1.
1952
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January 8 – West Germany has 8 million refugees inside its borders. January 12 – The University of Tennessee admits its first black student, january 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt, rioters burn Cairos central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. February 2 – A tropical storm forms just north of Cuba moving northeast, the storm makes landfall in southern Florida the next day. It is the earliest reported landfall from a storm. February 6 George VI dies aged 56 after a long illness and he is succeeded by his daughter The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, who is on a visit to Kenya. She is proclaimed Queen of Canada at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, in the United States, a mechanical heart is used for the first time in a human patient. February 7 – Elizabeth II is proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom at St Jamess Palace, London, February 14 – February 25 – The Winter Olympics held in Oslo, Norway. February 15 – The funeral of George VI takes place at St Georges Chapel, February 18 – Greece and Turkey join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The SS Pendleton, a T2 Tanker, breaks in half during a noreaster off the east coast near Massachusetts, bernard Webber and a crew of four volunteer to rescue the 32 survivors aboard. This was the one of the most courageous rescues in the history of the US Coast Guard, February 20 Emmett Ashford becomes the first African-American umpire in organized baseball, by being authorized to be a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League. Winston Churchill scraps UK compulsory national identity cards, the day is later declared International Mother Language Day by UNESCO. February 25 – The Parícutin active volcano in Michoacán, west central Mexico, ceases its discontinuous eruption after spewing forth a gigaton of lava, February 26 United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces that the United Kingdom has an atomic bomb. Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canada-born Governor General of Canada, March 10 – General Fulgencio Batista re-takes power in Cuba in a coup. March 15–16 –73 inches of rain falls in Cilaos, Réunion, March 20 – The United States Senate ratifies a peace treaty with Japan. March 21 The last two executions in the Netherlands take place, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is elected Prime Minister of the Gold Coast. Tornadoes ravage the lower Mississippi River Valley, leaving 208 dead, March 22 – Wernher von Braun publishes the first in his series of articles titled Man Will Conquer Space Soon. Including ideas for manned flights to Mars and the Moon, March 27 Konrad Adenauer survives an assassination attempt. Legislative Assembly election held in Coorg, March 29 – U. S. President Harry S. Truman announces that he will not seek reelection
2.
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
3.
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
4.
George VI
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George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth, known as Albert until his accession, George VI was born in the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria, and was named after his great-grandfather Albert, Prince Consort. As the second son of King George V, he was not expected to inherit the throne and spent his life in the shadow of his elder brother. He attended naval college as a teenager, and served in the Royal Navy, in 1920, he was made Duke of York. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923 and they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, in the mid-1920s, he had speech therapy for a stammer, which he never fully overcame. Georges elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII upon the death of their father in 1936, however, later that year Edward revealed his desire to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin advised Edward that for political and religious reasons he could not marry a divorced woman, Edward abdicated in order to marry, and George ascended the throne as the third monarch of the House of Windsor. During Georges reign, the break-up of the British Empire and its transition into the Commonwealth of Nations accelerated, the parliament of the Irish Free State removed direct mention of the monarch from the countrys constitution on the day of his accession. The following year, a new Irish constitution changed the name of the state to Ireland, from 1939, the Empire and Commonwealth – except Ireland – was at war with Nazi Germany. War with Italy and Japan followed in 1940 and 1941, respectively, though Britain and its allies were ultimately victorious in 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union rose as pre-eminent world powers and the British Empire declined. After the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, George remained king of countries, but relinquished the title of Emperor of India in June 1948. Ireland formally declared itself a republic and left the Commonwealth in 1949, George adopted the new title of Head of the Commonwealth. He was beset by problems in the later years of his reign. He was succeeded by his eldest daughter, Elizabeth II, George was born at York Cottage, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria. His father was Prince George, Duke of York, the second and eldest-surviving son of the Prince and his mother was the Duchess of York, the eldest child and only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Teck. His birthday was the 34th anniversary of the death of his great-grandfather, Albert, uncertain of how the Prince Consorts widow, Queen Victoria, would take the news of the birth, the Prince of Wales wrote to the Duke of York that the Queen had been rather distressed. Two days later, he again, I really think it would gratify her if you yourself proposed the name Albert to her. Consequently, he was baptised Albert Frederick Arthur George at St. Mary Magdalenes Church near Sandringham three months later, within the family, he was known informally as Bertie
5.
Elizabeth II
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Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. Elizabeth was born in London as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake duties during the Second World War. Elizabeths many historic visits and meetings include a visit to the Republic of Ireland. She has seen major changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation. She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms and she is the worlds oldest reigning monarch as well as Britains longest-lived. In October 2016, she became the longest currently reigning monarch, in 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the family, however, support for the monarchy remains high. Elizabeth was born at 02,40 on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather and her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York, was the second son of the King. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and she was delivered by Caesarean section at her maternal grandfathers London house,17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. Elizabeths only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, the two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford, who was casually known as Crawfie. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature and music, Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margarets childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeths love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, others echoed such observations, Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant and her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. During her grandfathers reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father, the Duke of York. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become queen, many people believed that he would marry and have children of his own. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second-in-line to the throne, later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeths father became king, and she became heir presumptive, if her parents had had a later son, she would have lost her position as first-in-line, as her brother would have been heir apparent and above her in the line of succession
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.
