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The office of Governor-General exists in some Commonwealth nations, that is, countries that were once part of the British Empire. The Governor-General is the Queen's representative in Commonwealth countries. New Zealand, Canada, Bahamas, Jamaica, Solomon Islands, Barbados and Australia all have Governors-General and their duties and powers vary in each country.
Establishment of the office of Governor-General in Australia
The Rt Hon Sir Isaac Isaacs, the first Australian-born Governor General at Admiralty House in uniform, 1930. Image courtesy of National Archives of Australia: A1200:L8925.
The office of the Governor-General of Australia was established in 1901 when Australia became a federation. Originally, the Governor-General was a British citizen who was appointed by the British Government. In 1929, Australian Prime Minister James Scullin broke with this practice and appointed the Governor-General himself. This remains the current practice: the Australian Prime Minister recommends someone to be appointed as Governor-General. The appointee must be an Australian citizen.
The Governor-General is the official representative of the British Monarchy in Australia. Officially, the Governor-General remains in office until the British Monarch decides to reappoint a new Governor-General. In practice, however, Governors-General usually hold office for five years.
Duties of the Governor-General
In Australia, the Governor-General's powers and duties seem quite far-reaching. But the practice of government in Australia, which relies on many rules or 'conventions' not written down in the Australian constitution, narrows the scope of the role.
For example, the Australian constitution does not explicitly state that there must be a Prime Minister, yet this convention is the way government has been organised since Federation. Another convention is that the Governor-General only undertakes duties on advice from parliamentary ministers.
The Governor-General's duties include:
- issuing writs for new elections
- commissioning the Prime Minister and appointing other ministers
- appointing Federal judges, ambassadors and high commissioners to overseas countries
- establishing royal commissions of inquiry
- giving assent to laws that have passed through both houses of parliament.
The Governor-General is also the official Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. In this role, the Governor-General appoints the chiefs of the armed services and commissions officers in the navy, army and air force. The Governor-General only undertakes these duties on the advice of the Minister for Defence.
The Governor-General also performs ceremonial duties. These include:
- receiving visiting heads of state
- opening sessions of Parliament
- awarding honours for community service and bravery
- attending community services and functions.
Reserve powers
The Governor General (Lord Gowrie) reading the proclamation announcing that Australia is at war with Japan in 1941. Image courtesy of Australian War Memorial: 010689.
As well as the above duties and powers, the Governor-General has some powers that may be exercised in certain situations without ministerial advice, or even in contradiction to ministerial advice. These powers are called 'the reserve powers'. Because of the reliance of the Australian Constitution on convention, not all of the reserve powers are explicitly stated in the Constitution. This means that the exact nature and scope of the reserve powers is open to interpretation, and there is some dispute about their use.
The reserve powers of the Governor-General have been used on four occasions in the history of Australia.
- In 1904, Governor-General Lord Northcote refused to dissolve the House of Representatives to allow for a federal election.
- In 1905, Governor-General Lord Northcote allowed Alfred Deakin to replace George Reid as Prime Minister without facing an election.
- In 1909, Governor-General William Humble Ward allowed an unelected coalition of parties to form government.
- In 1975, Governor-General Sir John Kerr sacked Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and forced a federal election. Whitlam's party, the Australian Labor Party, subsequently lost.
This last exercise of the reserve powers is the most famous and controversial in Australia's history. The legalities of the Kerr dismissal have been the subject of debate ever since its occurrence.
The 1999 referendum
Governor General Sir Ninian Stephen with supporters at the handing over of Uluru to traditional owners, Northern Territory, 1985. Image courtesy of National Archives of Australia: A8746, KN4/11/85/51.
In 1999, Australians were asked to vote in a constitutional referendum to determine whether Australia would become a republic. If Australia did become a republic, it was proposed that the office of Governor-General be altered to become the office of President. In a republic model, many of the roles of the Governor-General would be transferred to the new Presidential office.
The referendum was defeated, and the office of Governor-General was retained.
Past and present Governors-General
The current Governor-General is Major General Michael Jeffery, who was sworn in as Australia's 24th Governor-General on 11 August 2003 at Parliament House, Canberra. Find details of Australia's previous Governors-General on the official Governor General of Australia web site.
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Useful links
- Official Site of the Governor General of Australia
- Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library - Reserve Powers of the Governor-General
- Department of the Parliamentary Library - Current Parliamentary Information
- Parliamentary Handbook: Historical Information on the Australian Parliament
- Documenting a Democracy: Queen Victoria's Instructions to the Governor-General
- Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 - Wikipedia
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Last updated: 22nd November 2007
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