Request for Congratulatory Message
Anniversaries are a very special time in our lives and should be celebrated. The State and Federal Governments in Australia have an arranagement to properly recognise certain anniversaries by way of messages from elected leaders and officials.
My office can assist with an anniversary message. Don't hesitate to get in touch.
What are anniversary messages?
Australians celebrating a special birthday or wedding anniversary can receive personal congratulations from the Prime Minister, Governor-General or The Queen.
The Prime Minister's messages are printed on a four panel gold card with a personalised certificate insert. The card has the first two verses of the Australian National Anthem printed on the inside back panel, the Commonwealth Coat of Arms on the back and the Prime Minister's monogram on the front cover. When folded, the message fits inside a C5 envelope.
Who qualifies?
The Prime Minister will send a message of congratulations to people turning 90 years of age or more. The Queen and Governor-General will send a message on a 100th birthday. On request, the Prime Minister and the Governor-General will write again every year and The Queen will write again every five years.
The Prime Minister and Governor-General send messages to couples celebrating 50 years of marriage and subsequent wedding anniversaries. The Queen sends messages to couples celebrating 60 years of marriage and will write every five years after that on request.
| 50th Wedding Anniversary |
50th plus Wedding Anniversary
| 90th Birthday | 90th plus Birthday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Governor-General |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
100th and every year thereafter |
| The Queen |
No
|
60th and every fifth thereafter |
No
|
100th and every fifth year thereafter |
Note: Messages from The Queen can be arranged for couples or individuals who did not receive a message on their 60th wedding anniversary or on their 100th birthday, as the case may be.
How to arrange the message
You can arrange an anniversary message through my electorate office.
If you are applying for a message on behalf of a relative or friend who lives in another electorate, their local federal member will be notified so they can send a message too.
You will need to provide supporting documentation like birth certificates or marriage certificates. If these are not available you can provide a statutory declaration. Statutory declaration forms are available at my office.
Where appropriate, your request to the Prime Minister will be passed on to the Governor-General and The Queen so you only have to make one application.
To arrange a message from the State Premier you should contact the office of your local state parliamentarian.
When to arrange the message
You can make arrangements for anniversary messages up to two months before the celebration.
You can request a belated message up to one month after the birthday or wedding anniversary has passed.
For eligible occasions, requests received within six months after the occasion will be passed to Government House in Canberra for their consideration for a belated message from The Queen.
Where will the message be delivered?
Anniversary messages can be delivered directly to the recipient or to a care-of address for surprises.
Information courtesty of It's an Honour and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
