Governor of Western Australia
{{Short description|Representative of the Australian monarch in Western Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Governor
| body = Western Australia
| flag = Flag of the Governor of Western Australia.svg
| flagsize = 150px
| flagcaption = Flag of the Governor
| insignia = Logo for the Governor of Western Australia.svg
| insigniasize = 100px
| insigniacaption = Badge of the governor
| image = Chris Dawson 2022.jpg
| imagesize = 150px
| incumbent = Chris Dawson
| incumbentsince = 15 July 2022
| department = Viceregal
| style = His Excellency the Honourable
| residence = Government House, Perth
| seat = Perth
| appointer = Monarch
| appointer_qualified = on the advice of the premier
| termlength = At His Majesty's pleasure
| termlength_qualified = (usually 5 years by convention)
| constituting_instrument =
| formation = 6 February 1832
| first = Captain James Stirling
| deputy =
| salary =
| website = {{URL|govhouse.wa.gov.au}}
}}
The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch, King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:
- presiding over the Executive Council
- proroguing and dissolving the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council
- issuing writs for elections
- appointing Ministers, Judges, Magistrates and Justices of the Peace
Furthermore, all bills passed by the Parliament of Western Australia require the governor's signature before they become acts and pass into law. However, since convention almost always requires the governor to act on the advice of the premier and the cabinet, such approval is almost always a formality.
Until the appointment of Sir James Mitchell in 1948, all governors of Western Australia had been British officials. After Mitchell's appointment, a further three Britons served as governor: Mitchell's two immediate successors, and then, from 1980 to 1983, Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Trowbridge who was the last non-Australian governor of any Australian state.{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=Western Australia | url= http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Hansard%5Chansard.nsf/0/cc4912a95f20d8eec8257570007f7408/$FILE/A36%20S2%2020030513%20p7514b-7514b.pdf | house=Western Australian Legislative Assembly |title=Rear Admiral Sir Richard John Trowbridge Condolence Motion | date=13 May 2003 |part=1 | page_start=7514 | page_end=7514 |speaker=Dr Geoff Gallop |position=Premier}}
Styles
The governor of Western Australia is styled "His Excellency" during his term in office (or Her Excellency for a female governor). In August 2014, three of the four living past governors – John Sanderson, Ken Michael and Malcolm McCusker – were given the style "The Honourable", on the recommendation of the premier.[https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/searchgazette/A654B4CDC3A231F748257D340007A941/$file/gg126.pdf Western Australian Government Gazette], 15 August 2014, No. 126, p. 2951. Retrieved 15 October 2014. The other living former governor, Michael Jeffery, already held the style in virtue of his later service as governor-general of Australia.
Governor's standard
The governor's standard of Western Australia is the same design as the British blue ensign with the union flag at the upper left quarter. On the right side, the state badge of Western Australia, comprising a black swan in a yellow disc, is surmounted by the St. Edward's crown.
If the standard is flying at Government House, on a vehicle or at an event, this indicates that the governor is present.
File: Flag of the Governor of Western Australia (1870–1953).svg|1870–1953
File: Flag of the Governor of Western Australia (1953–1988).svg |1953-1988
File: Flag of the Governor of Western Australia.svg|1988 -present
List of governors and lieutenant-governors
=List of governors=
Stirling was only commissioned as the governor of Western Australia on 4 March 1831, rectifying the absence of a legal instrument providing the authority detailed in Stirling's instructions of 30 December 1828. Stirling had said of his own position:
I believe I am the first Governor who ever formed a settlement without Commission, Laws, Instructions and Salary.{{cite web | url = http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?dID=94 | title = Commission appointing Stirling Governor and Commander-in-Chief 4 March 1831 (UK) | work = Documenting a Democracy | publisher = National Archives of Australia | access-date = 2008-03-05 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080207042047/http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?dID=94 | archive-date = 7 February 2008 | df = dmy-all }} - see also [http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/scan.asp?sID=1217 Scan of 1st page of parchment original] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723155328/http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/scan.asp?sID=1217 |date=23 July 2008 }} and {{cite web | last = Bathurst | author-link = Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst | year = 1831 | url = http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/resources/transcripts/wa5i_doc_1831.pdf | title = Transcription of Commission appointing Stirling Governor and Commander-in-Chief 4 March 1831 (UK) | format = pdf (5 pages) | work = Founding documents: 110 key documents that are the foundation of our nation | publisher = National Archives of Australia | access-date = 2008-03-05 }}
=List of lieutenant-governors=
The lieutenant-governor serves as deputy to the governor, fulfilling the governor's functions in the governor's absence.{{cite web |title=Lieutenant Governor |url=https://govhouse.wa.gov.au/the-governor/lieutenant-governor/ |website=Government House Western Australia |access-date=22 October 2023}}
| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse:collapse;" |
| bgcolor="#cccccc"
! width="4%"| No. ! width="10%"| Portrait ! width="50%"| Lieutenant-Governor ! width="20%"| From ! width="20%"| To |
| 1
| 80px | Captain Sir James Stirling RN | 30 December 1828 |
| ...
| | | | |
| N/A
|80px |1933 |
| ...
| | | | |
| N/A
| |27 November 2019 |Current |
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{commons category|Governors of Western Australia}}
- [http://www.govhouse.wa.gov.au/ Government House, Western Australia: The Official Website of the Governor of Western Australia]
{{Governors of Western Australia}}
{{Australian governors}}
{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions}}
{{Government of Western Australia}}