The Office of the Governor supports the Governor of Victoria in all aspects of their role for the benefit of the Victorian people.

Role of the Office   

The Office of the Governor was established under the Public Administration Act 2004 (Vic) as an Administrative Office within the portfolio of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

The Office provides support to the Governor in all aspects of the Governor’s role as they carry out official duties for the benefit of the Victorian people.

These duties include:

  • Constitutional duties
  • Ceremonial duties
  • Community engagements 
  • International engagements.

The Office is also in charge of the maintenance of Government House and its collections as a heritage and community asset of national importance.

Structure

The Official Secretary of the Office of the Governor acts as Department Head, managing the Office and its administrative and service staff. All staff report to their respective managers, and through them to the Deputy Official Secretary and Official Secretary.

Official Secretary: Jonathan Burke

Jonathan Burke is the Official Secretary to the Governor of Victoria.

Jonathan began his working life at Government House Victoria as an Intern, before being appointed as an Aide to Governor David de Kretser and later, Governor Alex Chernov.  

He spent several years in London working in public affairs for one of the UK’s largest charities before returning to Government House where he served as Senior Aide to the Governor during the remainder of Governor Chernov’s term of office.

Jonathan later worked in the Office of the President and Vice-Chancellor of Monash University, where he led a specialist team responsible for national and international strategic external engagement, protocol and ceremonial functions focused on donor, alumni and government relations.

He subsequently returned to the public service, holding senior roles across the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

Jonathan was most recently the Deputy Official Secretary to the Governor, before being appointed Official Secretary, in August 2022.

Jonathan holds degrees in Arts and Law from Monash University and has an Executive Master of Public Administration from the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) and the University of Melbourne.

Deputy Official Secretary (Operations): Taara Olorenshaw

Taara Olorenshaw is the Deputy Official Secretary (Operations) to the Governor of Victoria. Taara has extensive budget, strategy, policy and financial management experience gained through various roles at the Department of Treasury and Finance and more recently at Victoria Police.

Deputy Official Secretary (Program): Patrick Rundle

Patrick Rundle is the Deputy Official Secretary (Program) to the Governor of Victoria. Patrick has worked across the creative industries, not-for-profit and government sectors. Prior to joining the Office of the Governor Patrick worked for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions.

Aides to the Governor

The Office of the Governor employs three full-time civilian Aides who are responsible for delivering the Governor’s official program.

The Aide's role includes research and writing, attending the Governor at official engagements, managing functions at Government House, and working with communities and organisations to plan events the Governor will attend.

The Aides to the Governor are:

  • Iman Balla
  • Sara Hitchman
  • Otis Heffernan-Wooden

The Governor is also supported at official functions by a number of Honorary Aides representing the Australian Navy, Army, Air Force and Victoria Police Force; and by civilian Honorary Aides.

Teams

The Office is made up of the following teams:

  • Program Team - responsible for policy and protocol matters and provides direct support to the Governor, their Spouse and the Official Secretary.
  • Corporate Team - responsible for administration, finance and budget, human resources, IT and heritage asset management services.
  • Property Team - responsible for the upkeep, security and building maintenance of Government House and other facilities.
  • Services Team - responsible for catering, housekeeping, and domestic services.

Job opportunities

The Office of the Governor advertises vacancies on the Victorian Government Careers website. For more information about working at Government House, visit this page.

More information

To invite the Governor to an event, find Government House or to contact the Governor's office for media enquiries, visit our Contact us webpage.