1.
Australia
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Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the worlds sixth-largest country by total area, the neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. Australias capital is Canberra, and its largest urban area is Sydney, for about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who spoke languages classifiable into roughly 250 groups. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades, and by the 1850s most of the continent had been explored, on 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states. The population of 24 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard, Australia has the worlds 13th-largest economy and ninth-highest per capita income. With the second-highest human development index globally, the country highly in quality of life, health, education, economic freedom. The name Australia is derived from the Latin Terra Australis a name used for putative lands in the southern hemisphere since ancient times, the Dutch adjectival form Australische was used in a Dutch book in Batavia in 1638, to refer to the newly discovered lands to the south. On 12 December 1817, Macquarie recommended to the Colonial Office that it be formally adopted, in 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia. The first official published use of the term Australia came with the 1830 publication of The Australia Directory and these first inhabitants may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, were originally horticulturists, the northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited sporadically by fishermen from Maritime Southeast Asia. The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch. The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutch navigator, Willem Janszoon. He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent New Holland during the 17th century, but made no attempt at settlement. William Dampier, an English explorer and privateer, landed on the north-west coast of New Holland in 1688, in 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain. The first settlement led to the foundation of Sydney, and the exploration, a British settlement was established in Van Diemens Land, now known as Tasmania, in 1803, and it became a separate colony in 1825. The United Kingdom formally claimed the part of Western Australia in 1828. Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales, South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, the Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia
2.
1927 in Australia
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See also,1926 in Australia, other events of 1927,1928 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history. 8 February – A cyclone makes landfall north of Cairns, causing flooding at Halifax Bay, Ingham, Innisfail, Tully, Cardwell, thirty-six people are killed, and twenty are missing. 9 April – A general election is held in Victoria,3 May – The Australasian Council of Trade Unions is formed at the All-Australian Trade Union Congress in Melbourne. 9 May – Parliament House in Canberra is officially opened by the Duke of York,20 May – Following a swing to the ALP in the Victorian election, Edmond Hogan forms a minority Labor government with Progressive support, and takes over as Premier of Victoria from John Allan. 29 June – Charles Kingsford Smith and his copilot Charles Ulm complete a flight in ten days. 27 October – Melbourne gangster Squizzy Taylor is killed in a shootout with Sydney gangsters in Carlton,3 November – The Sydney ferry Greycliffe is cut in half by the liner RMS Tahiti, killing 40 persons. Professor Thomas Parnell begins the pitch drop experiment at the University of Queensland and it will go on to become the worlds longest continuously-running scientific experiment. George Washington Lambert wins the Archibald Prize 27 August – Ronald McMurdo wins the national marathon title. The race was not considered an official Australian championship by the national athletics federation,1 November – Trivalve wins the Melbourne Cup
3.
1924
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January 10 – The British submarine L-24 sinks in the English Channel,43 lives are lost. January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots a man he thinks is Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta. January 21 – Following the death of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin immediately begins to purge his rivals to clear the way for his leadership, January 22 – Ramsay MacDonald becomes the first Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. January 23 – The Soviet Union officially declares that Lenin died January 21, January 25 – The 1924 Winter Olympics open in Chamonix, in the French Alps. January 26 – Petrograd is renamed Leningrad and it reverts to Saint Petersburg in 1991. January 27 – Lenin is buried in Lenins Mausoleum in Moscows Red Square, february 1 – The United Kingdom recognizes the Soviet Union. February 5 – GMT, A radio time signal is broadcast for the first time from the Royal Greenwich Observatory, february 7 – Capital punishment, The first state execution using gas in the United States takes place in Nevada. February 12 – Rhapsody in Blue, by George Gershwin, is first performed in New York City at Aeolian Hall, february 14 – The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, based in the U. S. state of New York, is renamed International Business Machines. February 16-February 26 – Dock strikes break out in various U. S. harbors, february 22 Treaty of Rome, Agreement for the Kingdom of Italy to annexe the Free State of Fiume and for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to absorb Sušak. Calvin Coolidge becomes the first President of the United States to deliver a radio broadcast from the White House, March 3 The 1, 400-year-old Islamic caliphate is abolished when Caliph Abdülmecid II of the Ottoman Empire is deposed. The last remnant of the old regime gives way to the reformed Turkey of President Kemal Atatürk, the Free State of Fiume is annexed by the Kingdom of Italy. March 6 – İsmet İnönü forms a new government in Turkey, March 8 – The Castle Gate Mine disaster kills 172 coal miners in Utah, United States. March 25 – The Second Hellenic Republic is proclaimed in Greece, March 29 – In France, the Third Ministry of Raymond Poincaré begins. April 1 Adolf Hitler is sentenced to 5 years in jail for his participation in the Beer Hall Putsch, the first revenue flight for Belgiums Sabena Airlines takes place. April 6 – Fascists win the elections in Italy with a ⅔ majority, april 13 A referendum in Greece favors the formation of the Second Hellenic Republic. The A. E. K. is founded in Greece, april 16 – American media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is founded in Los Angeles. April 23 – British Empire Exhibition opens and it was the largest colonial exhibition with 58 countries of the empire dramatically represented. April 26 – Harry Grindell Matthews demonstrates his death ray in London, april 27 – A group of Alawites kill several nuns in Syria, French troops march against them
4.
Monarch
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A monarch is the sovereign head of state in a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power in the state, alternatively, an individual may become monarch by conquest, acclamation or a combination of means. A monarch usually reigns for life or until abdication, if a young child is crowned the monarch, a regent is often appointed to govern until the monarch reaches the requisite adult age to rule. A monarch can reign in multiple monarchies simultaneously, for example, the monarchy of Canada and the monarchy of the United Kingdom are separate states, but they share the same monarch through personal union. Monarchs, as such, bear a variety of titles — king or queen, prince or princess, emperor or empress, archduke, duke or grand duke, Prince is sometimes used as a generic term to refer to any monarch regardless of title, especially in older texts. A king can also be a husband and a queen can be a kings wife. If both people in a reign, neither person is generally considered to be a consort. Monarchy is political or sociocultural in nature, and is associated with hereditary rule. Most monarchs, both historically and in the present day, have been born and brought up within a royal family, different systems of succession have been used, such as proximity of blood, primogeniture, agnatic seniority, Salic law, etc. In an elective monarchy, the monarch is elected but otherwise serves as any other monarch, historical examples of elective monarchy include the Holy Roman Emperors and the free election of kings of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In recent centuries, many states have abolished the monarchy and become republics, advocacy of government by a republic is called republicanism, while advocacy of monarchy is called monarchism. A principal advantage of hereditary monarchy is the continuity of national leadership. In cases where the monarch serves mostly as a ceremonial figure real leadership does not depend on the monarch, a form of government may in fact be hereditary without being considered monarchy, such as a family dictatorship. Monarchies take a variety of forms, such as the two co-princes of Andorra, positions held simultaneously by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgel and the elected President of France. Similarly, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia is considered a monarch despite only holding the position for five years at a time, hereditary succession within one patrilineal family has been most common, with preference for children over siblings, sons over daughters. Other European realms practice one form or another of primogeniture, whereunder a lord was succeeded by his eldest son or, if he had none, by his brother, the system of tanistry was semi-elective and gave weight also to ability and merit. The Salic law, practiced in France and in the Italian territories of the House of Savoy, in most fiefs, in the event of the demise of all legitimate male members of the patrilineage, a female of the family could succeed. Spain today continues this model of succession law, in the form of cognatic primogeniture, in more complex medieval cases, the sometimes conflicting principles of proximity and primogeniture battled, and outcomes were often idiosyncratic
5.
George V
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George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. He was the son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. From the time of his birth, he was third in the line of succession behind his father and his own brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. From 1877 to 1891, George served in the Royal Navy, on the death of his grandmother in 1901, Georges father became King-Emperor of the British Empire, and George was created Prince of Wales. He succeeded his father in 1910 and he was the only Emperor of India to be present at his own Delhi Durbar. His reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, the Parliament Act 1911 established the supremacy of the elected British House of Commons over the unelected House of Lords. In 1917, George became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, in 1924 he appointed the first Labour ministry and in 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognised the dominions of the Empire as separate, independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations. He had health problems throughout much of his reign and at his death was succeeded by his eldest son. George was born on 3 June 1865, in Marlborough House and he was the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Albert Edward and Alexandra. His father was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and he was baptised at Windsor Castle on 7 July 1865 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley. As a younger son of the Prince of Wales, there was expectation that George would become king. He was third in line to the throne, after his father and elder brother, George was only 17 months younger than Albert Victor, and the two princes were educated together. John Neale Dalton was appointed as their tutor in 1871, neither Albert Victor nor George excelled intellectually. For three years from 1879, the brothers served on HMS Bacchante, accompanied by Dalton. They toured the colonies of the British Empire in the Caribbean, South Africa and Australia, and visited Norfolk, Virginia, as well as South America, the Mediterranean, Egypt, Dalton wrote an account of their journey entitled The Cruise of HMS Bacchante. Between Melbourne and Sydney, Dalton recorded a sighting of the Flying Dutchman, after Lausanne, the brothers were separated, Albert Victor attended Trinity College, Cambridge, while George continued in the Royal Navy. He travelled the world, visiting many areas of the British Empire, during his naval career he commanded Torpedo Boat 79 in home waters then HMS Thrush on the North America station, before his last active service in command of HMS Melampus in 1891–92. From then on, his rank was largely honorary
6.
