Administrator_of_the_Northern_Territory

Administrator of the Northern Territory

Administrator of the Northern Territory

Representative of the Australian government

The administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the governor-general of Australia to represent the government of the Commonwealth in the Northern Territory, Australia. They perform functions similar to those of a state governor.

Quick Facts Administrator of the Northern Territory, Style ...

Strictly speaking, the appointment of an administrator is made by the governor-general-in-Council, that is, the governor-general acting on the advice of the Australian government, rather than the advice of the government of the Northern Territory.[1] The Northern Territory received self-government on 1 July 1978, in accordance with the provisions of the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 (Cth).[2] Since then, the practice has arisen that in making an appointment the Governor-General-in-Council will act on the recommendation of the Northern Territory Government.

Unlike an Australian state governor, the administrator is not the direct representative of the King in the Territory but is instead appointed by the King's representative in Australia, the governor-general, to administer the Territory in accordance with the Act. In practice, however, the administrator performs a similar constitutional role to that of a state governor and can be considered the King's indirect representative in the Territory. This is light of the fact that territories are not sovereign in the same way as states, there being no 'Crown in right of the Northern Territory'.

The administrator formally appoints the chief minister of the Northern Territory and the members of the Cabinet after every election. In all but a few cases, they are required by convention to act on the Cabinet's advice. The Administrator gives royal assent to all bills passed by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. Although the Governor-General (in practice, the Commonwealth Government) has the power to veto any territorial bill, in practice this right is almost never exercised.

The office of the deputy of the administrator was created in 1997.

In 2014, the governor-general granted current, future and living former administrators the title of 'The Honourable' for life,[3] following the lead of Governors-General and Governors of New South Wales in granting the title.[citation needed]

The present administrator is Hugh Heggie.

Crest of administrator

The crest of Administrator of the Northern Territory which is similar to the one used by the Governor-General of Australia except that the flower below the St Edward's Crown is the Sturt Desert Rose which is the floral emblem of the Northern Territory.

South Australia (1863 to 1912)

On 6 July 1863, land now known as the Northern Territory was annexed to the Colony of South Australia. Legislation regulating the sale of land in the Northern Territory which was given assent on 12 November 1863 included provision for both the appointment of a Government Resident and a description of the powers of this office.[4]

More information No., Government Resident ...

Commonwealth of Australia (1912 to present)

Administrators and Government Residents of the Northern Territory after transfer of control to the Commonwealth Government:

Administrator (1912 to 1919)

From left: Minister Josiah Thomas, Sir Walter Barttelot and Administrator John Gilruth in 1912.
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Director (1919 to 1921)

More information No., Director ...

Administrator (1921 to 1927)

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Government Resident (1927 to 1931)

From 1926 to 1931, the Northern Territory was divided into the territories of Central Australia and North Australia, with the border at the 20th parallel south. Each territory was administered by a Government Resident located respectively in Alice Springs (then known as Stuart) and in Darwin. Both territories were reincorporated as the Northern Territory in 1931.[16][17]

More information No., Government Resident (North Australia) ...
More information No., Government Resident (Central Australia) ...

Administrator (1931 to present)

More information No., Post- Nominal ...

Deputy of the Administrator (1997 to present)

The office of the Deputy of the Administrator was established in 1997.

More information No., Deputy of the Administrator ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Administrators of the Northern Territory.

References

  1. [1]
    "Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 - SECT 32 Office of Administrator". Australian Government. Retrieved 22 May 2019 – via Austlii.
  2. [2]
    "Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978".
  3. [3]
    Baker, Karen (30 July 2014). "Title Honourable for Administrators of the Northern Territory". Federal Register of Legislation. Australian Government. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  4. [4]
    "The Northern Territory Act 1863 No. 23" (PDF). Government of South Australia. 12 November 1863. pp. 275 and 278–279. Retrieved 18 May 2019. appoint an officer to be resident in the said territory, to be called the Government Resident, and all other necessary and proper officers for securing the order. and good government of the said territory
  5. [5]
    Ayers, Henry (10 March 1864). "Untitled announcement of the appointment of the Government Resident of the Northern Territory" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. p. 184. Retrieved 18 May 2019. His Excellency has this day been pleased to appoint Boyle Travers Finniss, Esq., to be Government Resident in and for the New Territory recently annexed to this Province by Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, bearing date July 6th, 1863
  6. [6]
    "William Bloomfield Douglas" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  7. [7]
    "William Bloomfield Douglas" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  8. [8]
    "The Ministry have accepted the resignation ..." The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1889). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 9 June 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  9. [9]
    "George Byng Scott" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  10. [10]
    "Gilbert Rotherdale McMinn" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  11. [11]
    "Appointment". Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927). Darwin, NT: National Library of Australia. 31 March 1883. p. 1. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  12. [12]
    "John Langdon Parsons" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  13. [13]
    "John George Knight" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  14. [14]
    "Charles James Dashwood" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  15. [15]
    "Charles Edward Herbert" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  16. [16]
    Ling, Ted. "Dividing the Territory, 1926–31". Commonwealth Government Records about the Northern Territory. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  17. [17]
    "Biography: Previous Incumbents - Victor George Carrington" (PDF). Government House Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  18. [18]
    "Appointment as Companions of the University, Minna Lydia Ruth Sitzler and Paul Otto Sitzler" (PDF). Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  19. [19]
    "Dr Patricia Miller AO". Centre for Remote Health. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
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