List of governors-general of New Zealand
The following is a list of the governors and governors-general of New Zealand.Royal Assent, making state visits, and receiving ambassadors. These functions are performed on the advice of the head of government, the prime minister.
From
chief justice
.
Overview
Governors-general have been appointed under letters patent issued in 1917 and the current letters patent issued in 1983.[4]
Historically, governors and governors-general were generally British
aristocrats, a reflection of colonial-era affiliations. From the 1970s onward, however, a significant shift occurred, aligning with a more inclusive approach that mirrored New Zealand's diverse population. All governors-general since 1972 have been New Zealand residents. Sir Paul Reeves, in office from 1985 to 1990, was the first Māori governor-general. Dame Catherine Tizard, who served from 1990 to 1996, was the first female governor-general. Sir Anand Satyanand, who held the position from 2006 to 2011, was the first governor-general of Indian and of Pasifika ancestry. Governors-general have had a range of backgrounds, encompassing judges, a mayor, archbishop, surgeon, diplomat, general, farmer, and prime minister.[5]
List
No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Length of term | Monarch | Premier/Prime Minister | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
As lieutenant-governor | |||||||
1 | William Hobson | 30 January 1840 | 3 May 1841 | 1 year, 93 days | Victoria | None[b] | |
As governor | |||||||
1 | William Hobson | 3 May 1841 | 10 September 1842 | 1 year, 130 days | Victoria | None[b] | |
2 | Robert FitzRoy | 26 December 1843 | 17 November 1845 | 1 year, 326 days | |||
3 | Sir George Grey | 18 November 1845 | 31 December 1853[c] | 8 years, 43 days | |||
4 | Thomas Gore Browne | 6 September 1855 | 2 October 1861 | 6 years, 26 days | | ||
Henry Sewell | |||||||
William Fox | |||||||
Edward Stafford | |||||||
William Fox | |||||||
(3) | Sir George Grey | 4 December 1861 | 5 February 1868 | 6 years, 63 days | | ||
Alfred Domett | |||||||
Frederick Whitaker | |||||||
Frederick Weld | |||||||
Edward Stafford | |||||||
5 | Sir George Ferguson Bowen | 5 February 1868 | 19 March 1873 | 5 years, 42 days | | ||
William Fox | |||||||
Edward Stafford | |||||||
George Waterhouse | |||||||
William Fox | |||||||
6 | Sir James Fergusson | 14 June 1873 | 3 December 1874 | 1 year, 172 days | Julius Vogel | ||
7 | George Phipps, Marquess of Normanby | 9 January 1875 | 21 February 1879 | 4 years, 43 days | | ||
Daniel Pollen | |||||||
Julius Vogel | |||||||
Harry Atkinson | |||||||
George Grey
| |||||||
8 | Sir Hercules Robinson | 17 April 1879 | 8 September 1880 | 1 year, 144 days | | ||
John Hall | |||||||
9 | Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon | 29 November 1880 | 23 June 1882 | 1 year, 206 days | | ||
Frederick Whitaker | |||||||
10 | Sir William Jervois | 20 January 1883 | 22 March 1889 | 6 years, 61 days | | ||
Harry Atkinson | |||||||
Robert Stout | |||||||
Harry Atkinson | |||||||
Robert Stout | |||||||
Harry Atkinson | |||||||
11 | William Onslow, Earl of Onslow | 2 May 1889 | 24 February 1892 | 2 years, 298 days | | ||
John Ballance | |||||||
12 | David Boyle, Earl of Glasgow | 7 June 1892 | 6 February 1897 | 4 years, 244 days | | ||
| |||||||
13 | Uchter Knox, Earl of Ranfurly | 10 August 1897 | 19 June 1904 | 6 years, 314 days | | Richard Seddon | |
Edward VII | |||||||
14 | William Plunket, Lord Plunket | 20 June 1904 | 8 June 1910 | 5 years, 353 days | | | |
William Hall-Jones | |||||||
| |||||||
| Joseph Ward | ||||||
15 | John Dickson-Poynder, Lord Islington | 22 June 1910 | 2 December 1912 | 2 years, 163 days | George V | | |
Thomas Mackenzie | |||||||
| |||||||
16 | Arthur Foljambe, Earl of Liverpool | 19 December 1912 | 27 June 1917 | 4 years, 190 days | | William Massey | |
As governor-general | |||||||
1 | Arthur Foljambe, Earl of Liverpool | 28 June 1917 | 7 July 1920 | 3 years, 9 days | George V | William Massey | |
