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. [50] Until 2001, Governors-General did not pay income tax on their salary; this was changed after Elizabeth II agreed to pay tax.[49]. The constitution also provides that the salary of the governor-general cannot be "altered" during his or her term of office. 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. In writing, on an envelope or address block of an email: --His/Her Excellency Formerly, all governors-general automatically became a knight upon being sworn in.[55]. What is exercisable is original executive power: that is, the very thing vested in the Queen by section 61. 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. His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd)Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. They do this to celebrate the best of Australia and recognise the everyday Australians who, without fuss or fanfare, contribute to the lives of others and make Australia such a compassionate, harmonious and peaceful place. 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. The Governor-General of Australia is His Majesty The Kings representative. This was confirmed by the prime minister while talking to reporters on . We pay our respects to elders past and present. However, as the King lives in Britain, his powers are delegated to the Governor-General who lives in Australia. Two other men sit on the other side of the desk. 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. And the first female governor-general was Quentin Bryce, who took up the position in 2008. 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. Only one governor-general, Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014), has been a woman. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. 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 ). 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 salary of the governor-general was initially set by the constitution, which fixed an annual amount of A10,000 until the parliament decided otherwise. Menzies's fourth nomination was Richard Casey, who took office in 1965; he and all subsequent governors-general have been Australian citizens. 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. It is also, in the same section, declared to be "exercisable" by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative. 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. At the start of Chapter 2 on executive government, the constitution says "The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative". Australia is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the King is our head of state. Australia's national anthem is Advance Australia Fair. The royal assent brings such laws into effect, as legislation, from the date of signing. [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". [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. These powers remain in section 59 of the Constitution of Australia, but today are regarded as dead letters. A biography for the Governor-General can be found on the Governor-General's website. Governor-General Quentin Bryce signs Julia Gillard's commission as prime minister of Australia at Government House, Canberra, 24 June 2010. Traditionally, the ceremony takes place in the Senate chamber. [35] All subsequent governors-general have travelled widely while in office and made multiple state visits. Australian Honours and Awards | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Australian Honours and Awards View the Australia Day 2023 Honours List Overview The Australian Honours and Awards system recognises the outstanding service and contributions of Australians. The provisions to select the administrator of the government . It is played at all official and ceremonial . The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. During Elizabeth II's 2011 visit to Australia, she and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven in a Range Rover Vogue. Join in the funand the learningwith the Parliamentary Education Offices immersive learning program. [41], The powers of command-in-chief are vested in the governor-general rather than the "Governor-General in Council", meaning there is an element of personal discretion in their exercise. The statement was later issued by the Prime Minister's Press Office. Afterwards, the Governor-General hosted a breakfast for The Honourable Patrick Gorman MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister. Historically the governor-general has also served as Chief Scout of Australia. Former leading politicians and members of the judiciary have figured prominently. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). The first Australian-born Governor-General was the Right Honourable Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, who served from 1931 to 1936. 87 following. 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. Governor-General of Australia The official Instagram account of His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) www.gg.gov.au. In the evening, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, as joint Patrons, hosted a reception for the Childrens Medical Research Institute Canberra. In recent years best bet is to be a three or four star 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 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). General David Hurley was a retired Chief of Defence Force and former Governor of New South Wales. 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. According to Section 2 of the Australian Constitution, the Governor-General is appointed by the King to be His Majesty's representative in Australia. Each recipient has something in common someone nominated them. Don't have an account? The Constitution sets out some specific tasks for the Governor-General, including: The Governor-General's ceremonial and constitutional roles are closely related. View with description and copyright information. 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. Such assent has usually been given during a scheduled visit to Australia by Queen Elizabeth II. "I think that that will be an enormous occasion.". Governor-General of Australia. Quentin Bryce's appointment was announced during her term as Governor of Queensland; she had previously been the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner. [35][36] Hasluck's successor John Kerr made state visits to eight countries, but Kerr's successor Zelman Cowen made only a single state visit to Papua New Guinea as he wished to concentrate on travelling within Australia. The salutation for a letter should be "Your Excellency" or "Dear Governor-General". Such decisions are usually taken on the advice of the prime minister, although that is not stated in the constitution. 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. Despite these precedents, George V remained reluctant to accept Scullin's recommendation of Isaacs and asked him to consider Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood. 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." The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley should be "Your Excellencies". 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. I am committed as Governor-General to support these people in their work. 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". By convention, this may only be upon advice from the prime minister, who retains responsibility for selecting an immediate replacement or letting the vacancy provisions take effect. Verified. [3][4] The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of government ministers. Lord Northcote was Governor of Bombay. 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. Tel: (02) 6283 3604 [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). 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. Spouses of governors-general have no official duties but carry out the role of a vice-regal consort. Should you wish to extend an invitation to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, please use ouremail formand selectInvitations. [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. Place of birth. [48] Under the Governor-General Act 1974, each new commission has resulted in a pay increase. A list of all former Governors-General. 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". 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! A vacancy occurs on the resignation, death, or incapacity of the governor-general. They appoint a deputy, to whom members make an oath of allegiance before they take their seats. Examples of this have been the Flags Act (1953), the Royal Styles and Titles Acts (1953 and 1973), and the Australia Act (1986). 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 . It is encouraging to see an increase in diversity in the Order of Australia. connection to land, culture and community. 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. Permission should be sought from Office of the Governor-General for third-party or commercial uses of this image. 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. [28] Answer (1 of 7): Firstly anyone with that ambition will be unsuitable for the job and will miss out. 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. Scullin was equally insistent that the monarch must act on the relevant prime minister's direct advice (the practice until 1926 was that Dominion prime ministers advised the monarch indirectly, through the British government, which effectively had a veto over any proposal it did not agree with). This, among other things, led to the Statute of Westminster 1931 and to the formal separation of the Crowns of the Dominions. The events themselves are still contested: the performance . "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. Mr Albanese previously met with King Charles in September last year while he was in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Until 2015, the honour continued after the retirement from office of the governor-general. 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. [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. 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. 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 governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia. 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. Whenever the Governor-General makes a public statement, they avoid personal opinions and do not comment on political and other controversies. Dame Quentin Bryce was the first governor-general to have had no prior title or pre-nominal style. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Sir John Kerr resigned in 1977, with his official reason being his decision to accept the position of Australian Ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, a post which ultimately he did not take up, but the resignation also being motivated by the 1975 constitutional controversy. [44] The incident contributed to Fraser's resignation from cabinet in 1971 and Gorton's subsequent loss of the prime ministership.[45]. 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. In practice, they are Australia's Head of State and have a range of constitutional and ceremonial duties. 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". The Governor-General encourages, articulates and represents the things that unite Australia as a nation. Sections 58 to 60 allow the governor-general to withhold assent, suggest changes, refer to the Monarch or proclaim that the Monarch has annulled the legislation. 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. Ms Adamson, 60, was also Australia's ambassador to China from 2011 . 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]. [6][12][13] These oaths are administered by the chief justice of Australia or another senior judge. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. The independence of the office is highlighted by changes which have been made in recent years to the Royal Instruments relating to it. 2014-2019. The Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. The Governor-General. 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. On 29 November, the King agreed to Isaacs's appointment, but made it clear that he did so only because he felt he had no option. acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. 25. This gives the minister sweeping powers, including imposing restrictions or preventing the movement of people and goods between specified places, and evacuations. 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. This fact sheet introduces the constitutional, ceremonial and civic roles of the Governor-General, and the history of the position. YARRALUMLA ACT 2600, Tel: (02) 6283 3533E-mail the Governor-General or Government House. Governors-general have no fixed term, but have usually served for around five years.