The thing we often forget to talk about, or perhaps we take for granted, is our country's dazzling beauty. Our natural environment is so much a part of Australia's art, writing, music and culture, both indigenous and non indigenous.

I think we have to keep working enormously hard to see that every single Indigenous child - every Australian child - has true equality of opportunity. We've got to work harder at it. I think, you know, the heartland issue for us is the gap; the gap in life expectancy in this country.

One of the most enjoyable things I do at Government House and when I travel around Australia is to talk with children. I tell them about our parliamentary democracy – and I often do that as I’m walking into an Executive Council meeting next door!

I think we have to keep working enormously hard to see that every single Indigenous child – every Australian child – has true equality of opportunity. Weve got to work harder at it. I think, you know, the heartland issue for us is the gap; the gap in life expectancy in this country.

I think there’s a very clear recognition and understanding that the progress of women in business at the very highest decision-making levels is too slow. This is a discussion that’s going on in every country around the world, actually.

The bonds that women share around the world, wherever we come from, they’re very powerful and they have an ease of communication because we share those very important things of our families, our mothering, of improving opportunities for the next generation.

We all go back to our roots. My father went to the central west, went to Ilfracombe in 1919. He was the manager of the wool scour there. And, Ilfracombe was right at the heart of Australia’s great wool industry, and my mother was a teacher at Winton.

When a woman is fit and healthy, everything else falls into place. We are conditioned to put others first, that ‘burnt chop syndrome’ we observed in our mothers. It takes discipline to pay attention to our diets, to exercise, to leave time for refreshment of mind, body and spirit.

I’ve never owned a pair of jeans, but I had a fantastic denim boiler-suit and it got a lot of wearing.

My mother played the piano and my father the violin, I can remember my dad teaching me how to waltz; I had my feet on his, my mother playing the piano, and my husband will tell you the lessons weren’t very successful.