(Acknowledgments omitted)
At a high school that has as its motto Enriching Humanity, it is appropriate that I begin this morning by acknowledging the Kaurna (pron. GARNA) people who are the traditional owners of the lands on which we are conducting our graduation ceremony today, and paying our respects to their elders past and present. As a culture that extends back over sixty thousand years, our first Australians have watched over and cared for our wonderful continent, enriching the humanity of all of us who have come here more recently.
Norwood Morialta enshrines three key values that are critical to enriching the humanity that we all share distinction, diversity and respect. What we mean by distinction is that we strive for excellence in everything we do, always trying to do our best. Diversity is all about celebrating and valuing difference of all sorts ethnic, linguistic, cultural and personal making sure that acceptance and inclusion are the hallmarks of our society. We still have some way to go in that regard. And respect goes to the core of what it means to honour the rights and beliefs of all, extending to others what we would wish for ourselves.
Diversity is something I have always put a very high value on. I spent my early childhood in Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Sabah. It is an ethnically diverse community. I grew up with friends from all sorts of backgrounds. In a fundamental sense, difference and diversity was what we all had in common.
So you can imagine what it was like to arrive in Adelaide as a seven year old, looking different, eating different food, used to different games, and accustomed to a much less structured society. There werent many kids at my school that looked like me, and I found it a bit of a challenge at first to come to terms with the fact that I was different. In Kota Kinabalu, nobody stood out. But suddenly, in Adelaide, I did. As I look at this graduating class this morning, I am just a little envious, because you represent the diversity that I would have loved to be part of when I completed Year 12.
But more importantly, I take heart because we have progressed a long way. Here you all are, from a variety of backgrounds, speaking a variety of different languages at home, and studying a range of languages here at school. You have all grown up with difference. Its part of your lives, part of your expectations, part of the way you all do things. Youre lucky.
And no doubt you all feel lucky that you have reached the end of your high school experience. Perhaps you also feel nervous, excited, even nostalgic. Transition in our lives can be emotional, challenging and exciting sometimes all at the same time. You should all have a sense of achievement, because it is a pretty significant thing to reach the end of something that is also the beginning of something. Just as you have all made the most of the opportunities that Norwood Morialta has presented to you, you are on the cusp of an unbelievable array of new opportunities.
Whether you are intending to attend a TAFE or a university, or to set off on a gap year before you make up your mind about what you might do next, the fact is that a whole world of possibility is out there waiting for you. South Australia is opportunity rich. Whether you wish to pursue a trade, a vocation or a profession, our TAFEs and universities offer qualifications that open the door to a host of wonderful careers.
We have an agricultural, horticultural and viticultural sector that is world class. I wouldnt be the first person to have said this in Magill, and I certainly wont be the last. There are new opportunities on the horizon in engineering and industry as the new defence capabilities come on line. The many trades and professions such as education, health care, banking and finance, corporate management, tourism and the public sector enterprises that we need to keep the South Australian economy growing are calling out for the talent that is represented in this graduating class.
So my strongest advice to all of you is to keep learning. Whether its university or vocational education, education opens the mind to opportunities. It will both enrich your humanity and provide you with the skills to enrich the humanity of others. And as you move into the next chapter of your life, do so with optimism and confidence. As we look beyond Australias shores, we see a world that is undergoing disruptive change. That is not something to be feared, but something to be embraced, because disruption generates enormous opportunity for innovation.
It is my very strong view that Australia in general, and South Australia in particular, are poised to benefit from this age of disruption because we have the talent, and the institutions to develop that talent, that will deliver on the opportunities we have before us.
And as you all look forward with confidence and a strong sense of self-belief, pause for just a moment to think about how the time you have spent here at Norwood Morialta, has positioned you for what you will achieve in the future. Give thanks for the support you have received from your parents and families, and above all value the generosity, skill and encouragement that your teachers have given you.
I am sure that they are as proud of you as you are grateful to them, and that they all join with me in congratulating the 2017 Year 12 graduates of Norwood Morialta High School.