Quentin Bryce
Encyclopedia
Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO (born 23 December 1942) is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia
(the first woman to hold the position) and former Governor of Queensland.
Born in Brisbane
, Queensland
as Quentin Alice Louise Strachan, she spent her first years in Ilfracombe
, with her family subsequently living in a number of country towns around Australia. She attended the University of Queensland
, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts
and a Bachelor of Laws
, becoming one of the first women accepted to the Queensland bar
.
In 1968 she became the first woman to be a faculty member of the Law school where she had studied, and in 1978 she joined the new National Women's Advisory Council. This was followed by a number of positions, including the first director of the Queensland Women's Information Service, the Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner
in 1988.
Her services to the community saw her appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
in 1988, and a Companion of the Order of Australia
and Dame of the Order of St John of Jerusalem
in 2003. On 26 October 2011, The Queen of Australia invested Bryce as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order at Government House in Canberra.
Bryce was appointed the Governor of Queensland in 2003. Although some concerns were raised during her time in the position, her five-year term was to be extended until 2009. However, on 13 April 2008, before the completion of the initial five years, it was announced that Bryce was to become the next Governor-General of Australia. The decision was generally well received, and on 5 September 2008 Bryce was sworn in, succeeding Major General Michael Jeffery
, becoming the first woman to be the Governor-General.
, rather than attending the local State school. Her family left the area in 1949, initially relocating to Launceston, Tasmania
, where they remained for approximately a year. Returning to Queensland, her family moved to Belmont
. It was when living in Belmont that she attended the Camp Hill State School, and it was there that she first met her future husband, Michael Bryce
.
During the period that they were residing in Belmont, her father moved to Tenterfield, New South Wales
. In 1956 Quentin Strachan started attending boarding school
at Moreton Bay College
, Wynnum, Brisbane
. Upon graduating from high school she undertook studies at the University of Queensland, initially enrolling in a social work
and arts degree, but transferring to Law in her third year at the institution. She graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962 and Bachelor of Laws
in 1965.
She married Michael Bryce on 12 December 1964. In 1965, she was one of the first women to be admitted to the Queensland bar
, although she never practised professionally.
at the University of Queensland in 1968, thus becoming the first woman to be appointed to the faculty. In 1969 she took up a lecturing position at the law school, and she continued to teach at the university until 1983.
In 1978 the Fraser
government formed the National Women's Advisory Council, and Bryce was "vaulted to prominence" with her appointment to the council, taking on the role of convener in 1982. In 1984 she became the first director of the Queensland Women's Information Service under the umbrella of the Office of the Status of Women, and was appointed as the "women's representative on the National Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation". Then in 1987 she became the Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC).
Over a five-year period (1988–1993) Bryce served as Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner
during the time of the Hawke
Labor
government. Her time in the role was a busy one, with around 2,000 complaints being handled by the commission each year, and the work was both difficult and complex. The period was also noted as being one of "galloping legal reform" for the rights of women, yet, as Sandra McLean described it, Bryce kept a firm grip on the "reins of change" during this time. Nevertheless, concerns were raised when in 1990 Alexander Proudfoot formally complained that the women's health centres in the Australian Capital Territory
were operating in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act. This culminated in 1994 when Bryce faced an HREOC hearing after being accused of discriminating against Proudfoot – and ended when the commission found in Bryce's favour and dismissed the complaint, stating that the behaviour in question "did not reflect on the way Ms Bryce discharged her duties".
After finishing her time as the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Quentin Bryce became the founding chair and chief executive officer
of the National Childcare Accreditation Council, where she remained for three years, before changing direction between 1997 and 2003 when she became the principal and chief executive officer of The Women's College within the University of Sydney
, New South Wales
. The move was said to have "stunned her political and legal acquaintances", but Bryce saw it as bringing "together all the life skills and attributes" that she had acquired, as well as providing an opportunity to have an influence on the students' futures.
