Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC 2003 - Present

Australian's current Governor-General is His Excellency, Major General Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC and his wife is her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery.

The office of the Governor-General was establised by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The Constitution describes the Governor-General as The Queen's representative. The Queen appoints the Governor-General on the advice of The Prime Minister and under the provisions of the Letters Patent relating to the office. The Governor-General is non-political and quite distinct from that of the head of government. The Governor-General fulfills many important roles - constitutional and governmental, community relations, defence and ceremonial.

Since the beginning of The Australiana Fund, the Governor-General's residences have received many items of Australiana acquired by the Fund, with appreciation expressed by Governors-General and their families.

"In a very real sense, the four official residences are in the public domain. To them come people from overseas and from this country. It is fitting that they should be appropriately furnished and adorned so that those who come to them can have a sense that they are living and lived in treasures of Australian art and history. It seems to me, as the present incumbent of two of these houses, that this is a worthy object and I hope it will command strong support."

Sir Zelman Cowan, Governor-General, 1978.

As well as items of Australiana, the Fund collects memorabilia related to Governors-General. For example, the Portraits of Lord and Lady Northcote at Admiralty House. Items relating both to the houses and to the previous incumbents are high priorities in the Fund's collection programme.

The official website of the Australian Governor-General

Archbishop Peter Hollingworth 2001 - 2003

Sir William Patrick Deane 1996 - 2001

William George Hayden 1989 - 1996

Sir Ninian Martin Stephen 1982 - 1989

Sir Zelman Cowan 1977 - 1982

Sir John Robert Kerr 1974 - 1977

Sir Paul Hasluck 1969 - 1974

Richard Gardiner, Baron Casey 1965 - 1969

William Philip, Viscount De L'Isle 1961 - 1965

William Shepherd, Viscount Dunrossil 1960 - 1961

Field Marshall Sir William Joseph Slim 1953 - 1960

Sir William John McKell 1947 - 1953

Prince Henry William Frederick Albert, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden 1945 - 1947

Brigadier General Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven 1936 - 1945

Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs 1931 - 1936

John Lawrence, Baron Stonehaven 1925 - 1931

Henry William, Baron Forster of Lepe 1920 - 1925

Sir Ronald Crauford Munro-Ferguson 1914 - 1920

Thomas, Baron Denman 1911 - 1914

William Humble, Earl of Dudley 1908 - 1911

Henry Stafford, Baron Northcote 1904 - 1908

Hallam, Baron Tennyson 1903 - 1904

John Adrian Louis, Earl of Hopetoun 1901 - 1903