Representative of the monarch of Australia, Sir Isaac Isaacs, the first Australian-born governor-general, 19311936, Dame Quentin Bryce, the first female governor-general, 20082014. [6] Since 1 July 2019, the governor-general has been General David Hurley.[8][9]. The King and Queen Consort will first head to France on March 16, where they will undertake engagements in Paris and Bordeaux. The Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) educates Australians about, and inspires their enthusiasm for, Australias parliamentary democracy. They include appointing the chief of the Defence Force and authorising the deployment of troops. [57] They exercised this power several times. On 6 May 2021, when Morrison took the treasury and home affairs ministries with Hurley's approval, the governor general says in his program that he attended two ceremonies where Order of . In the United Kingdom, the reserve powers of the monarch (which are typically referred to as the "royal prerogative")[29] are not explicitly stated in constitutional enactments, and are the province of convention and common law. Governor-General - Parliament of Australia In practice, they are Australias Head of State and have a range of constitutional and ceremonial duties. Sir Matthew Nathan, Governor of Queensland from 1920 to 1925, was Australia's only Jewish governor until the appointment of Linda Dessau as Governor of Victoria in 2015. There are countless organisations and people demonstrating how rich this country is each day. The convention gradually became established throughout the Commonwealth that the Governor-General is a citizen of the country concerned, and is appointed on the advice of the government of that country. To provide continuity through general elections both federally and in New South Wales, Hurley succeeded General Sir Peter Cosgrove, who had planned to retire in March 2019, on 1 July 2019.[1][2]. He was previously the 38th governor of New South Wales, serving from 2014 to 2019. The Australia Day 2023 Honours List recognises and celebrates 1,047 recipients, including 736 in the General Division of the Order of Australia and awards for meritorious, distinguished and conspicuous service. These are the people who see us through good times and bad. Please read ourPrivacy Statement, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, E-mail the Governor-General or Government House, Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley's biography, Receiving a congratulatory message from the Governor-General, The Governor-General's Official residences. Various governors-general had previously served as governors of an Australian state or colony: Lord Hopetoun (Victoria 18891895); Lord Tennyson (South Australia 18991902); Lord Gowrie (South Australia 192834; and New South Wales 19351936); Major General Michael Jeffery (Western Australia 19932000); Dame Quentin Bryce (Queensland 20032008); General David Hurley (New South Wales 20142019). The first female Governor-General was the Honourable Dame Quentin Alice Bryce AD, CVO, who served from 2008 to 2014. visiting places hit by national disaster, such as floods or fire. Significant post-retirement activities of earlier Governors-General have included: Lord Tennyson was appointed Deputy Governor of the Isle of Wight; Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson (by now Lord Novar) became Secretary of State for Scotland; and Lord Gowrie became Chairman of the Marylebone Cricket Club (Lord Forster had also held this post, before his appointment as governor-general). Until 1989, all governors-general were members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and thus held the additional style The Right Honourable for life. Term of Office. "[21], The 1988 Constitutional Commission report explained: "the governor-general is in no sense a delegate of the Queen. Contact | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. The Constitution of Australia, section 2, provides: A Governor-General appointed by the Queen shall be Her Majesty's representative in the Commonwealth, and shall have and may exercise in the Commonwealth during the Queen's pleasure, but subject to this Constitution, such powers and functions of the Queen as Her Majesty may be pleased to assign to him. Through our accessible, immersive, experiential programs and resources, the PEO fosters informed, engaged and active citizens of all ages. John Robert Kerr (1914-1991), lawyer, judge, and governor-general, was born on 24 September 1914 at Balmain, Sydney, eldest of eight children of New South Wales-born parents Harry Kerr, boilermaker, and his wife Laura May, ne Cardwell. In the evening, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, as joint Patrons, hosted a reception for the Childrens Medical Research Institute Canberra. [39] In 1941 and 1942, the Curtin Government advised the governor-general to declare war on several Axis powers, but then had King George VI make identical proclamations on Australia's behalf. Statement by the Prime Minister to the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates, Vol. Section 4 of the constitution allows the Monarch to appoint an administrator to carry out the role of governor-general when there is a vacancy. In 1945, John Curtin nominated Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, to the post the first and only royal officeholder. Travelling widely to encourage and acknowledge individuals and groups making a substantial contribution to the community, Responding quickly and compassionately