Governor of Hong Kong

Governor of Hong Kong
Last in office
Chris Patten
9 July 1992 – 30 June 1997
StyleHis Excellency
ResidenceGovernment House, Hong Kong
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
Formation26 June 1843; 180 years ago (1843-06-26)
First holderSir Henry Pottinger
Final holderChris Patten
Abolished30 June 1997; 26 years ago (1997-06-30)
SalaryHK$3,036,000 annually (1997)
Governor of Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese香港總督
Simplified Chinese香港总督
Cantonese YaleHēunggóng Júngdūk
Abbreviation
Chinese港督
Cantonese YaleGóngdūk

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.

The governor

White tropical dress (colonial service, 1st class) of the Gubernatorial uniform worn by Governor Edward Youde on the day he was sworn in and numerous official ceremonies during his tenure, Hong Kong Museum of History.

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.

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.

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.[citation needed]

Residences

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

List of governors

British administrators and governors (1841–1941)

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Origin Background Ref
Took office Left office Duration
Sir Charles Elliot
義律
(1801–1875)
Administrator
26 January 1841 12 August 1841 198 days Dresden, Saxony Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China
Alexander Robert Johnston
莊士敦
(1812–1888)
Acting Administrator
22 June 1841 1 February 1842 224 days Colombo, Ceylon Deputy Superintendent of British Trade in China
13 June 1842 2 December 1842 172 days
Sir Henry Pottinger
砵甸乍
(1789–1856)
Administrator
12 August 1841 26 June 1843 1 year, 318 days Ballymacarrett, Ireland Lieutenant-General, East India Company
1 Sir Henry Pottinger
砵甸乍
(1789–1856)
26 June 1843 8 May 1844 317 days Ballymacarrett, Ireland Lieutenant-General
2 Sir John Francis Davis
戴維斯
(1795–1890)
8 May 1844 21 March 1848 3 years, 315 days London, England Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China
3 Sir George Bonham
文咸
(1803–1863)
21 March 1848 13 April 1854 6 years, 23 days London, England East India Company
4 Sir John Bowring
寶靈
(1792–1872)
13 April 1854 2 May 1859 5 years, 19 days Exeter, England Member of Parliament (MP)
William Caine

