| The following article is written from an In Universe perspective. |
Gallifrey was the homeworld of the Time Lords until its mass ascension in 3453 by the Vex. It was a member of the Alliance of Planets and before that, the Gallifreyan Union.
Astronomical data
Location
Gallifrey was located in the constellation of Kasterborous at galactic coordinates 10-0-11-0-0/0-2 from Galactic Zero Centre. (DW: Pyramids of Mars, Full Circle)
Geography
From the planet's surface, it boasted an orange sky at night and had trees with bright silver leaves. (DW: "A Desperate Venture") The wastelands around the Capitol were referred to as "outer Gallifrey" by the Time Lords. (DW: The Invasion of Time)
The sky during the day resembled that of Earth's blue sky. (DW: The Invasion of Time)
The Death Zone was an area used as a battleground in which Time Lords would watch other species fight to the death. Although these battles were stopped by Rassilon, the Death Zone remained and later became home to the Tomb of Rassilon. (DW: The Five Doctors)
Indigenous species
Gallifrey was home to both Outsiders and the Time Lords. (DW: The War Games, The Invasion of Time)
History
Time of Empires
A Time Lord emissary reminded the Fourth Doctor that Gallifrey had perfected the transmat beam when the universe was less than half its "present" size. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks)
Time of chaos
The Great Vampires escaped and caused mass destructionhi . (DW: State of Decay)
The old times
The Time Lords had three main founders: the technological polymath Rassilon, (DW: The Deadly Assassin) the stellar engineer Omega, (DW: The Three Doctors) and an other. (DW: Lungbarrow)
Omega used two stellar manipulators, the "hands" of Omega, to detonate a star (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks; MOV: Doctor Who) Although he survived in the anti-matter universe, Omega was presumed dead. (DW: The Three Doctors)
The last Pythia cursed Gallifrey with sterility before killing herself. To stabilise Gallifreyan society, the looms and Great Houses were created, (DW: Lungbarrow)
Beginning of Rassilon's era
To be added. (DW: The Order of Rassilon)
The Game of Rassilon was a blood sport played in the Death Zone on Gallifrey using the Time Scoop, which relocated beings from all of time and space (except for Daleks and Cybermen, considered too dangerous to try to contain) and placed them in the Death Zone to fight each other to the death. Rassilon's rule saw the end of the games in the Death Zone. (DW: The Five Doctors)
The Time Lords tried doing business with the Hoothi. The Hoothi caused a war on one of the worlds with which Gallifrey was negotiating, and later attacked Gallifrey itself using a Time Lord ambassador as a host. The Time Lords struck back with a counterattack and put the Hoothi worlds in a time loop. The Hoothi were forced to leave the galaxy. (DW: Love and War)
Beginning of non-interference
A non-interference policy was created due to the damage that had been done by the Time Lords to other species using time travel. (DW: Underworld)
One legend said that despite Rassilon's great achievements, the Time Lords rebelled against him and imprisoned him in the Dark Tower in the Death Zone. Rassilon survived in the tower (DW: The Five Doctors)
Eons of stability
Millennia of isolation induced a complacency among the Time Lords. Their technology and power stagnated, even as other races became more powerful and dangerous. (DW: The Deadly Assassin)
- The specific order of the following events is unknown.
- Mawdryn and a group of scientists tried to steal the secrets of regeneration from Gallifrey, stealing a metamorphic symbiosis regenerator, but they were unsuccessful and they became stuck in a cycle of never-ending mutated regeneration. (DW: Mawdryn Undead)
The Imperitor presidency
Morbius, a renegade Time Lord wanted the Time Lords to abandon their non-interference policy and intervene in the outside universe in their own self-interest, and he campaigned for conquest of the lesser species. He gathered an army of mercenaries to himself, making extravagant promises to them about time travel and immortality. He was eventually captured, put on trial, and executed on Karn. However, Mehendri Solon removed Morbius' brain prior to his disintegration and he began building a new body for Morbius. (DW: The Brain of Morbius)
The Doctor's missions for the CIA
the Master went to Uxarieus to get the Doomsday weapon, the Time Lords temporarily fixed the Doctor's TARDIS and took him and Jo Grant to Uxarieus. The Doctor stopped the Master and destroyed the weapon before it could be used. (DW: Colony in Space)
The Time Lords were easily rendered helpless when Omega began to drain energy from Gallifrey, and were only saved by the intervention of the Second and Third Doctor. (DW: The Three Doctors)
The Time Lords continued to give the Doctor missions after his third regeneration. After the Time Lords foresaw a future where Daleks became the dominant lifeform in the universe, they brought the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan to Skaro during the creation of the Daleks. Ferain informed them that they had to stop Davros' experiments and gave them time rings to escape. The Doctor was unable to stop the creation of the Daleks, but still changed history by forcing Davros to rush the creation. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks, Lungbarrow)
Constitutional crisis
The Time Lords faced "the most dangerous crisis in their long history" when, during the President's resignation, he was assassinated by Chancellor Goth before he could name his successor. Goth was plotting with the Master to frame the Fourth Doctor and take power uncontested. The Doctor ran against Goth in the election to buy himself time to investigate the death; he succeeded in unraveling the scheme, but in the process, the Master killed Goth, leaving the Doctor as the next President. Because the Doctor didn't want this responsibility, he left in his TARDIS. (DW: The Deadly Assassin)
When the Fourth Doctor returned to Gallifrey, he found the planet without a President and led by Lord Chancellor Borusa. Claiming his right to the Presidency from the old election, he briefly became the 407th President as part of a plot to defeat a Vardan invasion. This invasion was a front, however, for a Sontaran invasion of Gallifrey. Although defeated, these invasions exposed weaknesses in Gallifrey's defences. (DW: The Invasion of Time)
Borusa was later officially inducted as Lord President of Gallifrey and dealt with Omega's attempted incursion into normal space via the Arc of Infinity. Omega utilised the Fifth Doctor's biodata extract (supplied by Hedin) to do so. To prevent Omega's incursion Borusa ordered the Doctor's termination. (DW: Arc of Infinity)
Following another regeneration Lord President Borusa began to investigate the legacy of Rassilon, specifically immortality. Borusa sought to be "President Eternal" ruling Gallifrey forever. Utilising the time scoop he summoned four of the Doctor's incarnations to the Death Zone, using them to gain access for him to the Tomb of Rassilon. Ultimately Borusa gained the immortality he sought by Rassilon, entombed as a living statue on Rassilon's sarcophagus. (DW: The Five Doctors)
Following the close of the crisis induced by Borusa the full High Council utilised its emergency powers and made the Doctor President of Gallifrey. The Doctor departed briskly leaving Chancellor Flavia, giving her "full deputy powers until (he) returned", (DW: The Five Doctors)
Later, the High Council decided to physically move Earth in order to preserve secrets stolen from the Matrix falling into enemy hands. (DW: The Mysterious Planet)
These revelations caused a revolution on Gallifrey. (DW: The Ultimate Foe)
Romana's presidency
To be added. (DW: Lungbarrow)
To be added. (DW: The Reverent Peril)
Gregori's first presidency
To be added. (DW: The Lords of Time)
To be added. (DW: The Prisoner of Time)
Vokkel's presidency
To be added. (DW: The Conspiracy of Time)
Rassilon's resurrection
The Keeper's presidency
The Keeper feared that the Bannermen would invade Gallifrey due to their expanding Empire. He approached the Order of Rassilon and sent them on a covet mission to the Bannermen's homeworld, the Bannermen however soon discovered this and declared war on Gallifrey. (PAN: The Dice Has Been Cast)
The Keeper decided to make the Doctor the next Lord President and so summoned him and six of his previous incarnations to Gallifrey in order to repair time distortions caused by Rassilon's defeat. Once all the time distortions were repaired, the Keeper forced the Doctor to use a device known as the Salfrique Device which repaired time and caused the Doctor to regenerate, the Keeper then forced the Eleventh Doctor to take the role of Lord President by threatening to erase him from history. (MOV: Doctor Who)
The Doctor's presidency
To be added.
The Rogue as Acting Lord President
To be added.
The Doctor's return
To be added.
The puppet president
To be added.
