Ninian Stephen

The Right Honourable Sir Ninian Stephen KG, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, PC, QC
20th Governor-General of Australia
In office 29 July 1982 – 16 February 1989
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Malcolm Fraser Bob Hawke
Preceded by	Sir Zelman Cowen
Succeeded by	Bill Hayden
Justice of the High Court of Australia
In office 1 March 1972 – 11 May 1982
Nominated by	Billy McMahon
Appointed by	Sir Paul Hasluck
Preceded by	Sir Victor Windeyer
Succeeded by	Sir William Deane
Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria
In office 30 June 1970 – 29 February 1972
Nominated by	Sir Henry Bolte
Appointed by	Sir Rohan Delacombe
Preceded by	Robert Monahan
Succeeded by	William Kaye
Personal details
Born	Ninian Martin Stephen (1923-06-15)15 June 1923 Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, England
Died	29 October 2017(2017-10-29) (aged 94) Melbourne, Australia
Spouse	Valery Sinclair ​ (m. 1949)​
Children	5
Profession	Barrister, judge
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Second Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1941–1946
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Royal Australian Artillery Royal Australian Engineers
Battles/wars	World War II

Sir Ninian Martin Stephen, KG, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, PC, QC (15 June 1923 – 29 October 2017) was an English-born Australian judge who served as the 20th governor-general of Australia, in office from 1982 to 1989. He was previously a justice of the High Court of Australia from 1972 to 1982.^[1]

Stephen was born in England to Scottish parents. As a child he lived for periods in France, Germany, Scotland, and Switzerland, eventually arriving in Australia at the age of 16. Stephen served with the Australian Army during World War II, and after the war entered the legal profession. He became one of Australia's leading constitutional lawyers. Stephen was appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1970, and then to the High Court in 1972, aged 48. He was considered a member of the court's "moderate centre". In 1982, Stephen was appointed governor-general on the recommendation of Malcolm Fraser. He approved two double dissolutions during his time in office, the only governor-general to do so. After his term expired, Stephen remained active in public life as a conservationist and member of various international tribunals. He died at the age of 94, making him Australia's longest-lived governor-general.