Governor of Hong Kong

The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the British Crown in Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions. Upon the end of British rule and the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, most of the civil functions of this office went to the chief executive of Hong Kong, and military functions went to the commander of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison.

Powers and functions

Template:More citations needed section Template:Stack Authorities and duties of the governor were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions in 1843. The governor, appointed by the British monarch (on the advice of the Foreign Secretary), exercised the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong throughout British sovereignty and, with the exception of a brief experiment after World War II, no serious attempt was made to introduce representative government, until the final years of British rule.

The governor of Hong Kong chaired the colonial cabinet, the Executive Council (ExCo), and, until 1993, was also the president of the Legislative Council. The governor appointed most, if not all, of the members of the colony's legislature (known colloquially as LegCo), which was largely an advisory body until the first indirect election to LegCo was held in 1985. Initially, both councils were dominated by British expatriates, but this progressively gave way to local Hong Kong Chinese appointees in later years. Historically, the governors of Hong Kong were either professional diplomats or senior colonial officials, except for the last governor, Chris Patten, who was a career politician. In December 1996, the governor's salary was HK$3,036,000 per annum, tax-free. It was fixed at 125% of the chief secretary's salary.<ref>House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Dec 1996 (pt 3) Template:Webarchive</ref>

In the absence of the governor, the chief secretary immediately became the acting governor of the colony. The chief secretaries were historically drawn from the Colonial Office or British military. One Royal Navy Vice Admiral served as administrator after World War II. Four Japanese military officers (three Army officers and one naval vice admiral) served as administrators during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II.

Entitlements and benefits

Transport

The governor of Hong Kong used a Daimler DS420 for day to day transport and a Rolls-Royce Phantom V landaulet for ceremonial occasions. Both vehicles were removed by the Royal Navy immediately following the handover to China on 1 July 1997.Template:Cn

Residences

Government House was the official residence of the governor from 1855 to 1997.

• The first governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, 1st Bt., resided at the site of the now Former French Mission Building from 1843 to 1846. It was used as the home of the Provisional Government after Japanese surrender from 1945 to 1946. The building now houses the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. His successor, Sir John Davis, 1st Bt., also lived there before moving to Caine Road.
• Since the 4th governor, Sir John Bowring, the governors resided at Government House, excluding the period from 1941 to 1946.
• From 1941 to 1945 the Commandant of Japanese Forces as Military Governor of Hong Kong occupied Flagstaff House as their residence. The residence was returned to the Commander of British Forces following the end of World War II.

List of governors

British administrators and governors (1841–1941)

