125 years of Shell in Australia

Good evening everyone

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet tonight, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

I would also like to sincerely thank Elder Uncle Colin Hunter Junior Junior for his generous Welcome to Country this evening.

Distinguished guests – Deputy Consul General of Japan, Ms Natsuko Miguchi; Assistant Minister for Resources Senator The Honourable Anthony Chisholm; Acting British High Commissioner Brian Jones; Acting British Consul General Oonagh Lewis.

Shell plc Chair, Sir Andrew Mackenzie; former federal ministers The Honourable Ian Macfarlane and Gary Gray; former Shell Australia country chairs Peter Duncan, Russell Caplan, Andrew Smith and Tony Nunan.

Colleagues, partners, and friends — thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate an extraordinary milestone: 125 years of Shell in Australia.

Anniversaries like this invite reflection. You will hear much more this evening about the history - the moments, the milestones, the people who shaped our journey.

But what I would like to reflect on tonight is something deeper: what that history represents.

125 years is not just a long time. It is proof.

Proof of resilience through cycles of change.

Proof of enduring partnerships with communities, governments, and industry.

And proof that Shell has been – and continues to be – part of the fabric of Australia.

From our earliest days, we have grown with Australia. As industries were built, as cities expanded, as communities connected – we were there, helping to provide the energy that made it possible. Not as a bystander, but as a participant in the nation’s progress.

We have helped power the industries that underpin Australia’s prosperity – resources, manufacturing, transport. We have helped enable trade, connectivity and mobility across a vast continent. Perhaps most importantly, we have contributed to the everyday lives of Australians – powering homes, businesses, and opportunity.

That is what 125 years represents: Powering progress. Powering lives. Growing with Australia.

But tonight is not only about looking back. It is also about recognising what that legacy compels us to do next.

Because if our long history gives us credibility, it also confers responsibility.

A responsibility to keep delivering for Australia.

To evolve.

And to help shape Australia’s next chapter of growth.

And that next chapter is already taking shape.

Australia is uniquely positioned in the global energy system. We are resource-rich, technologically capable and deeply connected to regional and global markets. We have a long track record as a reliable and trusted supplier of energy.

These are not small advantages. They are foundational strengths.

And it is precisely because of these strengths that the opportunity ahead is so signficant.

The world’s energy system is changing – shaped by rising demand, rapid technological evolution, and the imperative to reduce emissions. Meeting this challenge will require significant, sustained investment across a broad range of energy sources and solutions.

But it will also require something more fundamental:

A relentless focus on energy security, resilience and reliability – particularly in a more uncertain and contested global environment.

In that context, Australia’s natural gas resources – and our LNG exports – have a critical role to play. Not only in underpinning our own domestic energy security and supporting Australian industry, but in providing reliable, trusted supply to our regional trade partners at a time when energy has become more than just a commodity – it has become a strategic asset.

It will require investment in emerging lower-carbon solutions - technologies and systems that can scale over time.

And it will require a focus on integration - ensuring that energy systems are reliable, affordable, and increasingly lower in carbon intensity.

In short, the opportunity ahead is to build on our strengths, while adapting to new realities.

If we are to seize that opportunity one thing matters above all else: the settings we create today will determine the investment we see tomorrow.

Energy projects are long-term by nature. They require substantial capital, complex delivery, and a high level of confidence in the future.

Investors look for clarity.

They look for stability.

And they look for signals that endure beyond the short-term and through political cycles.

Australia has long been regarded as a highly credible investment destination, characterised by strong institutions, transparent regulation, and the rule of law.

These are powerful advantages. And they must not be taken for granted.

Maintaining that reputation – reinforcing it – will be critical if Australia is to attract the scale of investment needed to meet future energy demand and capture emerging opportunities.

Because investment does not happen in the abstract. It flows to places where there is confidence – confidence in the resource, in the market and in the policy and regulatory environment.

When the signals are clear and consistent, investment follows.

When they are uncertain or fragmented, investment hesitates or goes elsewhere.

And this matters not just for industry but for the country as a whole.

It matters for jobs.

It matters for regional development.

It matters for economic growth.

And it matters for Australia’s position as a reliable supplier of energy to our neighbours and trading partners.

The prize is significant.

With the right settings, Australia can continue to leverage its natural advantages - its resources, its expertise, its proximity to growing markets - to remain a leading energy nation.

We can support domestic energy needs while continuing to contribute to global energy security.

We can underpin industries that drive economic prosperity while progressively lowering emissions over time.

And we can do so in a way that reflects Australia’s strengths: pragmatic, capable, and forward-looking.

For Shell, our commitment is clear.

We will continue to invest where we see opportunity.

We will continue to work in partnership with governments, communities, customers and industry.

And we will continue to play our part in delivering energy solutions that support both economic growth and transition.

But we cannot do it alone.

The scale of the challenge and the scale of the opportunity requires alignment. Alignment between policy settings and investment signals. Alignment between national ambition and practical delivery. Alignment across industry, government and the community.

That has always been true. And it remains true today.

As we mark this milestone, I am reminded that longevity is not accidental. It is built over time through trust, consistency, and contribution.

Trust in the institutions that govern us.

Consistency in the frameworks that guide investment.

And contribution from all of us toward shared outcomes.

These are the foundations that have underpinned the past 125 years for Shell in Australia.

And they are the foundations that will enable the next.

So tonight, while we celebrate our history, we also look forward with confidence.

Confident in Australia’s strengths.

Confident in the opportunities ahead.

And confident that working together we can continue to power progress, power lives, and help build the next chapter of Australia’s growth.

Thank you for being part of that journey.

And thank you for joining us this evening to celebrate 125 years – with many more to come.

Thank you.