(1799–1871)
Acting Governor
2 May 1859 9 September 1859 130 days Maynooth, Ireland Colonial Secretary
5 Sir Hercules Robinson
羅士敏
(1824–1897)
9 September 1859 15 March 1865 5 years, 187 days Westmeath, Ireland Colonial administrator
William Thomas Mercer
孖沙
(1821–1879)
Acting Governor
15 March 1865 12 March 1866 362 days London, England Colonial Secretary
6 Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
麥當奴
(1814–1881)
12 March 1866 11 April 1872 6 years, 30 days Dublin, Ireland Colonial administrator
Henry Wase Whitfield
威非路
(1814–1877)
Lieutenant-Governor
11 April 1872 16 April 1872 5 days England Commander and lieutenant governor
7 Sir Arthur Kennedy
堅尼地
(1809–1883)
16 April 1872 1 March 1877 4 years, 319 days County Down, Ireland Colonial administrator
John Gardiner Austin
柯士甸
(1811–1900)
Administrator
1 March 1877 23 April 1877 53 days Lowlands Plantation, Demerara Colonial administrator
8 Sir John Pope Hennessy
軒尼詩
(1834–1891)
23 April 1877 7 March 1882 4 years, 318 days County Cork, Ireland Colonial administrator
Malcolm Struan Tonnochy
杜老誌
(1841–1882)
Administrator
7 March 1882 28 March 1882 21 days Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, India Colonial administrator
Sir William Henry Marsh
馬師
(1827–1906)
Administrator
28 March 1882 30 March 1883 1 year, 2 days England Colonial administrator
9 Sir George Bowen
寶雲
(1821–1899)
30 March 1883 21 December 1885 2 years, 266 days County Donegal, Ireland Colonial administrator
Sir William Henry Marsh
馬殊
(1827–1906)
Officer Administrating the Government
21 December 1885 25 April 1887 1 year, 125 days England Colonial administrator
William Gordon Cameron
金馬倫
(1827–1913)
Officer Administering the Government
25 April 1887 6 October 1887 164 days France Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army
10 Sir William Des Vœux
德輔
(1834–1909)
6 October 1887 7 May 1891 3 years, 213 days Baden-Baden, German Confederation Colonial administrator
Sir George Digby Barker
白加
(1833–1914)
Officer Administering the Government
7 May 1891 10 December 1891 217 days Clare, England Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army
11 Sir William Robinson
羅便臣
(1836–1912)
10 December 1891 1 February 1898 6 years, 53 days Wetherden, England Colonial administrator
Sir Wilsone Black
布力
(1837–1909)
Officer Administering the Government
1 February 1898 25 November 1898 297 days Glasgow, Scotland Commander and lieutenant governor
12 Sir Henry Arthur Blake
卜力
(1840–1918)
25 November 1898 21 November 1903 4 years, 361 days Limerick, Ireland Colonial administrator
Sir Francis Henry May
梅含理
(1860–1922)
Officer Administering the Government
21 November 1903 29 July 1904 251 days Dublin, Ireland Colonial Secretary
13 Sir Matthew Nathan
彌敦
(1862–1939)
29 July 1904 20 April 1907 2 years, 265 days London, England Colonial administrator
Sir Francis Henry May
梅含理
(1860–1922)
Officer Administering the Government
20 April 1907 29 July 1907 100 days Dublin, Ireland Colonial Secretary
14 Sir Frederick Lugard
盧吉
(1858–1945)
29 July 1907 16 March 1912 4 years, 231 days Madras, India Colonial administrator
Claud Severn
施勳
(1869–1933)
Officer Administering the Government
16 March 1912 4 July 1912 110 days Adelaide, South Australia Colonial administrator
15 Sir Francis Henry May
梅含理
(1860–1922)
4 July 1912 12 September 1918 6 years, 70 days Dublin, Ireland Colonial Secretary
Claud Severn
施勳
(1869–1933)
Officer Administering the Government
12 September 1918 30 September 1919 1 year, 18 days Adelaide, South Australia Colonial administrator
16 Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs
司徒拔
(1876–1947)
30 September 1919 31 October 1925 6 years, 31 days Oxford, England Colonial administrator
17 Sir Cecil Clementi
金文泰
(1875–1947)
1 November 1925 1 February 1930 4 years, 92 days Cawnpore, India Colonial administrator
Thomas Southorn
修頓
(1879–1957)
Officer Administering the Government
1 February 1930 9 May 1930 97 days Durham, England Colonial Secretary
18 Sir William Peel
貝璐
(1875–1945)
9 May 1930 17 May 1935 5 years, 8 days Hexham, England Colonial administrator
Thomas Southorn
修頓
(1879–1957)
Officer Administering the Government
17 May 1935 13 September 1935 119 days Leamington Spa, England Colonial Secretary
Norman Lockhart Smith
史美
(1887–1968)
Officer Administering the Government
13 September 1935 1 November 1935 49 days Durham, England Colonial administrator
Thomas Southorn
修頓
(1879–1957)
Officer Administering the Government
1 November 1935 12 December 1935 41 days Leamington Spa, England Colonial Secretary
19 Sir Andrew Caldecott
郝德傑
(1884–1951)
12 December 1935 16 April 1937 1 year, 125 days Kent, England Colonial administrator
Norman Lockhart Smith
史美
(1887–1968)
Officer Administering the Government
16 April 1937 28 October 1937 195 days Durham, England Colonial Secretary
20 Sir Geoffry Northcote
羅富國
(1881–1948)
28 October 1937 6 September 1941 3 years, 313 days London, England Colonial administrator
Norman Lockhart Smith
史美
(1887–1968)
Officer Administering the Government
6 September 1941 10 September 1941 4 days Durham, England Colonial Secretary
21 Sir Mark Aitchison Young
楊慕琦
(1886–1974)
10 September 1941 25 December 1941 106 days India Colonial administrator

Japanese occupation (1941–1945)

