Wednesday, 5 June 2024
Dockside, Cockle Bay Wharf
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Welcome to the opening night of the biennial Conference of the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies as I greet you in the language of the Gadigal, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we gather.

Bujari gamarruwa 

Diyn  Babana  Gamarada  Gadigal  Ngura

I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. I extend that respect to Elders of all areas and Nations from which you have travelled here today. 

It has been suggested by the organisers that as a former senior judge, and now as Governor, I might reflect on young people and the judicial system and how we might support them.   It was also suggested that I speak for 5 minutes – I will try to rise to that challenge but as to the first suggestion, I am not an expert in the area – indeed, you are the experts. 

However, particularly in my role as Governor, I have had the opportunity – and, indeed, the privilege – to engage with a wide cross-section of the community, including all age groups, usually on several days each week.

Even though I was already aware, and had directly experienced it, what those engagements have made starkly apparent to me is the importance of individuals knowing that they are valued.  That doesn’t happen unless you sit down and talk to people. 

The engagements I have are very different from the work you do. My interaction with the community varies, from receptions of 100 or more people to dinners with the occasional prince or princess but, more regularly, by bringing different community groups together, to going out to visit them, where the interactions are typically smaller.  But in each case the interaction is usually one off and short.  So, if my experience is that people feel valued with that type of interaction, how important is your work, I ask rhetorically.

Certainly, when speaking at receptions, I work very hard to understand the organisations involved, their ethos, why they are important, and I direct my remarks accordingly.  Sometimes there are my attempts at humour, sometimes there’s a story, but whatever I say, there isn’t much sense in saying something unless you mean it. 

And, I know from what people say to me, that has impact and that can only be because people feel valued.  I’ll give you just one example:  At the 60^th anniversary of Lifeline, I said amongst other things, acknowledging that in 1963 when Lifeline started, suicide was a taboo topic, that “silence is the enemy of hope”.

Later, one of the volunteers told me that that night was going to be her last 'hurrah' after 20 years, until what I said reminded her why she did what she had been doing for 20 years.  She stayed on.

On Monday at Government House, we had a reception for the final stop of the Pathfinders Pumpkin Run, a farming initiative for young people mostly in and out of home care. After producing their crop, which can be anything from 10-15 tonnes of pumpkins, they travel from Armidale down to Sydney, sharing the fruits of their labour with other not for profit organisations, such as soup kitchens, homeless organisations and the like. There are many positives, and apart from seasonal weather patterns, not any downsides.  It provides opportunities for young people to realise their potential.  But when I thought about it, it does something else: it enables young people to know they have potential – something which some young people simply don’t know because they haven’t had the support which gives them that very valuable insight about themselves.

The other significant observation I have made is the need for a sense of connection and belonging.  In the justice system this has been recognised - with the success of the Youth Koori Courts[1] and the Walama List – ‘Walama’ a Dharug word meaning ‘to come back’ or ‘return’[2] – which actively involve Elders and respected members of First Nations communities to support First Nations young people and prevent them from entering and re-entering the criminal justice system.

Like you, I am appalled at the extent of domestic violence in our community.  What is the answer to the ‘why’ is this happening?   Your theme for this conference, after a 6-year hiatus, is Reimagining Our Work with Children, Families and Communities, demonstrating what you know too well. 

A re-think is necessary, not so much about what the core principles of your work are, although it is always salient to test those.  But in a world of social media, with youngsters accessing pornography, and where, sadly, bullying is sometimes considered a life skill, including in some sporting clubs, in some workplaces, in some mainstream media, there is an urgency in re-thinking how those core principles of your work are implemented.

As Patron, it is my great pleasure to thank the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies, with its 65-year history of bringing about positive systemic reform for children and young people, including those living in out-of-home care.

To the ACWA Board and Conference Organising Committee and the Academic Committee:

To Conference Supporters and Sponsors, Speakers, Session Chairs, Panellists and Delegates:  Your work is valuable and tonight it is an honour to recognise your value.

[1] https://childrenscourt.nsw.gov.au/criminal/koori-court.html

[2] https://www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au/media/website_pages/our-agency/news/pilot-of-specialist-approach-for-sentencing-aboriginal-offenders/Walama-List-Fact-Sheet.pdf