In Australia, a lieutenant-governor is a standing appointment for a deputy

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of a state, who acts in place of the governor if the governor is unable, unavailable or unwilling to act.

Constitutionally A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princip ...

, Australian state

lieutenant-governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

administrators Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...

and chief justices of state supreme courts are normally separate offices. However, in many states, such as

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is also the lieutenant-governor. In 2001, the

Constitution of Queensland The Constitution of Queensland is the constitution of the Australian state of Queensland. As with the other constitutions of Australian states and territories, it is a written constitution influenced by the Westminster system and Australia's ...

was amended to restore the office of lieutenant-governor in that state. When a state governor dies, resigns, or is absent, an administrator or acting governor would be appointed. The state lieutenant-governors/administrators have no standing powers but stand ready to take up the governor's role. In some states, there is also a standing deputy governor, who can exercise only the powers which the governor delegates to him or her.

New South Wales

In New South Wales, there is a

and an administrator, who takes up the duties of the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

if the governor dies, resigns, or is absent. Since 1872 the office was permanently filled by the

Chief Justice of New South Wales The Chief Justice of New South Wales is the senior judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Australian state of New South Wales. The Chief Justice is both the judicial head of the Supreme Court ...

but the position may be retained by the chief justice after his/her retirement from the

Supreme Court of New South Wales The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. Whilst the Supreme Court i ...

. If the lieutenant-governor becomes incapacitated while serving in the office of governor, the next most senior judge of the Supreme Court is sworn in as administrator. The lieutenant-governors/administrators have no standing powers but stand ready to act in the governor's position.

Tom Bathurst Thomas Frederick Bathurst (born 17 March 1948), is an English Australian jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 1 June 2011 to 5 March 2022. He has served as Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales since ...

, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, is the current lieutenant governor.

South Australia

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, the lieutenant governor is appointed by the

at the governor's pleasure. The lieutenant governor acts as the vice-regal representative in the governor's absence. The lieutenant governor may act as administrator of the state at the request of the premier if the governor is on extended leave or the office is vacant. If the lieutenant governor is not available, the chief justice is next in line to be appointed. Brenda Wilson, CEO of the Cancer Council SA, is the current lieutenant governor.

Victoria

In Victoria, there is a

and an administrator. The

Chief Justice of Victoria The Chief Justice of Victoria is the senior judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the highest ranking judicial officer in the Australian state of Victoria. The Chief Justice is both the judicial head of the Supreme Court as well as the admin ...

is ''ex officio'' the administrator, unless the chief justice is the lieutenant-governor, in which case, the next most senior judge is the administrator. The lieutenant-governor takes on the responsibilities of the governor when that post is vacant or when the governor is out of the State or unable to act. The administrator takes on those duties if both the governor and lieutenant-governor are not able to act for the above reasons. The lieutenant-governor is appointed by the governor on the advice of the Premier of Victoria. Appointment as lieutenant-governor of itself confers no powers or functions. If there is no governor or if the governor is unavailable to act for a substantial period, the lieutenant-governor assumes office as administrator and exercises all the powers and functions of a governor. If expecting to be unavailable for a short period only, the governor with the consent of the premier, usually commissions the lieutenant-governor to act as deputy governor, performing some or all of the powers and functions of the governor.

Ken Lay Kenneth Lee Lay (April 15, 1942 – July 5, 2006) was an American businessman who was the founder, chief executive officer and chairman of Enron. He was heavily involved in the eponymous accounting scandal that unraveled in 2001 into the large ...

, former

Chief Commissioner A chief commissioner is a commissioner of a high rank, usually in chief of several commissioners or similarly styled officers. Colonial In British India the gubernatorial style was chief commissioner in various (not all) provinces (often after be ...

Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victo ...

and police officer, is the current lieutenant-governor.

Commonwealth

At the time of 28 March 2014, the Commonwealth deputies of the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

were DameMarie Bashir AD CVO and Alex Chernov AC QC. Further deputies are appointed to exercise narrow powers, such as convening executive meetings, opening parliament and swearing in new politicians. There is no lieutenant-governor. State governors hold a

dormant commission A dormant commission is a commission in a Commonwealth realm that lies dormant or sleeping until it is triggered by a particular event. Historically, a dormant commission was given in relation to a military command. During the Crimean War, Sir ...

to act as Administrator of the Commonwealth should the governor-general die, resign, or be absent overseas or on leave. By convention, the longest-serving state governor acts as administrator. Presently, the longest-serving state governor is

Linda Dessau Linda Marion Dessau (born 8 May 1953) is an Australian jurist, barrister, and the 29th and current governor of Victoria since 1 July 2015. She is the first female and the first Jewish holder of the office. She was a judge of the Family Court ...

, who has been

Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and the ...

since 1 July 2015. On 1 August 2015, Paul de Jersey held the office as administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia.Proclamation – Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia
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History

Historically, a lieutenant-governor could also be the deputy of the New South Wales governor in a particular territory. In the early and mid-19th century, lieutenant-governors ran Australasian sub-colonies that were initially subordinate to the colony of New South Wales, such as

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...

(

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

and the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...

(

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

References

{{reflist Australian constitutional law