In other roles, Bryce has been the chair of the National Breast Cancer Advisory Council and sat on the Australian Women's Cricket Board, and has been a member of organisations such as the YWCA
, the Australian Children's Television Foundation
and the Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital. Bryce was also a US State Department Visitor in 1978 and a Member of the Australian Delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland from 1989 to 1991
, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, appointed her Governor of Queensland, the second woman to occupy the position. Once Bryce's nomination had been accepted by the Queen, Beattie opened it up for debate in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
—an "unprecedented" move performed by the Premier as the first step in changing the manner by which the nominations are managed. Nevertheless, the outcome was never in doubt, as Beattie had a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly and had "cleared the vote with the National
and Liberal
leaders" prior to the debate.
Bryce's stint at Government House was not always peaceful, but she was considered by some as a "highly respected figure" during her time as Governor. Concerns raised in the media included the "substantial" exit of staff at Government House not long after Bryce became Governor, (as at least eight staff, including the Executive Office, Head Chef, House Manager and Gardener left during her term), and the use of Government House for private parties. In response to the latter, Beattie argued that there was nothing wrong with holding private functions at Government House, especially as Bryce had paid for the events out of her own pocket, while the Queensland Public Sector Union
stated in 2008 that the staff disputes were "with the management as a whole, but there wasn't anything specific against the Governor". Staff at Queensland Government House had not been enthusiastic about Bryce as Queensland Governor.
One former staff member described Bryce:
In January 2008 it was announced her initial 5-year term, due to end in late July 2008, was to be extended to cover the period of Queensland's sesquicentennial celebrations in 2009. In making the announcement, Labor Premier Anna Bligh
described how Bryce had been an "inspiring leader" while serving as Governor, and acknowledged Bryce's willingness to spend a "great deal of time" in regional and remote areas, serving as a "Governor for all of Queensland". The extension did not eventuate, however, as she was appointed Governor-General, and she was succeeded as Queensland Governor on 29 July 2008 by Penelope Wensley
.
Kevin Rudd
, the Queen had approved her appointment as the next Governor-General of Australia
. The decision was generally well received: current and previous Labor State Premiers supported her selection, and both the then Leader of the Opposition, Brendan Nelson
, and the leader of the Australian Greens
, Bob Brown
, spoke in favour of the decision. Patricia Edgar
described Bryce's selection as an "inspired choice", while Jill Singer
in the Herald Sun
stated that the decision signalled "an important about face for Australia".
There was some opposition to the appointment, in particular from columnist
Des Houghton, who argued that she would bring a "fair bit of baggage" to the role (in reference to the controversies surrounding her time as the Governor of Queensland), and that she had failed to live up to her promise to be outspoken during her time at Government House. Concerns were also raised in August 2008, when it was revealed that Bryce intended to replace Malcolm Hazell
, who had been the Official Secretary
for both Major General Michael Jeffery
and Dr. Peter Hollingworth
, with Stephen Brady
. Kevin Rudd defended Bryce's decision, arguing that she had the right to appoint a new Official Secretary.
Bryce was sworn in on 5 September 2008. On 23 September 2008 she granted her first interview as Governor-General with Kerry O'Brien for The 7.30 Report
on ABC1
.
in the national newspaper, The Australian
suggested that Bryce is risking "politicising and misusing the office". Sheridan was commenting on Bryce's planned trip to Africa, on behalf of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, to lobby for a seat for Australia in the United Nations Security Council
. He further stated that Bryce's "feigned interest in Africa will be seen cynically by Africans". Sheridan added that the Governor-General should travel overseas "only rarely and for ceremonial purposes" and "they have no right to engage in foreign policy debate, at home or abroad".
Professor David Flint
, National Convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
, said any criticiasm of the South African tour shoud be directed to the government and not the Governor-General. He stated: "The Governor-General must act on advice, except in relation to her most important role, that of constitutional guardian. She may advise against a state visit, but if ministers insist, must go. In that event, she must not of course act as an advocate, although she may inform the foreign government of the Australian government's policy". He said that a Governor-General must be seen to be above politics.