William McKell
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Sir William John McKell GCMG was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales from 1941 to 1947, and the 12th Governor-General of Australia from 1947 to 1953. He was the longest-lived Governor-General, aged 93 when he died, Bill McKell was born in Pambula, New South Wales, the eldest of four children. His father, Robert Pollock McKell, was a butcher who moved the family to Surry Hills in Sydney in 1898, three years later he abandoned them. For the rest of his life, McKell concealed the matter by saying his father had died young, the family moved to Redfern, with McKell’s mother working at various menial tasks to support the family. He was educated at Bourke Street Public School in Surry Hills, McKell supplemented the family income by working part-time and then becoming a messenger boy when he left school at 13. As well as being a student, McKell was a talented footballer, cricketer and boxer. In 1906, McKell became an apprentice boilermaker at Morts Dock and he joined the Federated Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Ship-Builders and organised fellow apprentices to fight for improved conditions. Completing his articles, McKell worked for the NSW Government Railways from 1913-14 and he became full-time Assistant Secretary of the Boilermakers Society in 1914. McKell was also active in the Australian Labor Party, which he joined in 1908 and he was prominent in a militant faction, the Industrial Section, which took control of the Party in 1916. McKell became a member of the State Executive, when Labor split over the proposed introduction of conscription in that year, McKell was a vigorous anti-conscriptionist. James McGowen, MLA for Redfern and first ALP Premier of NSW, had expelled from the Party for supporting conscription. Although McGowen, a boilermaker, had been something of a mentor. He won and subsequently defeated McGowen at the 1917 election, in 1919, McKell bought a house in Redfern that was to be his home for almost three decades. The following year he married Mary Minnie Pye, the first of three children soon followed. In 1933, McKell bought a property near Goulburn and he sold it in 1946 and purchased a nearby property of 1,400 acres which his son Bill eventually took over. Except for the period of representation, when he was a member for Botany. McKell had improved his education by attending Workers’ Educational Association lectures, even before he was elected he had begun studying for the Bar and was admitted in 1925. Practising as a barrister was to bring him income, experience, as a parliamentarian, he developed formidable debating skills and revelled in the hard work involved in mastery of legislation and procedure
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.
Robert Menzies
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Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, PC, QC, FAA, FRS, was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1949 to 1966. He is Australias longest-serving prime minister, serving over 18 years in total, Menzies studied law at the University of Melbourne and became one of Melbournes leading lawyers. He was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1932 to 1934, and then transferred to federal parliament, subsequently becoming Attorney-General, in April 1939, following Lyons death, Menzies was elected leader of the United Australia Party and sworn in as prime minister. He authorised Australias entry into World War II in September 1939, on his return to Australia in August 1941, Menzies found that he had lost the support of his party and consequently resigned as prime minister. He subsequently helped to create the new Liberal Party, and was elected its leader in August 1945. At the 1949 federal election, Menzies led the Liberal–Country coalition to victory, after 1955, his government also received support from the Democratic Labor Party, a breakaway group from the Labor Party. Menzies won seven consecutive elections during his term, eventually retiring as prime minister in January 1966. Robert Gordon Menzies was born to James Menzies and Kate in Jeparit and he was the fourth of six children, with one sister and three brothers. His maternal grandfather, John Sampson, was a Cornish miner from Penzance who also came to seek his fortune on the goldfields and his father was elected to the Victorian State Parliament for the seat of Lowan in 1911 and moved with the family to Melbourne after selling the farm. His middle name, Gordon, was given to him in honour and memory of Charles George Gordon, Menziess formal education began at Humffray Street State School in Bakery Hill, Ballarat, then later at private school in Ballarat. He attended Wesley College in Melbourne and studied law at the University of Melbourne, when World War I began, Menzies was 19 years old and held a commission in the universitys militia unit. He resigned his commission at the very time others of his age and it was later stated that, since the family had made enough of a sacrifice to the war with the enlistment of two of three eligible brothers, Menzies should stay to finish his studies. Menzies himself never explained the reason why he chose not to enlist and it should be noted that the two brothers, James and Frank, who did enlist did not do so until 1915 after the landings at Anzac which belies the alleged reason. Subsequently, he was prominent in undergraduate activities and won prizes and declared himself to be a patriotic supporter of the war. In 1916 he became the editor of the Melbourne University Magazine, establishing a reputation as an unusually bright and articulate member of the undergraduate community. After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1916 with First Class Honours in Law, Menzies was admitted to the Victorian Bar and to the High Court of Australia in 1918. Establishing his own practice in Melbourne, Menzies specialised chiefly in Constitutional law which he had read with the leading Victorian jurist and future High Court judge, Sir Owen Dixon. In 1920 Menzies served as an advocate for the Amalgamated Society of Engineers which eventually took its appeal to the High Court of Australia, the case became a landmark authority for the positive reinterpretation of Commonwealth powers over those of the States
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.
1951 in Australia
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19 February – Jean Lee becomes the last woman to be hanged in Australia, when she, Robert Clayton and Norman Andrews are executed in Melbourne for the murder of a 73-year-old man. 1 March – The Bank of Australasia merges with the Union Bank of Australia to form the ANZ Bank,12 April – Conscription begins as the first call-up notice is issued under the National Service Act, requiring Australian 18-year-old males to undergo compulsory military training. 28 April – A federal election is held, the Liberal government of Robert Menzies retains power. 8 June – The first lessons of the School of the Air are broadcast from the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Adelaide,16 August – The Australian Financial Review is first published. 1 September – The Anzus Treaty, between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, is signed,9 September – Australia signs the Treaty of San Francisco, formalising peace with Japan. 22 September – A federal referendum is held, proposing to alter the Australian Constitution to allow the banning of the Communist Party,4 October – Francis McEncroe sells the first Chiko Rolls at the Wagga Wagga agricultural show. 15 October - A De Havilland Dove aircraft crashes near Kalgoorlie killing all 7 on board. 13 November – William McKell is gazetted a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, becoming the only Governor-General of Australia to be knighted during their term.6 in Hobart
12.
