Summary

Program produced for attendees at the inauguration of The Honourable Alex Chernov, AO, QC as Governor of Victoria, held at Government House, Melbourne, on Friday 8 April 2011. The program includes an order of proceedings, the transcript of the national anthem 'Advance Australia Fair', a biography of the life, achievements and credentials of Alex Chernov and an image of him with his wife Elizabeth outside Government House.

Alex Chernov AC KC was born in Wilno, Poland (now Vilnius, Lithuania) in 1938 to Russian parents, and migrated with his family to Salzburg, Austria, after the Soviet invasion, where he commenced his schooling.

In 1949 his family migrated to Australia. He was educated at Melbourne High School and the University of Melbourne where he gained commerce and law degrees. In 1968 he was appointed Queen's Counsel in Victoria and later appeared in Supreme Courts around the country, the High Court of Australia and the Privy Council.

Between 1971 and 1975 Chernov was the Independent Lecturer in Equity for the Council of Legal Education. From 1985 to 1987 he was the Honorary Consultant to the Australian Law Reform Commission. During the 1990s, he was Chair of the Victorian Bar, Vice President of the Australian Bar Association, President of the Australian Law Council and Vice President of Law Asia. In 1997, Chernov was appointed a Judge of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria and in 1998 was appointed to its Court of Appeal.

In 1992 he became a member of the Council of the University of Melbourne and in 2004 was elected Deputy Chancellor and then Chancellor in 2009. Chernov was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2009. He was sworn in as the 28th Governor of Victoria in 2011 for five years, and in 2014 as Deputy to the Governor-General.

Alex Chernov and his wife Elizabeth have three children and six grandchildren.

Physical Description

Program printed on cream card with a central fold at spine. The Victorian coat of arms is embossed in gold on the cover and there is a black and white image of a detail of Government House, Melbourne. Inside is a transcript of Advance Australia Fair, an Order of Proceedings and a black and white image of Government House. The back cover has biographical text and a black and white image of Alex Chernov and his wife Elizabeth outside Government House.

Significance

Statement of Significance:
The item documents an inauguration to the highest position in Victorian state politics. It is of particular relevance as it represents the cultural diversity and migration history of Victoria with the appointment of a Lithuanian migrant (of Russian parents) to the position.

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