Governor of Hong Kong

Governor of Hong Kong

Standard of the Governor, 1959–1997
Style His/Her Excellency
Residence Government House, Hong Kong
Appointer Monarch of the United Kingdom
Formation 26 June 1843
First holder His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger
Final holder His Excellency Chris Patten
Abolished 30 June 1997
Salary HK$3,036,000 per annum
Governor of Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese 香港總督
Abbreviation
Traditional Chinese 港督

The Governor of Hong Kong was the representative in Hong Kong of the British Crown 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 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 of the Governor of Hong Kong

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), exercise the executive branch of Hong Kong Government 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, also the President of 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 elections of 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 professional diplomats except 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.[1]

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 landaulette for ceremonial occasions. Both vehicles were removed by the Royal Navy immediately following the handover to China on 1 July 1997.

Residences

List of governors

British administrators and governors (1841–1941)

№ Portrait Name
(Born–Died)		 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
Sir Henry Pottinger, 1st Bt.
砵甸乍

(1789–1856)
Administrator

 12 August 1841 26 June 1843 1 year, 318 days County Down, Ireland Lieutenant-General, East India Company
Alexander Robert Johnston
莊士敦

(1812–1888)
Acting Administrator

 13 June 1842 2 December 1842 172 days Colombo, Ceylon Assistant and Registrar to the Superintendent of Trade
1 Sir Henry Pottinger, 1st Bt.
砵甸乍

(1789–1856)

 26 June 1843 8 May 1844 317 days County Down, Ireland Lieutenant-General
2 Sir John Francis Davis, 1st Bt.
戴維斯

(1795–1890)

 8 May 1844 18 March 1848 3 years, 315 days London, England Factor/President, East India Company; Second Superintendent of British Trade in China
William Staveley
士他花利

(1784–1854)
Administrator

 18 March 1848 21 March 1848 3 days York, England Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army
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 5 May 1859 5 years, 22 days Exeter, England Member of Parliament
William Caine
堅

(1799–1871)
Administrator

 5 May 1859 9 September 1859 127 days England Colonial Secretary
5 Sir Hercules Robinson
羅士敏

(1824–1897)

 9 September 1859 15 March 1865 5 years, 187 days London, England Colonial administrator
William Thomas Mercer
孖沙

(1821–1879)
Administrator

 15 March 1865 11 March 1866 361 days London, England Colonial Secretary
6 Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
麥當奴

(1814–1881)

 11 March 1866 11 April 1872 6 years, 31 days Dublin, Ireland Colonial administrator
Henry Wase Whitfield
威非路

(1814–1877)
Administrator

 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 22 April 1877 52 days Unknown Colonial administrator
8 Sir John Pope Hennessy
軒尼詩

(1834–1891)

 22 April 1877 7 March 1882 4 years, 319 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
馬殊

(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)
Administrator

 21 December 1885 25 April 1887 1 year, 125 days England Colonial administrator
William Gordon Cameron
金馬倫

(1827–1913)
Administrator

 25 April 1887 6 October 1887 164 days France Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army
10 Sir William Des Voeux
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)
Administrator

 7 May 1891 10 December 1891 217 days Unknown 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)
Administrator

 1 February 1898 25 November 1898 297 days Unknown 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)
Administrator

 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)
Administrator

 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)
Administrator

 16 March 1912 24 July 1912 130 days Adelaide, South Australia Colonial administrator
15 Sir Francis Henry May
梅含理

(1860–1922)

 24 July 1912 12 September 1918 6 years, 50 days Dublin, Ireland Colonial Secretary
Claud Severn
施勳

(1869–1933)
Administrator

 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 19 March 1925 5 years, 170 days Oxford, England Colonial administrator
Claud Severn
施勳

(1869–1933)
Administrator

 19 March 1925 1 November 1925 227 days Adelaide, South Australia 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)
Administrator

 1 February 1930 9 March 1930 36 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)
Administrator

 17 May 1935 13 September 1935 119 days Unknown Colonial Secretary
Norman Lockhart Smith
史美

(1887–1968)
Administrator

 13 September 1935 1 November 1935 49 days Durham, England Colonial administrator
Thomas Southorn
修頓

(1879–1957)
Administrator

 1 November 1935 12 December 1935 41 days Unknown 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)
Administrator

 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)
Administrator

 6 September 1941 10 September 1941 4 days Durham, England Colonial Secretary
21 Mark Aitchison Young
楊慕琦

(1886–1974)

 6 September 1941 25 December 1941 110 days India Colonial administrator

Japanese occupation (1941–1945)

№ Portrait Name
(Born–Died)		 Term of office Ref
Took office Left office Duration
Takashi Sakai
酒井隆

(1886–1967)
Administrator

 25 December 1941 20 February 1942 57 days
Masaichi Niimi
新見政一

(1887–1993)
Administrator
1 Rensuke Isogai
磯谷廉介
(1886–1967)		 20 February 1942 24 December 1944 2 years, 308 days
2 Hisakazu Tanaka
田中久一
(1889–1947)		 1 February 1945 16 August 1945 196 days

British administrators and governors (1945–1997)

№ Portrait Name
(Born–Died)		 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)
Administrator of 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 Unknown 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 Unknown 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 Jack Cater

(1922–2006)
Acting Governor

 20 November 1978 27 August 1981 2 years, 280 days London, England Chief Secretary
Sir Philip Haddon-Cave
夏鼎基

(1925–1999)
Administrator

 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

(1929–present)
Acting governor

 4 December 1986 9 April 1987 126 days Sussex, England Chief Secretary
27 Sir David Wilson
衛奕信

(1936–present)

 9 April 1987 9 July 1992 5 years, 91 days Clackmannanshire, Scotland Diplomat
28 Chris Patten
彭定康

(1944–present)

 9 July 1992 30 June 1997 4 years, 356 days Lancashire, England Chairman of Conservative Party

Firsts

See also

References

  1. ↑ House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Dec 1996 (pt 3)
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