97-399: The official secretary to the governor-general of Australia and staff provide support to the governor-general of Australia to enable the governor-general to carry out their constitutional, statutory, ceremonial and public duties. Until 1903, the governor-general’s private secretary provided the support to the governor-general, when the official secretary position was established. The position
194-419: A peerage in 1884, the year Hallam married Audrey Georgiana Florence Boyle (after being disappointed in his love for Mary Gladstone , daughter of William Ewart Gladstone ). On his father's death in 1892, he inherited the title Baron Tennyson, and also the role of official biographer. His Tennyson: A Memoir was published in 1897. Like his father, Tennyson was an ardent imperialist, and in 1883 he had become
291-559: A bill, the governor-general can also reserve a bill for the King's pleasure, that is allow the monarch to give royal assent personally to a proposed bill. When the governor-general acted as a representative of the British government, this provision allowed for the governor-general to refer a bill back to the British government for review, which would then advise the monarch whether or not to grant assent. The British government could also advise
388-429: A cabinet meeting agreed that troops should only be called out if requested by the territory's administrator ; this did not occur. Defence minister Malcolm Fraser , who opposed the call out, was responsible for informing Hasluck of the prime minister's lack of consultation. The incident contributed to Fraser's resignation from cabinet in 1971 and Gorton's subsequent loss of the prime ministership . The governor-general
485-836: A council member of the Imperial Federation League , a lobby group set up to support the imperialist ideas of the Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain . It was this connection, as well as the Tennyson name, that led Chamberlain to offer Tennyson the position of Governor of South Australia in 1899. He was still in this position in May 1902, when the Governor-General of Australia, the Earl of Hopetoun , suddenly announced his intention to resign. Tennyson
582-561: A formal letter of credence (and a letter of recall at the end of a tenure) to heads of state and government and similarly formally receives foreign letters during credentials ceremonies for heads of mission on their arrival in Canberra. Before 1987, ambassador and high commissioner appointments were formally made by the monarch instead. Under section 68 of the Constitution , the command-in-chief of Australia's military forces
679-622: A key role in performing constitutional duties in all branches of government. The Constitution defines the Parliament of the Commonwealth as consisting of the monarch, the Senate and the House of Representatives . However, the monarch's role is no more than titular, with the governor-general responsible under the Constitution for most of the functions undertaken by the monarch in regard to
776-440: A military pension. The governor-general also receives a generous pension. Until 2001, governors-general did not pay income tax on their salary; this was changed after Elizabeth II agreed to pay tax. Governors-general before the 1970s wore traditional court uniforms , 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
873-537: A part of the Fox Classic Car Collection at Queens Warehouse, Melbourne. The salary of the governor-general was initially set by the Constitution, which fixed an annual amount of A£ 10,000 until the parliament decided otherwise. The Constitution also provides that the salary of the governor-general cannot be changed during their term of office. Their pay is now set by Governor-General Act 1974 , which has been amended on each new commission to set
970-731: A statutory office of official secretary, to be appointed by the governor-general-in-council, to employ the necessary staff, and to hold office at the governor-general's pleasure. All personnel and financial records were transferred to Government House. Since 1985, an annual report of the official secretary is presented to both houses of parliament. Some earlier official secretaries played significant political roles in their own right. Lord Hopetoun had brought his own private secretary, Captain Edward Wallington, who handled all his communications with London. The Australians resented an Englishman being in charge of official business. At that time,
1067-403: A typical military fashion worn with a plumed helmet. However, that custom fell into disuse during the tenure of Sir Paul Hasluck with governors-general now observing informal wear day-to-day. Tasmanian governor Sir Stanley Burbury extensively lobbied his government in an attempt to regain the right to wear a uniform, going as far to contact Sir John Kerr in desperation, hoping he could contact
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#17327835792511164-525: A vacancy occurs. 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 vice-regal representatives remain neutral and above politics. A governor-general may be recalled or dismissed by
1261-596: Is "vested in the Governor‑General as the Queen's representative". Views on the effect of this section vary, from merely making the governor-general "in effect no more than a glorified Patron of the Defence Forces" to alternatively making the governor-general the ultimate head of military chain of command who may influence or deny the use of the military if it is to be used for domestic political ends. Ex-governor-general Sir Ninian Stephen stated that his view of