End of the Doctor's presidency
The Master attempted to steal the Sash of Rassilon and overthrow the Doctor as Lord President. He took the Outsiders hostage and challenged the Doctor to a mind-bending contest, he defeated the Doctor but was soon defeated by Leela. After the Doctor regenerated and the Master was taken away, the Doctor announced that he was stepping down and that the Rogue would become the new Lord President. Before he fully stepped down the Doctor changed the law so that Outsiders now had equal rights with Gallifreyans and Time Lords and that they could enter the Time Lord Academy if they wished. (MOV: Doctor Who: Revelation)
The Rogue's presidency
War with the Bannermen
The Rogue agreed to get Gallifrey to help in the war with the Bannermen. In order to hopefully end the war the Rogue used a time scoop to bring a chimeron disguised as a human named Will Adams to Gallifrey in the hope that he could bring unity between the Chimerons and Bannermen. (PAN: Period of Adjustment, Nature's Gift)
During the war Leela managed to get the law overturned that banned half-Gallifreyan children, meaning that they would no longer be segregated. (PAN: Gallifreyan Equity)
After two years, the war came to an end in 3451 when the Rogue unleashed a chemical weapon, killing all the Bannermen in the quadrant and their leader Arrex. A vote of no confidence was called against the Rogue and the Rani created the Alliance of Planets to ensure that war never happened again. (PAN: Adams and the Bannermen)
A threat to Time Lord society
Mrs Quillington, the wife of Quilly arrived on Gallifrey demanding to know the truth about what happened to her husband, putting the fabric of Time Lord society at stake. The Rogue summoned the Doctor to testify in court where the truth of his undercover mission into the Yvacnosci and the events surrounding it were revealed. (DW: Inquisition)
Gregori returns
Gregori returned to Gallifrey after contacting a Gallifreyan ship commanded by Leela. After arriving he claimed his right to Lord President, using an ancient Gallifreyan law from a book known as The Worshipful and Ancient law of Gallifrey. Gregori was unsuccessful in obtaining the book but decided to run against the Rogue in the upcoming election. (MOV: Doctor Who: Vengeance; PAN: Vengeance)
A new threat emerges
Francis received intelligence of an alien race known as the Vex and of their intention to invade Gallifrey. The Rogue was informed about this. (PAN: Colour of Your Life)
During a trip to the Medusa Cascade, a ship belonging to an alien race known as the Vex attacked Leela's ship and left her, Will, Kendara and a group of students stranded. They soon made their way on to the Vex ship where one Vex replicated Leela's form and warned her that the Vex were preparing to invade Gallifrey. (PAN: Slipping Through My Fingers)
The Rogue's fight for presidency
The Rogue and Gregori both ran for Lord President in the 3453 election. Presta became the Rogue's VP candidate. (PAN: The Rogue Factor)
The Rogue attempted to ruin Gregori's reputation after he learned from an imprisoned Cordale that Gregori had raped her in order to get information. The Rogue contacted Ale, a member of the Vex Council of Six and informed him of what Gregori had done. Tryad broadcast the transmission to everyone in the Citadel, but it was edited by him to remove all mention of the rapes, putting the Rogue in a negative light. (PAN: The Rules of the Game)
At the end of the voting day, all the votes were counted up and it was discovered that both the Rogue and Gregori were tied. Due to this Dramla Vinché, the leader of the Alliance of Planets and acting Lord President brought in a Bellonsion law that stated that the candidates would have one month to gain an extra vote. (PAN: Election Day, All Tied Up)
After a month passed Gregori was made Lord President and the Rogue left Gallifrey. (PAN: C'est La Vie)
Gregori's second presidency
Gregori's first act as Lord President was to seperate all outsiders not attending the Time Lord Academy into their own area which they were forbidden to leave. He also issued a curfew for all Time Lords unless they had a warrant and brought the termination penalty back into common practice. Gregori filled the Panopticon with his suporters so that these laws could not be opposed. (PAN: The Condemned)
Gallifrey falls
Not wishing to risk an invasion by the Vex on the Alliance of Planets, Dramla Vinché called for a vote to have Gallifrey removed from the Alliance. She succeeded and the Alliance cut ties with Gallifrey. (PAN: The Stale Alliance)
The Vex Empire, led by the Hal invaded Gallifrey. Over six-million Time Lords were killed and within three hours the Capitol was stormed. Almost all members of the High Council were killed and once Cordale cornered Gregori and assassinated him, she and the Hal declared themselves the new rulers of Gallifrey. (PAN: The Eye of the Storm)
Under Vex rule
Cordale was elected as the High Governor of Gallifrey. The Seal of Rassilon was banned and anybody seen in possession of one was immediately vapourised. (CF: Aftermath)
In 3460 the main council chamber was bombed, an organisation known as The Seal claimed responsibility. In order to prevent a revolution Cordale ordered the guards to execute two-hundred random civilians. (CF: Aftermath)
The Hal soon arrived on Gallifrey, claiming to only be supervising Cordale. (PAN: Period of Readjustment)
Gallifrey ascended
In 3461 the Council of Six planned to detenate an Ascension bomb that would ascend the entire planet. An attempted evacuation led by Belinda Kirby failed when the bomb detenated, ascending the planet and everyone on the surface. (PAN: Survivors)
Alternate versions
See Vex Sphere
Behind the scenes
- Although the planet was referenced numerous times earlier, and even seen on occasion (DW: The War Games and The Three Doctors for instance), the name Gallifrey was not uttered on screen until Jon Pertwee did so in The Time Warrior.
- In the original script of The Time Warrior, Gallifrey was scripted as "Galfrey", but was later changed.
- Even though the first on-screen mention of Gallifrey was in The Time Warrior, broadcast in December 1973, the word appeared in TV Action #126, put out for the week ending 14 July 1973. There, in the letters column, the editors responded to a question from Simon Still of Kent who asked where the Master came from. The answer? "The Master's home planet was called 'Gallifrey'." This probably doesn't mean, however, that Polystyle gets the credit for "Gallifrey". Since shooting on The Time Warrior wrapped on 12 June 1973, and the scripts had been completed earlier that spring, the likelihood is not that the TV Action originated the name, but that they were given it by the Doctor Who production office.