Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Administrator of the Northern Territory Vicki O'Halloran reveals how she will represent the NT when she travels to Canberra for the Queen's memorial service.

Transcript

Administrator of the Northern Territory Vicki O'Halloran reveals how she will represent the NT when she travels to Canberra for the Queen's memorial service. · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As we did learn over the weekend the ceremonial reading
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: of the Proclamation of the Accession of His Majesty King
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Charles the Third. It was conducted by Her Honor the
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Honorable Viki O haller and Ao in the Chamber of
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: the Legislative Assembly inside of Parliament House. So what happens
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: next in the Northern Territory following the passing of Queen
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Elizabeth Well. Joining me on the line is Her honor
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: the Honorable Viki O haller and Ao.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Good morning Kat.
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  Speaker 1: Now, obviously quite a bit happened over the course of
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: the weekend inside the Legislative Assembly. Administrator, what is the
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  Speaker 1: process now?
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  Speaker 2: Okay, I think k it's a time. We're aware now
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: that we have this public holiday coming up next Thursday.
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  Speaker 2: But I think between now and then, the team and
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  Speaker 2: I have worked to make sure that Government House is
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: open more regularly this week, so today between eleven thirty
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: and two and Friday between three and six pm, and
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: also the following Monday between nine point thirty and one.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: And I think it's important because not everybody could come
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: last Saturday, and to try and create some different times
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: throughout lunch breaks and after work and so forth, so
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  Speaker 2: people can come in and pay their respects and be
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: at Government House. I think it is the message that
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: I'm getting from Territory in so that if they can
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  Speaker 2: make it to Government House, they do want the opportunity
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  Speaker 2: to come in, come in with their children and their
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  Speaker 2: family and their friends and just take a little bit
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  Speaker 2: of time out here.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree with you. I think it's a good
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  Speaker 1: opportunity for Territorians to be able to pay their respects
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  Speaker 1: your honor. Have you seen a lot of Territorians come
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  Speaker 1: to Government House over recent days, Yes, we have.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: And the constant message, Kadie, is that they feel like
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  Speaker 2: it's the right gathering place, it's the right place to be,
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  Speaker 2: it's the right place to reflect and pay their respects.
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  Speaker 2: We've got sort of large portraits that we've had printed
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  Speaker 2: that extra near the condolence book, just that wander through
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  Speaker 2: the opportunity to take as much time as you like.
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  Speaker 2: And in my experience here at Government House, people love
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  Speaker 2: Government House. They love the grounds, they love the gardens,
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  Speaker 2: they love the architecture, they like the peace. The birds
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  Speaker 2: are tweeting in the garden, and they just find that
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  Speaker 2: they're coming in taking time in the drawing room with
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  Speaker 2: to write what they want to write, and children are
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  Speaker 2: creating beautiful drawings and then spending some time on the
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  Speaker 2: verandah and then walking out under the Banyan tree again
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  Speaker 2: spending time just having a little look at the garden
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  Speaker 2: before they before they leave, and everyone's saying it makes
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: them feel a whole lot better and the grieving process.
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  Speaker 2: I suppose gave you individual for all of it that
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: can assist people. I think it's the right thing for
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: us to do.
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  Speaker 1: And have you had much of an opportunity to speak
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  Speaker 1: to some of those Territorians that have visited Government House
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  Speaker 1: over recent days and what's been the reaction from people.
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  Speaker 2: It is? I think it's mainly been for one little
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  Speaker 2: girl said to me, I'm here with my grandma and
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  Speaker 2: the Queen looks just like my grandma, and then of
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: course she was tiery. I was tierry and grandma was teery,
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  Speaker 2: so that was a good start to the day. It was.
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  Speaker 2: Most people have said they just feel a sense of shock,
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  Speaker 2: even though they knew her majesty had been ailing and
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: not been particularly well, they saw her come out, I
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: suppose and meet with the new Prime minister. List trusts
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  Speaker 2: and I think it gave people hope. But I think
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  Speaker 2: given her immense fame over so many years and her
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  Speaker 2: long reign, she's known to everyone around the world, and
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  Speaker 2: in many ways she was in our lounge room and
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: in our lives. So I think the constant message to
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  Speaker 2: me was people have been surprised by how emotional they're feeling.
