Michael Jeffery
Australia- Michael Jeffery: From Military Service to Governor-General
- Military Career
- Leadership Roles
- Governor of Western Australia
- Governor-General of Australia
- Other Roles
Michael Jeffery: From Military Service to Governor-General
Early Life and EducationMichael Jeffery was born in Wiluna, Western Australia, and educated at Kent Street High School. At the age of 16, he left Perth to study at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra.
Military Career
After graduating from Duntroon in 1958, Jeffery held various postings before being deployed to Malaya in 1962. From 1966 to 1969, he served in Papua New Guinea. During this time, he married Marlene Kerr of Sydney (with whom he had three sons and a daughter). He subsequently deployed to Vietnam, where he was awarded the Military Cross. Jeffery remained a staunch believer in Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War.
Leadership Roles
In 1972, Jeffery was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Pacific Islands Regiment. In 1975, he took command of the Special Air Service (SAS) in Perth, eventually rising to the rank of Colonel and becoming the first Commander of Special Forces (7 January 1976 – 22 October 1977). He played a key role in developing the concept of surveillance in northern Australia and, in this capacity, forged Australia's counter-terrorism doctrine and capability.
From 1981 to 1983, he headed Australia's national counter-terrorism effort as head of its coordinating body. In 1985, he was promoted to Major General and appointed Commander of the 1st Division. In 1990, he became Deputy Chief of the General Staff and was appointed Vice Chief of the General Staff in 1991.
Governor of Western Australia
Although he retired from the military in 1993, Jeffery continued to serve as an "Honorary Colonel" and, in this capacity, conducted the ceremonial induction of new soldiers into the regiment, donning their distinctive sand-coloured berets. In November 1993, he was appointed Governor of Western Australia, and in June 1996, he was invested as a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). He received the Royal Victorian Order on 1 April 2000.
During his seven years as Governor, he made several public pronouncements taking conservative positions on marriage, gender, and education. This drew some criticism from the Australian Labor Party and some members of the media for his interventions in political matters.
Governor-General of Australia
Following the resignation of Peter Hollingworth, Prime Minister John Winston Howard announced on 22 June 2003 that he had nominated Jeffery as the next Governor-General of Australia. He was formally appointed to the position by Queen Elizabeth II and sworn in on 11 August 2003, becoming the first Australian Governor-General with a military background.
Jeffery's appointment was generally well-received, although some critical commentary was made about the appointment of another Anglo-Celtic male to the position. Jeffery was considered an ideal choice for Howard to replace Hollingworth as Governor-General. The former soldier was deeply conservative, imbued with military discipline, and held strong traditional family values.
In 2007, while serving as Governor-General, Jeffery was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, succeeding Elizabeth Bowes. Future Governors-General have been expected to serve in this capacity.
Other Roles
Jeffery was a member of the Scout movement in Australia. Historically, the Governor-General of Australia has also held the title of Chief Scout of Australia; the Chief Scout is appointed by the National Executive board of the association. He invited the President of the Scout Association to agree to his appointment. Jeffery had been a Scout leader.
Jeffery served as Governor-General until the swearing in of his successor, Quentin Bryce, the former Governor of Queensland. Bryce was sworn in on 5 September 2008.
