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The festive season is here, and Corporate Affairs has wrapped up everything you need in one convenient hub!
This page is designed specifically to help Leadership and Executive Support Officers deck the halls and deliver Christmas activities with ease.
Keep scrolling to find key dates, events, helpful resources, and ways to get involved and sleigh the season.
Check back regularly for updates so you don’t miss out on the festive fun happening across Mater this season!
Executive brief Staffing spreadsheet Blank poster Editable invitation Christmas decorations guideline
Mater People are reminded to familiarise themselves with appropriate standards of behaviour ahead of attending any Mater Christmas events.
Sexual Harassment policy Behavioural Standards Uniform and dress policy
| Date | Activity |
| WC Monday 17 November | Cards, Christmas corflutes, and decorations dispatched to facilities. |
| WC Monday 24 November | Corflutes, cards, and decorations arrive at facilities. Christmas trees and corflute installations set up throughout the week. |
| Thursday 27 November | All staff email from Chief of Mission Alanna Jacoby opening of Advent and Christmas Season |
| Monday 1 December | Christmas campaign launches — including digital screens, desktop takeover, and other festive communications throughout the month. |
| Week commencing Monday 8 December | Staff gifts delivered to facilities. Leadership teams to begin local distribution. |
| Wednesday 3 December | Mackay lunch |
| Friday 12 December | Bundaberg lunch |
| Monday 15 December | Redland lunch |
| Tuesday 16 December | Springfield lunch |
| Wednesday 17 December | Newstead lunch |
| Thursday 18 December | Rockhampton lunch |
| Thursday 18 December | South Brisbane lunch |
| Monday 22 December - Friday 2 January 2026 | Reduced Support Services in operation during this period. |
| Wednesday 24 December | All staff SMS from Group Chief Executive Julia Strickland-Bellamy with Christmas Eve message. |
| Week commencing 5 January 2026 | Christmas trees and installations to be taken down. |
Calendar invitations to staff lunch events will be sent week commending 24 November.
A reminder SMS will be sent the day before each event.
Newstead
Date: Wednesday 17 December
Time: 12 noon - 2 pm
Location: Level 3
South Brisbane
Date: Thursday 18 December
Time: 11.30am - 2pm
Location: Whitty building and Mater Private Hospital Brisbane level 4 balcony.
Redland
Date: Monday 15 December
Time: 11.30am - 1.30pm
Springfield
Date: Tuesday 16 December
Time: 11.30am - 1.30pm
Bundaberg
Date: Friday 12 December
Mackay
Date: Wednesday 3 December
Rockhampton
Date: Thursday 18 December
This year, every staff member and volunteer will receive a gift from Mater in appreciation of their contribution throughout 2025. In consultation with Mater’s leadership team, branded eco cutlery sets have been selected.
Gift allocations have been based on HR data.
Facilities are encouraged to use the staffing spreadsheet below for the recommended distribution by manager level and department.
Gifts for Support Service teams, including DTI, Finance, HR, and others, are addressed to Corporate Affairs. You will be notified when these are available for pickup from Newstead on level 6. Once collected, please determine how best to distribute them to your staff.
Estimated delivery: early December
For questions or support navigating the staffing spreadsheet, please email comms@mater.org.au
| Facility or Support Service | Contact Person | Quantity |
| Mater Hospital Brisbane | Rachel Allan | 2,200 |
| Mater Private Hospital Brisbane | Vicki Standly | 955 |
| Mater Mothers' hospitals | Lydia McLennan | 1,055 |
| Mater Private Hospital Redland | Alison Clamp | 330 |
| Mater Private Hospital Springfield | Marilyn Schwarze | 330 |
| Mater Private Hospital Bundaberg | Cindy Monk | 230 |
| Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton | Kerrie Bielenberg | 490 |
| Mater Private Hospital Mackay | Amanda Evans | 465 |
| Mater Private Hospital Townsville | Cate Pinney | 1,125 |
| Health Integration and Community Care | Sarah Pugh | 930 |
| Mater Pathology | Kirsten Smith | 470 |
| Mater Research | Donna Simpson | 285 |
| Mater Education | Kate Martineau | 120 |
| Mater Foundation | Michelle Malakellis | 100 |
| Mission and Volunteers | Kathryn Piggott | 700 |
| Finance | Daria Shedludiakova | 165 |
| Human Resources | Michelle Melnikoff | 465 |
| Digital Technology and Information | Caroline Carter | 160 |
| Development and Infrastructure | Alicia Fenton | 145 |
| Corporate Development and Legal | Corporate Affairs | 65 |
A quantity of VMO gifts have been sent to each facility.
