Governor of Victoria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Victoria
The Governor's Standard
Incumbent Margaret Gardner since 9 August 2023
Viceregal
Style	Her Excellency the Honourable
Residence	Government House, Melbourne
Seat	Melbourne
Appointer	Monarch on the advice of the premier
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure (typically 5 years)
Formation	22 May 1855
First holder	Charles Hotham
Deputy	Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria
Salary	$485,000 (2022)

The Governor of Victoria is a very important person in the Australian state of Victoria. They act as the representative of the King of Australia, currently King Charles III.

The King appoints the Governor based on the advice of Victoria's leader, the Premier. The Governor's main job is to represent the King. This means they do many official duties. For example, they open and close the Victorian Parliament. They also appoint the government's ministers and approve new laws.

The Governor's office and home is Government House. It is a grand building located next to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne.

The current Governor of Victoria is Margaret Gardner. She became Governor in August 2023. She took over from Linda Dessau.

What Does the Governor Do?

The Governor has several important roles. They are appointed by the King, but they act on the advice of Victoria's Premier. This means they usually follow what the Premier suggests.

Constitutional Duties

The Governor has special powers related to how the government works. These are called "reserve powers." This means they can make important decisions in rare situations. For example, they have the right to dismiss the Premier if needed. However, this power is almost never used.

The Governor is like a "viceroy." This means they act as the King's personal representative. They have all the powers of the head of state in Victoria. They do not need to ask the King for permission for their actions. They act on the advice of the Premier.

Ceremonial and Community Roles

The Governor also performs many ceremonial duties. They attend special events and represent Victoria. They meet with people from all walks of life. This helps them connect with the community. They also host visitors at Government House.

The Governor's Special Flag

The Governor of Victoria has their own special flag. It looks similar to the state flag of Victoria. However, the blue background is gold instead. It also has red stars that show the Southern Cross constellation. Above the stars is the Royal Crown.

This special flag has been used since 1984. Before that, different flags were used. The Governor's flag is flown at Government House. It is also flown on cars when the Governor is travelling. When the Governor is away from Victoria, the flag is lowered.

Past and present standards of the governor

• 

  1870–1877

• 

  1877–1901

• 

  1901–1984

• 

  1984–present

Who Else Helps the Governor?

There are other important roles that help the Governor. These include the Lieutenant-Governor and the Administrator.

The Lieutenant-Governor

The Lieutenant-Governor steps in when the Governor is away or cannot do their job. They take on the Governor's responsibilities. The Governor appoints the Lieutenant-Governor. This is done on the advice of the Premier. The current Lieutenant-Governor is James Angus. He was appointed in November 2021.

The Administrator

If both the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor are unable to act, the Administrator takes over. The Chief Justice of Victoria usually holds this role. If the Chief Justice is already the Lieutenant-Governor, then the next most senior judge becomes the Administrator.

How the Governor's Role Changed

For a long time, the Governors of Victoria were usually from Britain. They were chosen by the British government. However, things changed after 1986. Laws were passed that made the Governor's role more Australian.

Since 1974, all Governors of Victoria have been Australian citizens. The first Australian-born Governor was Sir Henry Winneke. Some Governors were born overseas but moved to Australia when they were young. For example, David de Kretser was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Alex Chernov was born in Lithuania.

Who Were the Governors of Victoria?

Victoria became a separate colony in 1851. Before that, it was part of New South Wales. The first leader of Victoria was called a Lieutenant-Governor.

Early Lieutenant-Governors

• Captain Charles La Trobe was the first Lieutenant-Governor. He started on July 1, 1851.
• Captain Sir Charles Hotham became Lieutenant-Governor in 1854.

In May 1855, Victoria gained more self-government. At that point, Captain Sir Charles Hotham became the first official Governor.

No.	Image	Lieutenant-governor	From	To
1		Captain Charles La Trobe	1 July 1851	5 May 1854
2		Captain Sir Charles Hotham KCB RN	22 June 1854	22 May 1855

Governors of Victoria

Here is a list of all the people who have served as Governor of Victoria:

No.	Image	Governor	From	To	Notes
1		Sir Charles Hotham KCB	22 May 1855	31 December 1855	Edward Macarthur was administrator from January to December 1856
2		Sir Henry Barkly GCMG KCB FRS FRGS	26 December 1856	10 September 1863
3		Sir Charles Darling KCB	11 September 1863	7 May 1866	George Carey acted May to August 1866
4		The Rt Hon. Viscount Canterbury GCMG KCB	15 August 1866	2 March 1873
5		The Rt Hon Sir George Bowen GCMG	30 July 1873	22 February 1879
6		The Most Hon. Marquess of Normanby GCB GCMG PC	29 April 1879	18 April 1884
7		Sir Henry Brougham Loch GCMG KCB	15 July 1884	15 November 1889
8		The Right Hon. Earl of Hopetoun KT GCMG GCVO PC	28 November 1889	12 July 1895
9		The Rt Hon. Lord Brassey GCB JP DL TD	25 October 1895	31 March 1900
10		Sir George Clarke KCMG	28 September 1901	24 November 1903
11		The Hon. Major-General Sir Reginald Talbot KCB	25 April 1904	6 July 1908
12		The Rt Hon. Lord Carmichael GCSI GCIE KCMG DL	27 July 1908	19 May 1911
13		The Rt Hon. Sir John Fuller Bt KCMG	24 May 1911	24 November 1913
14		Sir Arthur Stanley KCMG	23 February 1914	30 January 1920
15		The Rt Hon. Earl of Stradbroke KCMG CB CVO CBE VD TD	24 February 1921	7 April 1926
16		The Rt Hon. Lord Somers KCMG DSO MC	28 June 1926	23 June 1931
17		The Rt Hon. Lord Huntingfield KCMG	14 May 1934	4 April 1939
18		The Rt Hon. Major General Lord Dugan GCMG CB DSO	17 July 1939	20 February 1949
19		General Sir Reginald Dallas Brooks GCMG KCB KCVO DSO	18 October 1949	7 May 1963
20		Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe KCMG KCVO KBE CB DSO	8 May 1963	31 May 1974
21		The Hon. Sir Henry Winneke AC KCMG KCVO OBE QC	1 June 1974	28 February 1982
22		Rear Admiral Sir Brian Murray KCMG AO	1 March 1982	3 October 1985
23		The Reverend Dr Davis McCaughey AC	18 February 1986	22 April 1992
24		The Hon. Richard McGarvie AC QC	23 April 1992	23 April 1997
25		The Hon. Sir James Gobbo AC CVO QC	24 April 1997	31 December 2000
26		Mr. John Landy AC CVO MBE	1 January 2001	7 April 2006
27		Professor David de Kretser AC	7 April 2006	7 April 2011
28		The Hon. Alex Chernov AC KC	8 April 2011	30 June 2015
29		The Hon. Linda Dessau AC CVO	1 July 2015	30 June 2023
30		The Hon. Margaret Gardner AC	9 August 2023	Incumbent

See also

• Governor-General of Australia
• Governors of the Australian states