CQ Order of Australia recipients dine with Governor-General
“We all need to ensure that we seek out those who can best represent the full diversity of our wonderful nation and we have some way to go in achieving this.”
Rockhampton
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The Central Queensland Region of the Order of Australia Association hosted His Excellency Governor-General David Hurley AC DSC (Retired) and Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley for lunch at the Frenchville Sports Club on June 21, 2021.
The lunch, attended by 185 local community leaders, provided the opportunity for the Governor-General, who is the Chancellor of the Australian Honours System, to explain how the honours system worked and to encourage local people to nominate worthy local people for consideration.
“Our Honours system is one of the most open, merit-based systems in the world – any Australian can nominate any Australian citizen who they consider has made a substantial difference to our society,” Mr Hurley said.
“It is a bottom-up approach.
“It starts in the community and it relies upon local people like you all here today recognising that it is important for our way of life to recognise those who make a sustained commitment to our community are the fabric of ‘Who we all are’ and help define ‘Who we can become’.
“We all need to ensure that we seek out those who can best represent the full diversity of our wonderful nation and we have some way to go in achieving this.
“Linda and I get to see these contributions first hand whether it be hearing the compelling stories recognised in our Honours or listening to the amazing resilience amongst our communities which have been devastated by fires, floods, droughts and disease.
“It is one of the real joys and privileges of the job of being Governor-General.
“I have witnessed first-hand across the world the absolute power and resilience of committed, connected and supportive communities.
“We have also witnessed the emergence of amazing young people committed to building a better Australia. It is a great pleasure to see such a diversity of high school student leaders, here with us today.
“Whilst our emerging leaders will have very different challenges than we have across our lifetimes, Linda and I have witnessed the wonderful commitment in our youth right across our country and we have every confidence in them.”
Chair of the Order of Australia Association Queensland Dr Gary Bacon AM said the Association had a singular purpose of celebrating and promoting outstanding Australian citizenship.
“The recent announcements of Australian Awards honoured 125 Queenslanders – 44 per cent of Australian awardees were women,” Dr Bacon said.
“I add my congratulations of the local awardees, Emeritus Professor Debbie Clayton AM, Mrs Jennifer Barry OAM from Gladstone, Mr Terry McCosker OAM and Mr Andrew Palmer OAM.
“The Queensland branch conducts Secondary Schools Citizenship Awards each year when 12 worthy year 12 students are selected to receive their awards in Parliament House in September.
“I urge all school principals both here today and in the wider community to take the opportunity to nominate worthy students prior to Monday 2 August.”
The event was attended by principals and senior student leaders from nine local high schools as well the local National Youth Science Forum winners and the Queensland Youth Parliamentary representatives for Rockhampton and Keppel.
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