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office			Origin	Background	Ref
			Took office	Left office	Duration
		Sir Charles Elliot Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	26 January 1841	12 August 1841	Template:Age in years and days	Dresden, Saxony	Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China	<ref name="list">Civil and Miscellaneous Lists: Hong Kong Government. Hong Kong: Government Printer. 1973. p. 101.</ref><ref name="endacott">Endacott, G. B. (2005) [1962]. A Biographical Sketch-book of Early Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. pp. 56–58. Template:ISBN.</ref>
	File:Alexander Robert Campbell Johnston.jpg	Alexander Robert Johnston Template:Lang Template:Small Acting Administrator	22 June 1841	1 February 1842	Template:Age in years and days	Colombo, Ceylon	Deputy Superintendent of British Trade in China	<ref name="endacott" /><ref>The Chinese Repository. Volume 10. Canton. 1841. pp. 351–352.</ref><ref name="TCR">The Chinese Repository. Volume 11. Canton. 1842. pp. 674–676, 685.</ref>
			13 June 1842	2 December 1842	Template:Age in years and days
	File:HenryPottinger.jpg	Sir Henry Pottinger Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	12 August 1841	26 June 1843	Template:Age in years and days	Ballymacarrett, Ireland	Lieutenant-General, East India Company	<ref name="list" /><ref>Norton-Kyshe, James William (1898). The History of the Laws and Courts of Hong Kong. Volume 1. London: T. Fisher Unwin. p. 10.</ref>
1	File:HenryPottinger.jpg	Sir Henry Pottinger Template:Lang Template:Small	26 June 1843	8 May 1844	Template:Age in years and days	Ballymacarrett, Ireland	Lieutenant-General	<ref name="gaz184306">Template:Cite journal</ref>
2	File:Tcitp d073 John Francis Davis Bart.jpg	Sir John Francis Davis Template:Lang Template:Small	8 May 1844	21 March 1848	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China	<ref name="gaz184405">Template:Cite journal</ref>
3	File:Sir Samuel George Bonham.jpg	Sir George Bonham Template:Lang Template:Small	21 March 1848	13 April 1854	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	East India Company	<ref name="gaz184803">Template:Cite journal</ref>
4	File:Sir John Bowring by John King.jpg	Sir John Bowring Template:Lang Template:Small	13 April 1854	2 May 1859	Template:Age in years and days	Exeter, England	Member of Parliament (MP)	<ref name="gaz185404">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Captain William Caine.jpg	William Caine Template:Lang Template:Small Acting Governor	2 May 1859	9 September 1859	Template:Age in years and days	Maynooth, Ireland	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz185905">Template:Cite journal</ref>
5	File:LordRosmead.jpg	Sir Hercules Robinson Template:Lang Template:Small	9 September 1859	15 March 1865	Template:Age in years and days	Westmeath, Ireland	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz185909">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz18650315">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:William Thomas MERCER.jpg	William Thomas Mercer Template:Lang Template:Small Acting Governor	15 March 1865	12 March 1866	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz18650315"/>
6	File:Sir R. G. MacDonnell (Cropped).png	Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell Template:Lang Template:Small	12 March 1866	11 April 1872	Template:Age in years and days	Dublin, Ireland	Colonial administrator	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="gaz18660312">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz18720411">Template:Cite journal</ref>
		Henry Wase Whitfield Template:Lang Template:Small Lieutenant-Governor	11 April 1872	16 April 1872	Template:Age in years and days	England	Commander and lieutenant governor	<ref name="gaz18720411"/>
7	File:ArthurEdwardKennedy.jpg	Sir Arthur Kennedy Template:Lang Template:Small	16 April 1872	1 March 1877	Template:Age in years and days	County Down, Ireland	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz18720416">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz187703">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:John Gardiner Austin.jpg	John Gardiner Austin Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	1 March 1877	23 April 1877	Template:Age in years and days	Lowlands Plantation, Demerara	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz187703"/>
8	File:Portrait of John Pope Hennessy (cropped).jpg	Sir John Pope Hennessy Template:Lang Template:Small	23 April 1877	7 March 1882	Template:Age in years and days	County Cork, Ireland	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz187704">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz18820307">Template:Cite journal</ref>
		Malcolm Struan Tonnochy Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	7 March 1882	28 March 1882	Template:Age in years and days	Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, India	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz18820307"/>
		Sir William Henry Marsh Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	28 March 1882	30 March 1883	Template:Age in years and days	England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz18820328">Template:Cite journal</ref>
9	File:George Bowen b.jpg	Sir George Bowen Template:Lang Template:Small	30 March 1883	21 December 1885	Template:Age in years and days	County Donegal, Ireland	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz188303">Template:Cite journal</ref>
		Sir William Henry Marsh Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administrating the Government	21 December 1885	25 April 1887	Template:Age in years and days	England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz188512">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:William Gordon Cameron.jpg	William Gordon Cameron Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	25 April 1887	6 October 1887	Template:Age in years and days	France	Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army	<ref name="gaz188704">Template:Cite journal</ref>
10	File:Sir G. William Des Voeux (cropped).jpg	Sir William Des Vœux Template:Lang Template:Small	6 October 1887	7 May 1891	Template:Age in years and days	Baden-Baden, German Confederation	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz188710">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Sir George Digby BARKER (1833-1914) photo in 1906 Suffolk Leaders (cropped).jpg	Sir George Digby Barker Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	7 May 1891	10 December 1891	Template:Age in years and days	Clare, England	Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army	<ref name="gaz189105">Template:Cite journal</ref>