1358-553: Is generally invited to become patron of various charitable and service organisations. Historically the governor-general has also served as Chief Scout of Australia . 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. Bill Hayden declined the office on the grounds of his atheism , which
1455-492: Is supported by a staff (of 80 in 2018 ) headed by the official secretary . The governor-general is selected by the prime minister, but formally appointed by the monarch of Australia on the prime minister's advice. Their term is not fixed, but they typically serve for five years. From Federation in 1901 until 1965, 11 out of the 15 governors-general were British aristocrats ; however all since then have been Australian citizens . The current governor-general, Samantha Mostyn ,
1552-617: Is the federal representative of the monarch of Australia , currently Charles III . The governor-general has many constitutional and ceremonial roles in the Australian political system , in which they have independent agency. However, they are generally bound by convention to act on the advice of the prime minister and the Federal Executive Council . They also have a significant community role, through recognising meritorious individuals and groups, and representing
1649-569: Is the second woman to hold the post, after Dame Quentin Bryce (2008–2014). The governor-general is formally appointed by the monarch of Australia with a commission made under the authority of section 2 of the Constitution and regulated by letters patent issued by the monarch. 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. Prior to
1746-558: The Australian Defence Force , and bestowing Australian honours . However, in almost all instances the governor-general only exercises de jure power in accordance with the principles of the Westminster system and responsible government . This requires them to remain politically neutral and to only act in accordance with Parliament (such as when selecting the prime minister and providing royal assent ) or on
1843-671: The Australian honours and awards system . The official secretary acts as the Secretary of the Council for the Order of Australia . The Office also manages and maintains the official properties and associated heritage buildings and grounds, and opens the properties to members of the public for events sponsored by charitable institutions. The official secretary is supported in his or her role by program managers responsible for Executive Support, Household and Property, Organisation Services, and by
1940-667: The Counter-Espionage Bureau , Australia's first secret service, whose agents pursued Industrial Workers of the World and Sinn Féin activists. Munro Ferguson was as unenthusiastic about these duties of his official secretary (whom he dubbed 'Pickle the Spy') and the unsavoury characters who consequently lurked about Government House as he was with the secret political work which Steward sometimes performed for Prime Minister Billy Hughes . The longest serving official secretary
2037-467: 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. There is also a tropical version made of white tropical wool cut in
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#17327835792512134-579: The Royal Styles and Titles Act (1953 and 1973) and other bills of national significance such as the Flags Act 1953 and the Australia Act 1986 . Finally, the governor-general can refer a bill back to the houses with suggested changes. This has only happened when once passed, the government has realised a bill requires further amendment and requests the governor-general return the bill to
2231-534: The UK parliament . These include the power to summon, dissolve and prorogue the Parliament, to issue writs for lower house elections, to convene a joint sitting, as well as the power to give royal assent to bills in the monarch's name. The governor-general also has a ceremonial role in swearing in and accepting the resignations of members of Parliament. All members must make an oath or affirmation of allegiance to
2328-449: The advice of ministers (when performing executive actions). However, in certain limited circumstances, the governor-general can exercise reserve powers (powers that may be exercised without or against formal advice), most notably during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis . These situations are often controversial and the use of and continued existence of these powers remains highly debated. In their ceremonial and community roles,
2425-533: The chief justice of Australia or another justice of the High Court. Traditionally, the ceremony takes place in the Senate chamber. The Constitution does not set a term of office, so a governor-general may continue to hold office for any agreed length of time. In recent decades the typical term of office has been five years. Some early governors-general were appointed to terms of just one year ( Lord Tennyson ) or two years ( Lord Forster ; later extended). At
2522-537: The "Governor-General in Council", however this does not denote an element of personal discretion in their exercise. However, 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. Gorton agreed to put the matter to his ministers, and
2619-459: The 1940s, the recommendation was made and decided by the Cabinet as a whole. The incoming governor-general is publicly announced usually several months before the end of the existing governor-general's term. After receiving their commission, the new governor-general takes an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the monarch and an oath or affirmation of office . These oaths are administered by