Governor-general
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Governor-General or governor general, in modern usage, is the title of an office-holder appointed to represent the monarch of a sovereign state in the governing of an independent realm. Governors-General have also previously been appointed in respect of major colonial states or other territories held by either a monarchy or republic, in modern usage, the term governor-general originated in those British colonies which became self-governing within the British Empire. In these cases, the Crowns representative in the federated Dominion was given the title of governor general. Another non-federal state, Newfoundland, was a Dominion for 16 years with the Kings representative retaining the title of governor throughout this time, since 2016, the title governor-general has been given to all representatives of the sovereign in independent Commonwealth realms. In these countries the governor-general acts as the representative, performing the ceremonial and constitutional functions of a head of state. The only other nation which uses the designation is Iran. In Iran, the authority is headed by a governor general. As such they held the prerogative powers of the monarch. The monarch or imperial government could overrule any governor-general, though this could often be cumbersome, the governors-general are entitled to wear a unique uniform, which are not generally worn today. If of the rank of general, equivalent or above. The report resulting from the 1926 Imperial Conference stated, in other words, the political reality of a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire with a governor-general answerable to the sovereign became clear. British interference in the Dominion was not acceptable and independent country status was clearly displayed, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were clearly not controlled by the United Kingdom. The governor-general, however, is appointed by the monarch. Executive authority is vested in the monarch, though much of it can be exercisable only by the governor-general on behalf of the sovereign of the independent realm. Except in rare cases, the only acts in accordance with constitutional convention and upon the advice of the national prime minister. The governor-general is still the representative of the sovereign and performs the same duties as they carried out historically. In some realms, the monarch could in principle overrule a governor-general, in Australia the present Queen is generally assumed to be head of state, since the governor-general and the state governors are defined as her representatives. However, since the governor-general performs almost all national regal functions, to a lesser extent, uncertainty has been expressed in Canada as to which officeholder—the monarch, the governor general, or both—can be considered the head of state
7.
Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster
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Henry William Forster, 1st Baron Forster GCMG, PC, DL was a British Conservative Party politician who served as the seventh Governor-General of Australia from 1920 to 1925. He was born at Southend Hall, Catford, then in Kent, England, the son of Major John Forster and he was educated at Eton and New College, Oxford. He was a cricketer who played for Oxford University and Hampshire, as well as for various amateur teams as a lower-order right-handed batsman. He served as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club and he was also keen on yachting and horse-racing. Forster entered the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Sevenoaks at the 1892 general election and he held that seat until 1918, when he was elected for the new Bromley constituency. In 1901, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Kent, in 1919 he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Forster, of Lepe in the County of Southampton. In June 1920 Forster was offered the post of Governor-General of Australia, shortly afterwards, on 28 June 1920, he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George. This was the first occasion on which the Australian government was consulted about the appointment of a Governor-General. The Colonial Secretary, Lord Milner, sent the Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, Hughes seems to have preferred Forster because he was a man of modest reputation whom he thought he could control. His reputation as a sportsman was also an asset and he found that the congenial atmosphere of pre-war Australian politics had been shattered by the bitter battles of the wartime period. Hughess Nationalist Party dominated the political scene, the Labor Party had moved to the left in opposition and was now anti-imperialist and pacifist, and more markedly socialist. But Forster played almost no role in Australian politics during his five years in the country. There was only one change of government during his term, when Hughes was replaced by Stanley Bruce in February 1923, as Australia became more independent and more confident in its international relations, the role of the Governor-General as an overseer and intermediary declined. Forsters predecessor, Ronald Munro Ferguson, had resisted this trend, instead Forsters role became more like that of a modern Governor-General, opening fetes, visiting hospitals, attending sporting events, hosting balls and banquets. As a result, he became more popular than most of his predecessors. Forster and his wife Rachel devoted themselves to charities, and Forster spent much time travelling to all the states and country areas, unveiling war memorials, the day of the decorative Governor-General had arrived. In 1925, a new hospital in Redfern, Sydney was named the Rachel Forster Hospital for Women in Lady Forsters honour. The hospital is now closed and the site has been redeveloped
8.
Prime minister
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A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss members of the cabinet. In most systems, the minister is the presiding member. In parliamentary systems fashioned after the Westminster system, the minister is the presiding and actual head of government. In such systems, the head of state or the head of states official representative usually holds a ceremonial position. The prime minister is often, but not always, a member of the Legislature or the Lower House thereof and is expected with other ministers to ensure the passage of bills through the legislature. In some monarchies the monarch may also exercise powers that are constitutionally vested in the crown. The first actual usage of the prime minister or Premier Ministre was used by Cardinal Richelieu when in 1625 he was named to head the royal council as prime minister of France. Louis XIV and his descendants generally attempted to avoid giving this title to their chief ministers, the term prime minister in the sense that we know it originated in the 18th century in the United Kingdom when members of parliament disparagingly used the title in reference to Sir Robert Walpole. Over time, however, the title became honorific and remains so in the 21st century, the monarchs of England and the United Kingdom had ministers in whom they placed special trust and who were regarded as the head of the government. Examples were Thomas Cromwell under Henry VIII, William Cecil, Lord Burghley under Elizabeth I, Clarendon under Charles II and these ministers held a variety of formal posts, but were commonly known as the minister, the chief minister, the first minister and finally the prime minister. The power of ministers depended entirely on the personal favour of the monarch. Although managing the parliament was among the skills of holding high office. Although there was a cabinet, it was appointed entirely by the monarch, when the monarch grew tired of a first minister, he or she could be dismissed, or worse, Cromwell was executed and Clarendon driven into exile when they lost favour. Kings sometimes divided power equally between two or more ministers to prevent one minister from becoming too powerful, late in Annes reign, for example, the Tory ministers Harley and St John shared power. The monarch could no longer any law or impose any tax without its permission. It is at point that a modern style of prime minister begins to emerge. A tipping point in the evolution of the prime ministership came with the death of Anne in 1714, George spoke no English, spent much of his time at his home in Hanover, and had neither knowledge of, nor interest in, the details of English government
9.
Stanley Bruce
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Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, PC, FRS was the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He later pursued a long and influential career as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, at the League of Nations and as Chairman of the Food. Born into a wealthy Melbourne family, Bruce studied at the University of Cambridge and he served on the front lines of the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I and returned to Australia wounded in 1917, becoming a spokesperson for government recruitment efforts. He gained the attention of the Nationalist Party and Prime Minister Billy Hughes and he was elected to parliament in 1918, becoming treasurer in 1921 and then prime minister in 1923. In office Bruce pursued an energetic and diverse agenda and he comprehensively overhauled federal government administration and oversaw its transfer to the new capital city of Canberra. He implemented many reforms to the Australian federal system that strengthened the role of the Commonwealth and he established the Commonwealth Peace Officers and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the forerunners of the Australian Federal Police and the CSIRO. In the resounding loss at the subsequent election the Prime Minister lost his seat, although he returned to parliament in 1931, Bruces service in the Lyons Government was brief. Instead he pursued a career, accepting appointment as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1933. He was elevated to the peerage in 1947 and became the first Australian to sit in the House of Lords, Stanley Melbourne Bruce was born on 15 April 1883 in St Kilda, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, and was the youngest of five children. His father, John Munro Bruce, was of Ulster Scottish descent and had emigrated from Ireland to Australia in 1858 at the age of 18. His mother, Mary Ann Henderson, was Irish and had married her cousin John after emigrating to Australia in 1872 at the age of 24, as his wealth grew, John became increasingly influential in colonial Victorias social and political life. An avid golfer, he was one of the founders of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club and he was prominent in the liberal protectionist political movement within the state, and an early supporter of future prime minister Alfred Deakin. Johns success ensured that Bruce, his sister Mary and brothers Ernest, William, shortly after Bruces birth the family relocated to the stately Wombalano manor in Toorak. However, John was an aloof and remote figure in the lives of his children, despite their familys Presbyterian faith, Bruce was sent to Melbourne Church of England Grammar School and subsequently Bruce would come to identify principally as Anglican. Bruce was a student but extremely active in the sporting life of the school and captain of its football team. The economic depression of the 1880s and 1890s hit the Bruce family fortunes hard, John Bruce lost much of his fortune in the Victorian bank collapse of 1894 and incurred large debts to buy out his partners in the importing business in 1897. The family suffered a great deal more tragedy over the coming decades, stanleys brother William committed suicide in 1899, shortly after seeking treatment for mental illness. Just two years later John Bruce took his own life during a trip to Paris, he had suffered from depression as a result of the great pressures on his business
10.
Election
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An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century, Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and for regional and local government. This process is used in many other private and business organizations. Electoral reform describes the process of introducing fair electoral systems where they are not in place, psephology is the study of results and other statistics relating to elections. To elect means to choose or make a decision, and so other forms of ballot such as referendums are referred to as elections. Elections were used as early in history as ancient Greece and ancient Rome, and throughout the Medieval period to select rulers such as the Holy Roman Emperor, in Vedic period of India, the raja of a gana was apparently elected by the gana. The raja belonged to the noble Kshatriya varna, and was typically a son of the previous raja, however, the gana members had the final say in his elections. The Pala king Gopala in early medieval Bengal was elected by a group of feudal chieftains, such elections were quite common in contemporary societies of the region. In Chola Empire, around 920 CE, in Uthiramerur, palm leaves were used for selecting the village committee members, the leaves, with candidate names written on them, were put inside a mud pot. To select the members, a young boy was asked to take out as many leaves as the number of positions available. This was known as the Kudavolai system, ancient Arabs also used election to choose their caliph, Uthman and Ali, in the early medieval Rashidun Caliphate. Questions of suffrage, especially suffrage for minority groups, have dominated the history of elections, males, the dominate cultural group in North America and Europe, often dominated the electorate and continue to do so in many countries. Early elections in such as the United Kingdom and the United States were dominated by landed or ruling class males. However, by 1920 all Western European and North American democracies had universal male suffrage. Despite legally mandated universal suffrage for males, political barriers were sometimes erected to prevent fair access to elections. The question of who may vote is an issue in elections. In Australia Aboriginal people were not given the right to vote until 1962, suffrage is typically only for citizens of the country, though further limits may be imposed. However, in the European Union, one can vote in municipal elections if one lives in the municipality and is an EU citizen, the nationality of the country of residence is not required
11.