These have been allocated based on performance and are intended for the top-performing clinicians, rather than all VMOs.
Advent is a season of preparation and reflection leading up to Christmas.
It spans four weeks, each marked by a unique theme that helps us focus on the spiritual significance of the season. The Advent wreath and its candles are powerful symbols of hope, peace, joy, and love, guiding us toward the celebration of Christ’s birth.
Theme: Hope reminds us of the anticipation of Christ’s coming and the promise of salvation.
Significance: It symbolises faith in God’s plan and the light that shines in darkness.
Candle colour: Purple – representing royalty and repentance.
Theme: Peace reflects the calm and assurance that comes from trusting God.
Significance: It calls us to prepare our hearts and live in harmony with others.
Candle colour: Purple – continuing the theme of preparation and reflection.
Theme: Joy celebrates the nearness of Christ’s birth and the happiness it brings.
Significance: Known as Gaudete Sunday, it’s a moment of rejoicing amid Advent’s solemnity.
Candle colour: Pink – symbolising joy and light breaking through darkness.
Theme: Love represents God’s ultimate gift through Jesus and our call to love others.
Significance: It reminds us of the depth of God’s compassion and grace.
Candle colour: Purple – completing the season of preparation.
We have an event we want to promote to staff. How can Corporate Affairs support us?
Corporate Affairs can help by sending calendar invitations, providing editable event invitations and flyers, publishing notices in Mater Matters, and sharing updates on the Intranet.
Please email comms@mater.org.au with your event details, including the date, time, location, and purpose of the event.
Where can we access templates for invitations, posters or email banners?
Christmas templates and resources can be found under the downloadable resources tab.
How will staff gifts be distributed?
Gift distribution will be managed locally at each facility. We recommend engaging managers and team leaders to assist with the process and share the load.
To assist facilities with this process, the staffing spreadsheet linked below can help you divide gifts by area, unit, ward, or department, according to manager levels.
Below are some suggestions to help coordinate large-scale gift distribution:
Nominate a lead contact in each department or floor to help manage distribution.
Use current staff rosters to create a distribution list and track who has received their gift.
Schedule staggered collection times to avoid congestion in shared spaces.
Pre-sort gifts by team or individual using labels or tags to streamline handover.
Clearly communicate with staff about when and where to collect their gift.
Keep a record of uncollected gifts and arrange follow-up distribution or storage as needed.
Please email comms@mater.org.au if you have any questions or concerns.
What if a staff nember is on leave or working remotely and can't get their gift?
Please keep a list of those unable to collect their gift and arrange for delivery or collection at a later date
There are departments that are unable to leave their areas for the Christms lunch. Will ordering be available for those areas?
An order form will be made available ahead of staff Christmas lunch to accommodate those unable to leave their area.
Corporate Affairs will be in touch ahead of time to communicate this process.
Who are the Christmas cards for?
Christmas cards can be used at your discretion. We encourage you to send these as end-of-year messages of appreciation to key stakeholders, suppliers, and others as appropriate.
If you require additional cards, please email comms@mater.org.au.
Can staff decorate their wards/units?
This is up to each individual facility.
A decoration guideline, provided by Infection Management, will be made available under the downloadable resources tab. This outlines appropriate use of decorations to maintain Infection Management guidelines.
Where can we find updates about deliveries of staff gifts and Christmas corflutes?
The activity calendar tab has information about expected delivery dates. This will be updated as we get confirmation from our suppliers and printers.