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.
for "Services to Women's Cricket". On 1 January 2001, she was awarded the Centenary Medal
"For service to Australian society in business leadership".On 30 July 2010 she was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 30th Anniversary of Vanuatu
(Hon.LLD). In 2002, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Charles Sturt University
(Hon.DLitt). Bryce was conferred with the degree of Honorary Doctor of the University (Hon.DUniv) by Griffith University
in 2003. Honorary Doctor of the James Cook University (Hon.DUniv (JCU)) In 2004, Bryce was made an Honorary Doctor of the University (Hon.DU) by the Queensland University of Technology
. In 2006 Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Hon.LLD) by The University of Queensland
. In 2010,Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Hon.LLD) by The University of Sydney,where she was the principal of The Women's College, University of Sydney from 1997 to 2003.
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
(the first woman to hold the position) and former Governor of Queensland.
Born in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
as Quentin Alice Louise Strachan, she spent her first years in Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe, Queensland
Ilfracombe is a small town in Queensland, Australia that calls itself The Hub of the West. The main industry is sheep rearing, mainly for wool. Ilfracombe is situated on the Landsborough Highway, about 27 km east of Longreach, 214 metres above sea level, within the Longreach Region...
, with her family subsequently living in a number of country towns around Australia. She attended the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
, becoming one of the first women accepted to the Queensland bar
Bar council
A bar council , in a Commonwealth country and in the Republic of Ireland, the Bar Council of Ireland is a professional body that regulates the profession of barristers together with the King's Inns. Solicitors are generally regulated by the Law society....
.
In 1968 she became the first woman to be a faculty member of the Law school where she had studied, and in 1978 she joined the new National Women's Advisory Council. This was followed by a number of positions, including the first director of the Queensland Women's Information Service, the Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner
Sex Discrimination Commissioner
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner is an Australian federal government position established to oversee the operation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. The position was created alongside the Act as one of the specialist commissioners of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission...
in 1988.
Her services to the community saw her appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in 1988, and a Companion of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
and Dame of the Order of St John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
in 2003. On 26 October 2011, The Queen of Australia invested Bryce as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order at Government House in Canberra.
Bryce was appointed the Governor of Queensland in 2003. Although some concerns were raised during her time in the position, her five-year term was to be extended until 2009. However, on 13 April 2008, before the completion of the initial five years, it was announced that Bryce was to become the next Governor-General of Australia. The decision was generally well received, and on 5 September 2008 Bryce was sworn in, succeeding Major General Michael Jeffery
Michael Jeffery
Major General Philip Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC was the 24th Governor-General of Australia , the first Australian career soldier to be appointed governor-general...
, becoming the first woman to be the Governor-General.
Early life
Quentin Alice Louise Strachan was born in 1942 in Brisbane, the second of four daughters. Her parents, Norman Walter Strachan and Edwina Naida Wetzel, had taken up residence at Ilfracombe in 1940. Quentin—along with all of the children in her family—was home-schooledHomeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
, rather than attending the local State school. Her family left the area in 1949, initially relocating to Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, where they remained for approximately a year. Returning to Queensland, her family moved to Belmont
Belmont, Queensland
Belmont is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 12 km south-east of the CBD.Belmont is named after the original estate in 1876, the estate grew and became the Belmont Shire in 1901...
. It was when living in Belmont that she attended the Camp Hill State School, and it was there that she first met her future husband, Michael Bryce
Michael Bryce
Michael John Bryce AM AE is an Australian architect and graphic and industrial designer. He is the husband of the current Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce.-Biography:...
.
During the period that they were residing in Belmont, her father moved to Tenterfield, New South Wales
Tenterfield, New South Wales
Tenterfield is a town in New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the New England region at the intersection of the New England and Bruxner Highways. Tenterfield is a three-hour drive from Brisbane, 2.5 hours from Byron Bay, two hours from Armidale, New South Wales and 10 hours from Sydney....
. In 1956 Quentin Strachan started attending boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
at Moreton Bay College
Moreton Bay College
Moreton Bay College is an independent Uniting Church, day school for girls, located in Manly West, an outer suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaEstablished in 1901 as the Moreton Bay Girls' High School, by Alice J...