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Origin Background Ref
Took office Left office Duration
Takashi Sakai
酒井隆
(1887–1946)
Administrator
25 December 1941 20 February 1942 57 days Kamo, Hiroshima Lieutenant general
Masaichi Niimi
新見政一
(1887–1993)
Administrator
Hiroshima, Hiroshima Vice admiral
1 Rensuke Isogai
磯谷廉介
(1886–1967)
20 February 1942 24 December 1944 2 years, 308 days Tanba, Hyōgo Lieutenant general
2 Hisakazu Tanaka
田中久一
(1889–1947)
1 February 1945 16 August 1945 196 days Himeji, Hyōgo Lieutenant general

British administrators and governors (1945–1997)

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Origin Background Ref
Took office Left office Duration
Sir Franklin Charles Gimson
詹遜
(1890–1975)
Provisional Governor
28 August 1945 30 August 1945 2 days Leicestershire, England Colonial Secretary
Sir Cecil Harcourt
夏愨
(1892–1959)
Military administration
1 September 1945 1 May 1946 242 days London, England Admiral (Royal Navy)
21 Sir Mark Aitchison Young
楊慕琦
(1886–1974)
1 May 1946 17 May 1947 1 year, 16 days India Colonial administrator
David Mercer MacDougall
麥道高
(1904–1991)
Administrator
17 May 1947 25 July 1947 69 days Perth, Scotland Colonial Secretary
22 Sir Alexander Grantham
葛量洪
(1899–1978)
25 July 1947 31 December 1957 10 years, 159 days London, England Colonial administrator
Edgeworth Beresford David
戴維德
(1908–1965)
Administrator
31 December 1957 23 January 1958 23 days Dulwich, England Colonial Secretary
23 Sir Robert Brown Black
柏立基
(1906–1999)
23 January 1958 31 March 1964 6 years, 68 days Edinburgh, Scotland Colonial administrator
Edmund Brinsley Teesdale
戴斯德
(1915–1997)
Administrator
31 March 1964 14 April 1964 14 days Shanghai, China Colonial Secretary
24 Sir David C. C. Trench
戴麟趾
(1915–1988)
14 April 1964 19 October 1971 7 years, 188 days Quetta, India Colonial administrator
Sir Hugh Norman-Walker
羅樂民
(1916–1985)
Administrator
19 October 1971 19 November 1971 31 days London, England Colonial Secretary
25 Sir Murray MacLehose
麥理浩
(1917–2000)
19 November 1971 8 May 1982 10 years, 170 days Glasgow, Scotland UK Ambassador to Denmark
Sir Philip Haddon-Cave
夏鼎基
(1925–1999)
Acting governor
8 May 1982 20 May 1982 12 days Hobart, Australia Chief Secretary
26 Sir Edward Youde
尤德
(1924–1986)
20 May 1982 4 December 1986 4 years, 198 days Penarth, Wales UK Ambassador to China
Sir David Akers-Jones
鍾逸傑
(1927–2019)
Acting governor
4 December 1986 9 April 1987 126 days Sussex, England Chief Secretary
27 Sir David Wilson
衛奕信
(born 1937)
9 April 1987 3 July 1992 5 years, 85 days Clackmannanshire, Scotland Diplomat
Sir David Ford
霍德
(1935–2017)
Acting governor
3 July 1992 9 July 1992 6 days England Chief Secretary
28 Chris Patten
彭定康
(born 1944)
9 July 1992 30 June 1997 4 years, 356 days Lancashire, England Chairman of Conservative Party

Timeline

Chris PattenDavid Clive WilsonEdward YoudeMurray MacLehoseDavid Clive TrenchRobert Brown BlackAlexander GranthamMark Aitchison YoungGeoffry NorthcoteAndrew CaldecottWilliam Peel (colonial administrator)Cecil ClementiReginald Edward StubbsFrancis Henry MayFrederick LugardMatthew NathanHenry Arthur BlakeWilliam Robinson (governor)William Des VœuxGeorge BowenJohn Pope HennessyArthur Kennedy (governor)Richard Graves MacDonnellHercules RobinsonJohn BowringGeorge BonhamJohn Francis DavisHenry Pottingner

Firsts

Standards

See also


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