", To join the conversation, please In 1989, Bill Hayden, a republican, declined appointment to the British Privy Council and any imperial honours. Permission should be sought from Office of the Governor-General 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. Of the eleven Australians appointed governor-general since 1965, Lord Casey, Sir Paul Hasluck and Bill Hayden were former federal parliamentarians; Sir John Kerr was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Sir Ninian Stephen and Sir William Deane were appointed from the bench of the High Court; Sir Zelman Cowen was a vice-chancellor of the University of Queensland and constitutional lawyer; Peter Hollingworth was the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane; and Major-General Michael Jeffery was a retired military officer and former Governor of Western Australia. And it is exercisable by the Queen's representative, not her delegate or agent. After elections, or when a government loses or wins a majority in the Australian House of Representatives , the Governor General is the person who legally decides that the prime minister has the numbers to lead a government. 1.2 National anthem and flag protocols. Tel: (02) 6283 3604 log in. [10] The Governor-General is leader of the Executive Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Forces . Stanley Bruce (1925) and Joseph Lyons (1935) either asked for or were given a list of suitable candidates to choose from. Occasionally governors-general have made extended tours visiting multiple countries, notably in 2009 when Quentin Bryce visited nine African countries in 19 days. The Governor-General is the Chancellor of the Order of Australia and each year approves awards to recognise the service and contribution of outstanding Australians through the Australian Honours and AwardsSystem. The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia. The Governor-General of Australia is a powerful person in the country. Orsend your written letter of invitation to: To contact Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat, please use ouremail formand selectHonours and Awards. 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. The constitution describes the parliament of the commonwealth as consisting of the Monarch, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Governor-General wearing a shirt and tie sits at a desk with a pen in hand. 25. Governor-General. We pay our respects to elders past and present. As the Balfour Declaration of 1926, later implemented as the Statute of Westminster 1931, put it: It is desirable formally to place on record a definition of the position held by the Governor-General as His Majesty's representative in the Dominions. Free shipping for many products! It is also, in the same section, declared to be "exercisable" by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative. The constitutional crisis of 1975 raised the possibility of the prime minister and the governor-general attempting to dismiss each other at the same time. Theyre the first to show up and the last to leave. H of R. 138, 24 August 1984, p. 380. 26. 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. 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. From Federation in 1901 until 1965, 11 out of the 15 governors-general were British aristocrats; they included six barons, two viscounts, two earls, and one royal duke. 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. New details have emerged about the role Australia will play at the coronation of King Charles III, as the government responds to questions about a visit to Australia by the monarch. [9] Governors-General since 1901 are listed in Appendix 1. Gorton agreed to put the matter to his ministers, and a cabinet meeting agreed that troops should only be called out if requested by the territory's administrator; this did not occur. David Hurley was appointed governor-general in 2019 By Tiffanie Turnbull BBC News, Sydney In the past fortnight, Australia has been gripped by revelations that former Australian Prime. Videos are posted by the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. 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. 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 Governor-General. He spent much of his retirement in Europe but returned to Australia several times in the 1980s . As a result of decisions made at the 1926 Imperial Conference, the governor-general ceased to represent the British Government diplomatically, and the British right of supervision over Australian affairs was abolished. In the face of this provision, I feel it is difficult to contend that the Queen, even though present in Australia, may exercise in person functions of executive government which are specifically assigned by the constitution to the Governor-General. The office of "governor-general" was previously used in Australia in the mid-19th century. The governor-general is generally invited to become patron of various charitable and service organisations. Two other men sit on the other side of the desk. They include appointing the chief of the Defence Force and authorising the deployment of troops. She was in office when, on 19 March 2014, Elizabeth II, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, amended the letters patent of the Order of Australia to provide, inter alia, that the governor-general would be, ex officio, Principal Knight or Principal Dame of the order. The same individuals were also usually either peers, knights, or both (the only Australian peer to be appointed as governor-general was the Lord Casey; and Sir William McKell was knighted only in 1951, some years into his term, but he was entitled to the style "The Honourable" during his tenure as premier of New South Wales, an office he held until almost immediately before his appointment). 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. Sort By: Good Essays. They are entitled to the courtesy style Her Excellency or His Excellency during the office-holder's term of 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. The Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) educates Australians about, and inspires their enthusiasm for, Australias parliamentary democracy. A second Australian (William McKell) was appointed in 1947; he was followed by three more Britons, each chosen by Sir Robert Menzies. Under the Australian Constitution, the only action performed by The King is the appointment of the Governor-General (on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister). visiting places hit by national disaster, such as floods or fire. The 30 recipients of awards in the Military Division of the Order of Australia include: The 64 recipients of Distinguished and Conspicuous awards include: An additional 77 Australians recognised for their contribution in support of Australias response to the COVID-19 pandemic have been added to the COVID-19 Honour Roll. Such decisions are usually taken on the advice of the prime minister, although that is not stated in the constitution. Later, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley received Mr Gary Meyers, Ambassador, St Vincent's Hospital, on the completion of Mr Meyer's walk from Sydney to Canberra. 