2 | John Jellicoe, Viscount Jellicoe | 27 September 1920 | 26 November 1924 | 4 years, 60 days | |||
3 | Sir Charles Fergusson | 13 December 1924 | 8 February 1930 | 5 years, 57 days | | ||
Francis Bell | |||||||
Gordon Coates | |||||||
Joseph Ward | |||||||
4 | Charles Bathurst, Lord Bledisloe | 19 March 1930 | 15 March 1935 | 4 years, 361 days | | ||
George Forbes | |||||||
5 | George Monckton-Arundell, Viscount Galway | 12 April 1935 | 3 February 1941 | 5 years, 297 days | | | |
| Michael Joseph Savage | ||||||
Edward VIII | |||||||
| | ||||||
| |||||||
6 | Sir Cyril Newall | 22 February 1941 | 19 April 1946 | 5 years, 56 days | George VI | Peter Fraser | |
7 | Bernard Freyberg, Lord Freyberg | 17 June 1946 | 15 August 1952 | 6 years, 59 days | | | |
| | ||||||
| | ||||||
8 | Sir Willoughby Norrie | 2 December 1952 | 25 July 1957 | 4 years, 235 days | Elizabeth II | Sidney Holland | |
9 | Charles Lyttelton, Viscount Cobham | 5 September 1957 | 13 September 1962 | 5 years, 8 days | | ||
Keith Holyoake | |||||||
Walter Nash | |||||||
| |||||||
10 | Sir Bernard Fergusson | 9 November 1962 | 20 October 1967 | 4 years, 345 days | Keith Holyoake | ||
11 | Sir Arthur Porritt | 1 December 1967 | 6 September 1972 | 4 years, 280 days | | ||
Jack Marshall | |||||||
12 | Sir Denis Blundell | 27 September 1972 | 5 October 1977 | 5 years, 8 days | | ||
Norman Kirk | |||||||
Bill Rowling | |||||||
| |||||||
13 | Sir Keith Holyoake | 26 October 1977 | 23 October 1980 | 2 years, 363 days | Robert Muldoon | ||
14 | Sir David Beattie | 6 November 1980 | 10 November 1985 | 5 years, 4 days | | ||
David Lange | |||||||
15 | Sir Paul Reeves | 20 November 1985 | 29 November 1990 | 5 years, 9 days | | ||
Geoffrey Palmer | |||||||
Mike Moore | |||||||
| |||||||
16 | Dame Catherine Tizard | 12 December 1990 | 3 March 1996 | 5 years, 104 days | Jim Bolger | ||
17 | Sir Michael Hardie Boys | 21 March 1996 | 21 March 2001 | 5 years | | ||
Jenny Shipley | |||||||
| |||||||
18 | Dame Silvia Cartwright | 4 April 2001 | 4 August 2006 | 5 years, 122 days | Helen Clark | ||
19 | Sir Anand Satyanand | 23 August 2006 | 23 August 2011 | 5 years | | ||
| |||||||
20 | Sir Jerry Mateparae | 31 August 2011 | 31 August 2016 | 5 years | John Key | ||
21 | Dame Patsy Reddy | 28 September 2016 | 28 September 2021 | 5 years | | ||
Bill English | |||||||
| |||||||
22 | Dame Cindy Kiro | 21 October 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 187 days | Jacinda Ardern | ||
Charles III | | ||||||
Chris Hipkins | |||||||
Christopher Luxon |
Notes
- ^ For their respective lieutenant-governors, see New Ulster Province and New Munster Province.
- ^ a b New Zealand attained responsible government following the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
- ^ Between 1 January 1848 and 7 March 1853, the viceregal representative held the office of governor-in-chief
References
- ^ Former Governors-General.
- ^ Beaglehole 2012.
- ^ Patriated – the Governor-General.
- ^ "Appendix B: Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand 1983 | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". Cabinet Manual. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 19 April 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand's Governor-General – an historical perspective". gg.govt.nz. Government House. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
Sources
- Beaglehole, Diana (30 October 2012). "Porritt, Arthur Espie". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- "Governor-General of New Zealand: Former Governors-General". gov-gen.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- James, Colin (22 August 2006). "The huge challenge ahead of the Maori Queen's successor". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
- McLean, Gavin (October 2006). The Governors, New Zealand Governors and Governors-General. Otago University Press. ISBN 978-1-877372-25-4.
- "Republic 'inevitable'–Clark". The Evening Post. 4 March 2002.
- "Patriated – the Governor-General". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.