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ELIZABETH R

ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth:

     TO ALL to whom these Presents shall come,

     GREETINGS:

WHEREAS by Letters Patent Dated 14 February 1975 We established a society of honour to be known as the "Order of Australia" and made provision with respect to membership and the Constitution of the Order:

AND WHEREAS it is desirable that certain amendments be made to the Constitution of the Order:

KNOW YOU that We do, by these Presents, declare Our pleasure that the above‑mentioned Letters Patent dated 14 February 1975, as amended by Letters Patent dated 24 May 1976 and by Letters Patent dated 14 March 1981, be further amended, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done thereunder, as set out in the Schedule:

AND WE DO ordain that the Order shall henceforth consist of the Sovereign, our Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, and such persons as have been appointed, or shall hereafter be appointed, to the Order:

AND WE DO further ordain that, notwithstanding the amendments to be made to the Constitution of the Order, a person who was a member of the Order immediately before the issue of these Our Letters Patent shall, subject to the Constitution of the Order, remain a member of the Order in the class of membership that the person held at that time:

IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

                                   GIVEN under the Great Seal of Australia at our Court at Government House, Canberra on 3 March 1986

By Her Majesty's Command,
BOB HAWKE
Prime Minister
Schedule

Amendments of the Constitution of the Order of Australia

1. Section 1 is amended by omitting "Knight or Dame", from sub‑section (3).

2. Section 2 is revoked and the following section substituted:

"2. (1) The Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia shall be the Chancellor of the Order.

 "(2) Where a person ceases to hold office as Governor‑General, he or she shall continue to be a member of the Order in the General Division in the class of membership that he or she held immediately before ceasing to hold that office.".

3. After section 2 the following section is inserted:

"2A. (1) The Governor‑General shall have precedence, after the Sovereign, of all other members of the Order.

 "(2) His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, shall have precedence in the Order immediately after the Governor‑General.".

4. Section 3A is revoked.

5. Section 4 is amended by omitting paragraphs 1 (c), (d) and (e) and substituting the following paragraphs:

 "(c) the person for the time being occupying the office of