Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...

 Sir Brian Stewart Murray KCMG

Order of St Michael and St George

The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....

, AO

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

 (26 December 19214 June 1991) was Governor of Victoria from March 1982 until 1985.

Murray was a retired Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 admiral married to a former nun. He was nominated by the Liberal

Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

 Victorian Premier Lindsay Thompson

Lindsay Thompson

Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO, CMG , Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982...

. Labor

Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

 Premier John Cain

John Cain II

John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...

 demanded his resignation in 1985 after Murray accepted a free trip to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 with his wife from Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...

. They retired to a vineyard at Murrumbateman

Murrumbateman, New South Wales

Murrumbateman is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Barton Highway, approximately 30 kilometres north-west of Canberra, and is part of the Yass Valley Shire. At the 2006 census, Murrumbateman had a population of 1,758 people.Some of the...

, outside Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

.

There was some modernising of the role and functions within Government House during Murray's incumbency. On 18 April 1984, the Governor announced that Queen Elizabeth II had approved a change in his flag: "From this day, the Governor's Personal Standard

Flags of the Governors of the Australian states

The Governors of the Australian states, who represent their respective Head of State , have a personal flag in that role. With the exception of Queensland’s, these flags originate from the 1970s and 1980s.- History :...

 will be the State Flag of Victoria

Flag of Victoria

The flag of Victoria, symbolising the state of Victoria in Australia, is a British Blue Ensign defaced by the state badge of Victoria in the fly. The badge is the Southern Cross topped by an imperial crown, which is currently the St Edward's Crown...

 with the blue of the flag being replaced by gold. The new Standard will be flown at Government House and on vehicles conveying the Governor. The old Standard used by all Victorian Governors has been, since 1870, the Union Jack with the Badge of the State emblazoned in the centre thereof".

When Sir Brian died he was accorded the honour of a state funeral

State funeral

A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...

 complete with Royal Australian Navy escort, full Navy honours and a eulogy by his friend Sir Anthony Synnot

Anthony Synnot

Admiral Sir Anthony Monckton Synnot KBE, AO was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy, who between 1979 and 1982 served as Chief of the Defence Force Staff.-Early life:...

.

External links

• RAN Admirals: Sir Brian Stewart Murray (Royal Australian Navy)