Monarchy of Australia
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The monarchy of Australia is a form of government in which a hereditary king or queen serves as the nations sovereign. The present monarch is Elizabeth II, styled Queen of Australia and she is represented in Australia by the governor-general, in accordance with the Australian constitution and letters patent from the Queen. In each of the states, the monarch is represented by a governor, the Australian monarch, besides reigning in Australia, separately serves as monarch for each of 15 other Commonwealth nations known as realms. This developed from the colonial relationship between these countries and the United Kingdom, but they are now independent of each other and are legally distinct. Likewise, on all matters relating to any Australian state, the monarch is advised by the ministers of the Crown of that state, the British government is thus considered a foreign power in regard to Australias domestic and foreign affairs. The sovereigns Australian title is currently Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. Typically, the monarch is styled King or Queen of Australia and is addressed as such when in Australia or performing duties on behalf of Australia abroad, prior to 1953, the title had simply been the same as that in the United Kingdom. Australia, however, wished to have the United Kingdom mentioned as well, thus, the resolution was a title that included the United Kingdom but, for the first time, also separately mentioned Australia and the other Commonwealth realms. The passage of a new Royal Style and Titles Act by the Parliament of Australia put these recommendations into law, Queen Elizabeth II signed her assent at Government House, Canberra, on 19 October 1973. Australia does not pay any money to the Queen, either for personal income or to support the royal residences outside Australia, only when the Queen is in Australia does the Australian government support her in the performance of her duties. This rule applies equally to members of the Royal Family. Succession is according to British laws that have incorporated into Australian law. By adhering to the Statute of Westminster in 1942, Australia agreed to change its rules of only in agreement with the UK. Parallel proclamations are made by the governors in each state, regardless of any proclamations, the late sovereigns heir immediately and automatically succeeds, without any need for confirmation or further ceremony. After an individual ascends the throne, he or she continues to reign until death. The legal personality of a component of the Australian state is expressed by reference to the sovereign. In criminal prosecutions, the state as a party is named as The Queen—for instance. However, the prosecutors themselves are referred to as representing the Crown, more commonly and conveniently, however, the entity is referred to directly—for example, as The Commonwealth or The State of New South Wales or simply New South Wales
12.
Governor-General of Australia
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The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Australian monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor-General is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister of Australia, when travelling abroad, the Governor-General is seen as the representative of Australia, and of the Queen of Australia, so is treated as a head of state. The Governor-General is supported by a staff headed by the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, 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. Since 28 March 2014, the Governor-General has been General Sir Peter Cosgrove, from Federation in 1901 until 1965,11 out of the 15 Governors-General were British aristocrats, they included four barons, three viscounts, three earls, and one prince. Since then, all but one of the Governors-General have been Australian-born, as of 2017, only one Governor-General, Dame Quentin Bryce, was a woman. The selection of a Governor-General is a responsibility for the Prime Minister of Australia, the candidate is approached privately to confirm whether they are willing to accept the appointment. The prime minister advises the monarch to appoint his nominee. This has been the procedure since November 1930, when James Scullins proposed appointment of Sir Isaac Isaacs was fiercely opposed by the British government, Scullin was equally insistent that the monarch must act on the relevant prime ministers direct advice. Both of these appointments had been agreed to despite British government objections, despite these precedents, George V remained reluctant to accept Scullins recommendation of Isaacs and asked him to consider Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood. However, Scullin stood firm, and, on 29 November, the King agreed to Isaacss appointment and this right to not only advise the monarch directly, but also to expect that advice to be accepted, was soon taken up by all the other Dominion prime ministers. This, among other things, led to the Statute of Westminster 1931, having agreed to the appointment, the monarch then permits it to be publicly announced in advance, usually several months before the end of the current Governor-Generals term. During these months, the person is referred to as the Governor-General-designate, the actual appointment is made by the monarch. Governors-General have during their tenure the style His/Her Excellency the Honourable, 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 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 1986 the Letters Patent were amended again, and Governors-General appointed from that time were again, ex officio, 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, in 1989, Bill Hayden, a republican, declined appointment to the British Privy Council and any imperial honours. Dame Quentin Bryce was the first Governor-General to have had no title or pre-nominal style. Until 2015, the honour continued after the retirement from office of the Governor-General, formerly, the Governor-General automatically became a knight or dame upon being sworn in
13.
Prime Minister of Australia
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The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the head of government of Australia. The individual who holds the office is the most senior Minister of the Crown, the leader of the Cabinet, the office is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia and exists only through longstanding political convention and tradition. Despite this, in practice it is the most powerful position in Australia. The individual who holds the office is commissioned by the Governor-General of Australia, almost always and according to convention, the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party or largest party in a coalition of parties in the House of Representatives. However, there is no requirement that the prime minister sit in the House of Representatives. The only case where a member of the Senate was appointed minister was John Gorton. Malcolm Turnbull has held the office of Prime Minister since 15 September 2015, the Prime Minister and Treasurer are traditionally members of the House, but the Constitution does not have such a requirement. Before being sworn in as a Minister of the Crown, a person must first be sworn in as a member of the Federal Executive Council if they are not already a member. Membership of the Federal Executive Council entitles the member to the style of The Honourable for life, the senior members of the Executive Council constitute the Cabinet of Australia. The Prime Minister is, like ministers, normally sworn in by the Governor-General. When defeated in an election, or on resigning, the Prime Minister is said to hand in the commission, in the event of a Prime Minister dying in office, or becoming incapacitated, the Governor-General can terminate the commission. Despite the importance of the office of minister, the Constitution does not mention the office by name. The conventions of the Westminster system were thought to be entrenched in Australia by the authors of the Constitution that it was deemed unnecessary to detail them. The formal title of the portfolio has always been simply Prime Minister, except for the period of the Fourth Deakin Ministry, Page was the leader of the smaller party in the governing coalition, the Country Party. He held the office for three weeks until the UAP elected a new leader, Robert Menzies, in August 1941 Menzies resigned as prime minister. In July 1945 John Curtin died suddenly and his deputy, Frank Forde, was sworn in the next day as prime minister, although the Labor Party had not had an opportunity to meet and elect a new leader. Forde served for eight days until Ben Chifley was elected leader, Chifley was then sworn in, replacing Forde, who became Australias shortest-serving prime minister. Harold Holt disappeared while swimming on 17 December 1967 and was declared presumed dead on 19 December, the governor-general, Lord Casey, commissioned the Leader of the Country Party, John McEwen, to form a government until the Liberal Party elected a new leader
14.
Chief Justice of Australia
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The Chief Justice of Australia is the informal title for the presiding justice of the High Court of Australia and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Commonwealth of Australia. The incumbent is Susan Kiefel, the first woman to hold the office, the Court was constituted by, and its first members were appointed under, the Judiciary Act 1903, with the first appointments to the High Court commencing on 5 October 1903. The Chief Justice is first among equals among the Justices of the High Court, all Justices, including the Chief Justice, are appointed by the Governor-General of Australia, on the advice of the federal government. They can be removed only by the Governor-General, on a request from both houses of the parliament, although this has never been done. Since 1977, appointment has been until the retirement age of seventy. The Chief Justice often acts as the Governor-Generals deputy, especially at such as the opening of Parliament after an election. Chief Justice Samuel Griffith was several times consulted by Governors-General of Australia on the exercise of the reserve powers, the Chief Justice also administers the Oath of Allegiance to the Monarch and an Oath of Office to the Governor-General-designate when he or she takes up his or her appointment. Chief Justice Sir John Latham was absent from the office when he served from 1940 to 1941 as Australias first ambassador to Japan, Sir George Rich was Acting Chief Justice in Lathams absence
15.
Adrian Knox
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Sir Adrian Knox KCMG, KC, Australian judge, was the second Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, sitting on the bench of the High Court from 1919 to 1930. Knox was born in Sydney on 29 November 1863, the son of English migrant parents who owned the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. Knox was educated first in Sydney, and then in the United Kingdom, attending Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, shortly after, he was admitted to the Inner Temple, one of the Inns of Court in which English barristers are called to the bar. Knox returned to Australia in 1886 and joined his brother George in practising law, when George died in 1888, Adrian took over the practice, and soon became one of the most successful lawyers at the Sydney bar. Between 1888–90, he reported equity cases for the New South Wales Law Reports, in 1894, Knox was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, in the seat of Woollahra. After being reelected in 1895, Knox retired from the parliament in 1898, at this time, he was also a director of the Australian Mutual Provident Society and a founding member of the Walter and Eliza Hall Trust. Knox was made a Kings Counsel in 1906, and shortly after was offered a position on the bench of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, also in 1906, Knox became Chairman of the Australian Jockey Club, indulging his passion for horse-racing. In 1910, Knoxs horse Vavasor won the Sydney Cup, during World War I, Knox left his practice and traveled to Egypt, where he served as a Commissioner for the Red Cross. He served on the NSW Bar Council from its foundation in 1902 until 1910 and he was appointed to the Privy Council in 1920. Knox sat on a number of committees in this capacity. During his time as Chief Justice, Knox presided over such significant cases as the Engineers case of 1920. Knox was one of six justices of the High Court to have served in the Parliament of New South Wales, along with Edmund Barton, Richard OConnor, Albert Piddington, Edward McTiernan, Knox died in Woollahra on 27 April 1932 and is interred in Waverley Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and three children, in 1918, Knox was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, and in 1921 he was elevated to Knight Commander of that order. Knox was an inductee of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Parliament of New South Wales – Sir Adrian Knox Australian Racing Hall of Fame – Sir Adrian Knox ADB - Sir Adrian Knox
16.
