Thursday, 27 February 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Hall, West Wyalong
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Thank you, Rhonda, for your warm Welcome here in West Wyalong, on Wiradjuri Country. I pay my respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

It has been wonderful to meet members of our Patronage organisations over afternoon tea.

Each of the organisations represented here today have made a profound and long-standing contribution to NSW:

•              The Country Women’s Association of NSW– established in 1922 - 103 years young!
• ·       The Returned and Services League of Australia NSW –1916 – a little more senior at 109 years old!
• ·       Royal Far West – celebrating 100 years this year! Congratulations!
• ·       The United Hospital Auxiliaries - established in 1933 – clocking up 92 years;
•         The Isolated Children’s Parent’s Association – founded in 1971, contributing 54 years to supporting the education of young people from remote areas.
  

Looked at this way, a total of 458 years of service, served concurrently over the better part of a century, represents a significant chunk of NSW history and an enormous impact on our community. 

The areas in which you work continue to be important to our community – advocacy and community service; health, women’s, children’s and mental health; education and care of our veterans.

When it comes down to individual contributions, a number of you wear several different ‘hats’ as volunteers. No task is too small, or no project too big for you to tackle.

This afternoon tea has been a wonderful opportunity to engage with each of you, to find out more about what you do, about your achievements, plans and challenge …

And most importantly of all – to thank each of you and your local branches for your contributions to our communities here in NSW. 

From both Dennis and I, a heartfelt: ‘Thank you’.