, Wynnum, Brisbane
Wynnum, Queensland
Wynnum is a suburb located on the shores of Moreton Bay in Brisbane, Australia, about 16 kilometres east of the CBD. The area was sparsely settled until the arrival of the railway in the late 1880s, but then grew fairly rapidly. The former Wynnum Shire Council was created in 1902, and twelve years...
. Upon graduating from high school she undertook studies at the University of Queensland, initially enrolling in a social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
and arts degree, but transferring to Law in her third year at the institution. She graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962 and Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1965.
She married Michael Bryce on 12 December 1964. In 1965, she was one of the first women to be admitted to the Queensland bar
Bar council
A bar council , in a Commonwealth country and in the Republic of Ireland, the Bar Council of Ireland is a professional body that regulates the profession of barristers together with the King's Inns. Solicitors are generally regulated by the Law society....
, although she never practised professionally.
Career
After spending some time in London, Bryce returned to Australia and accepted a part-time tutoring position at the T. C. Beirne School of LawTC Beirne School of Law
The TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland, founded in 1936, is the oldest law school in the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the sixth oldest law school out of 32 in Australia...
at the University of Queensland in 1968, thus becoming the first woman to be appointed to the faculty. In 1969 she took up a lecturing position at the law school, and she continued to teach at the university until 1983.
In 1978 the Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
government formed the National Women's Advisory Council, and Bryce was "vaulted to prominence" with her appointment to the council, taking on the role of convener in 1982. In 1984 she became the first director of the Queensland Women's Information Service under the umbrella of the Office of the Status of Women, and was appointed as the "women's representative on the National Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation". Then in 1987 she became the Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC).
Over a five-year period (1988–1993) Bryce served as Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner
Sex Discrimination Commissioner
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner is an Australian federal government position established to oversee the operation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. The position was created alongside the Act as one of the specialist commissioners of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission...
during the time of the Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government. Her time in the role was a busy one, with around 2,000 complaints being handled by the commission each year, and the work was both difficult and complex. The period was also noted as being one of "galloping legal reform" for the rights of women, yet, as Sandra McLean described it, Bryce kept a firm grip on the "reins of change" during this time. Nevertheless, concerns were raised when in 1990 Alexander Proudfoot formally complained that the women's health centres in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
were operating in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act. This culminated in 1994 when Bryce faced an HREOC hearing after being accused of discriminating against Proudfoot – and ended when the commission found in Bryce's favour and dismissed the complaint, stating that the behaviour in question "did not reflect on the way Ms Bryce discharged her duties".
After finishing her time as the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Quentin Bryce became the founding chair and chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the National Childcare Accreditation Council, where she remained for three years, before changing direction between 1997 and 2003 when she became the principal and chief executive officer of The Women's College within the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The move was said to have "stunned her political and legal acquaintances", but Bryce saw it as bringing "together all the life skills and attributes" that she had acquired, as well as providing an opportunity to have an influence on the students' futures.
In other roles, Bryce has been the chair of the National Breast Cancer Advisory Council and sat on the Australian Women's Cricket Board, and has been a member of organisations such as the YWCA
World YWCA
The World YWCA is the umbrella organization of the global network of the YWCA, a movement of women working for social and economic change around the world. It advocates for young women’s leadership, peace, justice, human rights and sustainable development, both on a grassroots and global scale...
, the Australian Children's Television Foundation
Australian Children's Television Foundation
The Australian Children's Television Foundation is a non-profit, government-funded organisation in Australia concerned with the development, production, dissemination and promotion of children's television and other audio-visual material for children....
and the Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital. Bryce was also a US State Department Visitor in 1978 and a Member of the Australian Delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland from 1989 to 1991
Governor of Queensland
In 2003, on the recommendation of the Premier Peter BeattiePeter Beattie
Peter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, appointed her Governor of Queensland, the second woman to occupy the position. Once Bryce's nomination had been accepted by the Queen, Beattie opened it up for debate in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
—an "unprecedented" move performed by the Premier as the first step in changing the manner by which the nominations are managed. Nevertheless, the outcome was never in doubt, as Beattie had a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly and had "cleared the vote with the National
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
and Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
leaders" prior to the debate.
