Order of precedence for events

For federally funded events and occasions, refer to the Commonwealth Table of Precedence.

This table was approved by His Excellency the Governor in Council for the State of Victoria on 2 November 1983 (amending the table given effect on 26 September 1961).

1. the Governor-General
2.  
   1. the Governor
   2. the Lieutenant-Governor if administering the Government
3. the Premier
4. the Prime Minister of Australia
5. the Lieutenant-Governor (if not administering the government)
6. the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria
7. members of the Victorian Executive Council under Summons
8. the President of the Legislative Council of Victoria
9. the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria
10.  
    1. former Governors-General according to the date of leaving office
    2. former Governors according to the date of leaving office
    3. former Premiers according to the date of leaving office
    4. former Prime Ministers according to the date of leaving office
11.  
    1. Ambassadors and High Commissioners according to their seniority within the Diplomatic Corps in Australia
    2. Charge d'Affaires and Acting High Commissioners according to the date of assumption of duty
12. the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia according to the date of appointment
13. the Chief Justice of Australia
14. members of the Federal Executive Council under summons
15. the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Victoria
16. the Leader of the Third Parliamentary Party in the Legislative Assembly of Victoria
17. Privy Counsellors
18. Justices of the Supreme Court of Victoria according to seniority
19. Justices of the High Court of Australia according to seniority
20. Chief Judges of the Federal Courts of Australia and the President of the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission according to the date of appointment
21. members of the Legislative Council of Victoria
22. members of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria
23. the Lord Mayor of Melbourne
24. judges of the Federal Courts of Australia and Deputy Presidents of the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission according to the dates of the first appointment to any one of those offices
25. heads of Religious Communities according to the date of assuming office in Victoria
26. the Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria
27. members of the Parliament of Australia
28. Permanent Heads of State Government Departments, the Solicitor-General, the Chairman of the Public Service Board, the Auditor-General and the Ombudsman
29. judges of the County Court of Victoria according to the date of appointment
30. senior officers in local Command of the Navy, Military and Air Forces according to seniority of rank and date of appointment
31. Consuls-General, Consuls and Vice-Consuls according to their seniority in the Consular Corps in Victoria
32. members of the Victorian Executive Council not under summons
33. recipients of Decorations and Honours taking precedence above an Officer of the Order of Australia in accordance with the order shown in the "Commonwealth Table of Precedence of Honours and Awards".

Notes

• A person acting on behalf of any of the foregoing shall enjoy the precedence of the person for whom he is acting with the understanding that, where there is more than one person in the class the person acting on behalf of another will take precedence after other persons in that class who are attending in their own right.  This means that for example, if a Minister represents the Premier at an occasion, the Minister will be given the same precedence as if the Premier were in attendance. 
• A married couple shall enjoy the precedence of the spouse with higher precedence and a husband or wife shall enjoy the precedence of the spouse.

Source: Extract from the Victoria Government Gazette, No. 116, 9 November 1983.