Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Thank you, Rebecca.^[1]

And thank you, Uncle Allen^[2] for the warm Welcome to Country.

I acknowledge the Gadigal, Traditional Owners of these lands and waterways, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. I extend that respect to the Elders of all parts of our country, as well as to the First Nations peoples of all parts of our world, from which you travel.

Your Excellencies,^[3] Admiral Hammond and other representatives of the Royal Australian Navy,^[4] Chiefs of Navy from around the world,^[5] Consuls-General,^[6] distinguished guests, friends all,

That I have the privilege of offering welcome remarks at this, the close of the first day of the Indo Pacific 2025 International Maritime Exposition here, high above the waters of Sydney Harbour, is fitting.

It was into these waters that my predecessor, the first Governor of NSW, Captain Arthur Phillip, sailed on the afternoon of the 21st of January 1788.^[7] He had arrived with the First Fleet only a few days earlier at Botany Bay,^[8] where he had been instructed by the British Government to establish the new penal colony of NSW.

However, disappointed by the shallow water there, the sandy soil, and lack of freshwater, he’d decided to travel up the coast in three small open boats to explore another body of water to the north, which Captain James Cook had described in 1770, but had never entered.

Hence, when Phillip and his small contingent came in through what we now call Sydney Heads, they were the first Europeans to see this beautiful harbour.

As Phillip later famously described, he found “with out exception the finest Harbour in the World […] [where] a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security.”^[9] And so, below us, having located a source of freshwater flowing into the waters of Warrane,^[10] the Cove Phillip would name after his Patron, Lord Sydney, the Colony of NSW was founded.

Today, this harbour remains not only a symbol of this maritime heritage, but also the vital legacy of innovation, technological, and economic progress that maritime and allied industries in this State continue to embody.

NSW remains a vital hub of sovereign manufacturing, advanced research, and defence innovation, with strengths ranging from shipbuilding in the Hunter to quantum technologies, space systems, and cyber resilience.

These are advances relying not only on investment and expertise, but also on trust built between nations, industry, government, and people, all sharing the same vision of a secure, prosperous, and sustainable Indo-Pacific.

Of course, when Captain Arthur Phillip stepped ashore some 238 years ago, this continent and its region was, from a European point of view, at the very periphery of the known world. The mysterious antipodes.

Today, nothing could be further from the truth. The global centre of gravity has shifted monumentally, and the Indo-Pacific, of which Australia is fundamentally part, as well as proudly and inextricably entwined—is taking centre stage.

In the words of Nirupama Rao, former Indian Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to the US and China, it is a global powerhouse that

…[encompasses] 36 countries, 16 time zones, more than half the world’s megacities, 7 of the fastest growing markets, seven of the 10 largest armies, 25,000 islands, and 60 percent of the world’s population […] and [it] is still growing.^[11]

Indeed, it is projected to be the largest regional contributor to global growth over the next 30 years.^[12]

As the Australian Government’s 2023 Defence Strategic Review points out, the Indo-Pacific is

the most important geostrategic region in the world […] whose stability and global integration has ushered in decades of prosperity and enabled the incredible growth of regional economies, including China.^[13]

However, and unfortunately, there are increasing geopolitical tensions that might be seen as potentially undermining all of this, of risking our highest hopes, in the words of Australia’s Foreign Minister, for an “… open, stable, and prosperous [Indo-Pacific].”^[14]

It is of existential importance not only to Australia and its neighbours, but also, to the world, that, again in our Foreign Minister’s estimation, our region remains

A predictable […] [one], operating by agreed rules, standards and laws. Where no country dominates, and no country is dominated. A region where sovereignty is respected, and all countries benefit from a strategic equilibrium.^[15]

Vital contributors to this stabilising endeavour include regional diplomatic, trade, and naval partnerships, as well as the industries and technologies that support and connect maritime capabilities, technologies, and capacity.

This Exposition has been, and remains, a significant forum for just such efforts; for building and embracing opportunities and innovation, for forging and strengthening partnerships and networks, and for nurturing enterprise, engagement, and prosperity for all in the Indo-Pacific.

This is a critical mission, and to all participating over the coming days, I offer the very best wishes.