In the evening, the Governor and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers hosted the 2026 annual lecture of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, Tasmania Branch.

As Patron of the Australian Institute for International Affairs’ Tasmanian Branch, the Governor was pleased to host the organisation’s annual lecture at Government House.

The Institute actively promotes understanding of and interest in international affairs across fields ranging from politics and economics to international law.

Vice-Regal patronage of the Institute in Tasmania dates back to the 1980s and then Governor, former diplomat Sir James Plimsoll.

The 2026 lecture, titled “A Changing Strategic World:  Australia and the Contested Maritime Domain”, was delivered by Jennifer Parker, Expert Associate at the Australian National University’s National Security College, and Adjunct Fellow in naval studies at the University of New South Wales.