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. [5] The monarch then permits the recommendation to be publicly announced, usually several months before the end of the existing governor-general's term. 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. [48] Under the Governor-General Act 1974, each new commission has resulted in a pay increase. 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. 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. 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. Holding and possiblyexercisingthe Reserve Powers. The following year, as Ronald Munro Ferguson's term was about to expire, Hughes cabled the Colonial Office and asked that the appointment be made in accordance with the memorandum. 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). The royal assent brings such laws into effect, as legislation, from the date of signing. The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring," the Governor-General said. On 24 June 2010 the 25th and first female governor-general of Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, swore in the 27th and first female prime minister, Ms Julia Gillard. She was the first woman to be the Governor-General. In practice, the associated powers over the Australian Defence Force are only exercised on the advice of the prime minister or minister for defence, on behalf of cabinet. They had the right to "reserve" legislation passed by the Parliament of Australia: in effect, to ask the Colonial Office in London for an opinion before giving the royal assent. James Scullin (1930) became the first prime minister of Australia to exercise complete discretion in the appointment; his nomination of Sir Isaac Isaacs made Australia the first Dominion to have a native-born governor-general. The dismissal of the Whitlam Government by Governor-General Sir John Kerr was perhaps the most dramatic and controversial event in Australia's constitutional and political history. 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. In 1920, Billy Hughes became the first prime minister to be consulted over the governor-generalship. 1935 saw the appointment of the first British high commissioner to Australia, Geoffrey Whiskard (in office 19361941). Examples of this have been the Flags Act (1953), the Royal Styles and Titles Acts (1953 and 1973), and the Australia Act (1986). [19] The constitution also provides that the governor-general is the monarch's "representative" in exercising the executive power of the Commonwealth (section 61) and as commander-in-chief of the armed forces (section 68). Governor-General of Australia The official Instagram account of His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) www.gg.gov.au. [51] However, for official business, the current choice of car is an armoured BMW 7 Series.[52]. On the day parliament opens, the governor-general makes a speech, entirely written by the government, explaining the government's proposed legislative program. The Governor-General acts on the advice of Ministers who are responsible to Parliament (and ultimately, through elections, the Australian people). 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. In practice, they are Australias Head of State and have a range of constitutional and ceremonial duties. 1414 Words; 6 Pages; The Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. [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. "And I know that when I met with King Charles, we had a discussion about a visit, and I of course conveyed that he would always be welcomed here.". The chief scout is nominated by the Scouting Association's National Executive Committee and is invited by the president of the Scout Association to accept the appointment. According to Section 2 of the Australian Constitution, the Governor-General is appointed by the King to be His Majesty's representative in Australia. Secondly lead a very successful life Reaching top of profession and be a bridge builder within you that profession. In 1945, John Curtin nominated Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, to the post the first and only royal officeholder. Early governors-general were British and were appointed by the queen or king on the recommendation of the Colonial Office. Write to the Governor-General or Government House at: Government House The statement was later issued by the Prime Minister's Press Office. [59], The early governors-general frequently sought advice on the exercise of their powers from judges of the High Court of Australia, Sir Samuel Griffith and Sir Edmund Barton. On Thursday 2 March 2023, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) presided at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council. 826 posts. "[21], As early as 1901, the authoritative commentary by Quick and Garran had noted that the governor-general of Australia was distinguished from other Empire governors-general by the fact that "[t]he principal and most important of his powers and functions, legislative as well as executive, are expressly conferred on him by the terms of the Constitution itself not by Royal authority, but by statutory authority". These duties include: There are 2 official residences that can be used by the Governor-General and their family: The first Governor-General was the Right Honourable John Adrian Louis Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, who served from 1901 to 1903. A governor-general may be recalled or dismissed by the monarch before their term is complete. [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]. 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. In a very real sense, they represented the British Government. 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. The PEO acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing The governor-general has a ceremonial role in swearing in and accepting the resignations of members of Parliament. The Governor-General encourages, articulates and represents the things that unite Australia as a nation. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by parliament; issuing writs for election; and bestowing Australian honours.