Australia Day 2022 Address

(The Governor-General’s Australia Day National Address was broadcast on the ABC at 6:55 pm AEDT on 26 January)

Reflect, Respect, Celebrate.

Three words that have come to encapsulate the spirit of Australia Day.

We reflect on our history – its tragedies and triumphs, and the opportunities and potential our history points to.

We respect each other – our diversity is a strength.

And we celebrate – because we are a good-hearted people, in a country of many possibilities.

I would like to begin this year’s Australia Day address by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land I’m currently on – Ngunnawal country.

I also pay my respects to the elders, past and present of the traditional custodians of all lands around Australia.

I am pleased to see that progress is being made in relation to Indigenous input into decisions by government at all levels on matters that directly affect Indigenous Australians. I am grateful to all participants in the co-design process.

Reflect, Respect and Celebrate.

Words that extend beyond Australia Day and summarise so much of our way of life.

The impact of the pandemic last year meant that, like many Australians, Linda and I spent a significant part of the year working from home.

We sympathise with the many Australians who were separated from family and loved ones. That sense of separation was heightened for us in recent weeks as we recovered from COVID-19.

During last year when we could not travel, our days were filled with video calls with Australians from across the country.

We spoke with people in parts of the country dealing with the pandemic and the ongoing recovery from drought, the bushfires and the mouse plague.

We thanked people involved in the response to the pandemic – those on the frontline, those coordinating the response and mental health workers.

We listened to people who have chosen to make Australia home talk about why they have embraced our values and become valuable members of our community.

We joined virtual classrooms and heard from teachers, students and parents alike about the challenges of learning from home.

Australians from very different backgrounds, dealing with different challenges and with different dreams for the future.

Yet there were some consistent characteristics:

Grit and determination …

… Kindness and compassion for others; and

… a quiet confidence that, if we look after each other, we will be okay.

Linda and I have seen these characteristics throughout our time in office.

Young people, like the mentors and students at Tribal Warrior in Redfern who come together every morning to exercise, create a safe space and a better future.

Farmers like the Kelly’s who battled years of drought, suffered serious losses to the mouse plague, yet are still looking forward to a good season.

Leaders like Dr Jamal Rifi who has worked tirelessly to help the community through the pandemic.

Emergency service personnel, like those we met in Kalbarri and Northampton who, when disaster strikes, roll their sleeves up to help friends and strangers alike.

Organisations like Bus Stop Films who make films with, for and about people from diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Communities like Binna Burra which have supported each other as they rebuild from the devastating bushfires.

Individuals like those that have been recognised in today’s Honours List – people who have served and achieved remarkable things at the local, national and international level.

If you reflect on your own community, you’ll be able to identify people and groups with the same qualities.

Chances are they are most evident in the people that you quietly respect.

It is why we should celebrate.

Reflect, Respect, Celebrate.

As you do, and as you celebrate Australia Day, I hope that you share my optimism about the year to come and our future.

There will be challenges and there will be tough days. We will disagree on many things.

But, as I said, we are a good people.

We are the product of our past and the sum of our individual stories.

We are kind, we are strong, and our future can be bright.

That is worth celebrating.

[Ends]