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MajGen Michael Jeffery AC AO (Mil) CVO MC (Ret’d)

General Jeffery was the Trust’s inaugural Patron from 1996 to 2000 whilst he was Governor of Western Australia. He retired for a time as Patron resuming in August 2003 when he was appointed Australia’s 24^th Governor General.

General Jeffery has had a distinguished military and public service career.  He graduated into Infantry from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1958 and served operationally in Malaya, Borneo, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam. During a tour in Vietnam with the 8^th Battalion, The Royal Australia Regiment he was awarded the Military Cross and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

After command of all combat elements of the Army from platoon to Division, including the Special Air Service Regiment he retired in 1993 to assume the appointment of Governor of Western Australia which he held for almost 7 years.  For his services to the State he was appointed a Companion in the Order of Australia, A Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and a Citizen of Western Australia.  In the year 2000 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology by Curtin University.

In August 2003 he was sworn in as the 24^th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, serving in that capacity until September 2008.

Since his retirement as Governor-General he has accepted the Chairmanship of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Future Directions International (FDI) and Outcomes Australia along with patronages of other not-for-profit organizations.

General Jeffery is a Companion of the Order of Logohu (PNG), a Knight of St John, a Paul Harris Fellow and an honorary life member of the Returned & Services League.

He was the Honorary Colonel of the Special Air Service Regiment until 2009.