OVERSEAS VISIT BY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND LADY DEANE

31 March 1999

The Governor-General, Sir William Deane, and Lady Deane will be absent from Australia for a fortnight from 21 April next. This will be the first occasion on which the Governor-General will have been absent from Australia since he was sworn in on 16 February 1996.

During their absence from Australia, Sir William and Lady Deane will pay a three-day visit to the United Kingdom (26-28 April) in the course of which Sir William will make the customary mid-term call upon Her Majesty The Queen. The visit to the United Kingdom was delayed last year because of the possibility of an election.

While other parts of their visit remain to be finally settled, Sir William and Lady Deane will include in their program visits to Turkey and Ireland for official purposes.

In Turkey (23-25 April), the Governor-General and Lady Deane will visit the Gallipoli peninsula and participate in this year's Anzac Day commemorative services. The Governor-General will deliver the address at the joint Australian-New Zealand Dawn Service at Anzac Cove and at the Australian service at Lone Pine. Subsequently, on the return journey (3-4 May), the Governor- General and Lady Deane will visit Ankara as official guests of His Excellency President Demirel and of the Government of Turkey.

After their visit to the United Kingdom, the Governor-General and Lady Deane will pay an official visit to Ireland from 29 April to 2 May. This will be the first occasion on which an Australian Governor-General has made an official visit to Ireland. Sir William and Lady Deane will be attending a number of official functions as guests of Her Excellency President Mary McAleese and of the Government of Ireland. An Honorary Doctorate in Laws will also be conferred upon Sir William by the University of Dublin.

Sir William and Lady Deane will be taking advantage of their overseas visit to discharge a number of official duties within Australian territory. On the way overseas they will be making a visit (20 to 21 April) to Christmas Island. On the return journey, they will be paying a visit (5 to 6 May) to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and visiting Port Hedland (6 May) where the Governor-General will, as Patron of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, officially open new facilities for the Service.

The Governor-General and Lady Deane will be travelling by RAAF Falcon. During the Governor-General's absence from Australia (21 April to 5 May), His Excellency Major-General Michael Jeffery, AC, MC (the Governor of Western Australia) will be the Administrator of the Commonwealth.