John Kerr

The Right Honourable Sir John Robert Kerr, (September 24, 1914 - April 7, 1991) K.C.M.G., L.St.J., P.C., A.K., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O.

Born in Sydney, Australia

Governor-General to the Commonwealth of Australia between 1974 and 1977. He was involved in the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975, in which, following the failure of the Australian Senate to grant Supply (ie, supply of funds from the Treasury, which a government requires to run the state) to the government of Gough Whitlam, Kerr controversially withdrew Whitlam's commission (ie, dismissed him) and appointed the Leader of the Opposition as Prime Minister, on the guarantee the new prime minister would request a dissolution of parliament. Public opinion, ironically turned against both Kerr and Whitlam. The former ultimately resigned as governor-general, while the latter was heavily defeated in the subsequent general election.

Kerr was previously the 13th Chief Justice of New South Wales, Australia.