2716-574: The Australian government. While Tennyson shared this understanding of his role, he nevertheless agreed to Deakin's proposal, and Parliament approved the arrangement in August 1902. However, the relations between the two men, which had been frosty, were not improved by this episode, and Deakin did not encourage Tennyson to seek an extension of his one-year term. In 1916, George Steward, official secretary to Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson , founded and headed
2813-540: The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia , Robert 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
2910-451: The Constitution, that the monarch may assign them. Additionally, the initial letters patent of Queen Victoria purported to create and empower the office of governor-general, despite their assignment already in the Constitution. This was raised as early as 1901, by John Quick and Garran in their authoritative commentary of the Constitution, noting that the governor-general of Australia was distinguished from other imperial governors-general by
3007-422: The Constitution, the circumstances in which they can be used with discretion is not prescribed and is a matter of convention. The reserve powers that are generally accepted are: The reserve powers that are the subject of greater debate are: The most prominent use of the reserve powers occurred in the course of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis , in which governor-general Sir John Kerr dismissed
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3104-520: 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". Governors-general are entitled to various privileges by virtue of holding the office. These include the right to live in Government House (also known as Yarralumla ), or Admiralty House, Sydney the two official residences of
3201-527: The Defence Force, and declare a time of war, exercised as ordinary executive powers on advice. Additionally, all officers are appointed by the governor-general on behalf of the monarch with a personally signed commission. Historically, the power to declare war and make peace rested with the monarch (as advised by the British government) in their role as head of the British Empire . This was
3298-590: The Director of the Honours Secretariat. The best known official secretary is Sir David Smith , who served five governors-general between 1973 and 1990. He was official secretary to Sir John Kerr at the time of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis . Following the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and the swearing-in of the leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Fraser , Smith read out
3395-623: The Executive Government of the Commonwealth ... The executive power of the Commonwealth, by section 61 of the Constitution, is declared to be vested in the Queen. It is also, in the same section, declared to be "exercisable" by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative. 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
3492-554: The Governor-General could not carry out what was seen in London as his broader role in supervising the Australian government. Tennyson shared this view. As a result, relations between Deakin and Tennyson grew tense. Deakin correctly suspected that Tennyson was reporting on him to London and trying to interfere on matters of policy, such as the naval agreement between Britain and Australia. For this reason Deakin did not encourage Tennyson to seek an extension of his one-year term. None of this
3589-415: The Governor-General's Official Secretary was countersigned "Malcolm Fraser", who will undoubtedly go down in Australian history from Remembrance Day 1975 as Kerr's Cur. Whitlam chose those words to highlight the fact that his government (since winning the double dissolution election of 1974) had abolished use of the words "God Save The Queen" at the end of all official proclamations. Its reinstatement by Smith
3686-579: The King in the presence of the governor-general or someone appointed by them before they take their seats. On the day parliament opens, the governor-general makes a speech in the Senate (similar to the King's Speech in the UK), entirely written by the government, explaining the government's proposed legislative program. One of the most significant powers of the governor-general is the power to grant royal assent in
3783-484: The King's name. This assent gives bills that have been passed by the houses of parliament the force of law, with effect either 28 days after being signed, on a date to be fixed later by proclamation or otherwise as provided in the act. The government does not formally advise the governor-general to grant assent, but it is expected that they will act in accordance with the democratically elected houses of Parliament and assent has never been refused. Apart from assenting to
3880-522: The Palace directly. However, it does not appear that he was successful. Governors-general have during their tenure the style His/Her Excellency the Honourable and their spouses have the style His/Her Excellency . 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. From
3977-772: The Principal Knight or Dame of the order. However, in 2015 knighthoods were once again abolished by new prime minister Malcolm Turnbull , with all subsequent governors-general appointed as Companions. Spouses of governors-general have no official duties but carry out the role of a vice-regal consort. They are entitled to the courtesy style Her Excellency or His Excellency during the office-holder's term of office. Most spouses of governors-general have been content to be quietly supportive. Some, however, have been notable in their own right, such as Dame Alexandra Hasluck , Lady Casey and Michael Bryce . Other offices named governor-general were previously used in Australia in