Premier of New South Wales
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The Premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature, prior to Federation in 1901 the term Prime Minister of New South Wales was used, Premier was used from 1901. The current Premier is Gladys Berejiklian, the Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Berejiklian replaced Mike Baird on 23 January 2017, after Baird resigned as Premier. As of January 2017, nine former Premiers are alive, the oldest being Barrie Unsworth, the most recent premier to die was Tom Lewis on 25 April 2016. List of Premiers of New South Wales by time in office Deputy Premier of New South Wales
17.
George Fuller (Australian politician)
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Sir George Warburton Fuller KCMG was Premier of New South Wales, Australia on two occasions during the 1920s. His first term of office lasted less than one day, his second lasted from 13 April 1922 to 17 June 1925. Fuller was born in Kiama, New South Wales and was educated at Kiama Public School, Sydney Grammar School and he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1879, and a Master of Arts in 1882 from the University of Sydney. He studied law under Sir William Patrick Manning and became a barrister in 1884, Fuller served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for over 18 years. Initially he represented Kiama from 1889 to 1894, but was defeated in 1894, Fuller was the first member for Illawarra in the new Australian House of Representatives between 1901 and 1913. He was Minister for Home Affairs in 1909 and 1910 in Alfred Deakins Commonwealth Liberal Party government and was responsible for making Canberra the national capital, in 1911 he was an Australian representative at the coronation of George V. From 1915 to 1928 Fuller represented Wollondilly for the Liberal Party and, from 1916, in part of 1916 and 1917 he was leader of New South Wales Nationalist Party and he became Colonial Secretary in 1916. In 1917 his heavy-handed handling of a strike by rail and tramway workers against the introduction of time cards antagonised the unions and his action were seen by supporters as the decisive leadership required in wartime. In 1919, he expanded the state-owned fishing trawler fleet to provide fish for the mass of the population. On 3 June 1919 he was appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael, labor won the 1920 election and Fuller became Leader of the Opposition. In 1921 he took advantage of the death of John Storey to defeat James Dooleys Government on a motion of no confidence, but Fuller himself had to give up the Premiership after only seven hours, after losing another motion of no confidence and Dooley returned to office. In the 1922 state election, Dooley was defeated and Fuller became Premier once again and his government began the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This time his tenure lasted till the 1925 state election, won by Labors Jack Lang, shortly after Langs victory, Fuller resigned from the Nationalist leadership in favour of Thomas Bavin. From 1928 to 1931 he was the states Agent-General in London and he died in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst
18.
Premier of Queensland
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The Premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the Premier is the leader of the party with a majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Queensland, the incumbent Premier of Queensland since the 2015 election is Annastacia Palaszczuk of the Australian Labor Party. Under section 42 of the Constitution of Queensland the Premier and other members of Cabinet are appointed by the Governor and are responsible to Parliament. The text of the Constitution assigns to the Premier certain powers, such as the power to assign roles to Assistant Ministers, although ministerial appointments are the prerogative of the Governor of Queensland, in normal circumstances the Governor will make these appointments under the advice of the Premier. A re-elected government will be resworn, with adjustments to the ministry as determined by the Premier, the Premier has an office in the Executive Annexe of Parliament House, Brisbane, which is normally used while Parliament is sitting. At other times the Premiers ministerial office is in 1 William Street, before the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only, before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and disorganised by modern standards. As of February 2015, six former premiers are alive, the oldest being Russell Cooper, the most recent premier to die was Wayne Goss, on 10 November 2014. List of Premiers of Queensland by time in office Government of Queensland Politics of Queensland
19.
Ted Theodore
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Edward Granville Theodore was an Australian politician. He was Premier of Queensland 1919–25, a member of the federal House of Representatives 1927–31, Theodore was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the second son of Basil Teodorescu, a Romanian immigrant. He was educated at Lefevre Peninsula Catholic and Aldgate State schools in Adelaide, in 1900 he left for the goldfields of Western Australia, but failed to make his fortune there and decided to try his luck at Broken Hill, New South Wales, instead. In 1906 he left for Cairns, Queensland where he prospected for tin in the Chillagoe area and it was among the unorganised workers of Stannary Hills and Irvinebank that the Amalgamated Workers Association of North Queensland was born. Theodore founded the Amalgamated Workers Association with Bill McCormack and this union used the process and principle of amalgamation to unify with other unions until it became Australias largest union, the Australian Workers Union. Theodore became Queensland state president of the AWU in 1913, meanwhile, he had been elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland in Woothakata from 1909 to 1912 for the Australian Labor Party and subsequently from 1912 to 1925 in Chillagoe. He was a popular and successful Premier, and soon began to be talked about as a possible federal Labor leader, important educational measures were implemented, which benefited the handicapped and isolated, adult franchise in local government was introduced, and the upper house of Parliament abolished. Workers benefited from the introduction of a compulsory unemployment scheme, changes in the Safety and Accommodation Acts, improvements in housing were also secured through amendments to the Savings Bank Act, the Workers Homes Act, and the Fair Rents Act. Orderly marketing and controls on price fluctuations were also carried out to develop agriculture, in 1925, Theodore resigned as Premier and stood for the Queensland seat of Herbert in the federal election, but was unexpectedly defeated by Lewis Nott by 268 votes. Theodore was elected to the House of Representatives for the seat of Dalley in Sydney at a by-election in 1927 and his status as an outsider in Sydney Labor politics was a permanent problem for him, but he soon made his mark in federal Parliament. In 1929 he became Deputy Leader of the Labor Party under James Scullin, in October 1929 Scullin defeated the conservative government of Stanley Bruce and became Prime Minister, while Theodore became Treasurer. Two days after the Scullin government was sworn in, the US stock market crashed, Theodore, an early advocate of Keynesian economics, favoured deficit spending to rejuvenate the economy. However, Works and Railways Minister Joseph Lyons and Trade Minister James Fenton supported a more traditional, meanwhile, a conservative government had taken power in Queensland, and appointed a Royal Commission to investigate Theodores financial dealings as Premier. In June 1930 the Mungana affair forced Theodores resignation, without Theodores leadership and financial skills, the Scullin government drifted into deeper crisis. When it became apparent that the Queensland government did not intend charging Theodore with any offence, Scullin re-appointed him as Treasurer, Lyons and Fenton felt that Scullin should have waited until Theodore had been formally cleared, and resigned from cabinet in protest. During 1931 Theodore faced the greatest economic crisis in Australian history, the radical Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, on the other hand, campaigned for the repudiation of Australias debt to bond-holders in London. Theodore rejected both these alternatives and proposed instead an expansion of credit to farmers and small business, through the issue of notes which could be redeemed after the Depression. His Fiduciary Notes Bill was denounced as financially unsound by orthodox economists and it was eventually defeated in the Senate, which was still controlled by the conservative opposition
20.
Premier of South Australia
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The Premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature, the current Premier is Jay Weatherill, the Leader of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party. Weatherill replaced Mike Rann on 21 October 2011, after Rann resigned as Premier, before the 1890s when there was no formal party system in South Australia, MPs tended to have historical liberal or conservative beliefs. The liberals dominated government from the 1893 election to 1905 election with the support of the South Australian United Labor Party, Labor took government with the support of eight dissident liberals in 1905 when Labor won the most seats for the first time. The rise of Labor saw non-Labor politics start to merge into various party incarnations, Labor formed South Australias first majority government after winning the 1910 state election, triggering the merger. The 1910 election came two weeks after federal Labor formed Australias first elected majority government at the 1910 federal election, no Country or rural conservative parties emerged as serious long-term forces in South Australian state politics, often folding into the main non-Labor party. There are six living former premiers, the oldest being Steele Hall, the most recent premier to die was John Bannon on 13 December 2015. In the following timeline, the legend includes the Liberal and Democratic Union, the Liberal Union, the Liberal Party of Australia is represented as Liberal only. The grey area represents the duration of Playmander electoral malapportionment, beginning in 1936, in effect until the 1970 election
21.
Henry Barwell
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Sir Henry Newman Barwell KCMG was the 28th Premier of South Australia. Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Barwell was educated at St Peters College and Adelaide University, admitted to the bar in 1899, Barwell built a successful legal practice where he specialised in defending murder suspects and became a prominent figure in the Adelaide Establishment. In 1902, he married Anne Webb in Clare, South Australia and together they had one son, Barwell entered the South Australian House of Assembly in 1915 as the Liberal Union member for the seat of Stanley. In parliament he became known both as an uncompromising conservative and as a likely future premier. Peake died soon after and Barwell became Premier of South Australia on 8 April 1920 and this was heresy for many Australians, particularly those in the opposition Labor Party, for which the White Australia Policy was historically a central plank in their policy platform. Labor politicians treated Barwell with undisguised contempt for the rest of his career, unfortunately, the rising popularity of the automobile left many of Barwells rail projects obsolete as soon as they were completed. He travelled to England to personally oversee the recruitment of what became known as the Barwell Boys, widespread unemployment in England led 14000 boys, mainly aged between 15 and 17, to apply for the scheme. While the eventual number of Barwell Boys numbered only 1700, while in London, Barwell was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the Birthday Honours List of 1922. No seats were immediately forthcoming and instead he was forced to settle for appointment to the Senate, sitting with the Nationalist Party of Australia, Barwell served in the Senate until 1928, often clashing with his party colleagues due to his outspokenness and independent mind. Realising that a move into the house was now a forlorn hope. He served in that position until 1933, helping to prepare opinion for the Ottawa Agreement, described by The Times as a strong Imperialist with a practical outlook, Barwell was a firm believer in reciprocal trade between members of the Empire. Growing increasingly deaf, Barwell served as Deputy Chairman of the South Australian Housing Trust for fifteen years until his death in 1959 from cerebrovascular disease, sir Henry Barwell, The Wakefield Companion to South Australian History, ed. Prest, W. Wakefield Press, Adelaide. McGill, M. Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol, ISBN Moss, J. Sound of Trumpets, History of the Labour Movement in South Australia, Wakefield Press, Adelaide
22.
