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And the first female governor-general was Quentin Bryce, who took up the position in 2008. 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. Welcome to the page of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 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. [5] The governor-general has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force. 26. Examples of this have been the Flags Act (1953), the Royal Styles and Titles Acts (1953 and 1973), and the Australia Act (1986). 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]. Australia will be represented at the coronation of King Charles III by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley, it has been confirmed. The Order belongs to each of us and we each have a part to play. 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. Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson had been offered the governorship of South Australia in 1895 and of Victoria in 1910, but refused both appointments. The Governor-General wearing a shirt and tie sits at a desk with a pen in hand. To contact the Office of the Governor-General fill in the form located at https://www.gg.gov.au/email-contacts or phone 02 6283 3533. Australia's Governor-General David Hurley has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, a spokesperson says. [3][4] The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of government ministers. During Elizabeth II's 2011 visit to Australia, she and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven in a Range Rover Vogue. The first female governor-general, Quentin Bryce, took office in 2008. The Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) educates Australians about, and inspires their enthusiasm for, Australias parliamentary democracy. 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. In practice, they are Australia's Head of State and have a range of constitutional and ceremonial duties. The reserve powers are, according to the Constitution of Australia: Those powers are generally and routinely exercised on ministerial advice, but the governor-general retains the ability to act independently in certain circumstances, as governed by convention. 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. 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. The right of governors-general to make state visits was confirmed at the 1926 Imperial Conference, as it was deemed not feasible for the sovereign to pay state visits on behalf of countries other than the United Kingdom. Through her private secretary, she wrote that she "has no part in the decisions which the Governor-General must take in accordance with the Constitution". It is generally held that the governor-general may use powers without ministerial advice in the following situations: The use of the reserve powers may arise in the following circumstances: The above is not an exhaustive list, and new situations may arise. The governor-general also has a ceremonial role: hosting events at either of the two official residencesGovernment House in the capital, Canberra, and Admiralty House in Sydneyand travelling throughout Australia to open conferences, attend services and commemorations, and generally provide encouragement to individuals and groups who are contributing to their communities. Permission should be sought from Office of the Governor-General for third-party or commercial uses of this image. Later, the Governor-General received Ms Minoli Perera, Ambassador- designate to Zimbabwe. 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. 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. received Ms Minoli Perera, Ambassador- designate to Zimbabwe. YARRALUMLA ACT 2600, Tel: (02) 6283 3533E-mail the Governor-General or Government House. Hopetoun left for England on 17 July 1902. 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. "Whether that be to tackle climate change; respond to the conflict in Ukraine; seize trade and investment opportunities or share the best of our arts and culture. 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. 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". The governor-general presides over a Federal Executive Council. 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. [18], Such further powers are currently set out in letters patent of 2008 from Queen Elizabeth II; these contain no substantive powers, but provide for the case of a governor-general's absence or incapacity. 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. These powers remain in section 59 of the Constitution of Australia, but today are regarded as dead letters. 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. All times AEDT (GMT +11). This was confirmed by the prime minister while talking to reporters on . The salary of the governor-general was initially set by the constitution, which fixed an annual amount of A10,000 until the parliament decided otherwise. And it is exercisable by the Queen's representative, not her delegate or agent. Governor-General of Australia 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). I am committed as Governor-General to support these people in their work. 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). Hollingworth resigned on 28 May 2003. 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]. 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". More recent governors-general in this category include Lord Casey, Sir Paul Hasluck, Sir John Kerr, Sir Ninian Stephen, Bill Hayden and Sir William Deane. Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014) was the first woman to be appointed to the office. Australian News Channel Pty Ltd 2017 - 2023. [60], In 1919, Prime Minister Billy Hughes sent a memorandum to the Colonial Office in which he requested "a real and effective voice in the selection of the King's representative". [citation needed] Events surrounding the dismissal remain extremely controversial. 