Quentin Bryce's salary was $394,000. Before this she was the Governor of Queensland and she used to be a lawyer. The Australian Government was merely asked, as a matter of courtesy, whether they approved of the choice or not. In 2007, media outlets reported that Prince William might become governor-general of Australia. 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. On Thursday 2 March 2023, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) p. resided at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council. 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 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." In writing, on an envelope or address block of an email: --His/Her Excellency (However, it became very clear in a conversation between Scullin and King George V's private secretary, Lord Stamfordham, on 11 November 1930, that this was merely the official reason for the objection, with the real reason being that an Australian, no matter how highly regarded personally, was not considered appropriate to be a governor-general.) They include appointing the chief of the Defence Force and authorising the deployment of troops. A vacancy occurs on the resignation, death, or incapacity of the governor-general. 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. 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. Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in todays Honours List. For any requests relating to the booking of school tours of Government House, Canberra please use ouremail formand selectSchool Bookings. [64] (Lord Stamfordham had complained that Scullin had "put a gun to the King's head".). [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. 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. Tel: (02) 6283 3604 These fall roughly into three categories: constitutional and statutory duties, formal ceremonial duties, and non-ceremonial social duties. Section 4 of the constitution allows the Monarch to appoint an administrator to carry out the role of governor-general when there is a vacancy. [3][4] The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of government ministers. 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 Governor-General. During the 1920s, the importance of the position declined. Permission should be sought from Office of the Governor-General for third-party or commercial uses of this image. In 1945, John Curtin nominated Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, to the post the first and only royal officeholder. They are appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, usually for a term of 5 years. Mr Albanese previously met with King Charles in September last year while he was in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. 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 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 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. Sir Isaac Issacs had the esteemed honour of becoming the first Australian-born governor-general in 1931. On 18 March 2020,[32] a human biosecurity emergency was declared in Australia owing to the risks to human health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, after the National Security Committee met the previous day. Australia is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the King is our head of state. Governor-General of Australia The official Instagram account of His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) www.gg.gov.au. He was appointed in July 1900, returning to Australia shortly before the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. In practice, they are Australias Head of State and have a range of constitutional and ceremonial duties. Through our accessible, immersive, experiential programs and resources, the PEO fosters informed, engaged and active citizens of all ages. 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. 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. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was a senior member of the royal family. There have been only Australian occupants since then, although Sir Ninian Stephen (19821989) had been born in Britain. The Governor-General, wearing a suit and medals on the left side of his chest, talks to people in a crowd. Holt believed that this was an improper use of his authority, but no further action was taken.[17]. 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". Together with the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Governor-General is a part of the Australian Parliament. Formerly, all governors-general automatically became a knight upon being sworn in.[55]. Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014) was the first woman to be appointed to the office. The independence of the office is highlighted by changes which have been made in recent years to the Royal Instruments relating to it. Governors-general have no fixed term, but have usually served for around five years. The Governor-General's official title is 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. The Order belongs to each of us and we each have a part to play. The Governor-General of Australia is His Majesty The King's representative . Please note that all correspondence isprocessed by the Office before coming to the attention of the Governor-General. South Australia was also the first state to appoint a woman as governor, when Dame Roma Mitchell took office in 1991. [27], The monarch chose not to intervene during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, in which Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the Labor government of Gough Whitlam, on the basis that such a decision is a matter "clearly placed within the jurisdiction of the Governor-General". [51] However, for official business, the current choice of car is an armoured BMW 7 Series.[52]. acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. This gives the minister sweeping powers, including imposing restrictions or preventing the movement of people and goods between specified places, and evacuations. "[21], The 1988 Constitutional Commission report explained: "the governor-general is in no sense a delegate of the Queen. 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. 87 following. [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. [66], In 1965 the Menzies conservative government appointed an Australian, Lord Casey, and thereafter only Australians have held the position. Governor-General. Commonwealth of Australia | Page last reviewed 15 Sept 2022, Welcome to the Parliamentary Education Office. The governor-general travels in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine for ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. 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 . [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. 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 salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley should be "Your Excellencies". Place of birth. A temporary vacancy also occurred in 2003 when Peter Hollingworth stood aside. The salutation for a letter should be "Your Excellency" or "Dear Governor-General". Quentin Bryce's appointment was announced during her term as Governor of Queensland; she had previously been the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner. 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 Australia has had 26 Governors-General. [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. 