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  Speaker 2: Not that they didn't think they feel sad, but it's
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  Speaker 2: really Yeah, made them feel very emotional and they need
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  Speaker 2: time to I think take on board their own grief
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  Speaker 2: and loss and also come to terms with what the
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: change actually means for them.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, and what the change means for Australia and
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  Speaker 1: indeed the whole world in terms of the formalities for
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory now and some of the changes that
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: we might see in the Northern Territory. Is there a
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  Speaker 1: huge amount that will change from your perspective.
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  Speaker 2: Not at this stage, Katie. What will happen is we'll
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  Speaker 2: have this morning period, I will travel to Canberra together
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  Speaker 2: with the other Vice regal representatives from each state for
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: the memorial service next Thursday. We will of course there'll
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: be those physical changes. So having King Child's portrait added
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: to our collection here at Government House, and our loyal
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  Speaker 2: toasts will now be to the King and the people
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  Speaker 2: of Australia. And you know there'll be those practical changes,
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  Speaker 2: I suppose. I think it's more that change in our
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  Speaker 2: mindset that our Queen thankfully passed away peacefully with her
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  Speaker 2: family around her. She's going to join her beloved husband.
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  Speaker 2: I think that's something we feel all very grateful for
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  Speaker 2: and just coming to terms with the fact that we
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  Speaker 2: have King Charles now and we've had a positive relationship
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  Speaker 2: with him here in the Northern Territory and I've met
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  Speaker 2: him here at Government House and also in England, and
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  Speaker 2: you know, we look forward to that first tour. People
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  Speaker 2: have been asking me that when do you think you
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  Speaker 2: know King Charles will tour. I think you know, that'll
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  Speaker 2: be something they'll be looking at the diary and looking
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  Speaker 2: at what twenty twenty three means. And I'm sure or
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  Speaker 2: Australia will be on the list as it always is
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  Speaker 2: with royal tours, and the Northern Territory will have good
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: in our bed and hope for the bits.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and you would think, your honor that we've got
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  Speaker 1: a fairly good chance. As you said, he was here
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  Speaker 1: not too long ago.
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  Speaker 2: That's right, that's right, And he has a great fondness
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  Speaker 2: and as you'll recall, you know, he wasn't just here
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  Speaker 2: in Darwin. He likes to be in the outlying regions.
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  Speaker 2: He spent a lot of time in Nullanboi and in
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  Speaker 2: the heat. And yeah, there wasn't one complaint, which was fantastic.
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  Speaker 2: And he really does enjoy associating with Territorians and made
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  Speaker 2: that remark to me a couple of times that he
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  Speaker 2: finds us very down to earth and very good conversationalists
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  Speaker 2: and very interesting people.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and you're on it. Just finally, I know that
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  Speaker 1: you said that you'll obviously be traveling to Canberra to
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  Speaker 1: represent the Northern Territory at that service which is being held.
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  Speaker 1: Is there anything special that you will be doing as
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: our administrator to represent the Northern Territory or as you know,
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  Speaker 1: I guess we've never we've never been through something like
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  Speaker 1: this before.
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  Speaker 2: No, that's right, Katie, I would like to. I think
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  Speaker 2: I'm going to wear the outfit that I will when
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  Speaker 2: I met her, Majesty, that that has been on my mind.
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  Speaker 2: I think it has the right tone. It's a dark
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: it's a black dress and there is a coat with
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: some indigenous fabric. Cabric Canberra is always cool and I thought, yeah,
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  Speaker 2: I was just thinking, yes there about what to wear
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  Speaker 2: as we do, and that came to mind. But yes,
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: I will take some pressed flowers here from Government House,
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  Speaker 2: from the garden. I use the flower press to press
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  Speaker 2: flowers that we have in the garden, in particular our
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  Speaker 2: Bogan Villia and enclose those inner cards on behalf of
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  Speaker 2: all territories and take my opportunity to place that and
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: of course just represent the territory with respect to Her
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  Speaker 2: Majesty and with the best wishes of all of us. Well.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: I think that'll be a really nice way to represent
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory and pass on those wishes your honor,
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  Speaker 1: the Honorable Vicky o'haller and AO, our administrator here in
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. I always appreciate your time, particularly today.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Thank you very much for having a chat with us.