Charles Gairdner

Lieutenant General Sir Charles Gairdner GBE, KCMG, KCVO, CB


23rd Governor of Western Australia
In office 6 November 1951 – 25 October 1963
Monarch	George VI (1951–52) Elizabeth II (1952–1963)
Premier	Sir Ross McLarty (1951–53) Albert Hawke (1953–59) Sir David Brand (1959–63)
Preceded by	Sir James Mitchell
Succeeded by	Sir Douglas Kendrew
19th Governor of Tasmania
In office 24 September 1963 – 11 July 1968
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	The Lord Rowallan
Succeeded by	Sir Edric Bastyan
Personal details
Born	(1898-03-20)20 March 1898 Batavia, Netherlands East Indies
Died	22 February 1983(1983-02-22) (aged 84) Nedlands, Western Australia
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Evelyn Constance Handcock
Profession	British Army soldier
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1916–1949
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Royal Artillery
Commands	10th Royal Hussars 6th Armoured Division 8th Armoured Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in dispatches Medal of Freedom (United States)

Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Henry Gairdner GBE, KCMG, KCVO, CB (20 March 1898 – 22 February 1983) was a senior British Army officer who later occupied two viceregal positions in Australia. Born in Batavia (now Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies, he was brought up in Ireland, and educated at Repton School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, in England. Having served on active duty during World War I, in which he sustained a serious wound to his right leg, Gairdner then spent time at the Staff College, Camberley, and served as commanding officer of various units during World War II. In 1951, after the conclusion of the war, he was appointed Governor of Western Australia, a position in which he served until 1963, when he assumed the role of Governor of Tasmania, a role he served in until 1968. Gairdner died in Nedlands, Western Australia, at the age of 84, and was awarded a state funeral.

Gairdner was born in Batavia, Netherlands East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia) in 1898. Brought up in County Galway, Ireland, he was educated at Repton School in England, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He married the Hon. Evelyn Constance Handcock, daughter of the 5th Lord Castlemain, in 1925.