Speeches
Thursday, 09 December 2021
Official Opening of the Australian Red Cross Head Office in South Australia
Rod and I are delighted to join you today for the official opening of the Australian Red Cross Head Office in South Australia.
I am particularly pleased to do so in my role as patron and to continuing a long association between the office of Governor and the Red Cross.
Ten days after the outbreak of the First World War, Lady Marie Galway, the wife of the Governor, and Lady Helen Munro Ferguson, the wife of the Lord Mayor, inaugurated the South Australian Division of the Red Cross.
The first Australian branch of the Red Cross had been formed in Victoria only the day before.
The headquarters of the South Australian Division and its depot were established at Government House, and the stables – still extant - were used for the packing of soldiers’ comforts.
The Red Cross in South Australia has come a long way since its earliest days.
This new Percy Court building will provide Red Cross and the communities it supports with a secure home into the future, alongside the existing network of regional offices and hubs across the State.
I congratulate those responsible for its minimal environmental footprint, including solar power, sound absorbent panels on each desk and recycled or carbon neutral flooring.
I also look forward to seeing the purpose-built Emergency Services operations and call centre, ready to support South Australians through future bushfires, heatwaves and floods.
I acknowledge all parties involved in the creation of this building - Liquid Design, Moda Design Group, and JDV Projects – and thank you for providing Red Cross with an outstanding workplace.
With these facilities, staff and volunteers of the Red Cross can get on with what you do best – providing humanitarian aid for South Australians and beyond.
Long may you all make a genuine difference in the lives of people and communities. Long may you be unstoppable!
It gives me great pleasure to declare the Australian Red Cross head office in South Australia open.
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC
GOVERNOR OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA