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. "It was a great honour for me to have an audience with King Charles. 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. A list of all former Governors-General. A vacancy occurs on the resignation, death, or incapacity of the governor-general. The Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. 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. All the governors-general until 1965 were British-born, except for Australian-born Sir Isaac Isaacs (19311936) and Sir William McKell (19471953). The independence of the office is highlighted by changes which have been made in recent years to the Royal Instruments relating to it. [35] However, an Australian governor-general did not exercise that right until 1971, when Paul Hasluck visited New Zealand. Through our accessible, immersive, experiential programs and resources, the PEO fosters informed, engaged and active citizens of all ages. The Governor-General engaging in ceremonial duties. The Governor-General's official title is Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 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. A temporary vacancy also occurred in 2003 when Peter Hollingworth stood aside. Stanley Bruce (1925) and Joseph Lyons (1935) either asked for or were given a list of suitable candidates to choose from. They are entitled to the courtesy style Her Excellency or His Excellency during the office-holder's term of office. A second Australian (William McKell) was appointed in 1947; he was followed by three more Britons, each chosen by Sir Robert Menzies. Three governors-general have resigned their commission. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of Australia and its monarch. However, as the King lives in Britain, his powers are delegated to the Governor-General who lives in Australia. Videos are posted by the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. This fact sheet introduces the constitutional, ceremonial and civic roles of the Governor-General, and the history of the position. The governor-general makes state visits overseas on behalf of Australia, during which an administrator of the government is appointed. General David Hurley was a retired Chief of Defence Force and former Governor of New South Wales. In 1986 the letters patent were amended again, and governors-general appointed from that time were again, ex officio, entitled to the post-nominal AC (although if they already held a knighthood in the order that superior rank was retained). Sir Isaac Issacs had the esteemed honour of becoming the first Australian-born governor-general in 1931. "[22] The changes occurred in 1984 when Queen Victoria's letters patent and instructions were revoked and replaced with new letters patent,[23] on Prime Minister Bob Hawke's advice, who stated that this would clarify the governor-general's position under the constitution.[24][25]. 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. To contact Government House fill in the form located at http://www.gg.gov.au/contact.php or phone: 02 6283 3533. The Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australia's head of state, Charles III. 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. 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. 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. The Governor-General's ceremonial duties include: The Governor-General is in constant contact with the Australian people. [15] In 1961, Lord Dunrossil became the first and, to date, only governor-general to die while holding office. Two other men sit on the other side of the desk. Section 61 of the Constitution goes on to say that executive power is given to the King and is exercised by the Governor-General. The first female Governor-General was the Honourable . In 1920, Billy Hughes became the first prime minister to be consulted over the governor-generalship. The first female governor-general, Quentin Bryce, took office in 2008. 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. Dame Quentin Bryce was the first governor-general to have had no prior title or pre-nominal style. [48] Under the Governor-General Act 1974, each new commission has resulted in a pay increase. The Governor-General acts on the advice of Ministers who are responsible to Parliament (and ultimately, through elections, the Australian people). A governor-general may be recalled or dismissed by the monarch before their term is complete. Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson had been offered the governorship of South Australia in 1895 and of Victoria in 1910, but refused both appointments. That role can become controversial, however, if the governor-general becomes unpopular with sections of the community. Statement by the Prime Minister to the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 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 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. 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. 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. In writing, on an envelope or address block of an email: --His/Her Excellency Dunrossil Drive 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. YARRALUMLA ACT 2600, Tel: (02) 6283 3533E-mail the Governor-General or Government House. By convention, the governor-general and any family occupy an official residence in Canberra, Government House (commonly referred to as Yarralumla). Lord Northcote was Governor of Bombay. Lord Casey was Governor of Bengal in between his periods of service to the Australian Parliament. Holding and possiblyexercisingthe Reserve Powers. The governor-general travels in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine for ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. John Robert Kerr (1914-1991), lawyer, judge, and governor-general, was born on 24 September 1914 at Balmain, Sydney, eldest of eight children of New South Wales-born parents Harry Kerr, boilermaker, and his wife Laura May, ne Cardwell. In 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. "The visit will celebrate Britain's relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values," Buckingham Palace said. According to Section 2 of the Australian Constitution, the Governor-General is appointed by the King to be His Majesty's representative in Australia. Welcome to the page of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. [28] [33] The Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration 2020 was declared by Governor-General David Hurley under Section 475 of the Act. 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. [6][12][13] These oaths are administered by the chief justice of Australia or another senior judge. These powers remain in section 59 of the Constitution of Australia, but today are regarded as dead letters. In general, the governor-general observes the conventions of the Westminster system and responsible government, maintaining a political neutrality, and acts only on the advice of the prime minister or other ministers or, in certain cases, parliament. 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. The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurleyshould be "Your Excellencies". 