Career backgrounds of Australia’s Governors-General

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Posted 20/12/2018 by Rob Lundie

Career backgrounds of Australia’s Governors-General

On 16 December 2018, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the Queen had approved his recommendation that the next Governor-General would be His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley, AC DSC (Retd).

Currently serving as the Governor of New South Wales, General Hurley will be sworn in as Australia’s 27th Governor-General on 28 June 2019. Of the last four Governors-General since 2001, he will be the third with a military background after Major General Michael Jeffery (in office August 2003–September 2008) and Sir Peter Cosgrove (in office since March 2014). General Hurley will also be the third state governor since 2001 following Jeffery and Dame Quentin Bryce (in office September 2008–March 2014).

The occupational backgrounds of previous Governors-General have spanned the military, politics, the law, state governors, university administration and—in one instance—the clergy (Dr Peter Hollingworth, in office June 2001–May 2003).

The military, politics and the law have collectively formed the career backgrounds of the majority of Governors-General. There have been four Governors-General with significant military careers, a notable example being Sir William Slim (in office May 1953–February 1960), who served in World War I (including at Gallipoli) and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1949 after serving with distinction in World War II.

Six Governors-General were appointed following legal careers. For example, Sir Isaac Isaacs (in office January 1931–January 1936), having been Attorney-General both in Victoria and at the Federal level, rose to become Chief Justice of the High Court. Isaacs was also the first Australian-born Governor-General.

Fifty per cent (13) of Australia’s Governors-General have had political careers, either in the United Kingdom or Australia. The most recent of these was Bill Hayden (in office February 1989–February 1996), who was Leader of the Labor Party in Opposition between 1977 and 1983 and later held several ministries in the Hawke Government.

Six Governors-General came to the position having been state governors. The most recent of these was Dame Quentin Bryce (in office September 2008–March 2014), Australia’s first female Governor-General and previously Governor of Queensland. 

Below is a chronological list of Australia’s Governors-General with their period of service and broad career background.

Governors-General

Period of service and career background

Hopetoun, 7th Earl of, the Rt Hon. John Adrian Louis Hope, KT, GCMG, GCVO (later 1st Marquess of Linlithgow). Died 29.2.1908.

1.1.1901 - 9.1.1903

Colonial Governor

Tennyson, 2nd Baron, the Rt Hon. Hallam Tennyson, GCMG. Died 2.12.1928.

9.1.1903 - 21.1.1904

State Governor

Northcote, 1st Baron, the Rt Hon. Henry Stafford Northcote, GCMG, GCIE, CB. Died 29.9.1911.

21.1.1904 - 9.9.1908

Politics

Dudley, 2nd Earl of, the Rt Hon. William Humble Ward, GCB, GCMG, GCVO. Died 29.6.1932.

9.9.1908 - 31.7.1911

Politics

Denman, 3rd Baron, the Rt Hon. Thomas Denman, GCMG, KCVO. Died 24.6.1954.

31.7.1911 - 18.5.1914

Politics

Munro Ferguson, the Rt Hon. Sir Ronald Craufurd, GCMG (later 1st Viscount Novar). Died 30.3.1934.

18.5.1914 - 6.10.1920

Politics

Forster, 1st Baron, the Rt Hon. Henry William Forster, GCMG. Died 15.1.1936.

6.10.1920 - 8.10.1925

Politics

Stonehaven, 1st Baron, the Rt Hon. John Lawrence Baird, GCMG, DSO

(later 1st Viscount Stonehaven). Died 20.8.1941.

8.10.1925 - 22.1.1931

Politics

Isaacs, the Rt Hon. Sir Isaac Alfred, GCB, GCMG, KC. Died 11.2.1948.

22.1.1931 - 23.1.1936

Politics; Law

Gowrie, 1st Baron, Brigadier General the Rt Hon. Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, VC, GCMG, CB, DSO (later 1st Earl of Gowrie of Canberra and Dirleton). Died 2.5.1955.

23.1.1936 - 30.1.1945

Military; State Governor

Gloucester, Duke of, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden, HRH Prince Henry William Frederick Albert, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO. Died 10.6.1974.

30.1.1945 - 11.3.1947

Royalty

McKell, the Rt Hon. Sir William John, GCMG, QC. Died 11.1.1985.

11.3.1947 - 8.5.1953

Politics

Slim, Field Marshal Sir William Joseph, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC (later 1st Viscount Slim). Died 14.12.1970.

8.5.1953 - 2.2.1960

Military

Dunrossil, 1st Viscount, the Rt Hon. William Shepherd Morrison, GCMG, MC, QC. Died in office 3.2.1961.

2.2.1960 - 3.2.1961

Politics

De L'Isle, 1st Viscount, 6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, the Rt Hon.
William Philip Sidney, VC, KG, GCMG, GCVO. Died 5.4.1991.

3.8.1961 - 22.9.1965

Politics

Casey, Baron, the Rt Hon. Richard Gardiner Casey, KG, GCMG, CH, DSO, MC. Died 17.6.1976.

22.9.1965 - 30.4.1969

Politics

Hasluck, the Rt Hon. Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla, KG, GCMG, GCVO. Died 9.1.1993.

30.4.1969 - 11.7.1974

Politics

Kerr, the Rt Hon. Sir John Robert, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC. Died 24.3.1991.

11.7.1974 - 8.12.1977

Law

Cowen, the Rt Hon. Sir Zelman, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC. Died 8.12.2011.

8.12.1977 - 29.7.1982

Law; university administration

Stephen, the Rt Hon. Sir Ninian Martin, KG, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, QC.

29.7.1982 - 16.2.1989

Law

Hayden, the Hon. William George, AC.

16.2.1989 - 16.2.1996

Politics

Deane, the Hon. Sir William Patrick, AC, KBE.

16.2.1996 - 29.6.2001

Law

Hollingworth, Right Reverend the Hon. Dr Peter John, AC, OBE.

29.6.2001 - 29.5.2003*

Clergy

Jeffery, Major General the Hon. Michael, AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC (Retd).

11.8.2003 - 5.9.2008

Military; State Governor

Bryce, the Hon. Dame Quentin Alice Louise, AD, CVO.

5.9.2008 - 28.3.2014

Law; State Governor

Cosgrove, General the Hon. Sir Peter John, AK, MC (Retd).

28.3.2014 –

Military

* Resigned; commission revoked from 29.5.2003.

Source: 45th Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia, Parliamentary Library, Department of Parliamentary Services, 2017.

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