1953 in Australia
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29 October – British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Douglas DC-6, registration VH-BPE, en route from Sydney, crashes on approach to San Francisco, killing 19 people. 4 December – Oil is discovered in the Exmouth Gulf off the coast of Western Australia, the first town to fluoridate the water supply in Australia was Beaconsfield, Tasmania. Cricket South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield Football 23 May, Fitzroy go within ten minutes of a score of 0.0. Allan Ruthven kicks a goal to save them from this ignominy. 1 August, Collingwood end Geelong’s record 26-game unbeaten streak, which still stand, when they win 10.15 to 7.13
13.
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
14.
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
15.
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
16.
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
17.
John Latham (judge)
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Sir John Greig Latham GCMG QC was an Australian judge and politician who served as fifth Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia for seventeen years, from 1935 to 1952. Latham was born in Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne and his father was a prominent citizen, whose achievements as secretary for the Society for the Protection of Animals were deeply respected. John Latham won a scholarship and became a student at Scotch College. At one point, he was the recipient of the Supreme Court Judges Prize, in November 1902, Latham became the first secretary of the Boobook Society, a group of Melbourne academics and professionals which still meets. During World War I, he was an officer in the Royal Australian Navy. He grew to dislike Prime Minister Billy Hughes, Latham had a distinguished legal career. He was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1904, and was made a Kings Counsel in 1922, in 1920, Latham appeared before the High Court representing the State of Victoria in the famous Engineers case, alongside such people as Dr H. V. In 1922, Latham was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for Kooyong in eastern Melbourne, although his philosophy was close to Hughes Nationalist Party, Lathams experience of Hughes in Europe ensured that he would not serve under him in a Parliament. Instead, he aligned himself with the Liberal Union, a group of conservatives opposed to Hughes. On Hughes removal in 1923, he joined the Nationalist Party. From 1925 to 1929, he served as the Commonwealth Attorney-General in the Bruce–Page government and he wrote several books, including Australia and the British Empire in which he argued for Australias place in the British Empire. After Bruce lost his Parliamentary seat in 1929, Latham was elected as leader of the Nationalist Party and he opposed the ratification of the Statute of Westminster and worked very hard to prevent it. Two years later, Joseph Lyons led defectors from the Labor Party across the floor, although the new party was dominated by former Nationalists, Latham agreed to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition under Lyons. It was believed having a former Labor man at the helm would present an image of unity in the face of the economic crisis. Future ALP leader Arthur Calwell wrote in his autobiography, Be Just and Fear Not, the UAP won a huge victory in the 1931 election, and Latham was appointed Attorney-General once again. He also served as Minister for External Affairs and the Deputy Prime Minister, Latham held these positions until 1934, when he retired from the Commonwealth Parliament. He was succeeded by Menzies, who would go on to become Australias longest-serving Prime Minister, Latham was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia on 11 October 1935. From 1940 to 1941, he took leave from the Court and he retired from the High Court in April 1952
18.
Owen Dixon
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Sir Owen Dixon OM GCMG QC was an Australian judge and diplomat who served as the sixth Chief Justice of Australia. A judge of the High Court for thirty-five years, Dixon was one of the jurists in the English-speaking world and is widely regarded as Australias greatest-ever jurist. Dixon was born in Hawthorn in suburban Melbourne in 1886 and his father, JW Dixon, was a barrister and subsequently a solicitor. He attended Hawthorn College and later the University of Melbourne, graduating with an Arts degree in 1907, during this time, he developed his lifelong love of the classics from his classical philology professor, Thomas George Tucker. He was also influenced by professor of law, William Harrison Moore and his B. A. became an M. A. as was the custom then, a year later upon the payment of a small fee. He then studied law at Melbourne Law School and was awarded a Bachelor of Laws in 1908, Dixon was later awarded honorary doctorates from Oxford, Harvard, and the University of Melbourne. Dixon was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1910, in December 1911, he appeared before the High Court of Australia for the first time, aged just 25 years. After a slow start, his career became stellar, and he was made a Kings Counsel in 1922. In the 1920s, Dixon was a prominent member of the Victorian Bar, along with his colleagues and friends John Latham (who would precede Dixon as Chief Justice of Australia and he regularly appeared in the High Court of Australia and the Privy Council in London. At the time of his appointment to the High Court in 1929, he was the leader of the Bar in Victoria. In 1920, he married Alice Brooksbank and they had four children, Franklin, Ted, Betty and Anne. In 1926, Dixon was briefly made an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, in 1929, Dixon was appointed to the bench of the High Court, on the recommendation of his friend John Latham, who was then the Commonwealth Attorney-General. During his time on the bench, Dixon also wrote several judgments on behalf of his colleague, Sir George Rich. Examples are McDonald v Dennys Lascelles Ltd 48 CLR457, Brunker v Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd 57 CLR555, Yerkey v Jones 63 CLR649 and Penfolds Wines v Elliott 74 CLR204. Dixon had reservations about the appointment of Labor politicians Herbert Vere Evatt and he and Evatt wrote a number of joint judgments prior to Evatts resignation in 1940 to return to politics. From 1942 to 1944, Dixon took leave from his duties while he served as Australia’s Minister to the United States. On 27 May 1950, Dixon was invited by the United Nations to act as their official mediator between the governments of India and Pakistan over the territory of Kashmir. His role was to continue conciliation talks between the two nations in the lead-up to a plebiscite to be put to the residents of Kashmir
19.
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
20.
