Governor of Hong Kong

Governor of Hong Kong 香港總督
Standard of the Governor, 1959–1997
Style	His/Her Excellency
Residence	Government House, Hong Kong
Nominator	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Appointer	King/Queen of the United Kingdom
Inaugural holder	Sir Henry Pottinger, Bt
Formation	26 June 1843
Final holder	Chris Patten
Abolished	30 June 1997
Salary	HK$3,036,000 per annum

The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions. Upon the end of British rule and the transfer of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of 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.

The Governor

Uniform^{[citation needed]} of the Governor of Hong Kong

The Governor's powers and duties 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 Prime Minister), maintained executive power in Hong Kong throughout British rule 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 appointed most, if not all, of the members of the colony's legislature, the Legislative Council (known colloquially as LegCo), which was largely an advisory body before election was introduced until the first indirect elections of LegCo in 1985, and all members of the Executive Council (ExCo), effectively the cabinet of the colonial government. Initially both Councils were dominated by British expatriates, although this gave way to more local Hong Kong Chinese appointees in later years. Most recent Governors of Hong Kong were professional diplomats, save the last Governor, Chris Patten, who was a career politician. The Governor was the President of the Executive Council, and until 1993, the Legislative Council.

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.

In the absence of the Governor, the Chief Secretary was the acting Governor of the colony. Most were from the Colonial Office or British Army officers. One Royal Navy Vice Admiral has served as administrator after World War II. Four Japanese military officers (3 army officers and 1 naval vice admiral) served as administrator during World War II.

Transport

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

Residences

• The first governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, resided in the Former French Mission Building from 1843 to 1846. The building now houses the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. His successor, John Francis Davis, also lived there before moving to Caine Road.
• Since the 4th governor, Sir John Bowring, the governors resided at Government House.

List of Governors

#	Picture	Name	From	Until
		Sir Charles Elliot Administrator	26 January 1841	12 August 1841
		Alexander Robert Johnston Acting Administrator	22 June 1841	26 June 1843
		Sir Henry Pottinger Administrator	12 August 1841	26 June 1843
1		Sir Henry Pottinger	26 June 1843	8 May 1844
2		Sir John Francis Davis	8 May 1844	18 March 1848
		William Staveley Administrator	18 March 1848	21 March 1848
3		Sir George Bonham	21 March 1848	13 April 1854
4		Sir John Bowring	13 April 1854	5 May 1859
		William Caine Administrator	5 May 1859	9 September 1859
5		Sir Hercules Robinson	9 September 1859	15 March 1865
		William Thomas Mercer Administrator	15 March 1865	11 March 1866
6		Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell	11 March 1866	11 April 1872
		Henry Wase Whitfield Administrator	11 April 1872	16 April 1872
7		Sir Arthur Kennedy	16 April 1872	1 March 1877
		John Gardiner Austin Administrator	1 March 1877	22 April 1877
8		Sir John Pope Hennessy	22 April 1877	7 March 1882
		Malcolm Struan Tonnochy Administrator	7 March 1882	28 March 1882
		Sir William Henry Marsh Administrator	28 March 1882	30 March 1883
9		Sir George Bowen	30 March 1883	21 December 1885
		Sir William Henry Marsh Administrator	21 December 1885	25 April 1887
		William Gordon Cameron Administrator	25 April 1887	6 October 1887
10		Sir William Des Vœux	6 October 1887	7 May 1891
		Sir George Digby Barker Administrator	7 May 1891	10 December 1891
11		Sir William Robinson	10 December 1891	1 February 1898
		Sir Wilsone Black Administrator	1 February 1898	25 November 1898
12		Sir Henry Arthur Blake	25 November 1898	21 November 1903
		Sir Francis Henry May Administrator	21 November 1903	29 July 1904
13		Sir Matthew Nathan	29 July 1904	20 April 1907
		Sir Francis Henry May Administrator	20 April 1907	29 July 1907
14		Sir Frederick Lugard	29 July 1907	16 March 1912
		Claud Severn Administrator	16 March 1912	24 July 1912
15		Sir Francis Henry May	24 July 1912	12 September 1918
		Claud Severn Administrator	12 September 1918	30 September 1919
16		Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs	30 September 1919	19 March 1925
		Claud Severn Administrator	19 March 1925	1 November 1925
17		Sir Cecil Clementi	1 November 1925	1 February 1930
		Thomas Southorn Administrator	1 February 1930	9 March 1930
18		Sir William Peel	9 May 1930	17 May 1935
		Thomas Southorn Administrator	17 May 1935	13 September 1935
		Norman Lockhart Smith Administrator	13 September 1935	1 November 1935
		Thomas Southorn Administrator	1 November 1935	12 December 1935
19		Sir Andrew Caldecott	12 December 1935	16 April 1937
		Norman Lockhart Smith Administrator	16 April 1937	28 October 1937
20		Sir Geoffry Northcote	28 October 1937	6 September 1941
		Norman Lockhart Smith Administrator	6 September 1941	10 September 1941
21		Sir Mark Aitchison Young	10 September 1941	25 December 1941
Under Japanese occupation
		Takashi Sakai Administrator	25 December 1941	20 February 1942
		Masaichi Niimi Administrator
		Rensuke Isogai	20 February 1942	24 December 1944
		Hisakazu Tanaka	1 February 1945	16 August 1945
Restoration of British rule
		Sir Franklin Charles Gimson Provisional Government	28 August 1945	30 August 1945
		Sir Cecil Harcourt Military Government	1 September 1945	1 May 1946
21		Sir Mark Aitchison Young	1 May 1946	May 1947
		David Mercer MacDougall Administrator	May 1947	25 July 1947
22		Sir Alexander Grantham	25 July 1947	December 1957
		Edgeworth Beresford David Administrator	December 1957	23 January 1958
23		Sir Robert Brown Black	23 January 1958	March 1964
		Edmund Brinsley Teesdale Administrator	March 1964	14 April 1964
24		Sir David Clive Crosbie Trench	14 April 1964	October 1971
		Sir Hugh Norman-Walker Administrator	October 1971	19 November 1971
25		Sir Murray MacLehose	19 November 1971	April 1982
		Sir Philip Haddon-Cave Administrator	April 1982	20 May 1982
26		Sir Edward Youde	20 May 1982	4 December 1986
		Sir David Akers-Jones Acting Governor	4 December 1986	9 April 1987
27		Sir David Wilson	9 April 1987	9 July 1992
28		Chris Patten	9 July 1992	30 June 1997

Firsts

• Charles Elliot, first administrator
• Henry Pottinger, first governor
• John Francis Davis, first Sinologist to serve as governor
• John Bowring, first Puritan to serve as governor
• John Pope Hennessy, first Irishman to serve as governor
• Matthew Nathan, first Jew to serve as governor
• Cecil Clementi, first Indian-born and Cantonese-speaking governor
• Mark Aitchison Young, first prisoner of war to serve as governor
• Takashi Sakai, first Japanese administrator to serve as governor
• Murray MacLehose, first non-colonial officer to serve as governor; he was a diplomat, a foreign service officer
• Edward Youde, first governor fluent in Mandarin; first and 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 during tenure

See also

• History of Hong Kong
• Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong - second in command and acting Governor when the Governor was not in Hong Kong
• Commander British Forces in Hong Kong

External links

• Places named after British monarchs, members of the Royal Family and colonial officials in Hong Kong
• Photos of all Hong Kong Governors