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4074-638: The Queen by section 61. And it is exercisable by the Queen's representative, not her delegate or agent." The 1988 Constitutional Commission report explained: "the governor-general is in no sense a delegate of the Queen. The independence of the office is highlighted by changes which have been made in recent years to the Royal Instruments relating to it". The changes occurred in 1984 when Queen Victoria's letters patent and instructions were revoked and replaced with new letters patent, on prime minister Bob Hawke 's advice, who stated that this would clarify
4171-544: The UK, there is no tradition of regular weekly meetings between the governor-general and the prime minister, with meetings instead sporadically held at the request or either party. There is a greater capacity to exercise influence at the regular meetings of the Federal Executive Council at Government House; however this requires the governor-general to have existing legal experience due to the volume of material,
4268-643: The advice of the health minister of a human biosecurity emergency under the Biosecurity Act 2015 in March 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic . Formally, the governor-general may exercise the traditional rights of the monarch as identified by Bagehot : the right to be consulted, to encourage and to warn. However, the practical ability to exercise this right is limited. Unlike in Canada or
4365-428: The assignment of powers by the monarch to the governor-general, the government also requested King George VI make similar proclamations of war on Australia's behalf. No formal declarations of war have been made since World War II, although other declarations on the start and end of time of "active service" have been made in other conflicts. The powers of command-in-chief are vested in the governor-general rather than
4462-467: 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. In 1961, Lord Dunrossil became the first and, to date, only governor-general to die while holding office. A vacancy occurs on the resignation, death, or incapacity of the governor-general. A temporary vacancy occurs when
4559-560: The constitution put before the 1897 Adelaide Convention and professor of law at the University of Melbourne ), postulating that the letters patent and the royal instructions issued by Queen Victoria were unnecessary "or even of doubtful legality". Additionally, it was also previously believed that the monarch retained certain powers, such as the power to declare war, appoint diplomatic officers and to grant charters of incorporation and as such these powers were assigned separately to
4656-435: The constitution to the Governor-General. The monarch did not overturn the actions of governor-general Sir John Kerr in his dismissal of the prime ministership and government of Gough Whitlam during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis , with the Queen's private secretary arguing that the power to commission the prime minister was "clearly placed within the jurisdiction of the governor-general, and The Queen has no part in
4753-517: 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. 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
4850-474: The decisions which the Governor-General must take in accordance with the Constitution". 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
4947-428: 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. Three governors-general have resigned their commission. The first governor-general, Lord Hopetoun , asked to be recalled to Britain in 1903 over a dispute about funding for the post. Sir John Kerr resigned in 1977, with his official reason being his decision to accept
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#17327835792515044-468: 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". This view was also held by Andrew Inglis Clark , senior judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania , who with W. Harrison Moore (a contributor to the first draft of
5141-706: 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. Governors-general generally become patrons of various charitable institutions, present honours and awards, host functions for various groups of people including ambassadors to and from other countries, and travel widely throughout Australia. Sir William Deane (governor-general 1996–2001) described one of his functions as being "Chief Mourner" at prominent funerals. In Commentaries on
5238-456: The government of Gough Whitlam and appointed opposition leader Malcolm Fraser as prime minister while an election was held. Kerr acted following the blocking of supply by the opposition controlled Senate, arguing that this gave him both the right and duty to dismiss the government when they did not resign or advise an election. The event remains one of the most highly debated and controversial in Australian political history. In addition to
5335-418: The governor-general in "his own right". 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
5432-439: The governor-general is overseas on official business representing Australia. A temporary vacancy also occurred in 2003 when Peter Hollingworth stood aside. 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. By convention, the longest-serving state governor holds a dormant commission , allowing an assumption of office to commence whenever
5529-500: The governor-general represents the nation as a whole. Domestically, this role entails attending services and commemorations, sponsoring community organisations and hosting events at one of the two official residences ( Government House in Canberra and Admiralty House in Sydney). Internationally, the governor-general represents Australia by travelling to significant events and by performing and receiving state visits . The governor-general