on behalf of all Australians to natural disasters and events of national significance. Sir William Joseph Slim - Australian Dictionary Of Biography Most spouses of governors-general have been content to be quietly supportive. His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd)Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. These provisions make it clear that the Monarch's role in the parliament is in name only and the actual responsibility belongs to the governor-general. When the late Queen Elizabeth II was in Australia, the Queen's Personal Australian Flag was flown on the car in which she was travelling. Lachlan Macquarie, (born January 31, 1761, Ulva, Argyllshire, Scotlanddied July 1, 1824, London, England), early governor of New South Wales, Australia (1810-21), who expanded opportunities for Emancipists (freed convicts) and established a balance of power with the Exclusionists (large landowners and sheep farmers). The annual salary during Michael Jeffery's term was $365,000. To mollify Hughes, Milner offered him a choice between three candidates. These duties are essential to Australia's modern democracy, however perhaps the most important role of the Governor-General is their work in the Australian community. "I think that that will be an enormous occasion.". The Biosecurity Act 2015 specifies that the governor-general may declare such an emergency exists if the health minister (Greg Hunt at the time) is satisfied that "a listed human disease is posing a severe and immediate threat, or is causing harm, to human health on a nationally significant scale". Scullin was partially influenced by the precedent set by the Government of the Irish Free State, which always insisted upon having an Irishman as the governor-general of the Irish Free State. Formerly, all governors-general automatically became a knight upon being sworn in.[55]. Dunrossil died in office on 3 February 1961. The first four governors-general were peers; Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson (appointed 1914) was the first commoner to hold the position, although he was also later elevated to the peerage. The only way a person can be recognised is for someone to nominate them., 6 appointments as Companions of the Order, 177 appointments as Members of the Order (surname, 506 people were awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (surname (, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. That role can become controversial, however, if the governor-general becomes unpopular with sections of the community. However, Scullin stood firm, saying he would be prepared to fight a general election on the issue of whether an Australian should be prevented from becoming governor-general because he was Australian. We pay our respects to elders past and present. Dame Quentin Bryce was the first governor-general to have had no prior title or pre-nominal style. [62] In 1925, under Prime Minister Stanley Bruce, the same practice was followed for the appointment of Forster's successor Lord Stonehaven, with the Australian government publicly stating that his name "had been submitted, with others, to the Commonwealth ministry, who had selected him".[63]. The Governor-General does not have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the government but has a role in both the government and the Parliament. Now, the King of Australia is generally bound by constitutional convention to accept the advice of the Australian prime minister and state premiers about Australian and state constitutional matters, respectively. Permission should be sought from Office of the Governor-General for third-party or commercial uses of this image. [20], Australian Solicitor-General Maurice Byers stated in 1974: "The constitutional prescription is that executive power is exercisable by the governor-general although vested in the Queen. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley's biography, Receiving a congratulatory message from the Governor-General, The Governor-General's Official residences, Presiding over the Federal Executive Council, Facilitating the work of the Commonwealth Parliament and Government, Dissolving Parliament and issuing writs for a Federal election, Commissioning the Prime Minister; appointing Ministers and Assistant Ministers; and swearing-in other statutory positions. The Governor-General was sworn-in on 1 July 2019. [10] Since then, all but one of the governors-general have been Australian-born; the exception, Sir Ninian Stephen, arrived in Australia as a teenager. Sir Isaac Isaacs was successively Commonwealth Attorney-General, a High Court judge, and Chief Justice. These means the Governor-General is a part of both the Parliament and the executive government, and carries out tasks on behalf of the King. Governors-General Since 1901 - AustralianPolitics.com And the first female governor-general was Quentin Bryce, who took up the position in 2008. The Governor-General of Australia is His Majesty The King's representative . There are 736 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, with 48 per cent for women and 45 per cent for service to local communities. Permission should be sought from Government House for third-party or commercial uses of this image. Governor-General Read the Australia Day 2023 Honours list Attend the first ever 'Open Evening' at Government House on Friday 17 March from 3:00-7:00pm Subscribe to the new Order of Australia newsletter - Above and beyond - to learn about the amazing people recognised through the Order. Lord