Former Governors-General
There are five living former governors-general of Australia. The most recent governor-general to die was Sir Zelman Cowen (1977–1982), on 8 December 2011.
| Name | Term of office | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Ninian Stephen | 1982–1989 | (1923-06-15) 15 June 1923 (age 89) |
| Bill Hayden | 1989–1996 | (1933-01-23) 23 January 1933 (age 79) |
| Sir William Deane | 1996–2001 | (1931-01-04) 4 January 1931 (age 81) |
| Peter Hollingworth | 2001–2003 | (1935-04-10) 10 April 1935 (age 77) |
| Michael Jeffery | 2003–2008 | (1937-12-12) 12 December 1937 (age 74) |
Between Jeffery's retirement on 5 September 2008 and Cowen's death on 8 December 2011, there were, for the first time in Australia's history, six former governors-general still living. There had been five living former governors-general at a number of previous times, most recently immediately prior to Jeffery's retirement, and going back to between 8 October 1925 (when Lord Forster retired) and 2 December 1928 (when Lord Tennyson died).
Read more about this topic: Governor-General Of Australia