Speeches
Friday, 09 August 2024
Presentation of awards during National Science Week
I am very pleased to be here this evening to launch National Science Week in South Australia and to present awards.
And I am pleased that Rod, a physicist and mathematician, has also joined me to celebrate and to recognise your outstanding achievements.
National Science Week presents an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the importance of science in our lives, and the contributions of Australian scientists to the world’s collective understanding of science and technology.
In South Australia, science is all around us.
We are the Defence State, leading the building of surface ships, sustaining Collins class submarines, and preparing for SSN-AUKUS to meet Australia's long-term defence needs.
We are the Space State, home to the Australia Space Agency, Australian Mission Control Centre and Australian Space Discovery Centre, along with more than 100 space-related organisations.
We are a national leader in the global energy transition. Sixteen years ago, one percent of our state’s energy was generated from renewables. Today, it’s more than 70 percent, and growing.
We’re also at the forefront of hydrogen power development, building a large-scale plant in the Whyalla region.
As Governor it’s my great privilege regularly to be briefed on some of South Australia’s most exciting scientific research work, as well as to visit local institutions and businesses applying research outcomes to develop cutting edge technologies that make our lives better.
Rod and I are grateful for the generosity South Australian organisations show us with their time, and in the case of the museum, their collections.
We are now delighted to display a range of items on loan from the museum at Government House, reflecting our state’s rich history of fossils and mineral wealth.
The collection includes materials from our state’s first mines which were used by First Nations peoples; our gold rush; copper, which was a huge generator of wealth for early European settlement; as well as the critical minerals of our future.
I welcome you to see this collection at our next Open Day on Sunday 13 October.
Friends,
This evening, we celebrate the achievements of South Australian citizen and professional scientists who are advancing science in our state.
Your achievements are in the proud tradition of other high achieving scientists throughout our history, such as Sir Howard Florey, Sir William and Sir Lawrence Bragg, Basil Hetzel.
I congratulate the finalists in the Citizen Science Awards who, through their projects, are playing an important role in advancing our understanding of science, and promoting the engagement of our community in science.
I congratulate finalists in the Tall Poppy Science Awards, recognising early career researchers who display excellence in science research and communication.
You are enhancing our understanding of a huge variety of fields, and I thank you for playing an active role in sharing your research with the broader community.
I congratulate the finalists for the Unsung Hero of Science and the Unsung Hero of Science Communication, whose contributions to science have been significant over a long period but who have not yet received formal public recognition.
Thank you for your dedication to your scientific careers, and I’m pleased your work is now attracting the attention it deserves.
I also thank the Australian Institute of Policy and Science, Inspiring South Australia, the Australian Citizen Science Association and National Science Week for running these awards and bringing together this evening’s event.
In doing so, you are supporting the careers of South Australian scientists as well as providing our education, business, industry, and government sectors with a unique source of expertise and connections.
Thank you to scientists here this evening for making a difference. You do us proud.
It is now my great pleasure to declare National Science Week open.