Stonehaven (as John Baird) was Minister for Transport in the Cabinets of Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin; and after his return to Britain he became Chairman of the UK Conservative Party. A number of governors-general have reserved royal assent for particular legislation for the Monarch. The dismissal - Parliament of Australia The governor-general is supported by a staff (of 80 in 2018[7]) headed by the official secretary to the governor-general of Australia. The Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australia's head of state, Charles III. [5] The governor-general has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force. An "administrator of the government" in Canada is a constitutional practice where an individual is empowered to perform the functions of the office of the governor general if the governor general is incapable of rendering their constitutional duties, or if the position of Governor General is vacant following a resignation or death. The governor-general is officially appointed by the monarch of Britain but is recommended by the prime minister of Australia. The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurleyshould be "Your Excellencies". YARRALUMLA ACT 2600, Tel: (02) 6283 3533E-mail the Governor-General or Government House. Governor-General. For the first two decades after federation, governors-general were selected solely by the British government. [44] The incident contributed to Fraser's resignation from cabinet in 1971 and Gorton's subsequent loss of the prime ministership.[45]. Some, however, have been notable in their own right, such as Dame Alexandra Hasluck, Lady Casey and Michael Bryce. [28] Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was a senior member of the royal family. Australian News Channel Pty Ltd 2017 - 2023. The 736 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia include: The 217 recipients of Meritorious Awards include recipients of the Public Service Medal, the Australian Police Medal, Australian Fire Service Medal, Emergency Services Medal, the Australian Corrections Medal and the Australian Intelligence Medal. Casey had twice called McMahon into Yarralumla to give him a "dressing down" over his poor relationship with Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen, which he believed was affecting the government. A list of all former Governors-General. The statement was later issued by the Prime Minister's Press Office. [26] This view was also held by Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania Andrew Inglis Clark, who, with W. Harrison Moore (a contributor to the first draft of the constitution put before the 1897 Adelaide Convention and professor of law at the University of Melbourne), postulated that the letters patent and the royal instructions issued by Queen Victoria were unnecessary "or even of doubtful legality". Lord Dunrossil (as William Morrison) was Speaker of the UK House of Commons. The official cars of the governor-general fly the Flag of the Governor-General of Australia and display St. Edward's Crown instead of number plates. Homepage | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia . The Governor-General wearing a shirt and tie sits at a desk with a pen in hand. Governor-General of Australia. A second Australian (William McKell) was appointed in 1947; he was followed by three more Britons, each chosen by Sir Robert Menzies. This was not because of any lack of regard for Isaacs personally, but because the British government considered that the choice of Governors-General was, since the 1926 Imperial Conference, a matter for the monarch's decision alone. The governor-general now wears an ordinary lounge suit if a man or day dress if a woman. These fall roughly into three categories: constitutional and statutory duties, formal ceremonial duties, and non-ceremonial social duties. On other occasions royal assent has been given elsewhere. The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Buckingham Palace on Friday announced details of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's first overseas trip since assuming their titles after Queen Elizabeth's death. [5], The constitution does not set a term of office, so a governor-general may continue to hold office for any agreed length of time. "It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the UK is working in partnership with France and Germany. In 1930, King George V and the Australian Prime Minister James Scullin discussed the appointment of a new Governor-General to replace Lord Stonehaven, whose term was coming to an end. 26. Governors-General Since 1901 There have been twenty-seven Governors-General of the Commonwealth of Australia since 1901. Menzies's fourth nomination was Richard Casey, who took office in 1965; he and all subsequent governors-general have been Australian citizens. He was appointed in July 1900, returning to Australia shortly before the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. [3][4] The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of government ministers. All the governors-general until 1965 were British-born, except for Australian-born Sir Isaac Isaacs (19311936) and Sir William McKell (19471953). official secretary to the governor-general of Australia, Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Flag of the Governor-General of Australia, Chapter II of the Constitution of Australia, Armorial of the governors-general of Australia, "Governor-General Amendment Salary Bill 