His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC with Red Cross volunteers Melva and Joy in Ewingar, NSW, during bushfires that impacted the area. Photo: Aysha Leo
Our Patron
This year we welcomed the Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), as the Patron of the Australian Red Cross Society.
We would like to express our appreciation to His Excellency for his esteemed patronage, together with Mrs Hurley, both very active patrons throughout the year.
We were honoured to have His Excellency present Florence Nightingale medals to three Red Cross nurses and aid workers at a special ceremony at Government House. The medal is the highest international distinction a nurse can ever receive and recognises exceptional courage and dedication to the victims of armed conflict or natural disaster.
His Excellency provided a statement to the Society in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions in August 2019; met with our President and CEO; on 23 March he spoke by phone to the President and CEO from Canberra to discuss the impact of COVID-19; he wrote a message which was read by the President for World Red Cross Day on 8 May 2020; and visited Red Cross Meals on Wheels and participated in meal delivery to clients in the ACT on 19 May 2020.
In addition, the Governor-General formally met with the Red Cross on three occasions, all framed by his (and Mrs Hurley’s) desire to acknowledge the contributions made by the individuals, agencies and other organisations involved in bushfire response, recovery and rebuilding efforts.
His Excellency made a special visit to Red Cross Melbourne office to give words of encouragement and thanks to everyone involved in the bushfire response both on the frontline and behind the scenes, and acknowledged the ongoing efforts to help communities recover and rebuild. This visit followed field visits by His Excellency and Mrs Hurley to meet with Red Cross people and those who had been impacted, in bushfire affected areas in Victoria and South Australia.
State Patrons
We’re also honoured to have the support of the following State Patrons.
New South Wales Patron
Margaret Joan Beazley, AC, QC, Governor of New South Wales
Northern Territory Patron
Her Honour the Honourable Vicki O’Halloran AO, Administrator of the Northern Territory
Queensland Patron
Mrs Kaye de Jersey
South Australian Patron
Mrs Lan Le
Tasmania Patron
Her Excellency Professor The Honourable Kate Warner AC, Governor of Tasmania
Victorian Patron
Mr Anthony Howard AM QC
Western Australian Patron
The Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia