On Monday 10 November 2008, at Government House, Sydney, the Administrator Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO and Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE, hosted a Services' Reception for members of the Australian Defence Force, the NSW Police Service, the NSW Fire Brigade, the Department of Rural Fire Services, the Department of Corrective Services, the Ambulance Service of NSW, St John Ambulance Australia (NSW), the State Emergency Service, the Royal Australian Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

On Sunday 9 November 2008, at Waterloo, Sydney, the Administrator, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, delivered an Address at the 15th Birthday Celebrations of The Luncheon Club AIDS Support Group Inc.

On Saturday 8 November 2008, at Villers-Bretonneux, France, the Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC and Mr Michael Bryce AM AE, as guests of the Pr?”fet de la Somme, Mr Henri-Michel Comet and the Australian representative of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Mr Doug Sainsbury, visited the Australian National Monument.

On Friday 7 November 2008, at St Peters Public School, Sydney, the Administrator, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, as Patron, attended celebrations to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Multicultural Home Visiting and Dementia Support Service.

On Thursday 6 November 2008, in Sydney, the Administrator, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO delivered the opening address at the New South Wales Aboriginal Mental Health Workers' Forum.

Earlier, the Proclamation assuming the Administration of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia was signed by the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO. In the evening, at the Sydney Opera House, the Administrator attended the 2008 City of Sydney Peace Prize Lecture, delivered by Mr Patrick Dodson. In the afternoon, at Sydney International Airport, the Governor-General was represented at the departure from Australia of the King of Tonga, His Majesty King George Tupou, by Colonel William Monfries ADC, an Honorary Aide-de-Camp.

On Tuesday 4 November 2008, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria, the Governor-General Ms Quentin Bryce AC and Mr Michael Bryce AM AE, as guests of the Chairman and Committee of the Victoria Racing Club, attended the 2008 Emirates Melbourne Cup Carnival, at which the Governor-General presented the Emirates Melbourne Cup to the winning owner.

On Monday 3 November 2008, at Government House, Canberra, the Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC received the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, His Excellency Dr Hernani Filomena Coelho Da Silva.

On Monday 3 November 2008, at Government House, Canberra, the Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC received the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, His Excellency Dr Hernani Filomena Coelho Da Silva.

Afterwards, the Governor-General received the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Michael L'Estrange AO. Earlier, at Darwin International Airport, the Governor-General was represented at the departure from Australia of the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, His Excellency Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, by Group Captain Peter Viggers ADC, an Honorary Aide-de-Camp.

On Thursday 30 October 2008, at Government House, Canberra, the Governor-General Ms Quentin Bryce AC received from His Excellency Mr Sven-Olaf Petersson, Letters of Credence accrediting him as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden. The Ambassador was accompanied by Ms Kamilla Lindstrom (Counsellor), Mr Hans Pechan (First Secretary) and Ms Jane Viol (First Secretary), Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden. The Governor-General and Mr Michael Bryce AM AE also received Mrs Anita Petersson.