He may have waited more than a week, but Tony Abbott is now officially Australia's 28th Prime Minister.

In a brief ceremony at Government House in Canberra, Mr Abbott was sworn in by Governor-General Quentin Bryce, watched on by his wife Margie, three daughters, parents and two sisters.

''I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Queen Elizabeth the second, the Queen of Australia,'' he said.

Mr Abbott's brand new frontbench was then sworn-in in a much lengthier process, which managed to generate a discrete yawn from new first daughter, Frances Abbott (albeit towards the end).

The new Prime Minister presented his new government saying ''we will be a problem-solving government''. ''We are conscious of the ideals of duty and service.''

Forty-one frontbenchers took the oath, the overwhelming majority coming with their own bibles.

New parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister Josh Frydenberg brought the Bible that his mentor Zelman Cowen used when he was sworn in as governor-general in 1977, while Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce (who arrived at Government House in a maxi taxi) came with not one, but two tomes.

Arguably, they were upstaged by parliamentary secretary for education, Scott Ryan, who brought along a humungus family heirloom for his swear-in moment.

But the ante was well and truly upped when incoming Environment Minister Greg Hunt approached the chair with his daughter Poppy, 8.

Mr Hunt is keen to involve his children in his ministerial work, so they understand what he is doing, particularly given he spends so much time away from home.

While this was the fourth time this year Ms Bryce has sworn in ministers at Government House (after the various machinations in the Labor camp), proceedings did not quite run blooper-free on Wednesday morning.

When members of the executive council were asked to stand at the beginning of the ceremony, there appeared to be some confusion among the group about exactly who that involved.

Later on, when new Veterans' Affairs Minister Michael Ronaldson was invited to swear the oath, he handed back his paperwork, noting he had been given the papers for another frontbencher.

''Too late now!'' a gentle heckler from the audience observed.

By the time Ms Bryce reached the outer ministry, the audience, which included many small children, was getting decidedly restless and Arthur Sinodinos was sworn in to the tune of babies warbling.

''I think those children are being very patient, don't you?'' the Governor-General asked the new Assistant Treasurer.

While all this was going on, former prime minister Kevin Rudd used the opportunity to beam a message or two out to his million-plus Twitter followers.

''With Mr Abbott's swearing in today I cease formally to be Prime Minister. Thank you Oz for the opportunity to serve. KRudd'' he said, quite obviously, before posting about his upcoming travel and nuclear disarmament plans.

All of this went absolutely unnoticed in the calm, measured surrounds of Quentin's front steps, where the Abbott government retired for an official photo once the ceremony was done.

''Not a selfie among us!'' cried one ministerial wag.