Bryce's stint at Government House was not always peaceful, but she was considered by some as a "highly respected figure" during her time as Governor. Concerns raised in the media included the "substantial" exit of staff at Government House not long after Bryce became Governor, (as at least eight staff, including the Executive Office, Head Chef, House Manager and Gardener left during her term), and the use of Government House for private parties. In response to the latter, Beattie argued that there was nothing wrong with holding private functions at Government House, especially as Bryce had paid for the events out of her own pocket, while the Queensland Public Sector Union
Queensland Public Sector Union
The Queensland Public Sector Union is an Australian trade union for most workers employed by the Queensland state government. The QPSU operates on an organising model, which entails making delegates and members more participatory in their industrial activism....
stated in 2008 that the staff disputes were "with the management as a whole, but there wasn't anything specific against the Governor". Staff at Queensland Government House had not been enthusiastic about Bryce as Queensland Governor.
One former staff member described Bryce:
In January 2008 it was announced her initial 5-year term, due to end in late July 2008, was to be extended to cover the period of Queensland's sesquicentennial celebrations in 2009. In making the announcement, Labor Premier Anna Bligh
Anna Bligh
Anna Maria Bligh is an Australian politician and the Premier of Queensland since 2007. The 2009 Queensland state election was the first time a female-led political party won or retained state or federal government in Australia...
described how Bryce had been an "inspiring leader" while serving as Governor, and acknowledged Bryce's willingness to spend a "great deal of time" in regional and remote areas, serving as a "Governor for all of Queensland". The extension did not eventuate, however, as she was appointed Governor-General, and she was succeeded as Queensland Governor on 29 July 2008 by Penelope Wensley
Penelope Wensley
Penelope "Penny" Anne Wensley, AC is the Governor of Queensland and a former Australian diplomat.Born in Toowoomba, Queensland, she was educated at Penrith High School in New South Wales, the Rosa Bassett School in London , and the University of Queensland where she graduated with a first class...
.
Governor-General
On 13 April 2008 it was announced that, on the recommendation of Labor Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, the Queen had approved her appointment as the next Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
. The decision was generally well received: current and previous Labor State Premiers supported her selection, and both the then Leader of the Opposition, Brendan Nelson
Brendan Nelson
Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...
, and the leader of the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
, Bob Brown
Bob Brown
Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
, spoke in favour of the decision. Patricia Edgar
Patricia Edgar
Patricia May Edgar AM is an Australian author, television producer and educator, best known as the founding director of the Australian Children's Television Foundation....
described Bryce's selection as an "inspired choice", while Jill Singer
Jill Singer
Jill Singer is a well-known Australian journalist, columnist and television presenter. She began her journalism career as an ABC radio trainee in 1984. She worked her way up to become a senior reporter for The 7.30 Report on the ABC and later presented the Victorian edition of Today Tonight on the...
in the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
stated that the decision signalled "an important about face for Australia".
There was some opposition to the appointment, in particular from columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
Des Houghton, who argued that she would bring a "fair bit of baggage" to the role (in reference to the controversies surrounding her time as the Governor of Queensland), and that she had failed to live up to her promise to be outspoken during her time at Government House. Concerns were also raised in August 2008, when it was revealed that Bryce intended to replace Malcolm Hazell
Malcolm Hazell
Malcolm John Hazell CVO AM is a retired Australian public servant. He was the Official Secretary to two Governors-General of Australia, Peter Hollingworth and Major-General Michael Jeffery .-Biography:...
, who had been the Official Secretary
Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia
The Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia and his staff provide governors-general with the necessary support to enable them to carry out their constitutional, statutory, ceremonial and public duties. The position of Official Secretary was established in 1901, although only...
for both Major General Michael Jeffery
Michael Jeffery
Major General Philip Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC was the 24th Governor-General of Australia , the first Australian career soldier to be appointed governor-general...
and Dr. Peter Hollingworth
Peter Hollingworth
Peter John Hollingworth AC, OBE is an Australian Anglican bishop. He served as the Archbishop of Brisbane for 11 years before becoming the 23rd Governor-General of Australia from 2001 until 2003....
