AS patrons of Keep Australia Beautiful the Governor General David Hurley and Mrs Linda Hurley attended to present the King Island-hosted 2023 National Awards.
A program was designed to show them King Island sights and to meet with King Islanders formally at a lunchtime civic reception at the Town Hall and a public informal meet and greet at the Boat House at Currie Harbour.
On arrival, they met with Mayor Marcus Blackie for a private catchup.
Mr Blackie served as the Governor General’s personal assistant when the Governor General commanded the 1st Brigade from 1999-2000 in Darwin supporting Australian-led operations in East Timor.
The reception was low-key and relaxed and finger food was catered by Salt & Thyme.
The Governor General and Mrs Hurley, following brief speeches praising the island’s landscapes and plane approach views, mentioning past relationships with the mayor and his wife Narelle, circulated and chatted easily with invited guests.
Mrs Hurley did surprise a few when she introduced a sing-along, You are My Sunshine, which she is known to do in Canberra. The King Island chorus sang with gusto albeit surprised and some bemused.
The couple toured and tasted at the King Island Dairy and staff loaded the RAAF plane to take King Island cheese back to Canberra. The couple made themselves available to the broader community at the Boat House.
It was a small turnout at the Boat House, but for those who attended were able to engage in longer conversation.
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A surprise element was a presentation by Lion Linda Payne of two King Island Passports.
“You have a red passport, then there’s the green passport and the common blue passport, but these are rare King Island passports and very few people are issued with these and will give you passage to return one day to King Island,” she said.
Elizabeth Beveridge, aged 5, just wanted to meet the Governor General.
As he crouched down and chatted to her, he presented her with an Australian Government Coronation medallion keepsake.
The rain held off and the King Island sunshine didn’t go away as the entourage left to prepare for the evening’s Keep Australia Beautiful event and King Island residents quickly disappeared before the grey skies closed in for the night.