11	File:Sir William Robinson.jpg	Sir William Robinson Template:Lang Template:Small	10 December 1891	1 February 1898	Template:Age in years and days	Wetherden, England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz189112">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz189802">Template:Cite journal</ref>
		Sir Wilsone Black Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	1 February 1898	25 November 1898	Template:Age in years and days	Glasgow, Scotland	Commander and lieutenant governor	<ref name="gaz189802"/>
12	File:Henry Arthur Blake.jpg	Sir Henry Arthur Blake Template:Lang Template:Small	25 November 1898	21 November 1903	Template:Age in years and days	Limerick, Ireland	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz189811">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz190311">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Francis Henry May.png	Sir Francis Henry May Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	21 November 1903	29 July 1904	Template:Age in years and days	Dublin, Ireland	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz190311"/>
13	File:Sir Matthew Nathan.jpg	Sir Matthew Nathan Template:Lang Template:Small	29 July 1904	20 April 1907	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz190407">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz190704">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Francis Henry May.png	Sir Francis Henry May Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	20 April 1907	29 July 1907	Template:Age in years and days	Dublin, Ireland	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz190704"/>
14	File:Frederick Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard (1894, cropped).jpg	Sir Frederick Lugard Template:Lang Template:Small	29 July 1907	16 March 1912	Template:Age in years and days	Madras, India	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz191203">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Sir Claud Severn.jpg	Claud Severn Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	16 March 1912	4 July 1912	Template:Age in years and days	Adelaide, South Australia	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz191203"/>
15	File:Francis Henry May.png	Sir Francis Henry May Template:Lang Template:Small	4 July 1912	12 September 1918	Template:Age in years and days	Dublin, Ireland	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz191207">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz191207.2">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz1918">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Sir Claud Severn.jpg	Claud Severn Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	12 September 1918	30 September 1919	Template:Age in years and days	Adelaide, South Australia	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz1918"/>
16	File:SirReginaldStubbs.jpg	Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs Template:Lang Template:Small	30 September 1919	31 October 1925	Template:Age in years and days	Oxford, England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz1919">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
17	File:SIRCECILCLEMENTIHKU.jpg	Sir Cecil Clementi Template:Lang Template:Small	1 November 1925	1 February 1930	Template:Age in years and days	Cawnpore, India	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz192511">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz193002">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Sir Thomas Southorn.jpg	Thomas Southorn Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	1 February 1930	9 May 1930	Template:Age in years and days	Durham, England	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz193002"/>
18	File:SirWilliamPeel HK.jpg	Sir William Peel Template:Lang Template:Small	9 May 1930	17 May 1935	Template:Age in years and days	Hexham, England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz193005">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz193505">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Sir Thomas Southorn.jpg	Thomas Southorn Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	17 May 1935	13 September 1935	Template:Age in years and days	Leamington Spa, England	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz193505"/><ref name="gaz193509">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Norman Lockhart Smith.jpg	Norman Lockhart Smith Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	13 September 1935	1 November 1935	Template:Age in years and days	Durham, England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz193509"/><ref name="gaz193511">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Sir Thomas Southorn.jpg	Thomas Southorn Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	1 November 1935	12 December 1935	Template:Age in years and days	Leamington Spa, England	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz193511"/>
19	File:Sir Andrew Caldecott.jpg	Sir Andrew Caldecott Template:Lang Template:Small	12 December 1935	16 April 1937	Template:Age in years and days	Kent, England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz193512">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="gaz193704">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Norman Lockhart Smith.jpg	Norman Lockhart Smith Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	16 April 1937	28 October 1937	Template:Age in years and days	Durham, England	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz193704"/>
20	File:Sir Geoffry Northcote.jpg	Sir Geoffry Northcote Template:Lang Template:Small	28 October 1937	6 September 1941	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz193710">Template:Cite journal</ref>
	File:Norman Lockhart Smith.jpg	Norman Lockhart Smith Template:Lang Template:Small Officer Administering the Government	6 September 1941	10 September 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Durham, England	Colonial Secretary	<ref name="gaz19450906">Template:Cite journal</ref>
21	File:Mark Young in 1930s.png	Sir Mark Aitchison Young Template:Lang Template:Small	10 September 1941	25 December 1941	Template:Age in years and days	India	Colonial administrator	<ref name="gaz19450910">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Japanese occupation (1941–1945)

