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Commonwealth of Australia

 

It is notified for general information that Her Majesty The Queen has approved amendments to the Constitution of the Order of Australia so that Knights and Dames would no longer be appointed to the Order, as detailed in the following Letters Patent and Schedule of amendments. The change will not affect existing Knights and Dames of the Order.

 

 

 

Original signed “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 known as the “Order of Australia” and made provision with respect to the 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 Letters Patent dated 14 February 1975, as subsequently amended by Our Letters Patent, be further amended, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done under them, as set out in the Schedule;

 

AND WE DO further ordain that, despite the amendments set out in the Schedule, 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 29 October 2015

 

Original signed “Malcolm Turnbull’

By Her Majesty’s Command

Prime Minister

Schedule—Amendments

 

Constitution of the Order of Australia

1  Subsection 1(3)

Omit “Knight or Dame,”.

2  Subsection 2(1)

Omit “and the Principal Knight or Dame, as the case may be, in the General Division”.

3  After subsection 2(1)

Insert:

 (1A) If the GovernorGeneral is a Knight or a Dame in the General Division, the GovernorGeneral shall be the Principal Knight or Dame in that Division.

 (1B) If the GovernorGeneral is not a Knight or a Dame in the General Division, the GovernorGeneral shall be the Principal Companion in that Division.

4  Subsection 2A(2)

Omit “shall be a Knight in the General Division of the Order and”.

5  Heading before section 11A

Repeal the heading.

6  Sections 11A and 11B

Repeal the sections.