Governor of Victoria

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The official Facebook account of Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria.

To access the Governor's full program, visit our website.

04/11/2026

A message from the Governor of Victoria.

03/11/2026

Congratulations to Point of Law and the winning team at this year’s Melbourne Cup!

Today’s race is the culmination of years of work by breeders, trainers, jockeys and stable staff.

Thank you to Victoria Racing Club and everyone who makes the The Lexus Melbourne Cup Carnival happen.

And a special thank you also to Mr Neil Wilson for his service as the 22nd Chairman of the VRC, as his tenure concludes this year.

03/11/2026

Issuing the writs for the 2026 Victorian State Election.

The election writs are the official documents issued by the Governor of Victoria ordering an election be held, after which candidates may nominate.

The signing of the writs and their presentation to Victoria’s Electoral Commissioner set the date for the State Election for the last Saturday in November, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2002 - coming into effect at 6pm this evening and formally dissolving the 60th Parliament of Victoria.

The winning candidates for seats in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council will be declared by the Electoral Commissioner when the writs are returned to the Governor following the general election.

02/11/2026

Each successive running of the Melbourne Cup brings the chance for new heroes to write themselves into history.

And for everyone there who witnesses it – the chance to retell the story many times over, for years to come.

The annual Cup Eve Reception at Government House is a chance to reflect on all this event means for our State.

Best wishes to all Victorians for a wonderful Cup Day tomorrow.

01/11/2026

Government House has been hosting Melbourne Cup week receptions since before Victoria was even a State.

Fashion, however, has changed a fair bit.

Pictured here are engagements from 130 years ago, under the tenure of Governor Lord Brassey.

The first image depicts the Governor’s large party comprising vice-regal dignitaries, personal staff, family and friends, as well as pet dogs.

Their arrival at Flemington later that day resulted in one of the earliest Australian motion picture films in existence, captured using the Cinématographe Lumière, an early moving picture camera.

The day after the race, a ball hosted by the Governor (see second image) saw up to 1000 guests in attendance.

That tradition continues with the hosting of the Melbourne Cup Eve Reception at Government House this evening.

Images sourced from State Library Victoria.

29/10/2026

Strengthening connections between Victoria and China.

China is home to our State’s oldest and newest sister-state relationships in Jiangsu and Sichuan respectively, and Melbourne has just formalised its most recent sister city relationship with Chengdu, adding to an existing partnership with Tianjin.

After hosting an opening reception for the 16th Australia-China Youth Dialogue last week, this week saw meetings with the new Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, as well as with the Chengdu Deputy Party Secretary.

Each engagement was an opportunity to discuss ways to build further ties between Victoria and its largest trading partner.

28/10/2026

Progress in medical research does not just mean breakthroughs in knowledge and treatment.

It also means breakthroughs in the ways that knowledge and treatment are made accessible across communities and borders.

As the only medical research institute in Australia that is also an accredited non‐government organisation, the Burnet Institute remains uniquely placed to contribute.

Congratulations to the Institute on the significant milestone of 40 years and thank you for your commitment to making progress possible.

27/10/2026

Victoria is approaching its high-risk weather season.

Emergency management is not just about response and recovery – there’s also a lot of work that goes into preparedness.

A briefing from the Emergency Management Commissioner at the State Control Centre offered a look into the comprehensive efforts of our emergency services to combat the risk of bushfires and other natural disasters in the coming months.

All Victorians are encouraged to stay up to date with VicEmergency.

26/10/2026

There are few artistic workshops in the world that specialise in contemporary tapestry.

One of the international leaders is based right here in Melbourne.

Since 1976, the Australian Tapestry Workshop has created over 500 extraordinary tapestries – including two displayed at Government House, and one at the new Footscray Hospital.

An afternoon tea at Government House was a chance to recognise the 50th anniversary of this special artistic institution.

23/10/2026

Anniversaries, awards and openings were all marked at Government House this week.

Receptions for Australian Tapestry Workshop and the Burnet Institute celebrated 50 years and 40 years since they were established, respectively.

Earlier in the week, the 2026 Senior of the Year Awards recognised the achievements and contributions of some extraordinary Victorians.

The Governor also officially welcomed to Victoria the new Consul-General of Spain and, later in the week, the new French Ambassador to Australia - both of whom have recently commenced their postings.

The week concluded with the hosting of the opening reception for the 16th Australia-China Youth Dialogue.

Attendance at the Royal Flying Doctor Service dinner was a chance to hear about the future of its work, while a visit to thew State Control Centre provided a briefing on how the State is preparing for the upcoming high risk weather season.

The Kitchen Garden Program with senior citizens from the City of Frankston wrapped up this week, as members from U3A Ivanhoe were welcomed on a tour of the State Apartments.

Address

Government House, Government House Drive
Melbourne, VIC
3004

Telephone

+61396554211

Website

http://www.governor.vic.gov.au/

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