2019", Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australiaofficial website, "Official websitethe Governor-General's role", "Governor-General pleads for more cash to do his job after budget blowout", "David Hurley named next governor general of Australia", "Governor-General Quentin Bryce backs gay marriage, Australia becoming a republic in Boyer Lecture", "Letters Patent Relating to the Office of GovernorGeneral of the Commonwealth of Australia", "Sir William Deane stands down as Governor-General", "Peter Hollingworth apologises for poor handling of sex abuse complaint", "Australians for Constitutional Monarchy", "The Samuel Griffith Society: Volume 8: Chapter Eight", "House of Representatives Practice (5th Edition)", "Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration2020", "Human biosecurity emergency declared in Australia", "An Australian Head of State: An Historical and Contemporary Perspective", "State visit by Governor-General of New Zealand - statement by the prime minister, Mr William McMahon", "Parliamentary involvement in declaring war and deploying forces overseas", "The Governor-General as Commander-in-Chief", "Herald Sun, 18 June 2008, governor-general Quentin Bryce to get pay rise", "USRS Australia: Blog for the U.S. Mission to Australia", "Tony Abbott's New $500,000 Armoured Ride Can Stop AK-47 Rounds And Deter Bomb Blasts", Dress worn at His Majesty's court: issued with the authority of the Lord Chamberlain, The title 'the Honourable' for Governors-General, Prime Minister's media release "A New Honour for Pre-eminent Australians", "The role of the Queen and the Governor-General in Australian democracy", "Australians reject role for Prince William", "Prince William and Prince Harry: A firm foundation for the brothers in arms", "Former atheist and political leader Bill Hayden baptised at age 85 at St Mary's Church, Ipswich", "Bill Hayden, former Labor leader, turns to God despite atheist past", Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Chronology of Australian federal parliaments, List of Acts of the Parliament of Australia, Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia: The Legislature, Section 51 of the Constitution of Australia, Chapter II of the Constitution of Australia: The Executive, Section 61 of the Constitution of Australia, Chapter III of the constitution of Australia: Courts, Section 75 of the Constitution of Australia, Australian Constitution (Public Record Copy) Act 1990, 201718 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis, (xviii) Copyrights, patents and trademarks, Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and dominions, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Governor-General_of_Australia&oldid=1137546980, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2012, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, appointing ambassadors and high commissioners, The power to dissolve (or refuse to dissolve) the House of Representatives (section 5), The power to dissolve Parliament on the occasion of a deadlock (section 57), The power to withhold assent to bills (section 58), The power to appoint (or dismiss) ministers (section 64), if an election results in a parliament in which no party has a majority, the governor-general may select the prime minister, if a prime minister loses the support of the House of Representatives, the governor-general may appoint a new prime minister, if a prime minister advises a dissolution of the House of Representatives, the governor-general may refuse that request, or request further reasons why it should be granted; it is worth noting that convention does not give the governor-general the ability to dissolve either the House of Representatives or the Senate without advice, if a prime minister advises a dissolution of Parliament on the occasion of a deadlock between the Houses, the governor-general may refuse that request, if the governor-general is not satisfied with a legislative bill as presented, they may refuse royal assent, if a prime minister resigns after losing a vote of confidence, the governor-general may select a new replacement contrary to the advice of the outgoing prime minister, if a prime minister is unable to obtain supply and refuses to resign or advise a dissolution, the governor-general may dismiss him or her and appoint a new prime minister, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 05:38. Place of birth. The Constitution sets out some specific tasks for the Governor-General, including: The Governor-General's ceremonial and constitutional roles are closely related. Former Governors-General - Governor-General Of Australia Sir Isaac Issacs had the esteemed honour of becoming the first Australian-born governor-general in 1931. However, it remained unclear just whose prerogative it now became to decide who new governors-general would be. Recipients come from right across the country and from all walks of life. After consulting his cabinet he chose Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster. 1935 saw the appointment of the first British high commissioner to Australia, Geoffrey Whiskard (in office 19361941). Australia Day 2023 Honours List | Governor-General of the - gg.gov.au A temporary vacancy occurs when the governor-general is overseas on official business representing Australia. From that time until 2014, governors-general did not receive automatic titles or honours, other than the post-nominal AC by virtue of being Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Australia. Each state has a governor, who is