Garran Oration

Sir Robert Garran GCMG (c. 1940)

Credit: Edward Lefevre Cranstone | Australian War Memorial

The Garran Oration was established to honour the memory of one of the most prominent Australian Commonwealth public servants, Sir Robert Garran GCMG (1867–1957).

Sir Robert was active in the Federation movement in the 1890s and prepared an Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth (1901) with Sir John Quick. In 1901 he became Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department at the request of Australia’s first attorney-general, Alfred Deakin — a role he held continuously for three decades.

In his 1988 oration, the Hon. Robert Hawke AC MP, Prime Minister of Australia, remarked that anyone reviewing Sir Robert’s extraordinary career and assessing his immense contribution to the Commonwealth of Australia could not but be impressed by two outstanding elements:

‘First, Garran was the paragon of professionalism. He served eleven different Attorneys-General and sixteen Governments, covering the spectrum of political affiliations in that initial period of quite rapid political change. He served them with absolute loyalty, and received their confidence and trust, setting a fine example of one of the most fundamental values of our Westminster-derived system of government.

Second, as Garran responded to all the diverse challenges of administration he faced — initially as an advocate and agent of Federation, then as the trailblazing public servant and parliamentary draftsman, then in the international field during and after the First World War — he proved a unquenchably creative force. In a time of change, his creativity in building new institutions, developing practical solutions and creating workable machinery still stands as an admirable model for his successors today.’

Garran Oration

THE GARRAN ORATIONS

Margaret Crawford PSM – New South Wales Auditor-General (2023)

Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell AO – School of Cybernetics, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University (2021)

The Hon Greg Hunt MP — Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Public Service and Cabinet (2020)

Professor Mick Dodson — Northern Territory Treaty Commissioner (2019)

Emeritus Prof Gillian Triggs — former President, Australian Human Rights Commission (2018)

Sir John Key GNZM AC — former Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017)

The Hon Jay Weatherill MP — Premier of South Australia (2016)

The Hon Mike Baird MP — Premier of New South Wales (2015)

Noel Pearson — Chairman, Cape York Partnership (2014)

Professor Gary Banks AO — Chief Executive and Dean, ANZSOG (2013)

Dr Shashi Tharoor — former UN Under-Secretary-General and Indian Minister of State for External Affairs (2012)

The Hon Julia Gillard MP — Prime Minister of Australia (2011)

The Hon James J Spigelman AC — Chief Justice of NSW (2010)

The Hon Kevin Rudd MP — Prime Minister of Australia (2009)

Professor Glyn Davis — Vice-Chancellor, University of Melbourne (2008)

LTGEN John Sanderson AC — former Governor of Western Australia (2007)

Sue Vardon AO — Chief Executive, Department of Families and Communities, Government of South Australia (2006)

Dr Michael Vertigan AO — Chancellor, University of Tasmania (2005)

Dr Andrew Leigh — Fellow, Social Policy Analysis Evaluation and Research Centre, ANU (2004)

Professor Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE FAA FRS — Chairman, Strategic Advisory Council of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Children's Vaccine Program (2003)

The Hon Dr Basil Hetzel AC — Chair, Hawke Centre, University of South Australia (2002)

Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC — Governor of New South Wales (2001)

The Hon David Malcolm AC — Chief Justice of Western Australia (2000)

Dr Neil Conn AO — Administrator of the Northern Territory (1999)

The Hon Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE QC — former Justice of the High Court of Australia (1998)

The Hon John Howard MP — Prime Minister of Australia (1997)

Pat Turner AM — CEO, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (1996)

Tony Ayers AC — Secretary of the Department of Defence (1995)

The Hon Kim Beazley MP — Minister for Finance (1994)

John Button — former Minister for Industry and Commerce (1993)

The Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence MP — Premier of Western Australia (1992)

Professor Lois (Lowitja) O’Donoghue AM CBE — Chairperson, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (1991)

Gerry Gleeson AC FIPAA — former Secretary of the NSW Premier's Department (1990)

Brian Loton AC — Managing Director, BHP (1989)

The Hon Robert Hawke AC MP — Prime Minister of Australia (1988)

David Hill — Managing Director, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1987)

The Hon John C. Bannon — Premier of South Australia (1986)

The Hon Justice Ronald Sackville — Federal Court Judge (1985)

The Hon John Dawkins MP — Minister for Finance (1984)

Jim Leslie — Chairman, QANTAS Airways Ltd (1983)

Sir Ninian Stephen KG AK GCMG GCVO KBE — Governor-General of Australia (1982)

Sir Arthur Tange AC CBE — former Secretary of the Department of Defence (1981)

Professor Robert S. Parker — former Head of Political Science, Australian National University (1980)

Sir Frederick Wheeler — Secretary to the Australian Treasury (1979)

The Hon Justice Elizabeth Evatt AC — Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia (1978)

The Hon Malcolm Fraser MP — Prime Minister of Australia (1977)

Professor Geoffrey Sawer — former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Australian National University (1976)

Sir Henry Bland CBE — former Secretary of the Department of Defence (1975)

The Rt Hon Sir John R. Kerr KCMG KStJ QC — Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia (1974)

The Hon Gough Whitlam QC MP — Prime Minister of Australia (1973)

The Hon Justice Rae Else-Mitchell CMG QC — Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW & Judge of the Land and Valuation Court of NSW (1972)

Sir Maurice Mawby CBE — Chairman, Conzinc Riotinto of Australia Ltd (1971)

Professor Sir Zelman Cowen AK GCMG GCVO QC — Vice-Chancellor, University of New England (1970)

Professor Sir John Crawford AC CBE — Vice-Chancellor, Australian National University (1969)

the Rt Hon Sir Paul Hasluck MP KG GCMG GCVO — Minister of State for External Affairs (1968)

the Hon Sir Richard Kirby — President, Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission (1967)

Sir Ronald Irish OBE — Chairman, Manufacturing Industries Advisory Council (1966)

Sir John T. Gunther CMG OBE — Senior Government member, Papua and New Guinea House of Assembly (1965)

the Rt Hon Sir John R. Kerr KCMG LStJ PC AK GCMG GCVO — President of the Law Council of Australia (1964)

the Hon Sir Garfield Barwick MP QC OAM — Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia (1963)

Emeritus Prof Arthur L. Burns — Professor of Political Science, Australian National University (1962)

FM Sir William J. Slim KG GCB GCMG GCVO GBE DSO MC — former Governor-General of Australia (1960)

Harry Frederick Ernest "Fred" Whitlam LLB — former Crown Solicitor of the Commonwealth of Australia (1959)