiosity and for the effort you have given this program.
Rod and I wish you an enjoyable final day, and I look forward to seeing your contribution to engineering and STEM in South Australia in the years ahead.