For Governor-General: Pomp is Out, Sneakers are In

On her first overseas trip to the Paralympics and Villiers-Bretonneux in France, Governor-General Sam Mostyn reflects on her new role. She revealed that when the Prime Minister rang her to offer her the job, he nominated these goals: modernity, optimism and visibility,adding that they will remain watchwords for her five-year term. Before she took the oath of office in July she also travelled to London to meet with our Head of State and left that meeting certain she had to focus on care, kindness and belonging. She says she is in a unique position with no politics, policies or money to offer. She’s also keen to discard some of the pomp and ceremony that comes with the role where she can while observing important traditions and respect for the office. She intends to greet people personally as they arrive at Government House, wear sneakers where sensible and take selfies if asked. Mostyn plans to develop a style that proves a woman can do the job to make it completely uncontroversial. It’s really encouraging to see Sam Mostyn making changes towards informality and demonstrating how a modern, visible Head of State can and should operate. She is going to be a very good example for what an Australian Head of State would be like when we finally get one. Mostyn’s green and gold sneakers along with her stand-out granny smith green pants suit were seen awarding medals to Australian swimmers at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore, July 2025. [“Pomp is out for G-G into selfies, sneakers and chats” by Rob Harris, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 September 2024]