James McGirr
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James McGirr was the Labor Premier of New South Wales from 6 February 1947 to 3 April 1952. A Catholic, McGirr was the son of John Patrick McGirr, farmer and Irish immigrant. Born in Parkes, New South Wales, he grew up on a farm near that town. Educated mostly at St Stanislaus College, Bathurst, he was apprenticed to his brother Greg McGirr. He soon forfeited his apprenticeship to work in stockyards for a while, subsequently he resumed his apprenticeship and attended the University of Sydney, he was registered as a pharmacist in 1913. Employed by Washington H. Soul Pattinson in Pitt Street, he opened a pharmacy in Parkes. Later still, he operated pharmacies in partnership with his brother in two Sydney suburbs, Marrickville and Kings Cross, McGirr followed his brothers Greg and Patrick into ALP politics and joined the Parkes branch of the party in 1906. In 1922, Greg vacated his seat as a member of the Legislative Assembly for Cootamundra and he managed to get Jim endorsement on the party ticket for Cootamundra and he was duly elected. Due to local party opposition in 1925, he was obliged to find another seat in 1925, in 1927, proportional representation was abandoned and Cumberland was abolished. He then stood for Bankstown, which he held until 1950, from 1950 to 1952 he was the member for another western Sydney constituency, namely, Liverpool. When the Lang Government came to power, McGirr became Minister for Health from November 1930 to June 1931 and he was Minister for Local Government from June 1931 to May 1932 and became Minister for Transport in March 1932. On 13 May 1932, the Governor Sir Philip Game dismissed Lang, the United Australia Party won the subsequent election. In October 1932 McGirr married Valerie Cecilia Armstrong, McGirr continued to be a loyal supporter of Lang throughout the 1930s, even though Lang Labor did not win any elections. When Lang left the party to found the Australian Labor Party in April 1940, McGirr, however, they returned to the Labor Party before the May 1941 election that brought William McKells government to power. McGirr became Minister for Local Government and Housing in the new Government, as a result, he was given sole responsibility for housing in 1944. In 1947, Prime Minister Ben Chifley named McKell as Governor-General of Australia, eventually McGirr won by just two votes. He became Premier on his 57th birthday, decent, humane, well-liked, and personally free from corruption, McGirr as Premier was nevertheless a great procrastinator, and delayed many proposals. Even after the ALP won the 1947 state election, McGirr proved unable to increase significantly the representation of his supporters in the Cabinet as a whole, an ambitious public works program, which McGirr had promised in the 1947 campaign, was disrupted by post-war shortages and strikes
21.
Joseph Cahill
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John Joseph Cahill was Premier of New South Wales from 1952 to 1959. He is best remembered as the Premier who approved construction on the Sydney Opera House and he became an apprentice at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops in 1916. Politically active even at the age of fifteen, he was more politically active during his twenties. He opposed Conscription in 1916, and lost his job in 1917 after taking part in a workers strike. After that, he had difficulty finding permanent employment, working in many jobs when working at all. During the early 1920s, though, his prospects improved, and in 1922, the first attempt Cahill made to enter New South Waless parliament, in 1917, failed. He ran on an Australian Labor Party ticket for the Legislative Assembly seat of Dulwich Hill that year, eight years later, he won another Sydney constituency, St George. With the abolition of St George in 1930, Cahill ran for Arncliffe and was appointed party whip and he failed to be re-elected in 1932 in the anti-Lang landslide. This defeat, nevertheless, proved to be only a temporary setback, in 1935, Cahill returned to Parliament, again as Member for Arncliffe. He remained in Parliament for the rest of his life, although when Arncliffe was abolished in 1941, also in 1941, William McKell became the new ALP Premier, defeating the anti-ALP administration of Alexander Mair. Once in office, McKell appointed Cahill to the job of Secretary for Public Works, in 1944 Cahill became Minister for Local Government, a position he would hold for eight years, he used this position to augment local governments powers. He established the State Dockyard at Newcastle and the State Brickworks at Homebush Bay, in addition, he supervised the establishment of the Electricity Authority, which brought electricity to much of rural New South Wales, and the Cumberland County Council plan. James McGirr made Cahill Deputy Premier in 1949, McGirr, enfeebled by Labors near-defeat in 1950, resigned as Premier in 1952, and Cahill assumed the role, having beaten Robert Heffron in the partys leadership contest. Cahill held the position until his death in office and he won the state elections of 1953,1956, and 1959. It was in November 1954 that he first began to champion the idea of a house in Sydney. No earlier premier of New South Wales had remained in power as long as Cahill did, a heavy smoker, Cahill suffered increasingly poor health during 1959. He died at Sydney Hospital of an infarction in October of that year. Heffron succeeded him in the premiership, Cahills wife, two daughters, and three sons all survived him
22.
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
23.
Ned Hanlon (politician)
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Edward Michael Hanlon was an Australian politician, who was Premier of Queensland from 1946 to 1952. Hanlon was born in Brisbane, where he lived throughout his life, after leaving school, he worked in the railways, and soon became a union official. In the 1912 Brisbane General Strike he played a prominent part as a militant, between 1915 and 1919 Hanlon served in 9 RQR. He entered parliament in 1926, representing the Labor Party as member for Ithaca, after two decades and several cabinet portfolios, he became Queenslands Premier, once the septuagenarian Frank Cooper had retired. Over the years Hanlons outlook mellowed, and he shifted to the political right, having begun as a union militant, he ended up, as Premier, sending the police to suppress union demonstrations during the 1948 Queensland Railway strike. He died in office, and was succeeded by Vince Gair, Hanlon was accorded a State funeral which took place from St Stephens Cathedral to the Toowong Cemetery. Gregory, Hanlon, Edward Michael – Australian Dictionary of Biography
24.
