Australian Governor-General

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Duties of the Governor-General Helpful Links
See also What the letters after their names (postnominals) mean

Simply put, the Governor-General is the Queen's representative in Australia. Although the appointment of the Governor-General is technically made by "advice" to the Queen, since the 1930s appointments have been by the Australian government in power. This change took place as a result of a major confrontation with the British government over the appointment of Sir Isaac Isaacs. He became the first Australian-born Governor-General.

		Term	Place of Birth
24.	Major-General Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC	June 2003 - present	Wiluna, WA, Australia
23.	Rt Rev Dr Peter Hollingworth AC, OBE	June 2001 - June 2003	Adelaide, SA, Australia
22.	Hon Sir William Patrick Deane AC, KBE	Feb 1996 - June 2001	Melbourne, VIC, Australia
21.	Hon William George Hayden AC	Feb 1989 - Feb 1996	Brisbane, QLD, Australia
20.	Rt Hon Sir Ninian Stephen KG, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, QC	Jul 1982 - Feb 1989	Oxford, England, UK
19.	Rt Hon Sir Zelman Cowen AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC	Dec 1977 - Jul 1982	Melbourne, VIC, Australia
18.	Rt Hon Sir John Robert Kerr AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC	Jul 1974 - Dec 1977	Sydney, NSW, Australia
17.	Rt Hon Sir Paul Meemaa Caedwalla Hasluck KG, GCMG, GCVO	Apr 1969 - Jul 1974	Fremantle, WA, Australia
16.	Rt Hon Richard Gardiner Casey Baron Casey, KG, GCMG, CH, PC, DSO, MC	Sep 1965 - Apr 1969	Brisbane, QLD, Australia
15.	Rt Hon William Phillip Sidney De L’Isle lst Viscount De L'Isle,VC, GCMG, GCVO, PC	Aug 1961 - Sep 1965	London, England, UK
14.	Rt Hon William Shepherd Morrison 1st Viscount Dunrossil, GCMG, PC, MC, QC	Feb 1960 - Feb 1961 Died in office	Argyll, Scotland, UK
13.	Field Marshal Sir William Joseph Slim KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC	May 1953 - Feb 1960	Bristol, England, UK
12.	Rt Hon Sir William John McKell GCMG, QC	Mar 1947 - May 1953	Pambula, NSW, Australia
11.	HRH Prince Henry William Frederick Henry Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden KG, KT, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC	Jan 1945 - Mar 1947	Sandringham, England, UK
10.	Brigadier General Rt Hon Alexander Gore Hore-Ruthven 1st Baron Gowrie, VC, GCMG, CB, PC, DSO	Jan 1936 - Jan 1945	Windsor, England, UK
9.	Rt Hon Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB, GCMG, KC	Jan 1931 - Jan 1936	Melbourne, VIC, Australia
8.	Rt Hon John Lawrence Baird 1st Baron Stonehaven, GCMG, PC, DSO	Oct 1925 - Jan 1931	London, England, UK
7.	Rt Hon Henry William Forster 1st Baron Forster, GCMG, PC	Oct 1920 - Oct 1925	Kent, England, UK
6.	Rt Hon Sir Ronald Craufurd GCMG, PC	May 1914 - Oct 1920	Fife, Scotland, UK
5.	Rt Hon Thomas Denman 3rd Baron Denman, PC, GCMG, KCVO	Jul 1911 - May 1914	London, England, UK
4.	Rt Hon William Humble Ward 2nd Earl of Dudley, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC	Sep 1908 - Jul 1911	London, England, UK
3.	Rt Hon Henry Stafford Northcote 1st Baron Northcote, GCMG, GCIE, CB, PC	Jan 1904 - Sep 1908	London, England, UK
2.	Rt Hon Hallam Tennyson 2nd Baron Tennyson, GCMG, PC	Jan 1903 - Jan 1904	Twickenham, England, UK
1.	Rt Hon John Adrian Louis 7th Earl of Hopetoun, KT, GCMG, GCVO, PC	Jan 1901 - Jan 1903	Hopetoun, Scotland, UK

Duties of the Governor-General

The Governor-General has many important duties to perform. Among them are the following from the Constitution:

Sec. 5
Appoints sitting times for Parliament, as well as being responsible
for its prorogation and dissolution.
Sec 28
May dissolve the House of Representatives.
Sec 57
May dissolve both houses of parliament in the event of a deadlock between them.
Sec 58
May assent, or withhold assent, to laws passed by Parliament, or
reserve laws for the Queen's assent, or return laws to the parliament
recommending amendments.
Sec 59 and Sec 60
In the event of the Queen disallowing any law, or assenting to a
proposed law reserved for her pleasure, the Governor-General may by
speech or message notify Parliament of her decision.
Sec 64
May appoint officers (ministers) to departments of State, such officers
holding office during his pleasure.
Sec 67
With the Executive Council, appoints civil servants.
Sec 68
Command in chief of the naval and military forces of the Commonwealth.
Sec 72
With the Executive Council, appoints Justices of the High Court, and
also receives their resignations.

More Information

Governor-General official site
Prime Minister of Australia
Australian Prime Ministers from 1901 to the present
Parliament of Australia
The Australian Constitution
High Court of Australia
Australian Commonwealth Government
Australian Honours System

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