This week’s program saw a wide variety of events celebrating great Victorians, acknowledging Victoria’s diverse cultural heritage, and keeping up with Victoria’s continuing efforts to combat the pandemic.
Earlier this year Rabbi Dr John Levi AM was promoted to a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for eminent service to Judaism through seminal roles with religious, community and historical organisations, to the advancement of interfaith understanding, tolerance and collaboration, and to education, and Mr Neale Daniher AM was promoted to an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to people with Motor Neurone Disease and their families through advocacy, public education and fundraising initiatives. This week the Governor and Mr Howard were pleased to host Their Excellencies the Governor-General of Australia, General the Hon David Hurley AC, DSC (Retd) and Mrs Linda Hurley, for ceremonies in which the Governor-General invested Dr Levi and Mr Daniher with the insignia of their awards. To read about other Order of Australia Award recipients, visit this page.
The Governor and Mr Howard were among many mourners at the State Funeral Service of the Honourable Sir James Gobbo AC CVO QC, the 25th Governor of Victoria. Read the Governor’s tribute on behalf of the people of Victoria here. This week the Governor also met with Jeroen Weimar, Commander of the Victorian COVID-19 Response, for an update on the work still being done across the State to keep Victorians safe.
The Governor and Mr Howard visited the Koorie Heritage Trust, where they met with the Chair and CEO of the Trust, and were led on a Tour of the Expressions of Koorie Identity exhibition. The Koorie Heritage Trust is a not-for-profit, Aboriginal-owned organisation, of which the Governor is the Patron. It is dedicated to Koorie art and culture, and its collection includes artefacts and artworks, stone tools, historical and documentary photographs, as well as a reference library and an audio and visual oral history collection. Learn more about the Koori Heritage Trust here.
Finally, the week concluded with the Governor and Mr Howard hosting a pipes and drums performance by Pipe Bands Victoria, as part of the Governor’s Performance Series. Read more about these performances here.