Vince Gair
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Vincent Clare Vince Gair was an Australian politician. He served as Premier of Queensland from 1952 until 1957, when his relations with the trade union movement saw him expelled from the Australian Labor Party. He was elected to the Australian Senate and led the Democratic Labor Party from 1965 to 1973, in 1974 he was appointed Australian Ambassador to Ireland by the Whitlam government, which caused his expulsion from the DLP. Gair was born in Rockhampton to John Alexander and Catherine Mary Gair, a Scottish father and an Irish mother and his parents were founding members of the Labor Party in Queensland in the 1890s. He began work with the Department of Railways upon the move to Dutton Park. In 1916 he joined the Australian Labor Party and he married Florence Glynn in 1924. She died in an accident five years later, the Queensland state electorate of South Brisbane was held from 1929 to 1932 by Neil MacGroarty, Attorney-General in the government of Arthur Moore. Gair worked at consolidating his hold on the electorate, at which he was largely successful except in the 1938 election. He fended off the challenge and retained a low profile in Parliament, in 1941, Gairs only daughter from his first marriage died. In 1944 he remarried, to Ellen Mary Sexton, the couple had two sons, Gair was a backbencher for ten years during the William Forgan Smith government before being appointed as Secretary for Mines under the elderly Frank Cooper in 1942. The same year he became Minister for Labour and Employment, in 1950 he also became Treasurer. Gair had not previously held office in a trade union, many Labor parliamentarians in Queensland in particular were closely aligned with the Australian Workers Union. Premier Edward Hanlon was the first in a succession of Queensland premiers not to be linked with the AWU, and this would later deprive Gair of a potential source of support within the party organisation. Hanlon died on 15 January 1952 and Gair, having been acting premier since the previous August, was elected by the ALP Caucus to succeed him on 17 January, under Gair’s premiership, reforms were carried out in worker’s compensation, sick leave, and annual leave. Long-service leave was introduced, while the government’s price controls enabled workers in Queensland to enjoy the highest real wages in Australia. Gair came into conflict with Bukowski when the AWU in 1955 began making allegations that there was corruption in the process of granting and extending pastoral leases in the state, in July of that year, members of the AWU executive met Gair. According to an account they gave later, Gair promised them an inquiry, Gair immediately set up a royal commission, which resulted in the laying of criminal charges against Lands Minister Tom Foley. Gair discovered that the AWU had gained its information about the scandal from a public official
25.
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
26.
Thomas Playford IV
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Sir Thomas Playford GCMG was a South Australian politician. He served continuously as Premier of South Australia and leader of the Liberal, though controversial, it was the longest term of any elected government leader in the history of Australia, or indeed of anywhere under the Westminster system. His tenure as premier was marked by a period of population and he grew up on the family farm in Norton Summit before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in World War I, fighting in Gallipoli and Western Europe. After serving, he continued farming until his election as a Liberal, Playford inherited a minority government and many independents to deal with, and instability was expected, Playford was seen as a transitional leader. However, Playford dealt with the independents adroitly and went on to secure a majority at the next election. The Labor leader Mick OHalloran worked cooperatively with Playford and was known to be happy being out of power, Playfords policies allowed for the supply of cheap electricity to factories, minimal business taxes, and low wages to make the state more attractive to industrial investment. Implemented in the 1940s, these policies were seen as dangerous to Playfords control of his party, during the 1950s, Playford and the LCLs share of the vote declined continually despite the economic growth, and they clung to power mainly due to the Playmander. However, Playford was a utilitarian, and was unmoved by calls to broaden policy focus beyond economic development. This was exacerbated by Playford and his partys failure to adapt to changing social mores, remaining committed to restrictive laws on alcohol, gambling. He relinquished the party leadership to Steele Hall and retired at the next election, serving on various South Australian company boards until his death in 1981. The Playford family heritage can be traced back to 1759, when a boy was left at the door of a house in Barnby Dun, Yorkshire, England. The occupants of the house, who were to raise the child, were given instructions to receive money from an account for the deed. The child grew up to be a farmer in the village. The tradition of naming the firstborn son in the family in this way has continued since, the second Playford was something of a loner, but at the age of 15 he developed a relationship with a girl five years his senior with whom he fathered a child. In order to avoid the stigma of the situation, and on the advice of his parents. While three years under the age, Playfords height enabled him to pass as eighteen. He spent 24 years in the service of the Life Guards, fighting all over Europe in Portugal, Spain and France, while a soldier, Playford became a devout Christian, and journeyed and listened to many different churches and sermons. He was sceptical of many pastors and church men, dismissing their high sounding barren words and he left the Life Guards in 1834, received a land grant in Canada for his service, and journeyed there with his wife and family
27.
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
28.
Robert Cosgrove
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Sir Robert Cosgrove KCMG was an Australian politician, trade unionist, and twice Premier of Tasmania from 18 December 1939 to 18 December 1947 and 25 February 1948 to 26 August 1958. His eighteen years as remains the longest in Tasmanias history. Elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Denison in 1919 and he regained the seat in 1925, holding it until 1931. Reelected in 1934, he remained in the legislature until his retirement in 1958 and she was appointed DBE in 1947. In December 1947, Cosgrove was indicted on charges of bribery and he stood down as Premier during his trial, and longtime minister Edward Brooker was sworn in as his replacement on 19 December 1947. The trial was concluded by February the next year, and Cosgrove was acquitted, Brooker stood down and Cosgrove was reinstated, appointing Brooker as Treasurer and Minister for Transport. Cosgrove was chairman of the Tasmanian Tourist Council and of the Southern Tasmanian Trotting Association and he was also a member of the council of the University of Tasmania and of the local branch of the St Vincent de Paul Society, and president of the Royal Hobart Golf Club. Cosgrove was knighted as a KCMG in 1958, parliamentary Library profile Biography at ADB Online
29.
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
30.
