In 1945, John Curtin nominated Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, to the post the first and only royal officeholder. "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. 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. Formerly, all governors-general automatically became a knight upon being sworn in.[55]. [15] In 1961, Lord Dunrossil became the first and, to date, only governor-general to die while holding office. Answer (1 of 7): Firstly anyone with that ambition will be unsuitable for the job and will miss out. 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. The Governor-General is not part of the government or the opposition and must remain neutral. [6] Since 1 July 2019, the governor-general has been General David Hurley.[8][9]. Scullin cited the precedents of the prime minister of South Africa, J. In 1989, Bill Hayden, a republican, declined appointment to the British Privy Council and any imperial honours. 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. 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. - hear from some recipients. 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. Menzies's fourth nomination was Richard Casey, who took office in 1965; he and all subsequent governors-general have been Australian citizens. During these months, the person recommended is referred to as the governor-general-designate. The Constitution sets out some specific tasks for the Governor-General, including: The Governor-General's ceremonial and constitutional roles are closely related. The King and Queen Consort will first head to France on March 16, where they will undertake engagements in Paris and Bordeaux. [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. 1414 Words; 6 Pages; The Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. received Ms Minoli Perera, Ambassador- designate to Zimbabwe. The first female governor-general, Quentin Bryce, took office in 2008. Lachlan Macquarie, (born January 31, 1761, Ulva, Argyllshire, Scotlanddied July 1, 1824, London, England), early governor of New South Wales, Australia (1810-21), who expanded opportunities for Emancipists (freed convicts) and established a balance of power with the Exclusionists (large landowners and sheep farmers). In 2007, media outlets reported that Prince William might become governor-general of Australia. 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. His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd)Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. [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. 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. In a very real sense, they represented the British Government. 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. Governor-general's role. The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring," the Governor-General said. The office of governor-general for the Commonwealth of Australia was conceived during the debates and conventions leading up to federation. She was the first woman to be the Governor-General. awarding special honours, in their role as the Chancellor of the Order of Australia. The first Governor-General, the Earl of Hopetoun, was a previous governor of Victoria. 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. [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". 25. Hopetoun left for England on 17 July 1902. The constitution also provides that the salary of the governor-general cannot be "altered" during his or her term of office. 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. 48.7K followers. 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. Afterwards, the Governor-General hosted a breakfast for The Honourable Patrick Gorman MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister. Only one governor-general, Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014), has been a woman. 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. 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. [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. 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]. 11 November 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor Government in 1975. They are appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, usually for a term of 5 years. [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. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of Australia and its monarch. This was confirmed by the prime minister while talking to reporters on . Occasionally governors-general have made extended tours visiting multiple countries, notably in 2009 when Quentin Bryce visited nine African countries in 19 days. Sort By: Good Essays. The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. (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.) Through our accessible, immersive, experiential programs and resources, the PEO fosters informed, engaged and active citizens of all ages. Powers exercised in council, which are not reserve powers, include: All such actions are taken on the advice of ministers. 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 also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. 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). Whenever the Governor-General makes a public statement, they avoid personal opinions and do not comment on political and other controversies. The first governor-general, Lord Hopetoun, asked to be recalled to Britain in 1903 over a dispute about funding for the post. 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. That position, though now generally well recognised, undoubtedly represents a development from an earlier stage when the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of His Majesty's Ministers in London and acted also as their representative. The Governor-General is officially appointed by the Queen as Head of State. [57] They exercised this power several times. Quentin Bryce's salary was $394,000. For any requests relating to the booking of school tours of Government House, Canberra please use ouremail formand selectSchool Bookings. 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. 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. Sir William Deane (governor-general 19962001) described one of his functions as being "Chief Mourner" at prominent funerals.