Roden Cutler Sir Arthur Roden Cutler , ( 24 May 191622 February 2002 ) was an Australian diplomat , the longest serving Governor of New South Wales and a recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest award for gallantry " in the face of the enemy " that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth armed forces . Early life . Arthur Roden Cutler was born on 24 May 1916 . His cousin , Sir Charles Cutler , was Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975 . Arthur grew up in the Sydney Harbour suburb of Manly where he attended the Manly Village Public School . At the age of 15 he enrolled at Sydney Boys High School . After school , he worked for the Texas Company Australasia , which later became Texaco . He studied economics during the night at the University of Sydney , and joined the Sydney University Regiment in 1936 . On 10 November 1939 , he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the militia . He enjoyed all sports , especially riding , rifle shooting and water polo , and was awarded a University Blue in swimming . As an 18 year - old lifesaver , he swam to the aid of a surfer who was being circled by a large shark . The shark brushed him twice as he helped the surfer to the beach . In May 1940 , he transferred from the citizen ' s militia to the Second Australian Imperial Force , receiving a commission in the 2 / 5th Field Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery , Australian 7th Division . Military service . In 1941 , Cutler served with the 2 / 5th in the Syria - Lebanon Campaign . During the period between 19 June and 6 July , in the Merdjayoun - Damour area of Syria , and as part of the Battle of Merdjayoun , Lieutenant Cutler ' s exploits included repairing a telephone line under heavy fire , repulsing enemy tank attacks , setting up an outpost to bring fire to a road used by the enemy and , with a 25 - pound field gun , demolishing a post threatening the Australian advance . Later , during the Battle of Damour , he was seriously wounded and when rescued 26 hours later his leg had to be amputated . Cutler received the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Merdjayoun - Damour area , and was medically discharged in 1942 . Diplomatic and vice - regal career . Following the war , Cutler began a long career in the Australian diplomatic service . At the age of 29 he was appointed High Commissioner to New Zealand ( 1946 – 1952 ) . Other postings within the Commonwealth followed ; he served in Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka ) ( 1952 – 1955 ) and was the Australian Minister in Egypt during the Suez Crisis in 1956 . As a result of his service in Egypt , Cutler was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) in the 1957 New Year ' s Honours . Cutler acted as Secretary - General of the South - East Asia Council of Ministers meeting in Canberra in January 1957 and became Chief of Protocol of the Department of External Affairs ( 1957 – 58 ) . Cutler was also State President of the RSL in 1958 . He was Australian High Commissioner in Pakistan , ( 1958 – 1961 ) , and Australian Consul - General in New York , ( 1961 – 1965 ) , during which period he was the Australian delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in 1962 , 1963 and 1964 and was the Australian Representative to independence of the Republic of Somalia in 1960 . For his diplomatic services to Australia , he was honoured by The Queen as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George ( KCMG ) in December 1965 . He was further honoured as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order ( KCVO ) in 1970 . He was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia ( AK ) in 1981 . His final diplomatic posting , in 1965 , as Ambassador to The Netherlands , was cut short in 1966 when he returned home as Governor of New South Wales , an office that he served for a record 15 years , through four Premiers , and a change of government after eleven years of conservative rule . Such was his popularity that the Labor Premier , Neville Wran , extended his last term until 1981 . As the longest - serving state governor , Cutler occasionally acted as Administrator of the Commonwealth of Australia in the absence of the Governor - General . He acted as Administrator during Sir John Kerr ' s term from 20 February - 13 March 1975 , 12 – 24 May 1975 , 16 – 17 September 1975 , 23 December 1975 – 3 February 1976 , 26 April – 14 June 1977 and finally 23 – 28 August 1977 . Cutler was also scheduled to act during November 1975 , when Kerr had planned an overseas holiday . However , in view of the developing situation in Canberra , Kerr cancelled his travel bookings . In 1975 , Cutler ' s advice to Kerr that he should warn Prime Minister Gough Whitlam of his impending dismissal , was ignored . Cutler later said that , had he been Administrator at the time , he would certainly have accepted his prime minister ' s advice and he would have allowed the parliament to resolve the issue without recourse to any such drastic action as dismissal . Later life . Following the end of his term as Governor , Cutler was given various Chairmanships and business appointments including as Chairman of Ansett Express ( 1981 – 92 ) and the State Bank of New South Wales ( 1981 – 86 ) . Throughout the republican debate and referendum he remained a staunch monarchist and proud Australian , believing the monarchy brought stability , continuity and tradition to his country . He co - operated with the popular Australian novelist Colleen McCullough on a biography , " Roden Cutler , VC " , which appeared in 1998 . Cutler died on 22 February 2002 following a long illness . He was accorded the rare honour of a State Funeral on 28 February 2002 by the New South Wales Government . Sir Roden Cutler Charity . The Sir Roden Cutler Charity is a charity that helps the elderly and physically handicapped to be mobile , and also helps with transport to and from their medical appointments . Many people have contributed to this cause , notably Sir Roden Cutler ' s former High School Sydney Boys High and his Primary school , Manly Village , who have also dedicated memorials to Sir Roden Cutler on the 90th anniversary of his birth .