Thomas Hollway
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Thomas Tuke Tom Hollway was the 36th Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1947 to 1950, and again for a short period in 1952. He was originally a member of the United Australia Party and its successor, the Liberal Party, thomas Tuke Hollway was born in Ballarat, the son of local merchant of the same name who would go on to become mayor of Ballarat, and Annie Nicholl. He was educated locally, at the Macarthur Street School and Church of England Grammar School and he studied arts and law at the University of Melbournes Trinity College, and was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1928, joining the Ballarat firm R. J. Gribble. Hollway was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly at the 1932 Victorian state election, at the time of his election, aged 25, he was the youngest member of any Australian parliament. In 1940, he was made UAP party secretary and whip, on 23 November 1940, UAP leader Sir Stanley Argyle died, and Hollway was elected party leader on 3 December. In February 1942, whilst retaining his seat in parliament and the party leadership and he trained as an intelligence officer and served as a Flying Officer in Papua, before being discharged and transferred to the reserves in July 1943. In Albert Dunstans second wartime government Hollway was Deputy Premier of Victoria, at the Victorian state election on 21 November, Hollway led a Liberal–Country coalition to defeat the incumbent Labor administration of John Cain. Hollway became Premier—at 41, he was among the youngest Premiers Victoria has ever had, however, the coalition supporting him was not strong. In March 1949, the Victorian division of the Liberal Party renamed itself the Liberal, in September six members of the Country Party defected to the LCP, further deepening the rift between the allies. The coalition between the Liberals and Country Party was dissolved, Hollway led the Liberal Party to victory in the 13 May 1950 state election, gaining the most seats of any party, and having supply support from the Country Party. However this minority government arrangement was not to last for long, Hollway lost office on 27 June 1950, when he was overthrown by the Country Party under McDonald. This occurred when the Labor Party agreed to support a minority Country Party government, during his period as opposition leader, Hollway became a firm advocate of electoral reform. His proposal was called the system, where each of Victorias 33 federal electorates would be divided into two for the purposes of the states lower house elections. The Hollway Plan, if implemented, would have reduced the representation of the Country Party. The vote was close, and three members who were likely to have supported Hollway in the ballot were absent, Hollway continued to advocate for electoral reform, and worked closely with the Labor Party to attempt to achieve it. He dismissed criticism of his negotiations with Labor with the assertion that his plan was for the good of the community, on 17 September 1952, Hollway moved a motion of no confidence against McDonalds government, which was defeated by a one-vote majority. The Liberals quickly moved to expel Hollway from the party on 24 September. The expulsion motion carried 23 to 9, with seven members walking out of the party meeting in solidarity with Hollway
31.
John Cain (senior)
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John Cain was an Australian politician, who became the 34th premier of Victoria, and was the first Australian Labor Party leader to win a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He is the premier of Victoria to date whose son has also served as premier. Cain was born, one of 18 siblings, in Greendale, Victoria and his father, Patrick Kane, was an Irish-born Roman Catholic who worked as a small farmer and contractor. As a young man John Kane changed the spelling of his surname and he left no personal papers and very little is known about his youth. He had little education, and worked from an age as a farm labourer. By 1907 he had moved to Melbourne, where he worked as a fruiterer in Northcote, around 1910 Cain joined the Victorian Socialist Party, a Marxist party to the left of the Australian Labor Party. In 1915 he became an organiser with the Theatrical Employees Union and he was sacked from this job because of his opposition to conscription for World War I, and became an organiser with the Clothing Trades Union. From 1915 to 1927 he was a Labor member of the Northcote City Council, in 1921 when many VSP members joined the new Communist Party of Australia, Cain broke his connections with the left and became a mainstream Labor politician. In 1926 Cain married Dorothea Grindrod, with whom he had two children and his son John Cain was born in 1931, when he was already nearly 50. He sent his son to Northcote High School and later Scotch College, Melbourne, Cain was elected in 1917 to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as MLA for Jika Jika, which was renamed Northcote in 1927, a seat he held for 40 years. Victoria was Labors weakest state, and there had never been a majority Labor state government and this was partly because of Labors weakness in rural areas and partly because of the strength of Deakinite liberalism among middle-class voters in Melbourne. When Hogans government collapsed during the Great Depression and Hogan himself was expelled from the Labor Party, Cain succeeded Tunnecliffe as Labor Leader in 1937. Under both Tunnecliffe and Cain, Labor supported the minority Country Party government of Albert Dunstan from 1935 to 1943, the first Cain government lasted only 4 days, from 14 to 18 September 1943. In September 1943 Dunstan resigned, when his government lost a vote of no confidence in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Cain became Premier for four days while the conservative parties composed their differences. Dunstan then resumed office and retained it with Labor support until November 1945, after Dunstans resignation and a brief Liberal government under Ian Macfarlan, Cain again became premier on 21 November 1945. With a majority in neither House, Cains government was unable to pass much legislation, although this issue had nothing to do with state politics, Cain was forced to resign and call an election for 8 November 1947, at which Labor was heavily defeated. The 1950 election, however, gave Labor 24 seats to the Liberals 27, in October 1952 the Country Party premier, John McDonald, resigned and called early elections. Labor won 37 seats, the first time it had won a majority in the lower house, Cains government was hampered by the hostility of the Legislative Council, and also by tensions within his own party
32.
