Official Secretary to the Governor of New South Wales
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The Official Secretary to the Governor of New South Wales and his staff, as part of the Office of the Governor, provide governors with the necessary support to enable them to carry out their constitutional, statutory, ceremonial and public duties. The position of Official Secretary was established on 1 December 1905, replacing the previous position of the Clerk to the Private Secretary to the Governor.[1] From time to time the Governor has also appointed a private secretary, operating alongside the Official Secretary. The Official Secretary, as the head of the Office of the Governor, is an executive-level officer of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and is the Chief of Staff of Government House. This office is funded through the annual budget, as is the governor's salary.[2][3]
The support provided by the Office of the Governor includes the organisation of, and advice relating to, their duties, hospitality for official functions, and administration of the Australian honours and Awards system. The Official Secretary is ex-officio Secretary of the Executive Council of New South Wales and NSW's nominee to serve on the Council for the Order of Australia. The Official Secretary is supported in his role by a Deputy Official Secretary and program managers responsible for the Government House Estate, Household and Protocol.[4]
The current Official Secretary is Colonel Michael Miller RFD, who succeeded Brian Davies in March 2015. Miller had previously served Governors Gordon Samuels and Marie Bashir as an Honorary Aide-de-Camp (ADC) from May 1996 to June 2001 and was awarded the Centenary Medal for his service to the Governor.[5] The Deputy Official Secretary is Christopher Sullivan since 4 November 2013.[6]
Office-holders
Clerk to the Private Secretary
| Clerk | Period | Governors served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Joseph Massey Cashman | 10 October 1859 – 24 November 1866 | Denison, Young, Belmore | [7][8] |
| George William Newcombe | 11 December 1866 – 30 June 1871 | Belmore | [9] |
| William Byrnes | 1 July 1871 – 4 November 1893 | Belmore, Robinson, Loftus, Carrington, Jersey, Duff | [10] |
| William Abbott de Mouncey | 4 November 1893 – 3 September 1895 | Duff | [11] |
| Henry Herbert Lewis | 3 September 1895 – 21 August 1902 | Hampden, Beauchamp, Rawson | [12] |
| Harry Budge | 21 August 1902 – 1 December 1905 | Rawson | [13] |
Official Secretaries
| Official Secretary | Period | Governors served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Harry Budge CMG | 1 December 1905 – June 1936 | Rawson, Chelmsford, Strickland, Davidson, de Chair, Game, Gowrie |
[14][15][16] |
| Leonard Arthur Robb LVO, CMG | June 1936 – 1957 | Anderson, Wakehurst, Northcott | [17][18][19] |
| Major John Frederick Martin MVO, MBE, ED | 1957–1958 | Woodward | [20][21] |
| Lindsay Rose CVO, OBE | 1958–1975 | Woodward, Cutler | [22][23] |
| Richard Wills ISO, LVO | 1975–1986 | Cutler, Rowland | [24][25][26] |
| Alan Edward McKenzie | 1986–1996 | Rowland, Martin, Sinclair | [27] |
| Brian Davies CVO | 1996–2009 | Samuels, Bashir | [28][29] |
| Noel Campbell | 2009–2012 | Bashir | |
| Brian Davies CVO | 2012 – 16 March 2015 | Bashir, Hurley | |
| Colonel Michael Miller LVO RFD | 16 March 2015 – present | Hurley, Beazley |
Private Secretaries
| Official Secretary | Period | Governors served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hon. Victor Nelson Hood | 14 March 1913 – 14 May 1913 | Strickland | [30] |
| Brigadier-General Harry Finn CB DCM | 14 May 1913 – 1 April 1918 | Strickland, Cullen, Davidson | [31][32] |
| Captain Reginald George Stanham | 1 April 1918 – 25 July 1919 | Davidson | [33] |
| Frank de Villiers Lamb CBE | 25 July 1919 – 5 April 1921 | Davidson | [34][35] |
| Major Jocelyn Egerton | 5 April 1921 – 1 July 1922 | Davidson | [36] |
| Muriel Henderson | 1 July 1922 – 5 October 1923 | Davidson | [37][38] |
| Brigadier-General Harry Finn CB DCM | 5 October 1923 – 18 February 1924 | Cullen | [39][40] |
| Commander Duncan Walter Grant CBE | 18 February 1924 – 9 September 1925 | de Chair | [41] |
| Marchant Eric Harvey Penfold | 9 September 1925 – May 1927 | de Chair | [42] |
| Brigadier-General Austin Thomas Anderson CMG | May 1927 – June 1936 | de Chair, Game, Gowrie | [43][44][45] |
| Captain Hugh Beaumont Robinson DSO | June 1936 – April 1937 | Anderson | [46] |
| Captain Kenneth O'Brien Harding | April 1937 – June 1940 | Wakehurst | [47][48] |
| Peter Lubbock | June 1940 – January 1946 | Wakehurst | [49] |
| Major Kenneth Bieri | August 1946 – November 1947 | Northcott | [50][51] |