John Gunn (Australian politician)
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John Gunn was the 29th Premier of South Australia, leading the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party to government at the 1924 election. Gunn was born in Bendigo, Victoria, the second of nine children to a Scottish miner, Gunns father died when he was young, forcing him to work as a delivery boy to support his mother and siblings while studying at night classes. Gunn worked a variety of jobs in Melbourne and in the Western Australian timber mills before returning to Melbourne to marry Haidee Smith on 8 September 1908 and they then moved to Adelaide where Gunn found work as a horse-lorry driver on the Port Road. Greatly respected for his courtesy and self-control, Gunn entered the South Australian House of Assembly at the 1915 election as a Labor member for the Electoral district of Adelaide. He soon emerged as a leading anti-conscriptionist in the bitter internal Labor fight over conscription led to a split in the party. A media campaign against Gunn began in earnest, Gunn became Premier and Treasurer of South Australia as well as Minister for Irrigation and Minister for Repatriation at age 39. As Premier, Gunn established the State Bank of South Australia and developed Colonel Light Gardens and he also improved public service working conditions, built more roads and encouraged rural settlement. His reforms impressed many and even received grudging praise from the hostile media. Lionel Hill took over the Labor leadership and Premiership, when the position ended, he accepted a federal government appointment in 1930 and moved to Canberra. When Australian Prime Minister Joseph Lyons declined to renew Gunns contract in 1935, Gunn, estranged from his wife and family and possibly in debt, little was known of his subsequent life. Gunn died in poverty in Waterfall, New South Wales, so far was his fall into obscurity that the South Australian media did not become aware of their former Premiers death for some weeks
23.
Premier of Tasmania
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The Premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly will nominate its leader to be Premier, the nominated politician is then invited by the Governor of Tasmania to act as their principal adviser. Before the 1890s, there was no party system in Tasmania. Party labels before that time indicate a general tendency only, the current convention of appointing the Premier from the House of Assembly was not generally applied prior to 1920, with Premiers often appointed from the Legislative Council. The incumbent Premier of Tasmania since the 2014 election is Will Hodgman of the Liberal Party of Australia, as of 24 January 2011, eight former premiers are alive, the oldest being Tony Rundle. The most recent premier to die was Sir Angus Bethune, on 27 August 2004, the most recently serving premier to die was Jim Bacon, on 20 June 2004. List of Premiers of Tasmania by time in office Leader of the Opposition Governors of Tasmania PREMIERS OF TASMANIA Parliament of Tasmania
24.
Joseph Lyons
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Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was the tenth Prime Minister of Australia, serving from January 1932 until his death. He had earlier served as Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928, Lyons was born in Stanley, Tasmania, and was a schoolteacher and trade unionist before entering politics. He was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1909, representing the Labor Party, Lyons was elected party leader after the Labor governments defeat at the 1916 state election. He became premier in October 1923, after Walter Lee lost a no-confidence motion, elected to the Division of Wilmot at the 1929 federal election, Lyons was immediately made a minister in the new government formed by James Scullin. However, he resigned from cabinet in January 1931 over a policy dispute and he and several other Labor defectors subsequently helped to form the new United Australia Party, which elected Lyons as its leader. The UAP won government at the 1931 federal election, and was re-elected in 1934 and 1937, Lyons died of a heart attack in April 1939, becoming the first prime minister to die in office. His widow, Enid Lyons, later became the first woman elected to the House of Representatives, Lyons was born in Stanley, Tasmania, the grandson of Irish immigrants. His father, Michael Lyons, was a farmer who afterwards engaged in a butchery and bakery business, but lost this on account of bad health. His mother did much to keep the family of eight children together, but with the assistance of two aunts, he was able to resume his education at the Philip Smith Teachers Training College, Hobart, and became a teacher. He also became a trade unionist and was an early member of the Australian Labor Party in Tasmania. In 1909 Lyons was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Wilmot in central Tasmania, from 1914 to 1916 he was Treasurer and Minister for Education and Railways in John Earles state Labor government. As Education Minister he oversaw a number of reforms, including abolition of fees for schools, improving teachers pay and conditions. In 1913, a participant in the Labor discussion groups, Eliza Burnell, introduced him to her 15-year-old daughter, Enid Burnell and she was a strong-minded woman who exercised great influence over Lyons, while raising their eleven children. When the ALP split over conscription during the First World War in 1916, Earle, like most Australians of Irish Catholic background, Lyons was an anti-conscriptionist and stayed in the Labor Party, becoming its new leader in Tasmania. He led the Labor opposition in the Tasmanian Parliament until 1923 when he became Premier and he held office until 1928, also serving as Treasurer during the whole period of his premiership. Lyons government was cautious and pragmatic, establishing relations with business and the conservative government in Canberra. Labor narrowly lost the 1928 state election to the Nationalist Party, at the 1929 election, Lyons ran for the federal seat of Wilmot, covering the same territory as his state seat. He was swept into office in Labors landslide victory under James Scullin and he was appointed Postmaster-General and Minister for Works and Railways
25.
Premier of Victoria
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The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly. Responsible government came to the colony of Victoria in 1855, between 1856 and 1892, the head of the government was commonly called the Premier or the Prime Minister, but neither title had any legal basis. The head of government always held another portfolio, usually Chief Secretary or Treasurer, the first head of government to hold the title of Premier without holding another portfolio was William Shiels in 1892. The incumbent Premier of Victoria since the 2014 election is Daniel Andrews of the Australian Labor Party, as of September 2016, six former premiers are alive, the oldest being John Cain. The most recent premier to die was Joan Kirner, on 1 June 2015, department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria Deputy Premier of Victoria List of Premiers of Victoria by time in office ABC News - Premiers of Victoria
26.
Harry Lawson
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Sir Harry Sutherland Wightman Lawson KCMG, Australian politician, was the 27th Premier of Victoria. Lawson was born in Dunolly, the son of a Presbyterian clergyman of Scottish descent and he was educated at a local school and then briefly Scotch College in Melbourne. He was a noted Australian rules footballer, playing for Castlemaine and he studied law with a Melbourne law firm and was called to the bar. He then went into practice in Castlemaine, and was elected to the town council, in 1901 he married Olive Horwood, with whom he had eight children. Lawson was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Castlemaine as a Liberal in a by-election in December 1899, and represented the district in its different incarnations for 28 years. In June 1904, Lawson was elected to the new Electoral district of Castlemaine and Maldon, holding this seat until a redistribution in 1927, when he was elected as member for Castlemaine and Kyneton. Lawson was President of the Board of Land and Works in the government of William Watt from 1913 to 1915, Lawson proved to be the most successful Premier Victoria had seen to date, holding office for six continuous years, something none of his 26 predecessors had done. This was despite the further fragmentation of the vote with the emergence of the Country Party. At the 1921 elections, Lawsons Nationalist Party won 30 seats, to Labors 20, both Labor and the Country Party preferred Lawson to each other, so Lawson was able to survive as a minority Premier. He was helped by Labors continuing inability to win seats outside its strongholds in the suburbs of Melbourne. The biggest test Lawson faced was the 1923 Victorian Police strike, there was also increasingly bitter industrial strife in Melbourne as the prosperity of the pre-war years failed to return. There were major strikes on the waterfront and in the mining industry. Lawson gained a reputation as a tough conservative, in September 1923 Lawson formed Victorias first conservative coalition, taking in five Country Party ministers. The coalition broke down in March 1924 when the Country Party made demands Lawson would not accept, the Country Party ministers resigned, and then united with Labor to bring Lawson down. After unsuccessfully contesting the Speakership, he retired to the bench, where he stayed until October 1928. At the 1928 election, Lawson was elected to the Senate as a Nationalist, in October the Scullin Labor government came to power and he spent two years in opposition. In October 1933 he was appointed an Assistant Minister in the Lyons United Australia Party government, in 1933 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. At the 1934 election, election he retired, his term ending in June 1935
27.