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
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Ross McLarty
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Sir Duncan Ross McLarty KBE, MM was an Australian politician and the 17th Premier of Western Australia. He attended Pinjarra State School and the Perth Boys High School, on 12 January 1916 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at the Blackboy Hill depot. On 27 March he was promoted to corporal and assigned to the 44th Battalion, the 44th Battalion departed England for the Western Front on 25 November 1916. McLarty was promoted to sergeant on 29 March 1917, in June 1918, McLarty was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field on 25 January 1918 at Passchendaele. McLarty was commissioned on 1 May 1918 as a lieutenant and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 August. This was the rank he held until being discharged, on 28 August 1918, during the Second Battle of the Somme, McLarty was wounded in the left hand. While convalescing in London he had a meeting with his brother Douglas who was serving with the 16th Battalion. After the war, McLarty returned to farming at Pinjarra and married Violet Olive Margaret Herron on 25 October 1922 and he served as a justice of the peace from 1925 and belonged to the Returned Sailors, Soldiers and Airmens Imperial League of Australia. He campaigned in the 1930 state election as a Nationalist candidate with the slogan A practical farmer for a farming electorate, at the 1933 election, the Nationalists were defeated by the Labor Party under Philip Collier, beginning a 14-year period in opposition for the conservative parties. On 14 December 1946, McLarty succeeded the retired Robert Ross McDonald as leader of the newly formed Liberal Party, the 1947 election saw the Liberal-Country coalition unexpectedly defeat the Labor government of premier Frank Wise who had held the position for only two years. Together with the premiership, he held the Treasury, Housing, Forests and his government accepted federal funding to establish the State Housing Commission. His premiership was, however, marred by discord between the two coalition parties and he was knighted in January 1953 and lost office at the election next month, continuing as opposition leader for another four years until March 1957. Throughout his parliamentary career, McLarty travelled home to Pinjarra for most weekends and he was chairman of the Murray District Hospital Board and held a number of pastoral investments, including a controlling interest in Liveringa station, near Derby. He resigned from parliament because of health in May 1962. McLarty was accorded a funeral and is buried in the Pinjarra cemetery. McLarty–Watts Ministry McLarty, D. R. Hon Lord Llewellin, M. C. in the chair -Inside cover. West, K. Power in the Liberal Party The West Australian,13 Feb 1957,19 May 1962,24 December 1962 McLarty, M. Sir Duncan Ross McLarty, KBE, MM McLarty family papers, 1887–1969 Sir Ross McLarty, political ephemera Jamieson, R. interviews with R. Doig
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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
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John Northcott
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He was the first Australian-born Governor of New South Wales. Northcott joined the Australian Army as a reservist in 1908, before becoming an officer in 1912. On duty in Tasmania when the Great War broke out in 1914, he joined the 12th Infantry Battalion and he was wounded in the landing at Gallipoli on Anzac Day and invalided to Egypt, the United Kingdom, and ultimately Australia, taking no further part in the fighting. After the war, Northcott served on a series of staff posts, in March 1942, he assumed command II Corps. In September 1942, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff, as General Sir Thomas Blameys principal non-operational subordinate, he was responsible for administering and training the wartime army. After the war, he served as commander of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the post-war Occupation of Japan and he retired from the Army in 1946 to become the Governor of New South Wales. John Northcott was born on 24 March 1890 at Creswick, Victoria, the eldest son of a storekeeper, John Northcott, Northcott was educated at Dean State School, Grenville College, Ballarat and the University of Melbourne. While at school, he served in the Australian Army Cadets and he was commissioned as second lieutenant in the 9th Light Horse, a Militia unit, on 14 August 1908, and was promoted to lieutenant on 31 October 1910 and captain on 31 July 1911. Northcott was assigned to staff of the 6th Military District, the district covering the state of Tasmania. His initial task was assisting with the raising of Australian Imperial Force units in Tasmania and he joined the AIF as a lieutenant on 24 August 1914 and was appointed adjutant of the 12th Infantry Battalion, which was forming at Anglesea Barracks near Hobart. He was promoted to captain in the AIF on 18 October 1914, Northcott embarked for Egypt from Hobart with the 12th Infantry Battalion on the transport A2, HMAT Geelong on 20 October 1914. This was one of the first battalions ashore in the landing at Anzac Cove on the first Anzac Day,25 April 1915, northcotts part in the battle was brief, for that day he was wounded in the chest by a Turkish bullet. He lay amongst a pile of dead bodies until the evening and he was evacuated to Alexandria and later to England. While recuperating, he was joined by his fiancée, Winifred Mary Paton, the two were married at the parish church in Oxted on 14 September 1915. He returned to Australia on 30 December 1915 and took no part in the fighting. His AIF appointment was terminated on 30 September 1916 and he was posted to the 5th Military District, Northcott was granted the honorary rank of major on 1 January 1919, and the brevet rank on 1 January 1920, but this was not made substantive until 1 October 1923. He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1924 to 1926, on returning to Australia, Northcott served as Staff Officer, and later Director, Stores and Transport, at Army Headquarters in Victoria Barracks, Melbourne. Northcott served on the staff of the 4th Division from 17 September 1931 to 31 January 1932 and he returned to England as an exchange officer with the British Army, where he served the staff of the 44th Infantry Division
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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
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John Lavarack
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Lavarack was born in Kangaroo Point, a suburb of Brisbane in Queensland, on 19 December 1885. He was educated at Brisbane Grammar School, where he excelled in the army cadets program. On 7 August 1905, Lavarack was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Australian Artillery, Lavaracks division spent a month in France during September 1915, but was transferred to Salonica in Greece, where it fought in the Balkans Campaign. In February 1915, Lavarack was assigned to the Australian Imperial Force and he was subsequently assigned as brigade major for the 5th Division, commanding two field artillery batteries during fighting at the Somme and the advance on the Hindenburg Line. In May 1917, his college training saw him transferred to 1st Division headquarters. After the war, Lavarack returned to Australia, where he took up a post at the Royal Military College, in 1926, he was promoted to brevet colonel, and in 1927 attended the Imperial Defence College in London. Back in Australia in 1929, he himself in heavy debate with fellow IDC student Frederick Shedden over the Australian governments adoption of the Singapore strategy. In January 1933, Lavarack