, with Stephen Brady
Stephen Brady
Stephen Brady, CVO is a senior Australian career diplomat. In 1999 he and his partner Peter Stephens became the world's first officially acknowledged gay ambassadorial couple, when they were presented to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark at the start of Brady's posting as Australian Ambassador to...
. Kevin Rudd defended Bryce's decision, arguing that she had the right to appoint a new Official Secretary.
Bryce was sworn in on 5 September 2008. On 23 September 2008 she granted her first interview as Governor-General with Kerry O'Brien for The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at , Mondays–Thursdays...
on ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
.
Criticism
Bryce has not escaped criticism in her role as Governor-General. Greg SheridanGreg Sheridan
Greg Sheridan is the foreign editor of The Australian and a right-wing commentator on foreign affairs.Writing on and from the Asian region since the 1980s, Sheridan is an expert on Asian politics, and has written four books on the topic, plus a book on Australia-U.S...
in the national newspaper, The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
suggested that Bryce is risking "politicising and misusing the office". Sheridan was commenting on Bryce's planned trip to Africa, on behalf of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, to lobby for a seat for Australia in the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
. He further stated that Bryce's "feigned interest in Africa will be seen cynically by Africans". Sheridan added that the Governor-General should travel overseas "only rarely and for ceremonial purposes" and "they have no right to engage in foreign policy debate, at home or abroad".
Professor David Flint
David Flint
Professor David Flint, AM, LLM , BSc , DSU is an Australian legal academic, known for his leadership of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy and for his tenure as head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority.-Background:...
, National Convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy is a group that aims to preserve Australia's current constitutional monarchy, with Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia...
, said any criticiasm of the South African tour shoud be directed to the government and not the Governor-General. He stated: "The Governor-General must act on advice, except in relation to her most important role, that of constitutional guardian. She may advise against a state visit, but if ministers insist, must go. In that event, she must not of course act as an advocate, although she may inform the foreign government of the Australian government's policy". He said that a Governor-General must be seen to be above politics.
Titles
- 23 December 194211 December 1964: Miss Quentin Strachan
- 12 December 196425 January 1988: Mrs Quentin Bryce
- 26 January 198829 April 2003: Mrs Quentin Bryce AO
- 30 April 200328 July 2003: Mrs Quentin Bryce AC
- 29 July 2003 29 July 2008: Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor of Queensland
- 5 September 2008 25 October 2011: Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
- 26 October 2011 present: Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Honours
Appointments
On 26 January 1988, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "In recognition of service to the community, particularly to women and children". On 30 April 2003, Bryce was elevated as a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) In November 2003, Bryce was invested as a Dame of Grace of The Most Venerable Order of The Hospital of St John of JerusalemVenerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
.
- On 26 October 2011 Bryce was invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II during her Royal Visit.
Medals
On 5 December 2000, Bryce was awarded the Australian Sports MedalAustralian Sports Medal
The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.Recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and people who maintained sporting facilities and services. Over 18,000 Medals were...
for "Services to Women's Cricket". On 1 January 2001, she was awarded the Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
"For service to Australian society in business leadership".On 30 July 2010 she was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 30th Anniversary of Vanuatu
Honorary military positions
2008 Incumbent: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Medical CorpsRoyal Australian Army Medical Corps
The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 and has participated in every Australian Army operation...
Honorary degrees
In 1998, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Macquarie UniversityMacquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
(Hon.LLD). In 2002, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
(Hon.DLitt). Bryce was conferred with the degree of Honorary Doctor of the University (Hon.DUniv) by Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
in 2003. Honorary Doctor of the James Cook University (Hon.DUniv (JCU)) In 2004, Bryce was made an Honorary Doctor of the University (Hon.DU) by the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
. In 2006 Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Hon.LLD) by The University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
. In 2010,Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Hon.LLD) by The University of Sydney,where she was the principal of The Women's College, University of Sydney from 1997 to 2003.