Alexander Peacock
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Sir Alexander James Peacock, KCMG, Australian politician, was the 20th Premier of Victoria. Peacock was born of Scottish descent at Creswick, the first Victorian Premier born after the rush of the 1850s. He was distantly related to the family of the politician Andrew Peacock, educated at a local school, Peacock passed the Victorian civil service examination at 13 years of age, becoming briefly a school teacher and a clerk in Melbourne. Returning to Creswick, he worked as a manager, establishing his own business. He was prominent in the Australian Natives Association and the movement for Australian federation in the 1880s and 90s, in 1889 Peacock was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Clunes and Allendale, near Ballarat, which he held for 43 years. He was Chief Secretary in both the governments of Sir George Turner from 1894 to 1899 and 1900 to 1901, being also Minister for Public Instruction in the first, in 1897 Peacock was elected as one of the Victorian delegates to the Constitutional Convention which wrote the Australian Constitution. In 1901, he not to stand for new Parliament of Australia. This was partly because the electorate covering the area he represented. Instead, he stayed in Victorian politics and when Premier Turner resigned to contest the first federal elections, Peacock succeeded him and he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1902. Peacock stayed in opposition during Irvines ministry, but in 1907 he returned to office as Chief Secretary, soon afterwards, World War I broke out, and Peacocks government joined the initial enthusiastic response to the war. By 1916, however, the war was placing increasing strain on the Victorian economy and this caused increased opposition to the Liberals in rural areas, led by the Victorian Farmers Union. In 1917 the Liberals were renamed the Nationalist Party, at the November 1917 elections, the Nationalists were split into pro and anti-Peacock factions, and the anti-Peacock group swept the country seats. The anti-Peacock leader John Bowser then became Premier, the coalition government that Lawson formed broke down in March 1924 when the Country Party made demands Lawson would not accept. The Country Party ministers resigned, and then united with Labor to bring Lawson down, Lawson resigned and Peacock was again chosen as leader of the Nationalist Party and became Premier for the third time. He was still a liberal at heart, however, and immediately brought in a bill to reduce the representation of country areas. But his own followers rebelled and Peacock called an election, at which Labor emerged as the largest party, Peacock resigned again, and was succeeded by a minority Labor government led by George Prendergast. In 1928 he was elected Speaker, a position he held until his death in 1933 and his widow Millie, Lady Peacock, won the by-election at Allandale caused by his death, becoming the first woman member of the Legislative Assembly. Peacock served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria from 1900-1905, at age 39 he was the youngest person ever to obtain that position in Australian Freemasonry, before or since
28.
George Prendergast
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George Michael Mick Prendergast, Australian politician, was the 28th Premier of Victoria. He was born to Irish emigrant parents in Adelaide, but he grew up in Stawell, Wimmera and he was apprenticed as a printer, and worked as a compositor in Ballarat, Sydney and Narrandera before settling in Melbourne in 1887. A member of the Typographical Association, he represented that union at the Melbourne Trades Hall, Prendergast was one of the first Labor members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, being elected for North Melbourne in 1894. At the 1897 election, Prendergast was defeated by William Watt, but regained the seat in 1900 and he then shifted to the electorate of Footscray, which he represented until his death. In all he was an MP for 40 years, but was noted more for his fiery stump oratory than any real ability, in 1904 Prendergast became the first leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party. He resigned this position through ill-health in 1913, allowing George Elmslie to become the first Labor Premier and he returned to the Labor leadership in 1918. He was the President of the North Melbourne Football Club for some time, Labors parliamentary representation was confined to the industrial areas of Melbourne and a few provincial towns. There was little talent in the Parliamentary Labor Party and few regarded Prendergast as likely ever to win a state election, in April 1924, however, the Country Party withdrew its support from the Nationalist government of Alexander Peacock when he tried to pass a bill reducing rural representation. Peacock called an election in June, at which Labor won 27 seats, the Nationalists 20, Labor offered a series of policy concessions to the Country Party, and the party agreed to support a minority Labor government. Prendergast thus became Premier at the age of 70 – the oldest man ever to take the office for the first time, the only real talents in his government were Edmond Hogan as Minister for Agriculture and Railways and William Slater as Attorney-General. John Cain was an Assistant Minister, prendergasts government was the first Labor government in Victoria able actually to govern. Increased expenditure was made available for rural roads, while reductions were made on rail freights, with the support of the Country Party, he was able to pass several bills assisting farmers, but the Country Party would not support anything which benefited Labors urban working-class base. This was a situation for Labor ministers, and several urged Prendergast to call another election in the hope of improving their position. In November the Country Party patched up its differences with the Nationalists, the Country Party leader, John Allan, succeeded him as Premier. Prendergast resigned as Labor Leader in 1926 and was succeeded by Hogan, in Hogans first minority government he was again Chief Secretary. He died in 1937, still an MP, aged 83, a History of the Parliament of Victoria, 1856–1990, Oxford University Press, Melbourne,1992 Ross McMullin, The Light on the Hill, The Australian Labor Party 1891–1991
29.
John Allan (Australian politician)
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John Allan, Australian politician, was the 29th Premier of Victoria. He was born near Lancefield, where his father was a farmer of Scottish origin and he took up wheat and dairy farming at Wyuna and was director of a butter factory at Kyabram. In 1892 he married Annie Stewart, with whom he had six children, northern Victoria was a centre of the movement of militant small farmers who founded first the Victorian Farmers Union and later the Country Party as an outlet for their grievances. In 1917 Allan was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as VFU member for Rodney, in 1919 he became a founding member of the Country Party and its first parliamentary leader, and was a member of its Victorian Central Council. The result was a state election in which the Nationalists won 31 seats, Labor 21. The Country Party then split over the issue of whether to support Lawson or Labor, with Allan in favour of Lawson, allans faction propped up Lawsons government until 1923, when a new coalition government was formed with Lawson as Premier and Allan as Minister for Lands and Immigration. This was the first Nationalist-Country coalition state government, george Prendergast then formed a minority Labor government. This in turn fell in November when the Nationalists and Country Party came to a new agreement, under the new coalition agreement, Allan became Australias first Country Party Premier, with Peacock as his deputy. Dunstans faction seceded from the party and formed the Country Progressive Party, attempts by both Labor and Nationalists to reduce the over-representation of country areas were resisted by Allan and blocked by the Legislative Council. As a result, the April 1927 state election saw a big swing to Labor, which won 28 seats to the Nationalists 15, the Country Partys 10, the Country Progressives four and independents eight. This was Labors best result yet, and enough for the Labor leader Edmond Hogan to form a minority government with Progressive support, Allan resigned in May, and the Country Party stayed in opposition until 1935. In 1930 Dunstan led his followers back into a united party, Allan refused to serve in this government, and remained on the backbench until his death in 1936. A1928 oil portrait of Allan by artist Aileen Dent hangs in the Victorian Parliament House
30.
Premier of Western Australia
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The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive branch of government in the Australian state of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions. The incumbent Premier of Western Australia is Mark McGowan who won the 2017 state election and was sworn in on 17 March 2017 by Governor Kerry Sanderson as the 30th Premier of Western Australia. The premier must be a member of one of the two Houses of the Parliament of Western Australia, and by convention the premier is a member of the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. He or she is appointed by the governor on the advice of the lower house, consequently, the premier is almost always the leader of the political party or coalition of parties with the majority of seats in the lower house. The office of premier of Western Australia was first formed in 1890, the Constitution of Western Australia does not explicitly provide for a premier, and the office was not formally listed as one of the executive offices until the appointment of Ross McLarty in 1947. Nonetheless, John Forrest immediately adopted the title on taking office as first premier of Western Australia in 1890, John Forrest was the only premier of Western Australia as a self-governing colony. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, Western Australia became an Australian state, Party politics began in Western Australia with the rise of the Labor party in 1901. By 1904, the party system was entrenched in Western Australian politics, since then the premiers have been associated with political parties. Western Australias constitution contains nothing to preclude the premier being a member of the upper house, historically and by convention, however, the premier is a member of the Assembly. During the economic boom of the 1980s, the Western Australian government became involved with a number of large businesses. A succession of deals were made between the government and businesses, and these ultimately caused great losses for the state, a subsequent royal commission found evidence of widespread corruption. Three former premiers were found to have acted improperly and two of them, Ray OConnor and Brian Burke, were jailed and this scandal became popularly known as WA Inc. As of 4 April 2017, seven former premiers are alive, the oldest being Peter Dowding, the most recent premier to die was Ray OConnor, on 25 February 2013, aged 86. He served as premier for a month before resigning after no seat could be found. b Prior to the 1904 election, no organised political parties existed, walter Kingsmill served as Acting Premier during this time
31.
James Mitchell (Australian politician)
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Sir James Mitchell GCMG was the 13th Premier of Western Australia, serving on two occasions, the Lieutenant-Governor of Western Australia for 15 years and the 22nd Governor of Western Australia. Mitchell, the eldest of thirteen children, was educated at Bunbury, Western Australia, in 1906, the state premier Newton Moore made Mitchell an honorary minister for agricultural expansion. In 1909 he was promoted, being given the portfolios of lands and he recruited William Lowrie as director of agriculture. On 17 May 1919, premier Hal Colebatch resigned and Mitchell succeeded to the position, Mitchell won the 1921 election and remained premier until 1924. During this period he garnered much publicity for his support for the Soldier-Settlement Scheme in the south-west of Western Australia. As a result of his promotion of this scheme he was dubbed Moo-Cow Mitchell by the local press. Nonetheless the establishment of an industry in Western Australia can be largely credited to him. He also proved adept at dealing with the divisions between the Nationalist Party and the Country Party, mitchells election to a second term in office coincided with the onset of the Great Depression. His government was defeated at the 1933 state elections, in addition to which he became the first Western Australian premier to lose both a state election and his parliamentary seat. As a result of difficulties during the Great Depression, Tasmania had appointed a lieutenant governor in the 1930s. With the approval of the political parties, in July 1933 Mitchell was appointed lieutenant governor of Western Australia. He held the position until he was appointed governor in 1948. He retired from the post in June 1951, and died one month later, Mitchell was the first Australian-born governor of Western Australia, and he remains the only person to have served as both Premier and Governor of the state. The Mitchell Freeway was named in his honour, as was Sir James Mitchell Park in South Perth, the botanist Charles Gardner named the rapier featherflower, Verticordia mitchelliana in his honour. He had also been President of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society G. C, bolton, Mitchell, Sir James, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, MUP,1986, pp 530–532
32.