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]. [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". They appoint a deputy, to whom members make an oath of allegiance before they take their seats. Three governors-general have resigned their commission. To mollify Hughes, Milner offered him a choice between three candidates. received Ms Minoli Perera, Ambassador- designate to Zimbabwe. [48] Under the Governor-General Act 1974, each new commission has resulted in a pay increase. The first female governor-general, Quentin Bryce, took office in 2008. Until 2015, the honour continued after the retirement from office of the governor-general. 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. A governor-general may be recalled or dismissed by the monarch before their term is complete. After receiving their commission, the new governor-general takes an Oath of Allegiance to the monarch and an Oath of Office. Message from the Governor-General "Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in today's Honours List. By convention, the prime minister is appointed to this council and advises as to which parliamentarians shall become ministers and parliamentary secretaries. 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]. The salutation for a letter should be "Your Excellency" or "Dear Mrs Hurley ". The Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australia's head of state, Charles III. 1.2 National anthem and flag protocols. 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. During these months, the person recommended is referred to as the governor-general-designate. "It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the UK is working in partnership with France and Germany. He further proposed that the Dominions be able to nominate their own candidates and that "the field of selection should not exclude citizens of the Dominion itself". 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 of the Commonwealth of Australia is His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). 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. Everything you need to know about the role, function, structure and people of the Australian Parliament. In 1947, Labor appointed a second Australian Governor-General, William McKell, who was in office as the Labor premier of New South Wales. Early governors-general were British and were appointed by the queen or king on the recommendation of the Colonial Office. This was confirmed by the prime minister while talking to reporters on . The then leader of the Opposition, Robert Menzies, called McKell's appointment "shocking and humiliating". The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia. [57] They exercised this power several times. General David John Hurley, AC, DSC, KStJ, FTSE (born 26 August 1953) is an Australian former senior officer in the Australian Army who has served as the 27th governor-general of Australia since 1 July 2019. Follow. [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. Spouses of governors-general have no official duties but carry out the role of a vice-regal consort. 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. 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. It is played at all official and ceremonial . Some early governors-general were appointed to terms of just one year (Lord Tennyson) or two years (Lord Forster; later extended). In the evening, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, as joint Patrons, hosted a reception for the Childrens Medical Research Institute Canberra. 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. On other occasions royal assent has been given elsewhere. Governor-General of Australia. The Governor-General is the chief-of-state when the monarch is not in Australia. 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 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). The events themselves are still contested: the performance . 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. 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. Free shipping for many products! 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 current Governor-General is David Hurley . There are no No. [10] Since then, all but one of the governors-general have been Australian-born; the exception, Sir Ninian Stephen, arrived in Australia as a teenager. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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 King maintained that it was now his sole prerogative to choose a governor-general, and he wanted Field-Marshal Sir William Birdwood for the Australian post. 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. In a very real sense, they represented the British Government. Both of these appointments had been agreed to despite British government objections. 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]. ", The Governor-General in his swearing-in speech. Most spouses of governors-general have been content to be quietly supportive. Dunrossil died in office on 3 February 1961. The Governor-General of Australiais addressed as His/Her Excellencydenoting his/her rank the vice-royal representative of the monarchto a Commonwealth nation. The usual wording of official announcements of this nature read "The King has been pleased to appoint ", but on this occasion the announcement said merely "The King has appointed ", and his private secretary (Lord Stamfordham) asked the Australian solicitor-general, Sir Robert Garran, to make sure that Scullin was aware of the exact wording. 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. Governor-general's role. "I think that that will be an enormous occasion.". [28] 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.. 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. 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. To provide continuity through general elections both federally and in New South Wales, Hurley succeeded General Sir Peter Cosgrove, who had planned to retire in March 2019, on 1 July 2019.[1][2]. 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. 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. 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. On 8 May 1953 Slim was sworn in as governor-general of Australia. The Australia Day 2023 Honours List recognises and celebrates 1,047 recipients, including 736 in the General Division of the Order of Australia and awards for meritorious, distinguished and conspicuous service. During Elizabeth II's 2011 visit to Australia, she and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven in a Range Rover Vogue. [50] Until 2001, Governors-General did not pay income tax on their salary; this was changed after Elizabeth II agreed to pay tax.[49]. 26. 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. However, as the King lives in Britain, his powers are delegated to the Governor-General who lives in Australia. 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 . 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. connection to land, culture and community. The Governor-General wearing a shirt and tie sits at a desk with a pen in hand. 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. [65] The opposition Nationalist Party of Australia denounced the appointment as "practically republican", but Scullin had set a precedent. 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.