5626-400: The governor-general under section 2. However, the current interpretation of the Constitution is that all royal prerogatives are exercisable by the governor-general under section 61 and in recognition of this, the vesting of additional powers ended in 1987. While separate letters-patent still exist for the governor-general, these merely provide for the appointment of administrator in the case of
5723-419: The governor-general's absence or incapacity and requires the governor-general to make an oath or affirmation of allegiance and one of office. Commonwealth Solicitor-General Maurice Byers stated in 1974: "The constitutional prescription is that executive power is exercisable by the governor-general although vested in the Queen. What is exercisable is original executive power: that is, the very thing vested in
5820-471: The governor-general's position under the constitution. This remains the case even when the sovereign is in the country: solicitor-general Kenneth Bailey , prior to the first tour of Australia by its reigning monarch in 1954, explained the position by saying: the Constitution expressly vests in the Governor-General the power or duty to perform a number of the Crown's functions in the Legislature and
5917-525: The governor-general's salary to an amount slightly higher than the average salary of the chief justice of the High Court over the next five years. Since 1995, this has been reduced to take into account any existing pension the incoming governor-general currently receives. This provision led to the salary increase of current governor-general Samantha Mostyn (of $ 495,000 to $ 709,017) being significantly greater than other new governors-general, as unlike previous governor-general David Hurley , she does not receive
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#17327835792516014-468: The governor-general. Such advice is generally the result of decisions already made in Cabinet , the de facto highest executive body in Australia. While some provisions in the Constitution refer the "Governor-General" and others to the "Governor-General in Council", this does not mean that there is in element of discretion in the former; this distinction merely indicates that that the former powers were those that were historically classified as belonging to
6111-439: The governor-generalship, and went as far as to have the necessary documents drawn up. 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. Holt believed that this was an improper use of his authority, but no further action was taken. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The governor-general has
6208-408: The house. Under the Constitution, the executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the monarch, but is exercisable by the governor-general. However, such power is only exercised on the advice of ministers in accordance with the principles of responsible government . This occurs formally through the Federal Executive Council , a body of all current (and technically former) ministers that advises
6305-408: The issue of his management of sex abuse cases during his time as Anglican archbishop of Brisbane became a matter of controversy. The governor-general makes state visits overseas on behalf of Australia, during which an administrator of the government is appointed. The right of governors-general to make state visits was confirmed at the 1926 Imperial Conference , as it was deemed not feasible for
6402-403: The lack of any requirement for executive-councillors to be briefed or otherwise senior in the government, and the expectation by some governments that the governor-general should only act as a rubber stamp . The reserve powers are those powers that the governor-general may exercise independently, that is in the absence of or against ministerial advice. While most of these powers are listed in
6499-474: The mid-19th century. Sir Charles FitzRoy (governor of New South Wales from 1846 to 1855) and Sir William Denison (governor of New South Wales from 1855 to 1861) also carried the additional title of governor-general because their jurisdiction extended to other colonies in Australia. The office of governor-general of Australia was conceived during the debates and conventions leading up to federation . The first governor-general, John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun ,
6596-473: The monarch before their term is complete. 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. The constitutional crisis of 1975 raised the possibility of the prime minister and the governor-general attempting to dismiss each other at the same time. According to William McMahon , Harold Holt considered having Lord Casey dismissed from
6693-423: The monarch to disallow a law passed within the last two years, which would annul the law on the governor-general's proclamation or message to the houses. However, since the assumption of full sovereignty and the emergence of an independent Crown of Australia, the British government no longer has these powers and the reservation power has only occasionally been used for bills that affect the monarch personally, such as
6790-447: The nation as a whole. The current governor-general is Sam Mostyn . Significant functions of the governor-general include giving royal assent to bills passed by the houses of parliament , issuing writs for elections , exercising executive power on the advice of the Federal Executive Council, formally appointing government officials (including the prime minister, other ministers, judges and ambassadors), acting as commander-in-chief of