Philip Collier
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Philip Collier was an Australian politician who served as Premier of Western Australia from 1924 to 1930 and from 1933 to 1936. He was leader of the Labor Party from 1917 to 1936, Collier was born in Victoria and came to Western Australia to work in the mines. He became involved in the movement on the Eastern Goldfields. In 1911, Collier became a minister in the government of John Scaddan and he replaced Scaddan as Labor leader in 1917, in the aftermath of the split over conscription, and became premier when Labor recorded a narrow victory at the 1924 state election. His government was on terms with trade unions, and its improvements to industrial arbitration laws have been credited with reducing the number of industrial disputes relative to other states. It also had various workers rights enshrined in legislation, including a basic wage, Collier himself was a political moderate, and borrowed policies from his predecessors in certain areas, notably rural development. Later writers have praised his statesmanship and his handling of his opponents. Philip Collier was born at Woodstock near Melbourne, Victoria on 21 April 1873, the son of a farmer of the same name, he was educated locally but left school at the age of 16. He spent some time gold mining at Steiglitz, Victoria and then in New South Wales, on 27 June 1900, he married Ellen Heagney, with whom he would have two sons and two daughters. Collier began to take an interest in the movement, joining the Labor Party. He was campaign director for at least three Labor candidates in State and Federal election, including Frank Anstey, in 1904 Collier moved to Western Australia. On 27 October 1905, Collier was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Boulder and he would retain the seat until his death nearly 43 years later. He was appointed Minister for Mines and Minister for Railways in the Scaddan Ministry on 7 October 1911 and he retained these portfolios until the defeat of the Scaddan government on 17 July 1916. Collier retained the leadership of the Labor party throughout the Liberal and nationalist governments of Frank Wilson, Henry Lefroy, Hal Colebatch, during this time Collier joined with John Curtin and J. J. Simons in leading an anti-conscription campaign. His public comments got him in trouble with censors a number of times, on 17 April 1924, the Labor party had a landslide election victory, and Collier became Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Forests. The Labor party was defeated by Mitchell in the election of 23 April 1930 and he won another term as Premier in the election of 24 April 1933. Simultaneously with the election, a referendum had been held in which the people of Western Australia had overwhelmingly voted in favour of secession from the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the Labor party opposed secession, Collier nonetheless agreed to act on the result of the referendum by petitioning the British government for secession
33.
Governor of New South Wales
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The Governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the Governor-General of Australia at the national level, the Governor is appointed by the queen on the advice of the Premier of New South Wales, for an unfixed period of time—known as serving At Her Majestys pleasure—though five years is the norm. The current Governor is retired General David Hurley, who succeeded Dame Marie Bashir on 2 October 2014, the office has its origin in the 18th-century colonial governors of New South Wales upon its settlement in 1788, and is the oldest continuous institution in Australia. The office of Governor is required by the New South Wales Constitution Act,1902, besides the administration of the oaths of office, there is no set formula for the swearing-in of a governor-designate. The sovereign will also hold an audience with the appointee and will at that time induct the governor-designate as a Companion of the Order of Australia. The incumbent will generally serve for at least five years, though this is only a convention. The premier may therefore recommend to the Queen that the remain in her service for a longer period of time. A governor may also resign and three have died in office, furthermore, if the Lieutenant Governor becomes incapacitated while serving in the office of Governor, the next most senior judge of the Supreme Court is sworn in as the Administrator. Between 1788 and 1957, all governors were born outside of New South Wales and were members of the Peerage. Taylor once noted that out and governing New South Wales became the British aristocracys abiding consolation. Coincidentally the first Australian-born Governor, Sir John Northcott on 1 August 1946, was also the first Australian-born Governor of any state, the first Governors were all military officers and the majority of governors since have come from a military background, numbering 19. Samuels was the first governor in New South Wales history without either a political, public service or military background, the first woman to hold this position is also the first Lebanese-Australian governor, Dame Marie Bashir. In this capacity, the governor will issue royal proclamations and sign orders in council, the Governor alone is constitutionally mandated to summon parliament. The governor grants Royal Assent in the Queens name, legally, if the governor withholds the Queens assent, the sovereign may within two years disallow the bill, thereby annulling the law in question. No modern viceroy has denied Royal Assent to a bill, with most constitutional functions delegated to Cabinet, the governor acts in a primarily ceremonial fashion. He or she will host members of Australias royal family, as well as foreign royalty, also as part of international relations, the governor receives letters of credence and of recall from foreign consul-generals appointed to Sydney. The governor is also tasked with fostering unity and pride, the governor also traditionally serves as Honorary and Regimental Colonel in the Royal New South Wales Regiment and as Honorary Air Commodore of No.22 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Since 1946, the governor has also always made the Chief Scout of New South Wales
34.
Dudley de Chair
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Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair KCB, KCMG, KBE, MVO was a senior Royal Navy officer and later Governor of New South Wales. De Chair joined the Royal Navy in 1878 and took part in the bombardment of Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882 and he was promoted to commander on 22 July 1897, and to captain on 26 June 1902. He became Assistant Controller of the Navy in 1910 and Secretary to First Lord of the Admiralty in 1912, De Chair was appointed Governor of New South Wales on 8 November 1923. His uncle, Sir Harry Rawson, had held the same twenty years earlier. Arriving in Sydney in 1924, De Chair became Governor in stable political times, while Langs attempts ultimately failed, De Chair failed to gain the support of an indifferent Dominions Office. With Langs departure in 1927, the Nationalist Government of Thomas Bavin invited him in 1929 to stay on as Governor for a further term, De Chair agreed only to a years extension and retired on 8 April 1930. Returning to London after a trip, de Chair worked on his memoirs until his death in 1958. De Chair married Enid Struben in 1903, together they had three children, Henry Graham de Chair, Elaine de Chair and Somerset de Chair. Following the King Edward VIIs visit to the Russian Empire, de Chair was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order on 10 June 1908 for his role in the visit as commander HMS Cochrane. In the 1914 Kings Birthday Honours, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath, on 6 March 1911, de Chair was appointed a Naval aide-de-camp to King George V. He relinquished the appointment on 31 July 1912, having promoted to flag rank on that day. Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair at Australian Dictionary of Biography
35.
Governor of Queensland
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The Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the Queen of Australia. In an analogous way to the Governor-General of Australia at the national level, in particular the Governor has the power to appoint and dismiss the Premier of Queensland and all other Ministers in the Cabinet, and issue writs for the election of the state Parliament. The current Governor, Paul de Jersey, was sworn in on 29 July 2014, as from June 2014, The Queen, upon the recommendation of then-Premier Campbell Newman, accorded all current, future and living former Governors the title The Honourable in perpetuity. The Governor of Queensland has resided at Government House, Brisbane since 1910, the mansion, set in 14 hectares of gardens and bushland in the Brisbane suburb of Bardon, is also known as Fernberg. Unlike Fernberg, the original Government House was purpose-built and was used from 1862 to 1910, the office of Governor is established by the Constitution of Queensland. Nevertheless, the Governor retains the powers of the Crown, and has the right to appoint and dismiss Ministers, issue pardons. Sir Joh elected to resign on 1 December 1987, the Governor is head of the Executive Council, a Queensland equivalent to the Federal Executive Council. The Council is composed of ministers from the government of the day, the Chief Justice of Queensland and other judges in the Queensland judicial system are appointed by the Governor acting on the advice of the Executive Council. The first Australian- born Governor of Queensland was Lieutenant-General Sir John Lavarack and his successor, Sir Henry Abel Smith was British. All subsequent governors have been Australian-born, except for Leneen Forde, four former governors of Queensland are alive, the oldest being Leneen Forde. The most recent death of a governor was that of Sir Walter Campbell. Administrators and Lieutenant-Governors are deputy roles generally appointed to carry out the duties of the Governor when the Governor is unavailable, the following are the Administrators and Lieutenant-Governors of Queensland, Official Website of the Governor of Queensland
36.
Matthew Nathan
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Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Matthew Nathan, GCMG, PC was a British soldier and colonial administrator, who variously served as the Governor of Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Hong Kong, Natal and Queensland. Nathan was born in Paddington, England and he was of Jewish descent and the second son of businessman Jonah Nathan and Miriam Jacob Nathan. Nathan was educated at Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, where he was the winner of the Pollock Medal before being gazetted to Royal Engineers in 1880 and he continued his training at the School of Military Engineering, Chatham from 1880 to 1884. Nathan was sent to military expeditions to Sudan and to Lushai and he was promoted to the position of captain in 1889 and became the secretary to the Colonial Defence Committee between 1896 and 1898. Nathan was promoted to major in 1898, Nathan was appointed acting governor of Sierra Leone from 1899 to 1900. Late that year, he was appointed as Governor of Gold Coast, in 1902, Nathan imported into the Gold Coast a £543 French Gardner-Serpollet, paraffin-fired, steam-driven car for his use on the roads around Accra. In 1903, Nathan was appointed as Governor of Hong Kong, the construction of Kowloon-Canton Railway started under this period. In 1907, Nathan was made Governor of Natal, in that same year, he was raised to a higher rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1909 he returned to England and took up an appointment as secretary to the General Post Office and he was chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue between 1911 and 1914. Nathan was appointed Under-Secretary for Ireland in August 1914, just after the outbreak of World War I and his immediate superior was the Chief Secretary, Augustine Birrell. Nathans job involved liaising with the Irish Parliamentary Party to prepare them for self-government and he used the Defence of the Realm Act 1914 to suppress newspapers he considered seditious, against the advice of the IPP In general, however, he avoided any action that might provoke violence. The man arrested was subsequently identified as Sir Roger Casement A mobilization of the Irish Volunteers fixed for Easter Sunday was cancelled the day before, Nathan cabled Birrell, the Chief Secretary, in London to obtain authorisation for these actions. On Easter Monday,24 April 1916, while he was in his office in Dublin Castle awaiting Birrells response, the Castle gates were closed and the rebels did not press the attack, but Nathan was a virtual prisoner until troops arrived from the Curragh Camp on Monday evening. Nathan remained in the Castle for the rest of the week where he kept in contact with London, keeping the government up to date with the situation, the Rising came to an end on 30 April. The same day Birrell offered his resignation, and on 3 May, at Birrells request, the Royal Commission on the 1916 Rebellion was critical of Birrell and Nathan, in particular their failure to take action against the rebels in the weeks and months before the Rising. After his resignation Nathan was appointed secretary to the Ministry of Pensions, in 1920, he was appointed Governor of Queensland and served in that position until 1925. It was to be his last post in the Colonial Service, during his tenure, Nathan actively promoted British migration to Queensland. In 1922 he founded, along with Henry Caselli Richards, the Great Barrier Reef Committee, after his appointment expired, Nathan left Queensland for retirement in Somerset, England
37.
