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Michael Jeffery |
 Michael Jeffery in 2007 |
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| In office 11 August 2003 – 5 September 2008 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | John Howard (2003-2007) Kevin Rudd (2007-2008) |
| Preceded by | Peter Hollingworth |
| Succeeded by | Quentin Bryce |
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| Born | 12 December 1937 Wiluna, Western Australia, Australia |
| Spouse | Marlena Kerr |
| Profession | Military |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1955–1993 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | 1st Division Special Air Service Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Malayan Emergency Vietnam War |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of Australia Military Cross |
Major General Philip Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC (born 12 December 1937) was the 24th Governor-General of Australia 2003–2008. He was the first Australian career soldier to be appointed Governor-General. He had previously served as Governor of Western Australia 1993–2000.
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Michael Jeffery was born in Wiluna, Western Australia and was educated at Kent Street Senior High School. 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 (together with whom he had three sons, a daughter and seven subsequent grandchildren). This was followed by a tour of duty in Vietnam during which he was awarded the Military Cross (MC).12 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 during a 2002 speech to Australian veterans of the war.3
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 "Honorary Colonel" of the SASR, where he holds the ceremonial role of inducting new soldiers into the regiment and presenting them with their famous sandy beret.
In November 1993 Jeffery was appointed Governor of Western Australia, and in June 1996 he became a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).4 He was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) on 1 April 2000.56
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."7
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."7
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."
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." While in office, however, he kept a very low profile. Some journalists speculated that he had been instructed to do so by Howard. Only 14% of people interviewed for a newspaper survey in August 2006 recognised his photograph.8
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.9
Jeffery was 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.10 Jeffery was an active Chief Scout.11
Major General Jeffery retired from Yarralumla prior to the swearing-in of his successor, Ms Quentin Bryce, the then Governor of Queensland. Ms Bryce was sworn in on 5 September 2008.1213
See also: Politics of Australia
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Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) | Civil division (1996)4 |
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Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) | Military division (1988)14 |
| Member of the Order of Australia (AM) | (1981)15 | |
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Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) | (2000)56 |
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Military Cross (MC) | (1971)12 |
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Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John | 15 April 19941617 |
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Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975 | with MALAYA, THAI-MALAY and VIETNAM clasps |
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General Service Medal | with BORNEO clasp |
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Vietnam Medal | |
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Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 | with SE ASIA and PNG clasps |
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Centenary Medal | (awarded 2001)18 |
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Defence Force Service Medal with 4 clasps | 35-39 years service |
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National Medal19 | with First Clasp - 25-35 years service to ... |
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Australian Defence Medal | |
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Papua New Guinea Independence Medal | (1977) |
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Vietnam Campaign Medal | |
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Pingat Jasa Malaysia | |
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Honorary Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL) | (2005)20 |
Unit Award:
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Vietnam Gallantry Cross | 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1970)21 |
Images of General Jeffery with medals: 11 April 2008, 8 April 2008
Image of General Jeffery in uniform with ribbons: 27 August 2008
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by Francis Burt |
Governor of Western Australia 1993 – 2000 |
Succeeded by John Sanderson |
| Preceded by Peter Hollingworth |
Governor General of Australia 2003 – 2008 |
Succeeded by Quentin Bryce |
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