Australian Governor-General will make historic visit to Greece before King Charles’s Coronation

The Governor-General David Hurley and his wife will undertake a historic first State Visit to Greece before attending the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort in the United Kingdom.

As the Governor-General of Australia said in a statement: “The State Visit to Greece is an opportunity to celebrate the historic links and close friendship between our nations.”

While in Greece, the Governor-General will meet with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“The Governor-General and Mrs Hurley will travel to Lemnos for the ground-breaking Ceremony for the Lemnos Remembrance Trail and other commemorative events marking the service of Australians on Lemnos during the Gallipoli campaign,” the statement continued.

“Lemnos was the final departure point for Gallipoli landings and during the Gallipoli campaign Australian nurses served in Lemnos treating wounded Anzacs.

“The Governor-General and Mrs Hurley will travel from Greece to the United Kingdom to represent Australia at events marking the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort. The Governor-General and will depart Australia on 30 April and return 10 May.

“Noting that all State Governors will also be overseas during the period, former Governor-General, His Excellency General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC (Retd) will serve as Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia.

“The appointment of Sir Peter has been approved by His Majesty The King upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP.”

Governor-General David Hurley is an accomplished public servant and military leader who has dedicated his life to the service of Australia.

He has served in a variety of roles, including Chief of the Defence Force and Secretary of the Department of Defence.

Hurley was born in Sydney in 1947 and was educated at St Patrick’s College, Strathfield. He graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1968 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.

During his early career, Hurley served in a variety of command and staff appointments. He was posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in 1969 and was promoted to Captain in 1971.

In 1973, he was posted to the 1st Recruit Training Battalion at Kapooka and then served as an instructor at the Officer Cadet School, Portsea. In 1976, he was promoted to Major and was posted to the 1st Brigade in Darwin.

In 1979, Hurley was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. He served in this role until 1981, when he was posted to the Army’s Headquarters in Canberra.

In 1983, he was promoted to Colonel and appointed Commander of the 4th Brigade in Sydney. In 1985, he was promoted to Brigadier and appointed Commander of the 1st Division in Sydney.

In 1989, Hurley was promoted to Major General and appointed Chief of the General Staff. He served in this role until 1991, when he was appointed Commander of the 1st Division.

In 1993, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Force. He served in this role until 1998, when he was appointed Chief of the Defence Force. He served in this role until 2002, when he retired from the Australian Army.

In 2014, Hurley was appointed Governor-General of Australia. He is the first former military officer to hold the position. He has since been active in promoting a range of causes, including veterans’ rights, reconciliation, and mental health. He has also been a strong advocate for the Australian Defence Force and has been recognised for his service to the nation.

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