Governor of South Australia
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The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level. The Governors official residence is Government House, in Adelaide, the states capital, nevertheless, the Governor retains the reserve powers of the Crown, and has the right to dismiss the Premier. The Westminster system is a form of constitutional monarchy, the first Australian-born Governor of South Australia was Major-General Sir James Harrison, and most subsequent governors have been Australian-born. The first South Australian-born governor was Sir Mark Oliphant, the current governor is Hieu Van Le. The term of the governor, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce. As from June 2014, the Queen, upon the recommendation of the Premier, accorded all current, future and these people administered the government in the absence of the official governor. Three former governors are alive, the oldest being Sir Eric Neal, the latest-serving former governor to die was Dame Roma Mitchell, on 5 March 2000. The most recent death of a governor was that of Sir Keith Seaman. The Official Website of the Governor of South Australia Previous governors on official website
38.
Tom Bridges
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Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges, KCB, KCMG, DSO known as Sir Tom Bridges, was a British military officer and Governor of South Australia. After the First World War, he served in Greece, Russia and he was Governor of South Australia from 1922–27. Bridges was born at Park Farm, Eltham, Kent, England, to Major Thomas Walker Bridges and he was educated at Newton Abbot College and later at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. After graduating from the Royal Military Academy, Bridges joined the Royal Artillery as a lieutenant on 19 February 1892. He was promoted to lieutenant on 19 February 1895, and received the rank of captain supernumerary to the establishment on 5 April 1900, serving in the Second Boer War in South Africa, for a few months in 1901 he commanded two West Australian Mounted infantry contingents. In 1908, he became the instructor at the Cavalry School at Netheravon. Seeking a more rapid promotion in the army, Bridges transferred to the 4th Queens Own Hussars in 1909 and he was appointed military attaché to the Low Countries and Scandinavia between 1910 and 1914. Early in World War I, Bridges was involved in the Battle of Mons, during the British Armys retreat, he met two battalions of exhausted British soldiers at Saint Quentin, whose officers planned to surrender to save the town from bombardment. In a celebrated incident on 27 August, the injured Bridges used a tin whistle and toy drum purchased from a toy shop to rally the men, in October, French flew Bridges to the besieged Belgian city of Antwerp to provide intelligence there for the British headquarters. In 1916 he was promoted to major general and he set about turning the 19th Division into an efficient fighting unit, purging the senior officers. The division was in reserve on the disastrous first day of the Battle of the Somme and it acquitted itself well in the small subsequent attacks around La Boiselle in July. In 1917, Bridges was sent on the liaison to the United States under Arthur Balfour, soon after the Americans entered the war. This caused much friction as the American general staff felt that US troops should be commanded by US officers, Bridges returned in time to lead his division at Passchendaele in 1917. He was severely injured on 20 September at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, the rate of reinforcements was soon increased threefold. Subsequently, Bridges was appointed to liaison missions to Greece, the Balkans and his final active service was in Greece, fighting against the Turks in Asia Minor. After the war, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George and his uncle, the Poet Laureate Robert Bridges, also honoured him with an ode To His Excellency. Bridges was appointed Governor of South Australia in 1922, at the instigation of his friend Winston Churchill, Bridges arrived in Adelaide in December of the same year. Bridges was a governor, defending capital punishment, supporting the Legislative Council
39.
Governor of Tasmania
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The Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the level as the Governor-General of Australia does at the national level. Nevertheless, the Governor retains the powers of the Crown. See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor, the official residence of the Governor is Government House located at the Queens Domain. The first Australian-born Governor of Tasmania was Sir Stanley Burbury, the first Tasmanian-born governor was Sir Guy Green. Since Burbury, all Tasmanian governors have been Australian-born, except for Peter Underwood, on 10 November, Premier Will Hodgman announced that University of Tasmania legal academic Kate Warner would be appointed as the states first female governor. Warner was sworn in on 10 December, between 1804 and 1813, Van Diemens Land was divided along the 42nd parallel, and the two sections governed as separate Lieutenant-Governorships under the Governor of New South Wales. Collins was the officially appointed Lieutenant-Governor—upon his death in 1810. The northern settlement at Port Dalrymple was administered by four Commandants until the settlements were merged to form the colony under the governorship of Thomas Davey in 1813. The colony was called Van Diemens Land until 1856, four former governors are alive, the oldest being Sir Phillip Bennett. The latest-serving former governor to die was Sir Stanley Burbury, on 24 April 1995, the most recently serving governor to die was Peter Underwood, who died in office on 7 July 2014. Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Tasmania Parliamentary Library - Governors of Tasmania
40.
James O'Grady
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Sir James OGrady, KCMG was a trade unionist and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the first colonial governor appointed by the Labour Party from within its own ranks, OGrady was born in Bristol to Irish parents. His father was a labourer, and after leaving school at ten, OGrady did various jobs, before training as a cabinet-maker. A member of the Independent Labour Party and supported by the Labour Representation Committee and he had benefited from an electoral pact negotiated between Herbert Gladstone and Ramsay MacDonald, and faced only a Unionist opponent, who he defeated by a wide margin. He held that seat until he stepped down from Parliament at the 1924 general election, in the House of Commons, he spoke frequently, particularly on foreign affairs, and was noted as a strong supporter of the First World War, speaking at recruitment rallies. He was also Labours only Roman Catholic MP, through his role in the Amalgamated Union of Cabinet Makers, he had been President of the Trades Union Congress in 1898, and he continued his union activities whilst an MP. After a variety of posts in unions related to the furniture trades, in 1924, Ramsay MacDonalds First Labour Government offered OGrady the post of British Ambassador to the Soviet Union, and he accepted. Instead he became Governor of Tasmania from 1924 to 1930, the first Labour politician to be appointed as a colonial governor by a Labour government, his appointment was resisted by the Australian Labor Party, which wanted the job to go to an Australian. He was knighted with a KCMG and moved to Tasmania, taking office on 23 December and his governorship was marked by conflicts with the Legislative Council, and his governors reports were outspoken, but he appears to have parted on good terms. His next appointment was in 1931, as Governor of the Falkland Islands and he died later that year, aged 68. In 1910, OGrady and three other MPs, along with Professor Stanley Poole, formally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize the Polish physician L. L. Zamenhof, inventor of Esperanto
41.
Governor of Victoria
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The Governor of Victoria is the representative in the Australian state of Victoria of its monarch, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia and is one of the Governors of the Australian states. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the federal level. The governors office and official residence is Government House next to the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Governor of Victoria is appointed by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the Premier of Victoria. The current Governor of Victoria is former judge Linda Dessau, Victorias first female governor, nevertheless, the governor retains the reserve powers of the Crown, and has the right to dismiss the premier. The governor of Victoria is appointed by the queen of Australia, on the advice of the premier of Victoria, to act as her representative as head of state in Victoria. The governor acts at the pleasure, meaning that the term of the governor can be terminated at any time by the queen acting upon the advice of the premier. Upon appointment, he or she becomes a viceroy, the governors main responsibilities fall into three categories – constitutional, ceremonial and community engagement. In 1984, the Personal Standard of the Governor of Victoria was changed to the State Flag of Victoria, with the blue background replaced by gold, above the Southern Cross is the Royal Crown. Previously, the used by Victorian governors after 1870 had been the Union Jack with the Badge of the State of Victoria emblazoned in the centre. Between 1903 and 1953, the Tudor Crown was used on the State Flag and Governors Standard, the Governor’s Standard is flown at Government House and on vehicles conveying the governor. The Standard is lowered over Government House when the governor is absent from Victoria, there is also a lieutenant-governor and an administrator. The Chief Justice of Victoria is ex officio the Administrator, unless he or she is the lieutenant-governor, in which case, the lieutenant-governor takes on the responsibilities of the governor when that post is vacant or when the governor is out of the state or unable to act. The administrator takes on those duties if both the governor and lieutenant-governor are not able to act for the above reasons, see Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of governor. Until the appointment of Victorian-born Sir Henry Winneke in 1974, the Governors of Victoria were British, prior to the separation of the colony of Victoria from New South Wales in 1851, the area was called the Port Phillip District of New South Wales. The Governor of New South Wales appointed superintendents of the District, in 1839 Charles La Trobe was appointed superintendent. La Trobe became Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria on separation on 1 July 1851, between 1850 and 1861, the Governor of New South Wales was titled Governor-General of New South Wales, in an attempt to form a federal structure. Until Victoria obtained responsible government in 1855, the Governor-General of New South Wales appointed lieutenant-governors to Victoria, on Victoria obtaining responsible government in May 1855, the title of the then incumbent lieutenant-governor, Captain Sir Charles Hotham, became governor. As of July 2015, four former governors are alive, the oldest being John Landy, the most recent governor to die was Davis McCaughey, on 25 March 2005