6887-449: The naval agreement between Britain and Australia. The official secretary would have been involved in these intrigues. He therefore proposed that the governor-general's official secretary be paid for by the Australian government, as long as it was also able to appoint him. The British government objected (privately) because this would mean that the governor-general could not carry out what was seen in London as his broader role in supervising
6984-498: The office-holder. For transportation, the governor-general has access to a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine for ceremonial occasions or an armoured BMW 7 Series for ordinary official business. These cars fly the flag of the governor-general of Australia and display the Tudor Crown instead of number plates. Originally, two Phantoms were available after being purchased in the 1970s to be used for royal tours. One of these cars
7081-675: The order. 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). 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. The same individuals were also usually either peers , knights, or both (the only Australian peer to be appointed as governor-general
7178-553: The outward and visible representation of the Imperial relationship of the Commonwealth". That role can become controversial, however, if the governor-general becomes unpopular with sections of the community. The public role adopted by Sir John Kerr was curtailed considerably after the constitutional crisis of 1975 ; Sir William Deane 's public statements on political issues produced some hostility towards him; and some charities disassociated themselves from Peter Hollingworth after
7275-467: The payment of the governor-general's staff and the maintenance of the two official establishments in Sydney and Melbourne was at the governor-general's personal expense. His successor Lord Tennyson was frugal by nature, and wanted some relief from this financial burden. Prime Minister Alfred Deakin suspected that Tennyson was reporting on him to London and trying to interfere on matters of policy, such as
7372-537: The period leading up to Whitlam's dismissal. Smith subsequently resolved to secure more formal independent power for himself, his office and staff. Sir John Kerr, Sir Zelman Cowen and Sir Ninian Stephen all agreed with him but urged a cautious delay. The right time finally arrived in 1984 under the Hawke government. The 1984 amendment to the Governor-General Act 1974 provided for the establishment of
7469-481: 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 . In 2003, ex-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. He later stepped down over
7566-535: The position of Robert Menzies in 1939, who assumed that the declaration of war by the United Kingdom in World War II automatically applied to Australia. However, in 1941 opinion had shifted and the Curtin government advised the governor-general to declare war on several Axis powers . However, it was still unclear whether the governor-general had the constitutional power to declare war, so in addition to requesting
7663-524: The post for, at his own suggestion, a one-year appointment only. The new Governor-General was popular and got on with Australians far better than his predecessor had done. But problems arose through the ambiguity of his position. The Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin , insisted that the Governor-General's official secretary must be appointed and paid by the Australian government. The British government objected (privately) because this would mean that
7760-422: The post-nominal AC by virtue of being Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Australia. Quentin Bryce was the first governor-general to have had no prior title or pre-nominal style. She was in office when, on 19 March 2014, then prime minister Tony Abbott advised the Queen to amend the letters patent of the Order of Australia to reinstate knighthoods into the Order, with the governor-general becoming
7857-401: The prerogative of the monarch alone. Many executive powers are also bestowed on the governor-general by statute. This allows the government of the day (acting through the governor-general) to perform certain acts that would otherwise require legislation. Such provision are often made where legislating may be too slow, as for the declaration of emergencies. An example this was the declaration on
7954-458: The proclamation of the dissolution of Parliament on the steps of the then Parliament House (now Old Parliament House ) in Canberra, with Whitlam and a large crowd attending. The official secretary's proclamation was referred to in Whitlam's famous address to the crowd: Well may we say "God save the Queen" because nothing will save the Governor-General. The proclamation you have just heard read by
8051-485: The section was that it vests command of the military in the governor-general personally, but only to the extent that the power to give orders or call out the military does not require formal advice from the Federal Executive Council but instead the direct advice of the relevant minister. Other powers exist in the Defence Force Act 1903 , such as the power to appoint the chief of the Defence Force , to call out
8148-806: The sovereign to pay state visits on behalf of countries other than the United Kingdom. However, an Australian governor-general did not exercise that right until 1971, when Paul Hasluck visited New Zealand. 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. All subsequent governors-general have travelled widely while in office and made multiple state visits. Occasionally governors-general have made extended tours visiting multiple countries, notably in 2009 when Quentin Bryce visited nine African countries in 19 days. The governor-general accredits (i.e. formally validates) Australia's ambassadors through sending
