Governors-General of Australia

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Profile manager: Australia Project WikiTree

[send private message]

This page has been accessed 308 times.

Project Australia Home

Project Australia Guidelines
Project Australia Resources

Badge of the Governor-General of Australia © Commonwealth of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Australian monarch and, therefore, is Australia's Head of State. The Governor-General is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister of Australia.

The Governor-General has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, as well as being the viceregal representative in the Australian Capital Territory. The functions of the Governor-General include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by Parliament; issuing writs for election; and bestowing Australian honours.

A Governor-General is not appointed for a specific term, but is generally expected to serve for five years subject to a possible short extension.

In the first 100 years of the Commonwealth of Australia, from 1 January 1901 to 31 December 2000, there were 22 Governors-General. No Tasmanian-born office holders to date.

The Governors-General of Australia


No.	Name	Birth-place	Spouse	Years as Governor-General	No. years	Notes
1	Sir John Hope KT GCMG GCVO PC, the 7th Earl of Hopetoun	South Queensferry, Dalmany, West Lothian, Scotland	Hon. Hersey Hope, Countess of Hopetoun	1901-1902	18 mths	formerly governor of Victoria; resigned when parliament refused an allowance to recover private funds expended
2	Sir Hallam Tennyson GCMG PC, the 2nd Baron Tennyson	Twickenham, Middlesex, England	Audrey, Baroness Tennyson	1903-1904	12 mths	had sought only a twelve-month term
3	Sir Henry Northcote GCMG GCIE CB, the 1st Baron Northcote	Marylebone, Middlesex, England	Alice Northcote CI, Baroness Northcote	1904-1908	4 yrs 8 mths	saw himself as diplomatic representative of the British government as well as vice-regal representative
4	Major William Ward, the 2nd Earl of Dudley	London, England	Rachel Ward, Countess Dudley	1908-1911	2 yrs 10 mths	"He did nothing really important, nothing thoroughly, nothing consistently", Alfred Deakin
5	Sir Thomas Denman GCMG KCVO, the 3rd Baron Denman	London, England	Gertrude Denman, Baroness Denman	1911-1914	2 yrs 10 mths	in poor health and his wife 'homesick', he resigned early; a timely decision as it turned out
6	Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson GCMG	Raith, Fife, Scotland	Dame Helen Ferguson GBE	1914-1920	6 yrs 5 mths	was politically influential and committed to his role as commander-in-chief during The Great War
7	Sir Henry Forster GCMG, the 1st Baron Forster	Catford, Kent, England	Lady Rachel Forster, Baroness Forster	1920-1925	5 yrs	travelled widely and was popular among the general public; both sons were killed in The Great War
8	Sir John Baird GCMG, the 1st Baron Stonehaven	Chelsea, London, England	Lady Ethel Baird, Baroness Stonehaven	1925-1930	5 yrs	the first governor-general to live in Yarralumla, Canberra; benefitted from the advent of aviation
9	Sir Isaac Isaacs GMGC GCB PC	Melbourne, Victoria	Lady Deborah Isaacs	1931-1936	5 yrs	the first Australian-born governor-general of Australia and the first Jewish governor-general
10	Brigadier Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven VC GCMG, the 1st Baron Gowrie	Windsor, Berkshire, England	Lady Zara Hore-Ruthven, Baroness Gowrie	1936-1945	9 yrs	having previously been governor of SA, then NSW, he was almost an 'honorary' Aussie; acknowledged as a great commander-in-chief through the Second World War; first governor-general to represent Australia abroad
11	Prince Henry KG KT GCMG GCVO PC, the Duke of Gloucester	Sandringham, Norfolk, England	Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester	1945-1947	2 yrs 1 mth	resigned due to the need to act as senior counsellor of State whilst King George VI and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret toured South Africa
12	Sir William McKell GCMG PC	Pambula, New South Wales	Lady Minnie McKell	1947-1953	6 yrs 2 mths	the NSW Premier when appointed governor-general, causing great controversy, however was noted for his integrity and dignity
13	Field Marshal Sir William 'Bill' Slim KG GCB GCMG GCVO GBE DSO MC	Bishopston, Gloucestershire, England	Lady Aileen Slim	1953-1960	6 yrs 9 mths	popular governor-general as he was an authentic war hero who had fought alongside Australians at Gallipoli, the Middle East and the Pacific
14	Sir William Morrison GCMG MC PC, Viscount Dunrossil	Torinturk, Argyllshire, Scotland	Catherine Morrison, Viscountess Dunrossil	1960-1961	1 yr	died in office
15	Sir William Sidney VC GCMG GCVO, Viscount De L'Isle	Chelsea, London, England	Lady Jacquelyn Sidney, Viscountess De L'Isle (died 1962)	1961-1965	3 yrs 9 mths	being the last non-Australian to hold the position was not a slight on Sidney but a growing national feeling
16	Sir Richard Casey KG GCMG CH DSO MC PC, Baron Casey	Brisbane, Queensland	Lady (Ethel) Maie Casey	1965-1969	4 yrs	the only constitutional issue during his tenure was the disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt in 1967; named 1969 Father of the Year
17	Sir Paul Hasluck GCMG GCVO	Fremantle, Western Australia	Lady Alexandra Hasluck	1969-1974	5 yrs 2 mths	had been Minister for Defence and Minister for External Affairs during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and Vietnam War
18	Sir John Kerr AK GCMG	Balmain South, New South Wales	Lady Alison Kerr	1974-1977	3 yrs 5 mths	major constitutional crisis, although entitled, when he sacked the Whitlam government; he resigned mid-term citing poor health
19	Sir Zelman Cowan AK GCMG GCVO PC	Melbourne, Victoria	Lady Anna Cowan	1977-1982	4 yrs 8 mths	a distinguished Australian with an international reputation; whose knowledge of the Constitution and the law were beyond dispute
20	Sir Ninian Stephen AK GCMG GCVO	Henley, Oxfordshire, England	Lady Valerie Stephen	1982-1989	6 yrs 7 mths	migrated to Australia with his family at 16; was well-respected by both sides of politics
21	Hon. William 'Bill' Hayden AC	Brisbane, Queensland	Dallas Hayden	1989-1996	7 yrs	former leader of the federal opposition; severed his political connections to assume office; first atheist governor-general
22	Sir William Deane AC KBE	St Kilda, Victoria	Lady Helen Deane	1996-2001	5 yrs 4 mths	was Australia's first Roman Catholic governor-general; a low profile during his five-year term, facing no major constitutional issues
23	Right Reverend Peter Hollingworth AC OBE	Adelaide, South Australia	Ann Hollingworth	2001-2003	1 yr 11 mths	became the third Australian governor-general to resign, after criticisms over his conduct as Archbishop of Brisbane in the 1990s
24	Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC	Wiluna, Western Australia	Marlena Jeffery	2003-2008	5 yrs 1 mth	formerly governor of Western Australia, became the first Australian career soldier to be appointed Governor General
25	Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO	Brisbane, Queensland	Michael Bryce AM AE	2008-2014	5 yrs 6 mths	formerly a governor of Queensland; first woman to become governor-general of Australia
26	General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC	Sydney, New South Wales	Lady Lynne (Payne) Cosgrove	2014-2019	5 yrs 3 mths	formerly chief of the Defence Force and a popular and well-respected governor-general and humanitarian
27	David Hurley AC DSC	Wollongong, New South Wales	Linda (McMartin) Hurley	2019-present	-	formerly chief of the Defence Force and governor of New South Wales