Thursday, 13 February 2025
Government House
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Bujari Gamarruwa

Diyn Babana, Gamarada Gadigal Ngura

In greeting you in the language of the Gadigal, Traditional Owners of these lands and waterways, I welcome you to Government House and pay my respects to Gadigal Elders, past, present, and emerging. I extend that respect to the Elders of all parts of our country from which our recipients and guests have travelled today.

Commissioner[1], President,[2] representatives of Royal Life Saving NSW[3], and, most importantly, Award recipients and special guests,

We are here today to celebrate 16 individuals who can be summed up by another Gadigal expression: “Eora bujeri”: “Good people”.

The humanitarian spirit that we see and honour in these courageous women and men is encapsulated by the Royal Life Saving Motto: “Quemcunque Miserum Videris Hominem Scias”: “Whomsoever you see in distress, recognise in him a fellow human being.”  

This motto has underpinned the work of the Royal Life Saving Society, since its foundation 131 years ago, and remains as relevant today as we acknowledge the efforts of this year’s recipients. 

The Latin world also gave us the source of the word “Courage”; the Latin word “cor” meaning in English: “heart”. The Ancient Greeks were never to be outdone on such things. Aristotle explained courage as involving ‘moral excellence’. 

Each year, Royal Life Saving NSW presents Commendation Awards to individuals who have that “big heart”, whose own internal moral excellence saw them display care, concern and empathy for members of our community in peril.  

Each of our recipients today - some trained first responders, some bystanders who acted in the moment, police officers on and off duty -   attempted to save a life or lives - through resuscitation, applying first aid or through a water rescue. 

The citations you will hear speak to their bravery – but, in reality, words cannot capture the courage, clear thinking and decisiveness in that critical moment when they realised a life was in danger. We can only stand in admiration of their selflessness and generosity of spirit – or as Aristotle would tell us: their moral excellence – as old-fashioned as those words might seem.

Importantly, their acts of courage remind us of the intrinsic value of human life. Their responses also demonstrate the vital importance of knowing what to do in an emergency, how to get help, how to apply or assist in first aid, CPR and defibrillation procedures.  

This is where the programs of Royal Life Saving NSW make such a significant impact in increasing the levels of safety awareness and life-saving expertise in our community.

In promoting and facilitating life-saving training, and safety awareness in, on and around and beyond the water, Royal Life Saving NSW plays a vital role, indeed a life-saving role. 

Despite that during the 2023-24 year, there were, sadly, 128 deaths due to drowning across our NSW, the highest number since the National Fatal Drowning Database records began in 2002 and 25% up on the 10-year average. 

81% of fatalities were men and over a quarter, were people born overseas. These figures remain areas of huge concern and Royal Life Saving has expanded its educational programs and vocational accreditations, including in first aid, CPR and anaphylaxis training. In the past year, 78,392 accreditations were delivered statewide, and more than half of those delivered in regional NSW.

To Jim, as President, and everyone at Royal Life Saving NSW, thank you for your efforts, and those of partner agencies, to engage our community in safety awareness and life-saving training.

To each of our recipients:  Your acts are nothing short of inspiring. Each of the citations we are about to hear started with a decision to step forward to assist someone to ‘live’, even though, in doing so, you may have placed your own life at risk.   

Not all of your efforts were successful in saving a life and I am also conscious of the impact that would have had on you personally.  Dealing with that also takes courage. I also have no doubt that the loved ones of those who did not survive were able to take strength from knowing that there was someone there who tried their utmost at that critical moment.  

As Patron, I extend our community’s deepest and most heartfelt thank you.

[1] Commissioner Karen Webb APM, NSW Police

[2] Mr James (Jim) Whiteside, President, Royal Life Saving NSW | ACT | TAS

[3] Mr Michael Ilinsky, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Life Saving NSW, ACT and TAS; Ms Penny Hodgers, General Manager - Operations, Royal Life Saving NSW, ACT and TAS