8245-552: Was 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). In 1989, Bill Hayden , a republican, declined appointment to the British Privy Council and any imperial honours . From that time until 2014, governors-general did not receive automatic titles or honours, other than
8342-402: Was Sir Murray Tyrrell , who served six governors-general over 26 years, 1947–1973. The current official secretary is Paul Singer , who began duty on 18 August 2018. The following list show the appointed secretaries and acting secretaries in order of appointment. The honours shown were held at the time of appointment. Governor-general of Australia The governor-general of Australia
8439-523: Was a British aristocrat who served as the second governor-general of Australia , in office from 1903 to 1904. He was previously Governor of South Australia from 1899 to 1902. Tennyson was born in Twickenham , Middlesex , and educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge . He was the eldest son of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson , and served as his personal secretary and biographer; he succeeded to his father's title in 1892. Tennyson
8536-662: Was a previous governor of Victoria . He was selected in July 1900, returning to Australia shortly before the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. 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. Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson , GCMG , PC (11 August 1852 – 2 December 1928)
8633-556: Was abolished in 1928 after the Parliament moved from Melbourne to Canberra , but was recreated in 1931. The position was established by statute in its current form in 1984. Since 1 July 2024 the official secretary has been Gerard Martin . The support provided by the Office of the Official Secretary includes the organisation of, and advice relating to, their duties, hospitality for official functions , and administration of
8730-664: Was an autocratic act taken entirely on his own part; indeed, the newly minted "caretaker" Fraser government was not empowered to make such changes. At that time, the official secretary was an officer of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet , on secondment to Government House . The department held and processed all Government House's personnel and financial records. This lack of formal independence led some to criticise Smith in 1976 for having failed to keep Whitlam and his departmental head informed of Kerr's thinking in
8827-499: Was incompatible with the Scout Promise . He did however serve as the association's patron during his term of office. While the governor-general is the monarch's representative, as provided by section 2 of the Constitution, the powers they exercise are solely granted by the Constitution. This was not always seen to be the case however, with section 2 also providing that the governor-general may exercise other powers, subject to
8924-516: Was known to the public and Tennyson left Australia in January 1904 to universal expressions of approval. Tennyson spent the rest of his life at Farringford, serving as deputy Governor of the Isle of Wight from 1913. His wife died in 1916, and in 1918 he remarried to Mary "May" Emily Prinsep (1853–1931). She was the daughter of Charles Robert Prinsep, Indian-born Advocate-General of Calcutta and later
9021-513: Was made Governor of South Australia in 1899. When Lord Hopetoun resigned the governor-generalship in mid-1902, Tennyson was the longest-serving state governor and thus became Administrator of the Government . Tennyson was eventually chosen to be Hopetoun's permanent replacement, but accepted only a one-year term. He was more popular than his predecessor among the general public, but had a tense relationship with Prime Minister Alfred Deakin and
9118-464: Was not offered an extension to his term. Tennyson retired to the Isle of Wight, and spent the rest of his life upholding his father's legacy. Hallam Tennyson was born in Chapel House , a house his father was renting in Twickenham , Middlesex . His parents were Emily (née Sellwood) and Alfred Tennyson . He was named after his father's deceased friend Arthur Hallam . Tennyson's early childhood
9215-466: Was sold in 1995 to a Sydney doctor, having previously carried the Queen during a royal tour and later being pelted with eggs when it carried Sir John Kerr following the Dismissal in 1975. The car was then entered into the almost 15,000 km long Peking to Paris rally, where it became known as "Lizzie's Taxi" and secured fourth place. The car is now owned by Lindsay Fox and is often on display as
9312-500: Was spent at Farringford House on the Isle of Wight , which his father began renting in 1853 and bought in 1856. He was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge . Tennyson's career aspirations ended when his parents' age and ill-health obliged him to leave Cambridge to become their personal secretary. The idea of going into politics was also abandoned. It was partly for Hallam's benefit that Alfred Tennyson accepted
9409-449: Was the senior state governor at the time of Hopetoun's announcement, and thus became Administrator of the Government upon his departure from Australia on 17 July 1902. There were some doubts about his ability to fill the job on a permanent basis since he had little experience of politics. But he had made a good impression in Australia through his modesty and frugality, unlike the ostentatiously imperious Hopetoun. In December 1902 he accepted
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