[6]. The Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia.In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor performs constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level.In particular the governor has the power to appoint and dismiss the premier of Queensland and all other ministers in the cabinet . In an address to the Sydney Institute, January 2007, in connection with that event, Sir David Smith, a retired official secretary to the governor-general of Australia who had been Kerr's official secretary in 1975, described the constitution as conferring the powers and functions of Australia's head of state on the governor-general in "his own right". View with description and copyright information. He was previously the 38th governor of New South Wales, serving from 2014 to 2019. The Governor-General is appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister and performs a large number of functions which are defined by the Constitution. Australia's national anthem is Advance Australia Fair. During these months, the person recommended is referred to as the governor-general-designate. Section 5 states that "the Governor-General may appoint such times for holding the sessions of the Parliament [] prorogue the Parliament [and] dissolve the House of Representatives." received Ms Minoli Perera, Ambassador- designate to Zimbabwe. Sir Charles FitzRoy (Governor of New South Wales from 18461855) and Sir William Denison (Governor of New South Wales from 18551861) also carried the additional title of Governor-General because their jurisdiction extended to other colonies in Australia.[56]. 48.7k Followers, 87 Following, 826 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Governor-General of Australia (@gg_australia) gg_australia. Only one governor-general, Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014), has been a woman. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Residence of Governor General Sydney Australia Unused Private Postcard H17 at the best online prices at eBay! Each recipient has something in common someone nominated them. A number of governors-general have reserved royal assent for particular legislation for the Monarch. I've been invited to his coronation, on the first Saturday in May, I will attend along with the Governor-General, with other guests as well who have been invited by the Palace," he said. Mr Albanese previously met with King Charles in September last year while he was in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. After Scullin's defeat in 1931, non-Labor governments continued to recommend British people for appointment as governor-general, but such appointments remained solely a matter between the Australian government and the monarch. 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". In recent decades the typical term of office has been five years. [44] The incident contributed to Fraser's resignation from cabinet in 1971 and Gorton's subsequent loss of the prime ministership.[45]. 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. Welcome to the page of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1975, Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam advised the Queen that Sir Colin Hannah, then Governor of Queensland, should have his dormant commission revoked for having made public and partisan anti-Whitlam Government political statements, in violation of the convention that state governors and federal governors-general remain neutral and above politics. [32], In addition to the formal constitutional role, the governor-general has a representative and ceremonial role, though the extent and nature of that role has depended on the expectations of the time, the individual in office at the time, the wishes of the incumbent government, and the individual's reputation in the wider community. The Governor-General is the chief-of-state when the monarch is not in Australia. "It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the UK is working in partnership with France and Germany. What is exercisable is original executive power: that is, the very thing vested in the Queen by section 61. These fall roughly into three categories: constitutional and statutory duties, formal ceremonial duties, and non-ceremonial social duties. 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. . Lord Dunrossil (as William Morrison) was Speaker of the UK House of Commons. Verified. This right not only to advise the monarch directly, but also to expect that advice to be accepted, was soon taken up by all the other Dominion prime ministers. Governors-general were expected to exercise a supervisory role over the Australian Government in the manner of a colonial governor. [57] They exercised this power several times. Today, the law ensures the salary is higher than that for the Chief Justice of the High Court, over a five-year period. These are the people who see us through good times and bad. B. M. Hertzog, who had recently insisted on his choice of the Earl of Clarendon as governor-general of that country, and the selection of an Irishman as governor-general of the Irish Free State. Slim was to see no change of prime minister over his term of nearly seven years. On 8 May 1953 Slim was sworn in as governor-general of Australia. Should you wish to extend an invitation to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, please use ouremail formand selectInvitations. Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in todays Honours List. The governor-general is officially appointed by the monarch of Britain but is recommended by the prime minister of Australia. In recent years best bet is to be a three or four star general. Form letters or emails generated as part of a broader campaign will not be responded to. [43] For instance, in 1970 Governor-General Paul Hasluck refused Prime Minister John Gorton's request to authorise a Pacific Islands Regiment peacekeeping mission in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, on the grounds that cabinet had not been consulted. The first female Governor-General was the Honourable . The first Australian-born Governor-General was the Right Honourable Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, who served from 1931 to 1936. After the initial confusion of the Hopetoun Blunder, he appointed the first prime minister of Australia, Edmund Barton, to a caretaker government, with the inaugural 1901 federal election not occurring until March. They go above and beyond, are from all over the country, and contribute every day in every way imaginable. Place of birth. 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. This was confirmed by the prime minister while talking to reporters on . The annual salary during Michael Jeffery's term was $365,000. The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurleyshould be "Your Excellencies". The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and featuring "longstanding traditions and pageantry". I am committed as Governor-General to support these people in their work. The office of governor-general for the Commonwealth of Australia was conceived during the debates and conventions leading up to federation. In Commentaries on the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia, Garran noted that, since the Australian executive is national in nature (being dependent on the nationally elected House of Representatives, rather than the Senate), "the Governor-General, as the official head of the Executive, does not in the smallest degree represent any federal element; if he represents anything he is the image and embodiment of national unity and the outward and visible representation of the Imperial relationship of the Commonwealth".[34].