ELIZABETH R
ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth;
TO ALL to whom these Presents shall come, GREETING:
WHEREAS by Letters Patent dated 14 February 1975 We established a society of honour to be known as the “Order of Australia” and made provision with respect to membership and the Constitution of the Order:
AND WHEREAS it is desirable that certain amendments be made to the Constitution of the Order:
KNOW YOU that We do, by these Presents, declare Our pleasure that the above‑mentioned Letters Patent dated 14 February 1975, as amended by Letters Patent dated 24 May 1976, by Letters Patent dated 14 March 1981, and by Letters Patent dated 3 March 1986, be further amended, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done thereunder, as set out in the Schedule:
AND WE DO ordain that the Order shall henceforth consist of the Sovereign, Our Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, and such persons as have been appointed, or shall hereafter be appointed, to the Order:
AND WE DO further ordain that, notwithstanding the amendments to be made to the Constitution of the Order, a person who was a member of the Order immediately before the issue of these Our Letters Patent shall, subject to the Constitution of the Order, remain a member of the Order in the class of membership that the person held at that time:
IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.
GIVEN under the Great Seal of Australia at Our Court at St. James’s on 12 April 1988
By Her Majesty’s Command,
BOB HAWKE
Prime Minister
Schedule
Amendment of the Constitution of the Order of Australia
1. Section 4 is amended:
(a) by omitting from paragraph (1) (c) “the Special Minister of State” and substituting “Administrative Services”;
(b) by omitting paragraph 1 (e) and substituting the following paragraph:
“(e) not more than 15 persons appointed by the Governor-General, of whom—
(i) not more than 6 shall be persons nominated by the States of the Commonwealth of Australia;
(ii) one may be a person nominated by the Northern Territory of Australia; and
(iii) one may be a person nominated by the Minister of State responsible for the administration of the Australian Capital Territory.”.
2. Section 4 is further amended by adding at the end the following sub-section:
“(4) A member of the Council who is referred to in paragraph (1) (a), (b), (c) or (d) or sub-paragraph (1) (e) (i), (ii) or (iii) may, in the event that the member is absent or unable to act in that capacity, be represented on the Council by a person chosen, in accordance with arrangements made by the Governor- General, to act in the member’s place as a member of the Council.”.
3. Section 30 is amended by omitting paragraph (c) and substituting the following paragraph:
“(c) the designations of members of the Order and persons who have been awarded the Medal of the Order; and”.