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. [35] However, an Australian governor-general did not exercise that right until 1971, when Paul Hasluck visited New Zealand. A biography for the Governor-General can be found on the Governor-General's website. [11] When a new governor-general is to be appointed, the current prime minister recommends a name to the monarch, who by convention accepts that recommendation. Early governors-general were British and were appointed by the queen or king on the recommendation of the Colonial Office. log in. Permission should be sought from Government House for third-party or commercial uses of this image. Hosting visiting Heads of State and other prominent visitors to Australia, Receivingthe credentials of newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Australia, Through Federal Executive Council, appointing the Chief of Defence Force and Service Chiefs, Commissioning officers in the Navy, Army and Air Force, Presenting Colours, Banners and other Honours to military units and personnel, Visiting military units to acknowledge the service of service personnel. South Australia was also the first state to appoint a woman as governor, when Dame Roma Mitchell took office in 1991. attending the opening of a new Parliament and making a speech about what the new government intends to do, administering the oath of office to the Prime Minister, ministers, judges and other officials, meeting foreign heads of state and ambassadors. Message from the Governor-General "Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in today's Honours List. 826 posts. Kerr determined that he had both the right and the duty to dismiss the government and commission a new government that would recommend a dissolution of the Parliament. 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. The Governor-General is leader of the Executive Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Forces . Videos are posted by the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. Scullin cited the precedents of the prime minister of South Africa, J. View with description and copyright information. [49] The current salary is $425,000 and there is a generous pension. I've spent the morning watching Hurley wander between tables of war widows (average age 81, according to the governor general), microphone in hand, leading them in song over cucumber and smoked . Australia's constitution, which can be considered crudely as an amalgam of the constitutional forms of the United Kingdom and the United States, was adopted in 1900 and entered into force in 1901. [28] Each year the Governor-General hosts or attends hundreds ofevents around the country and meet tens of thousands of Australians. She was the first woman to be the Governor-General. The governor-general travels in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine for ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. 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." 2014-2019. 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. The provisions to select the administrator of the government . Free shipping for many products! 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 monarch, acting upon advice of the British Government, could also disallow any Australian legislation up to a year after the governor-general had given it the assent;[58] although this power has never been used. "It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the UK is working in partnership with France and Germany. "Charles is our Head of State, and he will be welcomed here as would other members of the Royal Family at any time," the Prime Minister said. Theyre almost always humble to a fault but I urge recipients, for today, to put aside that humility - its important they know how much they are valued.. The Governor-General. Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Badge Flag of the Governor-General Incumbent David Hurley since 1 July 2019 Viceregal Style His Excellencythe Honourable Status Representative of the Head of state Commander in chief Residence Government House(Canberra) Admiralty House(Sydney) Seat Canberra Nominator Prime Minister of Australia To mollify Hughes, Milner offered him a choice between three candidates. [6] The actual powers of the governor-general as commander-in-chief are not defined in the constitution, but rather in the Defence Act 1903 and other legislation. H of R. 138, 24 August 1984, p. 380. [65] The opposition Nationalist Party of Australia denounced the appointment as "practically republican", but Scullin had set a precedent. It is also, in the same section, declared to be "exercisable" by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative. 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. 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. Sir, "David Hurley named next governor general of Australia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_governors-general_of_Australia&oldid=1140852633, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:42. Whenever the Governor-General makes a public statement, they avoid personal opinions and do not comment on political and other controversies. He was appointed in July 1900, returning to Australia shortly before the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Everything you need to know about the role, function, structure and people of the Australian Parliament. 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. The independence of the office is highlighted by changes which have been made in recent years to the Royal Instruments relating to it. There are no No. 1,093 talking about this. A governor-general may be recalled or dismissed by the monarch before their term is complete. Then, the Governor-General, as Chancellor of the Order of Australia and Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, invested Air Marshal Kevin Short AO, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force. The first Australian-born Governor-General was the Right Honourable Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, who served from 1931 to 1936. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. The Governor-General has specific constitutional and statutory powers. What is exercisable is original executive power: that is, the very thing vested in the Queen by section 61. [66], In 1965 the Menzies conservative government appointed an Australian, Lord Casey, and thereafter only Australians have held the position. The governor-general is formally appointed by the monarch of Australia, in terms of letters patent issued by the monarch at some time during their reign and counter-signed by the then prime minister. Australia's national anthem is Advance Australia Fair. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. In 2003, Archbishop Peter Hollingworth voluntarily stood aside while controversial allegations against him were managed, and the letters patent of the office were amended to take account of this circumstance. 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. From the creation of the Order of Australia in 1975, the governor-general was, ex officio, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the order, and therefore became entitled to the post-nominal AC. Australia will be represented at the coronation of King Charles III by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley, it has been confirmed. Later, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley received Mr Gary Meyers, Ambassador, St Vincents Hospital, on the completion of Mr Meyers walk from Sydney to Canberra. This fact sheet introduces the constitutional, ceremonial and civic roles of the Governor-General, and the history of the position. Governors-general generally become patrons of various charitable institutions, present honours and awards, host functions for various groups of people including ambassadors to and from other countries, and travel widely throughout Australia. On 16 December 2018, prime minister Scott Morrison announced that the next governor-general would be General David Hurley, then-governor of New South Wales. The governor-general now wears an ordinary lounge suit if a man or day dress if a woman. Today, the law ensures the salary is higher than that for the Chief Justice of the High Court, over a five-year period. The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring, the Governor-General said. Both the prime minister, John Howard, and Clarence House repudiated the suggestion.[67][68]. The Prime Minister tabled a copy of the amended letters patent relating to the office of Governor-General, together with the text of a statement relating to the document, but for some unknown reason he did not read the statement to the House, nor did he seek leave to have it incorporated in Hansard. Don't have an account? connection to land, culture and community. Defence Minister Malcolm Fraser, who opposed the call out, was responsible for informing Hasluck of the prime minister's lack of consultation. [51] However, for official business, the current choice of car is an armoured BMW 7 Series.[52]. Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce AD, CVO (ne Strachan; born 23 December 1942) was the 25th Governor-General of Australia, from September 2008 to March 2014. 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 . There have been only Australian occupants since then, although Sir Ninian Stephen (19821989) had been born in Britain. In 1976, the letters patent for the order were amended to introduce the rank of Knight and Dame to the order, and from that time the governor-general became, ex officio, the Chancellor and Principal Knight of the order. [5] The monarch then permits the recommendation to be publicly announced, usually several months before the end of the existing governor-general's term. Scullin recommended the Australian jurist Sir Isaac Isaacs, and he insisted that George V act on the advice of his Australian prime minister in this matter. These fall roughly into three categories: constitutional and statutory duties, formal ceremonial duties, and non-ceremonial social duties. Together with the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Governor-General is a part of the Australian Parliament. The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurleyshould be "Your Excellencies". Governors-General Since 1901 There have been twenty-seven Governors-General of the Commonwealth of Australia since 1901. In 2007, media outlets reported that Prince William might become 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. Appointment The Governor-General is appointed by the Crown, in practice on the advice of Australian Ministers of the Crown. 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. The Governor-General's duties as Commander-in-Chief include: "In my closing speeches as Governor, I highlighted the richness of our society, not the material richness, but a richness of spirit. The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia. The monarch was consulted on the decision into the 1930s. Menzies had sought a man of stature, one who had no involvement in Australian politics, and one who would represent the monarch effectively. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley will represent Australia at King Charles coronation in May. All the governors-general until 1965 were British-born, except for Australian-born Sir Isaac Isaacs (19311936) and Sir William McKell (19471953). [61] The memorandum met with strong opposition within the Colonial Office and was dismissed by Lord Milner, the Colonial Secretary; no response was given. [44] The incident contributed to Fraser's resignation from cabinet in 1971 and Gorton's subsequent loss of the prime ministership.[45]. Then, the Governor-General, as Chancellor of the Order of Australia and Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, invested Air Marshal Kevin Short AO, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force. The first female Governor-General was the Honourable . 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.