Ninian Stephen - Honours, Awards and Styles

Honours, Awards and Styles

Stephen was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) on 20 April 1972 "for distinguished services to the Law" and sworn of the Privy Council in 1979. As Governor-General he was made a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). In 1994 Queen Elizabeth II appointed him a Knight of the Garter (KG), being the most recent Australian to be granted a knighthood in the personal gift of the monarch of Australia. He therefore has the unusual distinction of holding five knighthoods and joined Lord Casey and Sir Paul Hasluck as one of the few Australian Knights of the Garter. In 1983, he received the Legion d'Honneur.

Stephen delivered the first Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture at the University of Newcastle's law school in 1993, giving his name to this lecture series.

On 8 December 2011, with the death of Sir Zelman Cowen, Stephen became the last living Australian Knight of the Order of Australia (Charles, Prince of Wales is also a Knight of the Order).

• Ninian Stephen (1923–1966)
• Ninian Stephen QC (1966–1970)
• The Hon. Ninian Stephen QC (1970–1972)
• The Hon. Sir Ninian Stephen KBE, QC (1972–1979)
• The Rt. Hon. Sir Ninian Stephen KBE, QC (1979–1982)
• His Excellency the Rt. Hon. Sir Ninian Stephen AK GCMG GCVO KBE QC (1982–1989)
• The Rt. Hon. Sir Ninian Stephen AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, QC (1989–1994)
• The Rt. Hon. Sir Ninian Stephen KG, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, QC (since 1994)