Major General the Honourable Michael Jeffery AC AO (Mil) CVO MC (Retd)

1993 – 2000

Philip Michael Jeffery was born in the West Australian mining town of Wiluna in 1937.

He was educated at Cannington and East Victoria Park Primary Schools, Kent Street Senior High School, and the Royal Military College in Duntroon.

He and his wife Marlena have three sons and a daughter.

He graduated into Infantry in 1958 and served operationally in Malaya, Borneo, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam, where he was awarded the Military Cross and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

After command of all combat elements of the Army from platoon to division, including the Special Air Service Regiment, he retired in 1993 to assume the appointment of Governor of Western Australia on 1 November 1993. He retired from this role on 5 May 2000.

General Jeffery was sworn in as the 24th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia on 11 August 2003 and was there until 2008.