Speeches
Friday, 28 August 2026
Reception to mark the retirement of Neil Davis
It is a pleasure to welcome the Sammy D Foundation community to Government House as we celebrate Neil and his contribution to the Foundation and to the lives of so many young people. Rod is unwell and is sorry not to be able to be here.
As Patron of the Sammy D Foundation, I have seen its work in many different settings, including several of the Reach for the Stars balls, and each time, we have heard Neil speak about Sam.
It is a harrowing and heartbreaking story and no one who hears it can fail to be moved.
What has struck me each time is the courage it takes to keep telling it.
I can’t imagine it ever gets any easier.
Sam was just 17 when he was killed in a one-punch assault on May 4, 2008.
In the midst of unimaginable grief, Neil and Nat made a decision to share Sam’s story in the hope that other young people might make different choices, and that other families might be spared the same loss.
For Neil, that has meant taking Sam’s story into schools, sporting clubs and communities across South Australia and interstate.
He has travelled more than 200,000 kilometres and delivered more than 2,000 presentations to young people and their parents.
At the heart of that work is empathy.
I have heard Neil speak about how difficult empathy can be to teach, but also about its ability to change the course of a situation: helping someone understand the consequences of their actions, giving a friend the confidence to step in, or giving a young person the strength to walk away.
The impact of that work is clear.
Foundation data shows that 98pc of program participants become more aware of the consequences of a single punch, while 89pc successfully avoiding a violent situation because of what they have learned.
For South Australia, the reach of that work has been significant.
Neil has brought conversations about violence, empathy and responsibility into schools, sporting clubs and communities across the State, helping young people understand that they have a choice in how they respond.
From helping educate the first student to contributing to the Foundation reaching more than 300,000 young people, Neil has been there throughout its journey.
But sometimes, the greatest impact of prevention is something we will never see.
It is the young person who makes it home safely, the decision that prevents a situation from escalating, or the family that never has to experience the consequences of violence.
Neil, as you step back from your work with the Foundation, I hope you can reflect on what you and Nat started 18 years ago, and on how far it has come.
I was very pleased to learn that you will continue to be involved with the Foundation as Founder and advocate.
Your experience, your perspective and your connection to Sam’s story will continue to be an important part of its future.
No one would doubt that losing a child is the greatest tragedy a parent can experience.
Neil, you have carried Sam’s story into schools and communities across Australia in the hope that another family might be spared the pain yours has known.
Thank you for the commitment you have given to the Foundation and to the young people it supports. You have given it your all.
I wish you, Nat and your family all the best for this next chapter, and I look forward to seeing the Foundation continue to grow its impact.