The Governor General does things like opening parliament, and giving out awards on Australia Day. The Governor-General of Australiais addressed as His/Her Excellencydenoting his/her rank the vice-royal representative of the monarchto a Commonwealth nation. Australia - Government and society | Britannica 1935 saw the appointment of the first British high commissioner to Australia, Geoffrey Whiskard (in office 19361941). 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. This gives the minister sweeping powers, including imposing restrictions or preventing the movement of people and goods between specified places, and evacuations. These are the people who see us through good times and bad. [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. [64] (Lord Stamfordham had complained that Scullin had "put a gun to the King's head".). 'What does being recognised mean to me?' 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 Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. He spent much of his retirement in Europe but returned to Australia several times in the 1980s . [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. Stanley Bruce (1925) and Joseph Lyons (1935) either asked for or were given a list of suitable candidates to choose from. According to Section 2 of the Australian Constitution, the Governor-General is appointed by the King to be His Majesty's representative in Australia. On Thursday 2 March 2023, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) presided at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council. 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. In recent decades the typical term of office has been five years. A second Australian (William McKell) was appointed in 1947; he was followed by three more Britons, each chosen by Sir Robert Menzies. 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. 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." 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. [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 Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australia's head of state, Charles III. 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. After receiving their commission, the new governor-general takes an Oath of Allegiance to the monarch and an Oath of Office. 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.. Australia Day 2023 Honours List | Governor-General of the - gg.gov.au [53] There is also a tropical version made of white tropical wool cut in a typical military fashion worn with a plumed helmet. The first female Governor-General was the Honourable Dame Quentin Alice Bryce AD, CVO, who served from 2008 to 2014. Should you wish to extend an invitation to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, please use ouremail formand selectInvitations. Homepage | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia During the 1920s, the importance of the position declined. Menzies's fourth nomination was Richard Casey, who took office in 1965; he and all subsequent governors-general have been Australian citizens. At one time, governors-general wore the traditional court uniform, consisting of a dark navy wool double-breasted coatee with silver oak leaf and fern embroidery on the collar and cuffs trimmed with silver buttons embossed with the Royal Arms and with bullion edged epaulettes on the shoulders, dark navy trousers with a wide band of silver oak-leaf braid down the outside seam, silver sword belt with ceremonial sword, bicorne cocked hat with plume of ostrich feathers, black patent leather Wellington boots with spurs, etc., that is worn on ceremonial occasions. In 1989, Bill Hayden, a republican, declined appointment to the British Privy Council and any imperial honours. He later stepped down over the church's handling of allegations of sexual abuse of boys, for which he apologised before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2016. New South Wales' Governor General proclaims His Majesty King - YouTube 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. Holding and possiblyexercisingthe Reserve Powers. 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. 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. 11 November 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor Government in 1975. Each state has a governor, who is appointed by the King on the advice of the Premier (head of government) of that state. Orsend your written letter of invitation to: To contact Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat, please use ouremail formand selectHonours and Awards. [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". The Australian Government was merely asked, as a matter of courtesy, whether they approved of the choice or not. The Governor-General's official title is Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Work of the Parliament - Parliament of Australia 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. 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. 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. ", To join the conversation, please The governor-general makes state visits overseas on behalf of Australia, during which an administrator of the government is appointed. H of R. 138, 24 August 1984, p. 380. [47] He did however serve as the association's patron during his term of office. Governor-General Quentin Bryce signs Julia Gillard's commission as prime minister of Australia at Government House, Canberra, 24 June 2010. The Governor-General is officially appointed by the Queen as Head of State. Contact | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Afterwards, the Governor-General hosted a breakfast for The Honourable Patrick Gorman MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister. These fall roughly into three categories: constitutional and statutory duties, formal ceremonial duties, and non-ceremonial social duties. A temporary vacancy occurs when the governor-general is overseas on official business representing Australia. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of Australia and its monarch. 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. That role can become controversial, however, if the governor-general becomes unpopular with sections of the community. Welcome to the page of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Governors-General Since 1901 - AustralianPolitics.com Place of birth. It is also, in the same section, declared to be "exercisable" by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative. 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]. 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". And the first female governor-general was Quentin Bryce, who took up the position in 2008. A vacancy occurs on the resignation, death, or incapacity of the governor-general. 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. On other occasions royal assent has been given elsewhere. Theyre the first to show up and the last to leave. 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. New details emerge about Australia's role in King's coronation 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. Governors-General of Australia - Australian Geographic Individual items of correspondence of this type will not be brought to the attention of the Governor-General and senders should not expect a reply. The Governor-General engaging in ceremonial duties. Traditionally, the ceremony takes place in the Senate chamber. The current Governor-General is David Hurley . The Governor-General wearing a shirt and tie sits at a desk with a pen in hand. The Governor General is the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Governor of Queensland - Wikipedia [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. [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. 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. Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson had been offered the governorship of South Australia in 1895 and of Victoria in 1910, but refused both appointments. By convention, the governor-general and any family occupy an official residence in Canberra, Government House (commonly referred to as Yarralumla). Lord Casey was Governor of Bengal in between his periods of service to the Australian Parliament. [16] By convention, the longest-serving state governor holds a dormant commission, allowing an assumption of office to commence whenever a vacancy occurs. 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.