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His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson APM was sworn in as the 34th Governor of Western Australia on 15 July 2022.
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Government House is open to the public for tours, special events and Lunchtime in the Gardens. And stay up to date with the latest news.
Government House is a working House and supports the Governor to perform their constitutional, ceremonial and community duties.
Keep up to date with the latest news at Government House.
The following notes are a helpful guide to understand what is expected at an event or function where the Governor is present.
If you have any further queries, please contact Government House.
Forms of Address
The correct form of address is:
Governor of Western Australia
On first meeting, the Governor is greeted as ‘Governor’, and thereafter as ‘Sir’. The Governor should be formally acknowledged as ‘Governor’ at official engagements.
Order of Proceedings
For an accepted invitation, to assist in briefing the Governor, details concerning your organisation’s function/event should be supplied to this office at least 2 weeks before the event.For this purpose an Event Brief Information sheet will be provided by the Private Secretary to your Event Coordinator.
The information you provide needs to be as detailed as possible. However, it is preferable to provide an incomplete summary rather than delay the process. Supplementary information such as guest lists may be sent later as they become available.
A copy of the final brief for the Governor will be sent to your Event Coordinator prior to the function.
Speeches
Requests for the Governor to make a speech should be indicated when the invitation is issued. Unless it has been agreed at the time of accepting an invitation, the Governor will not speak at a function.
Where a speech has been agreed:
Role of the Host
The Host should be the most senior member of the organisation available. The Host should meet the Governor (and Ms Annus, if attending) on arrival at the car and accompany him/them throughout the function to departure. The Host should introduce guests to the Governor, and the host’s partner (or other representative) should introduce guests to Ms Annus.
If this is not possible, responsibility should be allocated to another appropriate person.
Governor’s Aide in Attendance
The Governor is attended by an Honorary-Aide-de-Camp, at all functions and events, unless otherwise indicated. The Aide acts as an on-the-spot facilitator, assisting the Governor, and the event organisers as required.
At functions, host organisations are asked to direct all queries regarding arrangements, media, or photographs, to the Aide, not to the Governor.
Anthems & Vice-Regal Salute
It is not always necessary to play an anthem or Vice Regal salute at a function attended by the Governor. Government House is able to assist with advice as to the appropriate occasions.
Seating
At dinners and luncheons it is preferable that the official table not be elevated above other tables.
The Aide must be seated within line of sight of the Governor, at a table immediately adjacent to the main table. In circumstances when seating is in rows, the Aide must be seated in the row behind the Governor, either directly behind or at the end of that row.
The host organisation is asked to supply a floor plan and a seating plan at least five working days prior to the function.
Toasts
It is not necessary to offer toasts at functions attended by the Governor. When an organisation chooses to incorporate toasts into the proceedings, the Loyal Toast, “The Queen”, should be offered first. It is not necessary to toast the Governor. Toasts are normally proposed at the end of formal dinners.
Photographs
Photographs may be taken unless the Governor specifically requests otherwise. It is preferable to advise Government House as to whether official photographs will be taken prior to the event. In the event of a group photo, all who are to be in the photo should be gathered together and placed in their positions, and the photograph set up by the photographer. The Governor should then be escorted to the group, placed in position, and the photo taken.
Organisations are encouraged to provide Government House with digital copies of official photographs taken at events which may be considered suitable for display on the Government House website or Twitter account @GovHouseWA . Refer to the website for more details.
Media
If you are expecting media to be present at your function please indicate accordingly in the Event Brief Information sheet.
If you plan to issue a media release or any other external publication referring to the Governor, or Government House, please provide a draft copy in advance to the Communications and Media Officer.
Using the Governor’s Name
If using the Governor’s name and title on a plaque, publication, or similar, you are encouraged to have a draft wording checked by Government House prior to production.
Contacting Government House
Correspondence should generally be addressed to the Official Secretary in the first instance.
Correspondence email address is [email protected].
Alternatively, post correspondence to Government House, St George’s Terrace, PERTH WA 6000
Invitations for the Governor can be submitted below and will be assessed in line with his programming commitments.
The Governor’s Establishment is currently accepting requests for use of Government House and Gardens.
To ensure adequate preparation time, invitations involving the Governor’s attendance, hosting or active involvement should not arrive less than two months from the proposed date.
Organisations are requested to submit a completed invitation form (‘Form A – Governor involvement) via our website.
The overall aim is to enable the Governor to be as well informed as possible for your organisation’s function, and to prepare a speech which is suitable for the occasion and meets the expectations of your guests.
Follow the link below to complete ‘Form A (Governor involvement)’
Name of the event
Contact details: Contact name/position
Host organisation
Phone/mobile number
Email address
Event details: Purpose and type of function
The Governor's role
Organisation Background (please provide a brief explanation on your organisation)
Event Venue/Address
Event day/dates
Event start/finish time
Preferred time
Approx number of event attendees
Speech details: It is not always appropriate or necessary for the Governor to speak at an event, for example balls, sporting events and most wreath laying ceremonies. Comprehensive speech notes are required at least three weeks before the event, and four weeks for keynotes
No speechRemarks (2-3 mins)Speech (3-5 mins)Address (5-7 mins)Keynote (15-20 mins)
If a speech is requested, please state the topic/purpose
A detailed event program with timings of function will need to provided prior to the event should the invitation be accepted.
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