Sunday, April 13, 2008

Australia appoints its first woman Governor General

The Queen has done it actually. Kevin Rudd and her stitched it up in talks in London. The new GG, Quentin Bryce, will take over in September.

She is the current Governor of Queensland, and has been much more besides. In her words:

“It’s a great honour and a great responsibility, and it’s a great day for Australian woman.

I grew up in a little bush town in Queensland of 200 people and what this day says to Australian women and Australian girls is that you can do anything, you can be anything, and it makes my heart sing to see women in so many diverse roles across our country in Australia"...




Australia’s 25th Governor General will be a woman - the present Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce – ending 107 years of tradition.

Announcing the appointment within hours of returning to Canberra from an 18-day tour that included talks with The Queen at Windsor Castle the Prime Minister said that she had accepted his recommendation that a woman represent her in Australia for the first time.

“It has taken 107 years. It is good that it’s happened,” Mr Rudd said.

Quentin Bryce has been a lawyer, an academic, the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and the founding chair of the National Childcare Accreditation Council. Born near Longreach in Queensland she has been Queensland’s Governor since 2003.

Asked if he had appointed her because she was, like him a Queenslander, the Prime Minister replied that he didn’t actually know Ms Bryce well.

“I think it’s important that we have as Governor-General of Australia someone who has strong commitments to the nation, the community, the fact that Ms Bryce has such a strong commitment to rural and regional Australia, a strong commitment to the rights of women, a strong commitment to Indigenous Australia, and brings with her great experience both as a lawyer, a legal academic and as the current Governor of Queensland. She brings great experience to this.

The Governor of Queensland since 2003, Ms Bryce said yesterday that appointment was “a great honour and a great responsibility”

It was also “ a great day for Australian woman”.

“I grew up in a little bush town in Queensland of 200 people and what this day says to Australian women and Australian girls is that you can do anything, you can be anything, and it makes my heart sing to see women in so many diverse roles across our country in Australia,” she said.

The 65-year old is married Michael Bryce, the graphic designer who created one of Australia’s most successful logos – the Opera House shaped squiggle that helped Sydney win its Olympic 2000 bid. They have two daughters, three sons and five grandchildren.

The current Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery welcomed the appointment, saying it was a singular honour to serve the Australian people in that role.

He and his wife Marlena will continue to occupy Government House until Ms Bryce takes office on September 5. The Prime Minister said Major General Jeffery had served for five years with “great distinction”.

Ms Bryce has been appointed at The Queen’s pleasure, although a five-year term is considered usual.

Asked whether she might be Australia’s last Governor General if Australia became a Republic Mr Rudd said that while his commitment to a Republic remained clear cut, it was not a “top order question” for the Government. “There are many other priorities around”.

Asked how long it would be until Australia went further and appointed its first female Prime Minister, Mr Rudd replied that he thought that would take a little longer and that he liked the present arrangement with himself as Prime Minister and Julia Gillard as his Deputy.

Ms Bryce’s appaointment was welcomed across the political spectrum. The Opposition leader Brendan Nelson said she would serve her country with distinction. Queensland’s Premier Anna Bligh said she would be an outstanding role model.

The ACT’s Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said the appointment as “fantastic, historic and quite thrilling”.

He described Ms Bryce as a friend and said they met when he was chief of staff to then federal Attorney-General Michael Lavarch, and she was the federal sex discrimination commissioner.

”She's tremendous. She's got the common touch and she'll be a real adornment to the office," he said.