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 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. Section 1 of the Australian Constitution says that the Parliament is made up of the King, the Senate and the House of Representatives. [40] No formal declarations of war have been made since World War II, although in 1973 the Whitlam Government advised the governor-general to proclaim the end of Australia's involvement in Vietnam, despite the lack of an initiating proclamation. 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. It is played at all official and ceremonial . [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. 11 November 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor Government in 1975. 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. View with description and copyright information. 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). During these months, the person recommended is referred to as the governor-general-designate. Governor-General Quentin Bryce signs Julia Gillard's commission as prime minister of Australia at Government House, Canberra, 24 June 2010. 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. Mr Albanese previously met with King Charles in September last year while he was in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Menzies's fourth nomination was Richard Casey, who took office in 1965; he and all subsequent governors-general have been Australian citizens. The Governor-General has some of the responsibility for ensuring that Australia is governed according to the rules set out in the Constitution. Casey had twice called McMahon into Yarralumla to give him a "dressing down" over his poor relationship with Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen, which he believed was affecting the government. 'What does being recognised mean to me?' Hollingworth resigned on 28 May 2003. 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 royal assent brings such laws into effect, as legislation, from the date of signing. [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. 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. The Governor-General wearing a shirt and tie sits at a desk with a pen in hand. Following the proclamation of the King in London, proclamations have been read across Australia, including outside New South Wales' Parliament House.A crowd . 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 practice, they are Australias Head of State and have a range of constitutional and ceremonial duties. 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). 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. "[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". Lord De L'Isle was Secretary of State for Air in Winston Churchill's cabinet from 1951 to 1955. 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. His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd)Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. When the late Queen Elizabeth II was in Australia, the Queen's Personal Australian Flag was flown on the car in which she was travelling. The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Macquarie joined the British army as a boy and served in North America . The Governor General does things like opening parliament, and giving out awards on Australia Day. 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. Such decisions are usually taken on the advice of the prime minister, although that is not stated in the constitution. The Governor-General has an important role in the governing of Australia. It is encouraging to see an increase in diversity in the Order of Australia. 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]. Each recipient has something in common someone nominated them. 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. A similar arrangement is used for the governors of the six states. [30] In Australia, however, the powers are explicitly given to the governor-general in the constitution; it is their use that is the subject of convention.[31]. SA Premier Steven Marshall said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary would replace current Governor Hieu Van Le. In 2007, media outlets reported that Prince William might become governor-general of Australia. 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. Message from the Governor-General "Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in today's Honours List. Governor-General of Australia. 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. Sort By: Good Essays. ", The Governor-General in his swearing-in speech. Both of these appointments had been agreed to despite British government objections. Only one governor-general, Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014), has been a woman. The most notable use of the reserve powers occurred in November 1975, in the course of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. 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]. Governors-general have no fixed term, but have usually served for around five years. The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring, the Governor-General said. The first Governor-General was the Right Honourable John Adrian Louis Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, who served from 1901 to 1903. However, Scullin stood firm, saying he would be prepared to fight a general election on the issue of whether an Australian should be prevented from becoming governor-general because he was Australian. The governor-general now wears an ordinary lounge suit if a man or day dress if a woman. Former leading politicians and members of the judiciary have figured prominently. 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 6 May 2021, when Morrison took the treasury and home affairs ministries with Hurley's approval, the governor general says in his program that he attended two ceremonies where Order of . Since May 2013, the style used by a former governor-general is the Honourable; it was at the same time retrospectively granted for life to all previous holders of the office.[54]. 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. By convention, the prime minister is appointed to this council and advises as to which parliamentarians shall become ministers and parliamentary secretaries. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Significant post-retirement activities of earlier Governors-General have included: Lord Tennyson was appointed Deputy Governor of the Isle of Wight; Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson (by now Lord Novar) became Secretary of State for Scotland; and Lord Gowrie became Chairman of the Marylebone Cricket Club (Lord Forster had also held this post, before his appointment as governor-general). The letters released on Tuesday revealed that Kerr, who as Governor-General was the Queen's official representative in Australia, held extensive discussions with the palace over what powers he held. The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley should be "Your Excellencies".

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