The Governor-General is the representative of the Australian Head of State and Head of Government, serving as Her Majesty’s personal representative to New South Wales Governor-General of Australia.

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.

Duties of the Governor-General     Helpful Links     Postnominals – what the letters after their names mean

		Term	Place of Birth
26	Peter Cosgrove   AK, MC	28 March 2014 – present	Sydney, NSW Australia
25.	Quentin Alice Louise Bryce   AC	5 Sep 2008 – 28 Mar 2014	Longreach, QLD Australia
24.	Major-General Michael Jeffery   AC, CVO, MC	11 Jun 2003 – 5 Sep 2008	Wiluna, WA Australia
23.	Rt Rev Dr Peter Hollingworth   AC, OBE	29 Jun 2001 – 11 Jun 2003	Adelaide, SA Australia
22.	Hon Sir William Patrick Deane   AC, KBE	16 Feb 1996 – 29 Jun 2001	Melbourne, VIC Australia
21.	Hon William George Hayden   AC	16 Feb 1989 – 16 Feb 1996	Brisbane, QLD Australia
20.	Rt Hon Sir Ninian Stephen   KG, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, QC	29 Jul 1982 – 16 Feb 1989	Oxford, England
19.	Rt Hon Sir Zelman Cowen   AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC	8 Dec 1977 – 29 Jul 1982	Melbourne, VIC Australia
18.	Rt Hon Sir John Robert Kerr   AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC	11 Jul 1974 – 8 Dec 1977	Sydney, NSW Australia
17.	Rt Hon Sir Paul Meemaa Caedwalla Hasluck   KG,   GCMG, GCVO	30 Apr 1969 – 11 Jul 1974	Fremantle, WA Australia
16.	Rt Hon Richard Gardiner Casey   Baron Casey, KG, GCMG, CH, PC, DSO, MC	7 Sep 1965 – 30 Apr 1969	Brisbane, QLD Australia
15.	Rt Hon William Phillip Sidney De L’Isle   lst Viscount De L’Isle,VC, GCMG, GCVO, PC	3 Aug 1961 – 7 Sep 1965	London, England
14.	Rt Hon William Shepherd Morrison   1st Viscount Dunrossil, GCMG, PC, MC, QC	2 Feb 1960 – 3 Feb 1961 Died in office	Argyll, Scotland
13.	Field Marshal Sir William Joseph Slim   KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC	8 May 1953 – 2 Feb 1960	Bristol, England
12.	Rt Hon Sir William John McKell   GCMG, QC	11 Mar 1947 – 8 May 1953	Pambula, NSW Australia
11.	HRH Prince Henry William Frederick Henry   Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden   KG, KT, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC	30 Jan 1945 – 11 Mar 1947	Sandringham, England
10.	Brigadier Gen. Rt Hon Alexander Gore Hore-Ruthven   1st Baron Gowrie, VC, GCMG, CB, PC, DSO	23 Jan 1936 – 30 Jan 1945	Windsor, England
9.	Rt Hon Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs   GCB, GCMG, KC	21 Jan 1931 – 23 Jan 1936	Melbourne, VIC Australia
8.	Rt Hon John Lawrence Baird   1st Baron Stonehaven, GCMG, PC, DSO	8 Oct 1925 – 21 Jan 1931	London, England
7.	Rt Hon Henry William Forster   1st Baron Forster, GCMG, PC	6 Oct 1920 – 8 Oct 1925	Kent, England
6.	Rt Hon Sir Ronald Craufurd   GCMG, PC	18 May 1914 – 6 Oct 1920	Fife, Scotland
5.	Rt Hon Thomas Denman   3rd Baron Denman, PC, GCMG, KCVO	31 Jul 1911 – 18 May 1914	London, England
4.	Rt Hon William Humble Ward   2nd Earl of Dudley, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC	9 Sep 1908 – 31 Jul 1911	London, England
3.	Rt Hon Henry Stafford Northcote   1st Baron Northcote, GCMG, GCIE, CB, PC	21 Jan 1904 – 9 Sep 1908	London, England
2.	Rt Hon Hallam Tennyson   2nd Baron Tennyson, GCMG, PC	9 Jan 1903 – 21 Jan 1904	Twickenham, England
1.	Rt Hon John Adrian Louis   7th Earl of Hopetoun, KT, GCMG, GCVO, PC	1 Jan 1901 – 9 Jan 1903	Hopetoun, Scotland

Governors-General with Prime Minister and Monarch

	Governors-General	Prime Minister	Monarch		Governors-General	Prime Minister	Monarch
25.	Bryce	Rudd, Gillard, Rudd	Elizabeth II	12.	McKell	Chifley	George V
24.	Jeffery	Howard	Elizabeth II	11.	Henry	Curtin	George V
23.	Hollingworth	Howard	Elizabeth II	10.	Hore-Ruthven	Lyons	George V
22.	Deane	Keating	Elizabeth II	9.	Isaacs	Scullin	George V
21.	Hayden	Hawke	Elizabeth II	8.	Baird	Bruce	George V
20.	Stephen	Fraser	Elizabeth II	7.	Forster	Hughes	George V
19.	Cowen	Fraser	Elizabeth II	6.	Craufurd	Cook	George V
18.	Kerr	Witlam	Elizabeth II	5.	Denman	Fisher	George V
17.	Hasluck	Gorton	Elizabeth II	4.	Ward	Deakin	Edward VII
16.	Casey	Menzies	Elizabeth II	3.	Northcote	Deakin	Edward VII
15.	L’Isle	Menzies	Elizabeth II	2.	Tennyson	Barton	Edward VII
14.	Morrison	Menzies	Elizabeth II	1.	Louis	. . .	Victoria
13.	Slim	Menzies	Elizabeth II

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

1. Australian Prime Ministers from 1901 to the present
2. The Australian Constitution
3. Governor-General official site
4. Prime Minister of Australia
5. Parliament of Australia
6. High Court of Australia
7. Australian Commonwealth Government
8. Australian Honours System

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