was made commandant of the Royal Military College, on 21 April 1935, with a temporary promotion to major general, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Australian Army. In 1938, British officer Lieutenant General Ernest Squires was appointed Inspector-General of the Australian Military Forces, Lavarack and Squires worked together to prepare Australia for war, and by the time Lavarack returned from a tour of Britain, the Second World War had begun. With Squires replacing him as CGS, Lavarack was promoted to lieutenant general, in 1940, Lavarack was considered to command 6th Division, but Thomas Blamey, now the commander of I Corps, refused his appointment, citing defects of character. Lavarack instead took command of the newly formed 7th Division, also accepting a demotion to major general which was almost certainly instigated by Blamey. In 1941, the commander-in-chief in the Middle East, Lord Wavell, ordered Lavarack to Tobruk, Wavell requested Lavarack take command of the Western Desert Force, but he was once again confounded by Blamey, who insisted that he was unsuitable for high command. Following the outbreak of war with Japan, I Corps was shifted to the Far East, Lavarack was recalled to Australia, where he was made acting commander-in-chief of Australian forces whilst waiting for Blamey to return from the Middle East to fill the role. He then commanded the Australian First Army, with responsibility for defending Queensland, in 1944, he flew to the United States where he became head of the Australian Military Mission, and was military advisor for Australia to the United Nations Conference on International Organization. He returned to Australia in August 1946, and frustrated by his lack of command and constantly being passed over by Blamey and others. In 1946, the Premier of Queensland, Ned Hanlon, offered the post of Governor of Queensland to Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead, Hanlon then offered the post to Lavarack, who accepted and was sworn in on 1 October—the second Australian-born person to hold a governorship in Australia. After completing his term in 1951, Lavaracks governorship was extended by another five years to 1956. In February 1952, he proclaimed Queen Elizabeth II as the monarch in Queensland, Lavaracks oath of allegiance and oath of office were then re-administered to reflect the new monarch
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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
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Willoughby Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie
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Educated at Eton College and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the British Armys 11th Hussars in 1913. He served in the First World War, in which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross and Bar, was mentioned in despatches. In January 1919 he changed his name by deed poll from Moke-Norrie to Norrie, between the wars he had a number of regimental and staff postings, interrupted by a year at the Staff College, Camberley in 1924. In 1931 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and became Commanding Officer of the 11th Hussars after which he was placed on the half-pay list although promoted to colonel in 1935. In January 1936, still on the pay list, Norrie took part in the funeral procession for King George V as one of the Representative Colonels-Commandant. In April 1936 he was appointed to command the 1st Cavalry Brigade as a temporary brigadier and his brigade was mechanised in 1938 and re-designated 1st Light Armoured Brigade, becoming the 1st Armoured Brigade in 1940. On the outbreak of the Second World War Norrie continued to serve as commander of the 1st Armoured Brigade, in April 1940 the brigade was part of the 2nd Armoured Division, which he was given temporary command of for a month between appointments of permanent commanders. Following this he was appointed acting major general and became Inspector of the Royal Armoured Corps, four months later he became General Officer Commanding 1st Armoured Division and was promoted to the permanent rank of major general in June 1941. He commanded XXX Corps during Operation Crusader with some success but his tanks suffered a defeat at the Battle of Gazala in June 1942. He was criticised for his approach to armoured warfare and General Claude Auchinleck. He returned to Britain to be appointed Commander of the Royal Armoured Corps in which role he was to give advice on armoured warfare to General Bernard Paget, Norrie retired from the British Army in September 1944 to take up his post as Governor of South Australia. Although his substantive rank at time was still major general. Norrie was married to Jocelyn Helen Gosling on 9 June 1922 and they had three children, Diana Norrie Hon. Rosemary Norrie, married the 3rd Viscount Daventry George Willoughby Moke Norrie Jocelyn Norrie died on 7 March 1938. He remarried later that year, to Patricia Merryweather Bainbridge, on 28 November and they also had three children, Guy Bainbridge Norrie Sarah Norrie Annabel Mary Adelaide Norrie Norrie also had a ward, his niece Eleanor Kerans. She had been orphaned at an age, and when she was 16 her brother was killed in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. Norrie was appointed Governor of South Australia in September 1944, whereupon he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and he, his family and 12 staff arrived in Adelaide in December. The Vice-Regal couple worked hard to keep the Empire Spirit alive during wartime, within two years, Norrie had travelled to every local government area within the state, and was sure to welcome servicemen returning from war. Lady Patricia, with Rosemary and Eleanor, were regular volunteers, in 1945, Norrie was made a Knight of St John, an award associated with public and charitable works
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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
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Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet
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Sir Ronald Hibbert Cross, 1st Baronet KCMG KCVO PC was a British politician and diplomat. Cross was educated at Ludgrove Preparatory School and then Eton College and he served with the Duke of Lancasters Own Yeomanry and as a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps in World War I. At the 1931 general election, Cross was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for Rossendale and he served successively as government whip, Junior Lord of the Treasury, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household and Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. He was sworn into the Privy Council in 1940, during World War II, Cross served as Minister of Economic Warfare and Minister of Shipping. In 1941, he was removed as Minister of Shipping after his performance was criticized by the press, the same year, he was appointed British High Commissioner to Australia and created a Baronet, of Bolton-le-Moors in the County Palatine of Lancaster. Cross returned to the United Kingdom in 1945 but lost his seat at that years election, in 1950, Cross was elected in the seat of Ormskirk, Lancashire. He later served as Governor of Tasmania from 23 August 1951 to 4 June 1958 and he was appointed KCVO by Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Hobart during her Coronation Tour in 1954. He was a popular Governor, well regarded in the island State, Cross married Louise Marion Green-Emmott in 1925. They had four daughters and a son who predeceased him, mount Ronald Cross in western Tasmania is named after him. Hansard 1803–2005, contributions in Parliament by Ronald Cross
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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
