ON 26 SEPTEMBER 1999, the Governor-General delivered the opening address at the inaugural Australian Conference on Lutheran Education at a Gold Coast resort.[i] In his speech, Sir William Deane offered an apology to members of the German–Australian community present at the meeting:

The tragic, and often shameful, discrimination against Australians of German origin fostered during the world wars had many consequences. No doubt, some of you carry the emotional scars of injustice during those times as part of your backgrounds or family histories. Let me as Governor-General say to all who do how profoundly sorry I am that such things happened in our country.