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office			Origin	Background	Ref
			Took office	Left office	Duration
	File:Sakai Takashi.jpg	Takashi Sakai Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	25 December 1941	20 February 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Kamo, Hiroshima	Lieutenant general
	File:Niimi Masaichi.jpg	Masaichi Niimi Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator				Hiroshima, Hiroshima	Vice admiral
1	File:Isogai Rensuke.jpg	Rensuke Isogai Template:Lang Template:Small	20 February 1942	24 December 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Tanba, Hyōgo	Lieutenant general
2	File:Hisakazu.jpg	Hisakazu Tanaka Template:Lang Template:Small	1 February 1945	16 August 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Himeji, Hyōgo	Lieutenant general

British administrators and governors (1945–1997)

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office			Origin	Background	Ref
			Took office	Left office	Duration
	File:Frank Gimson.jpg	Sir Franklin Charles Gimson Template:Lang Template:Small Provisional Governor	28 August 1945	30 August 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Leicestershire, England	Colonial Secretary
	File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A21407 (cropped).jpg	Sir Cecil Harcourt Template:Lang Template:Small Military administration	1 September 1945	1 May 1946	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	Admiral (Royal Navy)
21	File:Mark Young in 1930s.png	Sir Mark Aitchison Young Template:Lang Template:Small	1 May 1946	17 May 1947	Template:Age in years and days	India	Colonial administrator
	File:MacDougall 4.jpg	David Mercer MacDougall Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	17 May 1947	25 July 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Perth, Scotland	Colonial Secretary
22		Sir Alexander Grantham Template:Lang Template:Small	25 July 1947	31 December 1957	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	Colonial administrator
		Edgeworth Beresford David Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	31 December 1957	23 January 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Dulwich, England	Colonial Secretary
23		Sir Robert Brown Black Template:Lang Template:Small	23 January 1958	31 March 1964	Template:Age in years and days	Edinburgh, Scotland	Colonial administrator
		Edmund Brinsley Teesdale Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	31 March 1964	14 April 1964	Template:Age in years and days	Shanghai, China	Colonial Secretary
24	File:David Crosbie Trench.jpg	Sir David C. C. Trench Template:Lang Template:Small	14 April 1964	19 October 1971	Template:Age in years and days	Quetta, India	Colonial administrator
		Sir Hugh Norman-Walker Template:Lang Template:Small Administrator	19 October 1971	19 November 1971	Template:Age in years and days	London, England	Colonial Secretary
25		Sir Murray MacLehose Template:Lang Template:Small	19 November 1971	8 May 1982	Template:Age in years and days	Glasgow, Scotland	UK Ambassador to Denmark
		Sir Philip Haddon-Cave Template:Lang Template:Small Acting governor	8 May 1982	20 May 1982	Template:Age in years and days	Hobart, Australia	Chief Secretary
26		Sir Edward Youde Template:Lang Template:Small	20 May 1982	4 December 1986	Template:Age in years and days	Penarth, Wales	UK Ambassador to China
		Sir David Akers-Jones Template:Lang Template:Small Acting governor	4 December 1986	9 April 1987	Template:Age in years and days	Sussex, England	Chief Secretary
27	File:Official portrait of Lord Wilson of Tillyorn crop 2.jpg	Sir David Wilson Template:Lang Template:Small	9 April 1987	3 July 1992	Template:Age in years and days	Clackmannanshire, Scotland	Diplomat
		Sir David Ford Template:Lang Template:Small Acting governor	3 July 1992	9 July 1992	Template:Age in years and days	England	Chief Secretary
28	File:Official portrait of Lord Patten of Barnes crop 2.jpg	Chris Patten Template:Lang Template:Small	9 July 1992	30 June 1997	Template:Age in years and days	Lancashire, England	Chairman of Conservative Party

Timeline

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   from:1992 till:1997
   color:LIFESPAN
   from:1997 till:$now

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  text:"Lifespan of each governor"

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Firsts

• Charles Elliot, first administrator
• Sir Henry Pottinger, first governor, first Irishman and first Ulsterman to serve in the role
• Sir John Francis Davis, first Sinologist to serve as governor
• Sir John Bowring, first Puritan to serve as governor
• Sir John Pope Hennessy, first Irish Catholic to serve as governor
• Sir Matthew Nathan, first Jew to serve as governor
• Sir Francis H. May, first police chief to serve as governor and the first governor to suffer an assassination attempt (which failed)
• Sir Cecil Clementi, first Indian-born and Cantonese-speaking governor
• Sir Mark Young, first prisoner of war to serve as governor
• Takashi Sakai, first Japanese administrator to serve as governor
• Cecil Harcourt, first British military administrator to serve as governor (all past governors with military service had retired before assuming the post)
• Sir Murray MacLehose, first non-colonial officer to serve as governor; he was a diplomat, a foreign service officer
• Sir Edward Youde, first governor fluent in Mandarin; only governor to die in office
• Chris Patten, first politician to serve as governor; only governor not to don the formal dress as governor; only governor never to have held any title of nobility or knighthood during his tenure, the last Governor of Hong Kong under British rule before 1 July 1997

Standards

• 
  Standard of the governor of Hong Kong, 1910–1955
• 
  Standard of the governor of Hong Kong, 1955–1959
• 
  Standard of the governor of Hong Kong, 1959–1997

See also

• History of Hong Kong
• Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong – second in command and acting governor (Colonial Secretary took over such role since 1870s) when the governor was not in Hong Kong until 1902
• Commander British Forces in Hong Kong

External links

• Places named after British monarchs, members of the Royal Family and colonial officials in Hong Kong Template:Webarchive
• Photos of all Hong Kong Governors
• Corpus of Political Speeches, Free access to political speeches by Governor of Hong Kong and other politicians, developed by Hong Kong Baptist University Library