Michael Jeffery
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| His Excellency Philip Michael Jeffery Governor-General of Australia, AC, CVO, MC | |
| Image:Hall PS GG.jpg Michael Jeffery opening the Laurie Copping Museum in Hall, Australian Capital Territory. | |
| | |
|---|---|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 11 August 2003 | |
| Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Peter Hollingworth |
| Born | 12 December 1937 Wiluna, Western Australia |
| Spouse | Marlena Jeffery (neé Kerr) |
| Profession | Military |
Major General Philip Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC (born 12 December 1937) is the 24th Governor-General of Australia. General Jeffery was born in Wiluna, Western Australia and was educated at Kent Street Senior High School.
General Jeffery's military service started by attending the Royal Military College, Duntroon where he graduated in 1958. During a tour of duty in Vietnam he was awarded the Military Cross. He retired from the Australian Army in 1993 to become Governor of Western Australia. On 11 August 2003, he became the first Australian career soldier to be appointed Governor-General.
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[edit] Military career
At sixteen he left Perth to attend the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra. After graduation in 1958, he served in a number of junior positions before being posted to Malaya in 1962 for operational service. From 1966 to 1969 he served in Papua New Guinea. During this posting, he married Marlena Kerr of Sydney. This was followed by a tour of duty in Vietnam during which he was awarded the Military Cross (MC). General Jeffery remained convinced that Australia's participation in the Vietnam War was right. "I believe passionately that Vietnam was a just cause in the circumstances of the time," he said in an interview.
In 1972 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel to command the 2nd Battalion of the Pacific Islands Regiment. In 1975, he assumed command of the SAS in Perth, and was then promoted to Colonel as the first Director of the Army's Special Action Forces (7 January 1976 – 22 October 1977). He was instrumental in developing the surveillance concept for Northern Australia and as Director of Special Action Forces, he prepared the development of the Australian Counter terrorist concept and capability.
From 1981 to 1983 he headed Australia's national counter-terrorist co-ordination authority. In 1985 he was promoted to Major-General and appointed to command the Army's 1st Division. In 1990 he became Deputy Chief of the General Staff and in 1991 he was appointed Assistant Chief of the General Staff for Materiel.
Although he retired from the army in 1993, he is still considered the "Honourary Colonel" of the SASR, where has holds the ceremonial role of inducting new soldiers into the regiment and presenting them with their famous sandy beret.
[edit] Governor of Western Australia
In November 1993 General Jeffery was appointed Governor of Western Australia, and in June 1996 he became a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). He was also appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO). During his seven years in the post he made a number of public statements of his conservative views on marriage, sex and education, and received some criticism from the Labor opposition and sections of the media for appearing to take positions on political issues.
On the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, for example, General Jeffery said: "Baser instincts are titillated in the television displays of events like the Mardi Gras, where the colour and spectacle of fancy dress camouflages a public display of simulated homosexual activity and the degradation of traditional religions in the name of humour."[1]
He also said: "A British study found a direct statistical link between single parenthood and virtually every type of major crime, including mugging, violence against strangers, car theft and burglary. And the same is true...in Western Australia."[1]
[edit] Governor-General
Style and Title:
His Excellency Major General (Ret'd) Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Following the resignation of Governor-General Dr Peter Hollingworth, Prime Minister John Howard announced on 22 June 2003 that he had chosen Major-General Jeffery to succeed him. He was formally appointed by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, and was sworn in on 11 August 2003, becoming the first Australian soldier to become Governor-General.
His appointment was generally welcomed, although there was some critical comment about the appointment of another Anglo-Australian male to the post, and also some comment about his conservative views. A journalist wrote in The Australian: "Jeffery is Howard's perfect Governor-General. The ex-soldier is deeply conservative, steeped in the military and strong on traditional family values."
General Jeffery made no apologies for his outspokenness, and commented that: "I think I will be able to talk on issues and principles and values and standards quite comfortably as Governor-General." Since taking office he has kept a very low profile. Some journalists have speculated that he has been instructed to do so by the Prime Minister. Only 14% of people interviewed for a newspaper survey in August 2006 recognised his photograph [1].
In 2007, in his position as Governor-General, Major-General Jeffery was appointed as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, succeeding the previous Colonel-in-Chief, HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Over time, it is expected that future Governors-General will serve in this position [2].
Major-General Jeffery is the Chief Scout of Australia. Historically the Governor-General of Australia has also served as Chief Scout of Australia; the Chief Scout is nominated by the Scouting Association's National Executive Committee and is invited by the President of the Scout Association to accept the appointment.[2] Jeffery has been an active Chief Scout.[3]
[edit] Personal
Michael Jeffery is married to Marlena (nee Kerr); they have three sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren.
See also: Politics of Australia
[edit] Honours
- Military Cross
- Australian National Medal (1977)
- Order of Australia: Member AM (1981); Officer AO (1988); Companion AC (1996)
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)
- Honorary Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL) (2005) [3]
- Patron of Engineers Australia (HonFIEAust)
- Honourary Colonel of the SASR
[edit] External links and references
- ^ a b Price, Matt. "Governor-General's prejudices on parade", The Australian, 2003-06-28.
- ^ Chief Scout. Scouts Australia. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
- ^ Kittel, Nicholas. "A century of Scouts a reason to celebrate", 666 ABC Canberra, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, August 1, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-15. "In his address the Governor General also explained his role as Chief Scout. "Really the Chief Scout tries to go around to as many scout groups as he can and say 'well done' to all who are taking part and to encourage a strengthening of the movement."" Saulwick, Jacob. "Scout and proud: life still a jamboree after 100 years", Sydney Morning Herald, 2 August 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-15. "Scouts descend on tiny town for jamboree", January 1 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
[edit] Contact
Governor-General
Government House
Dunrossil Drive
Yarralumla ACT
AUSTRALIA 2600
Governors-General of Australia |
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| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by Sir Francis Burt | Governor of Western Australia 1993–2000 | Succeeded by John Sanderson |
| Preceded by Peter Hollingworth | Governor-General of Australia 2003 – present | Incumbent |
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Categories: Current national leaders | Australian Anglicans | Australian generals | Governors of Western Australia | Governors-General of Australia | Companions of the Order of Australia | Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order | Grand Companions of the Order of Logohu | Recipients of the Military Cross | Australian military personnel of the Vietnam War | 1937 births | Living people
