Michael Jeffery

Major General Philip Michael Jeffery (12 December 1937 – 18 December 2020) was a senior Australian Army officer and vice-regal representative. He was the 28th governor of Western Australia from 1993 to 2000, and the 24th governor-general of Australia, serving from 2003 to 2008.

From Perth, Western Australia, Jeffery graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and served in the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War, being awarded the Military Cross during the latter conflict.

Jeffery was at various stages commander of the Special Air Service Regiment and the 1st Division, and subsequently Deputy Chief of General Staff, before retiring from active service in 1993. After serving for seven years as Governor of Western Australia, Jeffery was appointed Governor-General of Australia in 2003, following the resignation of Peter Hollingworth. He was the first career Australian Army officer to hold the position, and was succeeded by Quentin Bryce.

Early life and military career

Jeffery was born in Wiluna, Western Australia, on 12 December 1937,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was educated at Kent Street Senior High School. At 16 he left Perth to attend the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After graduating in 1958, he served in a number of junior positions before being posted to Malaya in 1962 for operational service. From 1966 to 1969 he served in Papua New Guinea. During this posting, he married Marlena Kerr of Sydney, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. This was followed by a tour of duty in the Vietnam War, during which he was awarded the Military Cross (MC).<ref name=GazetteMC>Template:London Gazette – Military Cross announcement.</ref><ref name=MC/>

In 1972, Jeffery was promoted to lieutenant colonel,<ref name="ext bio">Template:Cite web</ref> commanding the 2nd Battalion of the Pacific Islands Regiment from 1974 to 1975. He assumed command of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in Perth from 7 January 1976 until 22 October 1977, and was then promoted to colonel as the first Director of the Army's Special Action Forces in 1979.<ref name="Who">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Page needed

From 1982 to 1983, Jeffery headed Australia's national counter-terrorist co-ordination authority. In 1985 he was promoted to major general, being appointed to command the 1st Division the following year. In 1990 he became Deputy Chief of the General Staff and in 1991 he was appointed Assistant Chief of the General Staff for Materiel.<ref name="Who"/>

Jeffery retired from the army in 1993, and was appointed to the ceremonial position of Honorary Colonel of the SASR.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Governor of Western Australia (1993–2000)

In November 1993, Jeffery was appointed Governor of Western Australia and in June 1996 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).<ref name=AC>It's an Honour Template:Webarchive – Companion of the Order of Australia – 11 June 1996
Citation: For service to the Crown as Governor of Western Australia and to the community, particularly through providing leadership in his commitment to the initiation and promotion of youth programmes to address contemporary social problems.</ref> He was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) on 1 April 2000.<ref name="ext bio" /><ref name=GazetteCVO>Template:London Gazette – CVO announcement.</ref>

During his seven years in the post he made a number of public statements of his conservative views on marriage, sex and education. He received some criticism from the Labor opposition and sections of the media for appearing to take positions on political issues.<ref name="Price 2003-06-28">Template:Cite news</ref>

Governor-General of Australia (2003–2008)

Following the resignation of Peter Hollingworth as Governor-General of Australia, Prime Minister John Howard announced on 22 June 2003 that he had chosen Jeffery to succeed Hollingworth. He was formally appointed by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia and sworn in on 11 August 2003, becoming the first Australian career soldier to become governor-general.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jeffrey has represented Australia at multiple royal weddings, including the Wedding of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, and Mary Donaldson and the Wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.<ref name="RepresentAUS">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2005, Jeffery became a co-patron of the private, non-profit Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association (ACFEA), founded by Chinese-Australian businessman Chau Chak Wing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The organization promoted bilateral and international dialogue, particularly between China and Australia, having established the annual Imperial Springs International Forum in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 8 April 2005, Jeffery represented Australia at the funeral of Pope John Paul II.<ref name="RepresentAUS"></ref>

In 2007, in his position as governor-general, Jeffery was appointed as the colonel-in-chief of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, succeeding the previous colonel-in-chief, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jeffery was the Chief Scout of Australia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news Template:Cite news</ref>

Jeffery left Yarralumla prior to the swearing-in of his successor, Quentin Bryce, the former Governor of Queensland. Bryce was sworn in on 5 September 2008.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career after office

