| Governor of Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the governor | |
 Standard of the Governor[needs update] | |
 | |
| Viceregal | |
| Style | His Excellencythe Honourable |
| Residence | Government House, Perth |
| Seat | Perth |
| Appointer | Monarch on the advice of thepremier |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure (usually 5 years byconvention) |
| Formation | 6 February 1832 |
| First holder | Captain James Stirling |
| Website | govhouse |
Thegovernor of Western Australia is the representative inWestern Australia of the monarch, KingCharles III. As with the othergovernors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:
Furthermore, all bills passed by theParliament 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 thepremier and the cabinet, such approval is almost always a formality.
Until the appointment of SirJames 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 SirRichard Trowbridge who was the last non-Australian governor of any Australian state.[1]
Although not a responsibility of the office of Governor of Western Australia, governors of Western Australia are - like allGovernors of the Australian states - normally given adormant commission toadminister the government of the Commonwealth of Australia in the absence from Australia, or the death, incapacity or removal from office of theGovernor-General by the Sovereign.[2][3]
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 andMalcolm McCusker – were given the style "The Honourable", on the recommendation of the premier.[4] The other living former governor,Michael Jeffery, already held the style in virtue of his later service asgovernor-general of Australia.
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.
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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.[5]
| No. | Portrait | Governor | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Captain SirJames Stirling | 6 February 1832 | 2 January 1839[6] |
| 2 |  | John Hutt | 3 January 1839 | 26 January 1846 |
| 3 |  | Lieutenant ColonelAndrew Clarke | 27 January 1846 | 11 February 1847 |
| - | .jpg) | Lieutenant ColonelFrederick Irwin (acting Governor) | 12 February 1847 | 11 August 1848 |
| 4 |  | CaptainCharles Fitzgerald | 12 August 1848 | 22 July 1855 |
| 5 |  | SirArthur Kennedy | 23 July 1855 | 27 February 1862 |
| 6 |  | John Hampton | 28 February 1862 | 1 November 1868 |
| 7 |  | SirBenjamin Pine[note 1] | 2 November 1868 | 29 September 1869 |
| 8 |  | SirFrederick Weld | 30 September 1869 | 10 January 1875 |
| 9 |  | SirWilliam Robinson | 11 January 1875 | 11 November 1877 |
| 10 |  | Major General SirHarry Ord[note 2] | 12 November 1877 | 9 April 1880 |
| - | | Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson(2nd time) | 10 April 1880 | 1 June 1883 |
| 11 |  | SirFrederick Broome | 2 June 1883 | 19 October 1890 |
| - | | Sir William Robinson(3rd time) | 20 October 1890 | 22 December 1895 |
| 12 |  | Lieutenant Colonel SirGerard Smith | 23 December 1895 | 30 April 1901 |
| 13 |  | SirArthur Lawley | 1 May 1901 | 23 March 1903 |
| 14 |  | Admiral SirFrederick Bedford | 24 March 1903 | 30 May 1909 |
| 15 |  | SirGerald Strickland | 31 May 1909 | 16 March 1913 |
| 16 |  | Major General SirHarry Barron | 17 March 1913 | 8 April 1917 |
| 17 |  | SirWilliam Ellison-Macartney | 9 April 1917 | 8 April 1920 |
| 18 |  | SirFrancis Newdegate | 9 April 1920 | 27 October 1924 |
| 19 |  | Colonel SirWilliam Campion | 28 October 1924 | 8 June 1931 |
| N/A[note 3] | 1931 | 1948 | ||
| 20 |  | SirJames Mitchell | 5 October 1948 | 30 June 1951 |
| 21 | General SirCharles Gairdner | 6 November 1951 | 25 October 1963 | |
| 22 | Major General SirDouglas Kendrew | 25 October 1963 | 6 January 1974 | |
| 23 |  | Air Commodore SirHughie Edwards | 7 January 1974 | 2 April 1975 |
| 24 | Air Chief Marshal SirWallace Kyle | 24 November 1975 | 24 November 1980 | |
| 25 |  | Rear Admiral SirRichard Trowbridge | 25 November 1980 | 24 November 1983 |
| 26 | Gordon Reid | 2 July 1984 | 30 September 1989 | |
| 27 | SirFrancis Burt | 20 March 1990 | 31 October 1993 | |
| 28 |  | Major GeneralMichael Jeffery | 1 November 1993 | 17 August 2000 |
| 29 | Lieutenant GeneralJohn Sanderson | 18 August 2000 | 31 October 2005 | |
| 30 |  | Ken Michael | 18 January 2006 | 2 May 2011 |
| 31 |  | Malcolm McCusker | 1 July 2011 | 30 June 2014 |
| 32 |  | Kerry Sanderson | 20 October 2014 | 1 May 2018 |
| 33 |  | Kim Beazley | 1 May 2018 | 30 June 2022 |
| 34 | | Chris Dawson | 15 July 2022 | Current |
The lieutenant-governor serves as deputy to the governor, fulfilling the governor's functions in the governor's absence.[7]
| No. | Portrait | Lieutenant-Governor | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Captain SirJames Stirling | 30 December 1828 | 5 February 1832[6] |
| ... | ||||
| N/A | | SirJames Mitchell | 1933 | 1948[6] |
| ... | ||||
| N/A | Peter Quinlan | 27 November 2019 | Current |
| BeforeFederation | | |
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| AfterFederation | ||
