Dinner in honour of Mr Stephen Brady CVO; National Simultaneous Storytime

On Wednesday 21 May 2014, at Government House, Canberra, the Governor-General, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), received the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC, Senator the Honourable Michael Ronaldson; Secretary, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Mr Simon Lewis PSM; Assistant Secretary, Commemorations, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Mr Tim Evans; and Advisor to Senator Ronaldson, Mr Robert Hardie.

In the evening, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove hosted a farewell dinner for the Official Secretary to the Governor-General and Ambassador-designate to the French Republic, Mr Stephen Brady CVO. Guests included: Mr Philip Bacon AM; the Honourable Justice Virginia Bell AC; Air Marshal Mark Binskin AC and Mrs Gitte Binskin; Ms Gillian Bird PSM; Mr Bill Bowtell AO; Mr Peter Stephens; Mrs Sue Brady; Mr Mark Brandon-Baker; Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick; Ms Gai Brodtmann MP and Mr Chris Uhlmann; Air Marshal Geoffrey Brown AO and Mrs Amanda Brown; Ms Kate Chapple; Ms Niree Creed and Mr Erik Adriaanse; the Honourable Mark Dreyfus QC MP; Mr Tom Dusevic and Mrs Mara Dusevic; Mr Stephen Fitzgerald; the Honourable Paul Fletcher MP and Ms Manuela Zappacosta; Mr Mark Fraser LVO OAM and Mr Cuneyt Mermercan; Chief Justice the Honourable Robert French AC and Mrs Valerie French; Mr David Gazard and Mrs Georgina Gazard; Mr Paul Grigson and Ms Nicola Watts; Mr Murray Hansen; Dr Mark Higgie and Mrs Zoe Higgie; Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC DFC (Retd) and Mrs Liz Houston; Ms Veronique Ingram; Ms Leann Johnston; Mr Alan Joyce and Mr Shane Lloyd; Mr Mick Keelty AO APM and Mrs Susan Keelty; Mrs Kathryn Keighran; Dr Graeme Killer AO and Mrs Jan Killer; Professor Michael L’Estrange AO; Ms Philippa Lynch and Mr Gavin Back; Ms Lynette Mace; Ms Sally Mansfield; Mr Richard Maude; Ms Karen Middleton; Mrs Bronwyn Morris and Mr Grahame Morris; Ms Pamela O'Grady and Mr David Mason; Senator Stephen Parry and Mrs Allison Parry; Mr Chandy Paul and Mrs Susan Paul; Lady Primrose Potter AC; Ms Sharon Prendergast and Mr Michael Prendergast; Ms Heather Ridout AO; Mr Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG and Mrs Emma Roberts-Smith; His Excellency Mr Stéphane Romatet and Mrs Agnés Espagne-Romatet; Professor Brian Schmidt AC and Dr Jenny Gordon; Mr Paul Singer and Mrs Maylin Singer; Mr Dick Smith AO and Mrs Pip Smith; Ms Pip Spence PSM; Mr Michael Thawley AO and Mrs Deborah Thawley; Mr Angus Trumble; Mr Alastair Walton; Dr Ian Watt AO; and Ms Carla Zampatti AC.

Earlier, at St Bede’s Primary School, Red Hill, Lady Cosgrove, as guest of the Principal, Ms Cherie Kelly, attended an Australian Library and Information Association ‘National Simultaneous Storytime’ event and read Too Many Elephants in this House.