appointed by the King on the advice of the Premier (head of government) of that state. However, that custom fell into disuse during the tenure of Sir Paul Hasluck. Mr Albanese told reporters on Saturday how he has accepted an invitation to attend the crowning of the monarch in the United Kingdom alongside Mr Hurley. Lachlan Macquarie | governor of New South Wales, Australia opening and attending national and international meetings and conferences, attending exhibitions and sporting events, attending functions as an official patron of organisations, visiting regions or areas to meet people involved in a particular group or industry. On 8 May 1953 Slim was sworn in as governor-general of Australia. [10] The position came into being with the adoption of the new national constitution on 1 January 1901, and has been held by 27 people since then. [51] However, for official business, the current choice of car is an armoured BMW 7 Series.[52]. At the same time as the appointment of Isaacs as the first Australian-born governor-general, a separate role of British Representative in Australia (as the representative of the British government) was established, with Ernest Crutchley the first appointee. 2014-2019. Sir Isaac Isaacs and Sir Zelman Cowen were Jewish; Bill Hayden was an avowed atheist[69] during his term and he made an affirmation rather than swear an oath at the beginning of his commission; the remaining Governors-General have been at least nominally Christian. There have been only Australian occupants since then, although Sir Ninian Stephen (19821989) had been born in Britain. This fact sheet introduces the constitutional, ceremonial and civic roles of the Governor-General, and the history of the position. He stated that the governor-general was more than a representative of the sovereign, explaining: "under section 2 of the Constitution the Governor-General is the Queen's representative and exercises certain royal prerogative powers and functions; under section 61 of the Constitution the Governor-General is the holder of a quite separate and independent office created, not by the Crown, but by the Constitution, and empowered to exercise, in his own right as Governor-General all the powers and functions of Australia's head of state."[21]. They appoint a deputy, to whom members make an oath of allegiance before they take their seats. And it is exercisable by the Queen's representative, not her delegate or agent. The events themselves are still contested: the performance . The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring," the Governor-General said. The governor-general of Australia is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, serving as the representative of the Australian monarch (currently Charles III ). Free shipping for many products! [50] Until 2001, Governors-General did not pay income tax on their salary; this was changed after Elizabeth II agreed to pay tax.[49]. In our opinion it is an essential consequence of the equality of status existing among the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations that the Governor-General of a Dominion is the representative of the Crown, holding in all essential respects the same position in relation to the administration of public affairs in the Dominion as is held by His Majesty the King in Great Britain, and that he is not the representative or agent of His Majesty's Government in Great Britain or of any Department of that Government. On this occasion the governor-general, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the government of Gough Whitlam when the Senate withheld Supply to the government, even though Whitlam retained the confidence of the House of Representatives. The position came into being with the adoption of the new national constitution on 1 January 1901, and has been held by 27 people since then. For any requests relating to the booking of school tours of Government House, Canberra please use ouremail formand selectSchool Bookings. The current Governor-General is David Hurley . The most important power is found in section 58: "When a proposed law passed by both Houses of Parliament is presented to the Governor-General for the Queen's assent, he shall declare that he assents in the Queen's name." Write to the Governor-General or Government House at: Government House Dunrossil Drive YARRALUMLA ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6283 3533 E-mail the Governor-General or Government House Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014) was the first woman to be appointed to the office. According to William McMahon, Harold Holt considered having Lord Casey dismissed from the governor-generalship, and went as far as to have the necessary documents drawn up. I have seen this at work in the people and organisations assisting our veterans, our rural communities that are under stress, asylum seekers who we have accepted into our country and our aboriginal brothers and sisters. At the end of this initial term, a commission may be extended for a short time, usually to avoid conflict with an election or during political difficulties.[6]. (However, it became very clear in a conversation between Scullin and King George V's private secretary, Lord Stamfordham, on 11 November 1930, that this was merely the official reason for the objection, with the real reason being that an Australian, no matter how highly regarded personally, was not considered appropriate to be a governor-general.) She's the voice: how the governor-general's wife became Australia's