Queensland Day: In the Dark, In the Cold, and Proud to Call This Place Home

Monday 1 June, I got up early for our Queensland Day Breakfast.

It was still dark.

It was cold — 15 degrees in the garage, then 10 degrees by the time I had pulled out of the driveway. Halfway into Toowoomba, the temperature had dropped to 6 degrees.

The full moon was still up, sitting beautifully above the road as I drove into town, and I found myself feeling unexpectedly emotional.

Not in a dramatic way. Just in that quiet, honest way that sometimes catches you before the day has even really begun.

I was thinking about Queensland.

I was thinking about all the Queenslanders, over so many years, who have got up in the dark. Those who have gone to work before sunrise. Those who have come home after dark. Those who have stood in the cold, worked the land, built businesses, raised families, served communities, opened shops, driven trucks, taught children, cared for others, volunteered, created, repaired, cleaned, cooked, organised and simply kept going.

I thought about the people who helped build this state.

I thought about the people who helped build Toowoomba.

And I thought about how proud I am to be part of it.

Queensland Day is officially celebrated on 6 June, but today, 1 June 2026, we gathered early at the Queensland Day Breakfast to honour the place we call home and the people who make it what it is.

I was born in Theodore and have spent my life across the Darling Downs and southern Queensland. This region has shaped me. It has shaped my family. I have raised my family here, built community here, worked here, served here, and learned so much from the people around me.

And the older I get, the more I realise that community is never built by one person.

It is built by many.

It is built by people who show up.

Some out front. Some quietly in the background. Some with big roles. Some with small but incredibly important ones.

It is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece matters. Every piece has a place. If one is missing, the picture is not quite complete.

That is what I love about Queenslanders — and especially the people of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. There is a resilience here. A generosity. A practical kindness. A willingness to get in and help, even when no one is watching.

And today, I also respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land and the deep history that sits beneath and alongside every part of our Queensland story.

That history matters.

It is not separate from today’s story. It is part of it.

I continue to learn, to listen, and to share that learning with my family, my children, my grandchildren, and the people around me. The more we understand the full story of the places we live, the better we can honour them.

Queensland Day, for me, is not just about flags, breakfasts, official speeches or one day on the calendar.

It is about remembering where we come from.

It is about respecting the people who came before us.

It is about noticing the quiet workers, the early risers, the volunteers, the business owners, the families, the elders, the young people and the community builders.

It is about being grateful.

And it is about asking ourselves what part we are playing now.

Because we all have a role.

It may be big. It may be small. It may be public. It may be quiet. But it matters.

This morning, under that full moon, driving into Toowoomba in the cold and dark, I felt proud.

Proud to be a Queenslander.

Proud to have been born here.

Proud to have raised my family here.

Proud to be surrounded by people who care, contribute and keep showing up.

And proud, in my own small way, to keep doing my bit for this place I love.

Happy Queensland Day.

May we never forget the people, stories, cultures, communities and quiet acts of service that have helped shape this beautiful state we call home.