Equivalence classes of time independent, linear, real Hamiltonian systems can be identified, up to canonical transformations, with the orbits of the adjoint action of the real symplectic group on its Lie algebra. A new set of representatives, also called normal forms, for these orbits is given. Versal deformations of systems in normal form are constructed. Applications of versal deformations to the study of bifurcations of linear systems with small codimension are indicated.