On 23 October 2012, at the National Farmers' Federation Congress in Canberra, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the appointment of Jeffery as Australia's first Advocate for Soil Health.<ref name="soil">Address by Julia Gillard to the National Farmer's Federation Conference: http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20121121043700/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/121064/20121121-1537/www.pm.gov.au/press-office/speech-national-farmers-federation-national-congress.html</ref> Gillard noted that, as Governor-General, Jeffery had a passion for regional development and the future of our rural industries, a commitment he continued after leaving office.<ref name="soil" /> Prime Minister Tony Abbott extended Jeffery's appointment<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as the national Advocate for Soil Health until December 2014, indicating Jeffery would continue to raise public awareness of the role soil plays in underpinning sustainable productivity, delivering quality ecosystem services and helping to meet global challenges including food security and climate change.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2020, Jeffery stepped down from this role, now the Patron of the Soil Cooperative Research Centre, due to illness.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Honours and awards

File:AUS Order of Australia (civil) BAR.svg	Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) – Civil division	1996 Queen's Birthday Honours<ref name=AC />
File:AUS Order of Australia (military) BAR.svg	Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) – Military division	1988 Queen's Birthday Honours<ref name=AO>It's an Honour Template:Webarchive – Officer of the Order of Australia – 13 June 1988 Citation: For service to the Australian Army as Commander 1st Division.</ref>
	Member of the Order of Australia (AM) – Military division	1981 Queen's Birthday Honours<ref name=AM>It's an Honour Template:Webarchive – Member of the Order of Australia – 8 June 1981</ref>
File:Royal Victorian Order UK ribbon.png	Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)	(2000)<ref name="ext bio" /><ref name=GazetteCVO />
File:Military Cross ribbon.png	Military Cross (MC)	(1971)<ref name=GazetteMC /><ref name=MC>It's an Honour Template:Webarchive – Military Cross – 23 July 1971 Citation: Infantry – 8 RAR – Vietnam</ref>
File:Order of St John (UK) ribbon -vector.svg	Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John	15 April 1994<ref name=GazetteKStJ>Template:London Gazette – KStJ announcement.</ref>
File:Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 ribbon.png	Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975	<ref name="moad">Template:Cite web</ref> with MALAYSIA, THAI-MALAY and VIETNAM clasps
File:General Service Medal 1962 BAR.svg	General Service Medal	<ref name="moad" /> with BORNEO clasp
File:Vietnam Medal BAR.svg	Vietnam Medal	<ref name="moad" />
File:Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 ribbon.png	Australian Service Medal 1945–1975	<ref name="moad" /> with SE ASIA and PNG clasps
File:AUS Centenary Medal ribbon.svg	Centenary Medal	(awarded 2001)<ref name=CM>It's an Honour Template:Webarchive – Centenary Medal – 1 January 2001</ref>
File:DFSM with Rosette x 4.png	Defence Force Service Medal with 4 clasps	35–39 years service<ref name="moad" />
File:National Medal with Rosette.png	National Medal	<ref name=NM>It's an Honour Template:Webarchive – National Medal – 14 July 1977</ref> with First Clasp – 25–35 years service to ...
File:Australian Defence Medal (Australia) ribbon.png	Australian Defence Medal	<ref name="moad" />
File:Service Medal of the Order of St John Ribbon.svg	Service Medal of the Order of St John	<ref name="moad" />
File:PNG Independence Medal.png	Papua New Guinea Independence Medal	(1977)<ref name="moad" />
File:Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg	Vietnam Campaign Medal	<ref name="moad" />
File:Pingat Jasa Malaysia ribbon.png	Pingat Jasa Malaysia	<ref name="moad" />
File:PNG Order of Logohu Grand Companion ribbon.svg	Honorary Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL)	(2005)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Unit Award:

File:Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d.svg

Vietnam Gallantry Cross;

8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1970)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Jeffery was a Christian.<ref>"Governor-General Michael Jeffery yesterday told business leaders in Perth that the Christian saviour is 'the greatest leader the world has ever seen or will ever see'." Rafael Epstein (reporter; 26 February 2004). "Jesus Christ makes the headlines" transcript Template:Webarchive, The World Today Archives – Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 April 2014.</ref> He died on 18 December 2020, at the age of 83.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

References

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