This article lists the colonial governors of Walvis Bay, a city in the modern day Republic of Namibia (currently the third largest city in the country). The list encompass the period from 1878 to 1994, when Walvis Bay and the surrounding territory (including the Penguin Islands) was controlled by the United Kingdom and later by South Africa.
The list also encompasses the period of joint Namibian-South African control of Walvis Bay, from 1993 to 1994.
The title of the position changed a number of times. Under British rule, the title of the position went from Captain (1878) to Resident Magistrate (1878–1883) to Magistrate (1883–1910). Under South African rule, the title was Magistrate (1910–1925), Magistrate and Chairman of Village Management Board (1925–1931) and Mayor (1931–1994). Under joint Namibian-South African rule, the title was Chief Executive Officer of Joint Administrative Authority (1993–1994).
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| Tenure | width=60px | Portrait | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Suzerainty | ||||
| Walvis Bay annexed by the United Kingdom (annexation confirmed on 14 December 1878) | ||||
| 12 March 1878 to 1878 | Richard C. Dyer, Captain | |||
| 1 June 1878 to 1880 | D. Erskine, Resident Magistrate | |||
| 1879 to January 1880 | W. E. Manning, acting Resident Magistrate | acting for Erskine | ||
| 1880 to November 1880 | William Coates Palgrave, Resident Magistrate | |||
| November 1880 to 1882 | Benjamin d'Urban Musgrave, Resident Magistrate | |||
| August 1882 to 13 June 1883 | E. J. Whindus, Resident Magistrate | |||
| 13 June 1883 to 7 August 1884 | J. S. Simpson, Magistrate | |||
| Incorporated into Cape Colony | ||||
| 7 August 1884 to 1885? | J. S. Simpson, Magistrate | |||
| 1885 to 1889 | Emile S. Rolland, Magistrate | |||
| 1889 to 1901 | John James Cleverly, Magistrate | 1st time, acting to July 1890 | ||
| 1902 to 1903 | Frank H. Guthrie, Magistrate | |||
| 1903 to August 1905 | John James Cleverly, Magistrate | 2nd time | ||
| August 1905 to 1909? | David Eadie, Magistrate | |||
| 1909 to 31 May 1910 | J. M. Richards, Magistrate | |||
| South African Suzerainty | ||||
| Part of Cape Province within Union of South Africa | ||||
| 31 May 1910 to 1915? | J. M. Richards, Magistrate | |||
| 1915 to 1920 | Frederic Wodehouse Bult, Military Magistrate for Swakopmund | |||
| 1920 to 1 October 1922 | K. R. Thomas, Magistrate for Swakopmund and Walvis | |||
| Administration assigned to South West Africa | ||||
| 1 October 1922 to 18 March 1925 | K. R. Thomas, Magistrate for Swakopmund and Walvis | |||
| 18 March 1925 to 16 March 1931 | K. R. Thomas, Magistrate and Chairman of Village Management Board | |||
| Municipal status | ||||
| 16 March 1931 to 1932 | S. Blyth, Mayor | |||
| 1932 to 1934 | W. G. Neate, Mayor | |||
| 1934 to 1940 | Thomas Perris Hall, Mayor | |||
| 1940 | E. O. Bull, Mayor | |||
| 12 December 1940 to 15 April 1948 | Municipal status suspended | |||
| 29 April 1948 to 12 September 1949 | J. Christie, Mayor | |||
| 23 September 1949 to 12 September 1950 | F. Davel, Mayor | |||
| 13 September 1950 to 6 September 1951 | Joseph C. Harries, Mayor | 1st time | ||
| 7 September 1951 to 8 February 1952 | A. C. Stafford, Mayor | |||
| 9 February 1952 to 16 September 1953 | W. J. Hamilton, Mayor | |||
| 17 September 1953 to 31 August 1954 | Joseph C. Harries, Mayor | 2nd time | ||
| 31 August 1954 to 21 March 1955 | H. St. John Reid, Mayor | |||
| 22 March 1955 to 31 May 1955 | W. A. Bester, Mayor | |||
| 14 September 1955 to 27 August 1958 | William Austin Willis, Mayor | 1st time | ||
| 27 August 1958 to 1960? | Peter van Aarde, Mayor | |||
| 1960? to 1963? | William Austin Willis, Mayor | 2nd time | ||
| 4 July 1963 to 11 March 1970 | M. C. Botma, Mayor | |||
| 16 March 1970 to 14 March 1974 | Heleon "Leon" Hendrikus Laubscher, Mayor | 1st time | ||
| 14 March 1974 to 12 March 1975 | Nelis Naudé Dreyer, Mayor | |||
| 14 March 1975 to 10 March 1977 | Heleon "Leon" Hendrikus Laubscher, Mayor | 2nd time | ||
| 11 March 1977 to 1 September 1977 | Nico Retief, Mayor | 1st time | ||
| Re-integrated into Cape Province (within South Africa) | ||||
| 1 September 1977 to 16 March 1978 | Nico Retief, Mayor | 1st time; on 4 November 1977, South African claim to Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands declared "null and void" and are named "integral parts of Namibia" by the United Nations (formally 28 July 1978, by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 432) | ||
| 17 March 1978 to 28 March 1980 | A. Prinsloo, Mayor | |||
| 28 March 1980 to 27 March 198? | Hester E. M. Deissler, Mayor | 1st time | ||
| 28 March 198? to 17 March 1983 | Nico Retief, Mayor | 2nd time | ||
| 18 March 1983 to 1 November 1988 | Christoffel L. de Jager, Mayor | |||
| 2 November 1988 to 6 December 1989 | Hester E. M. Deissler, Mayor | 2nd time | ||
| 7 December 1989 to 4 October 1991 | Nico Retief, Mayor | 3rd time | ||
| 25 October 1991 to 29 October 1992 | Ronald Noel "Buddy" Bramwell, Mayor | |||
| 30 October 1992 to 8 November 1993 | Jacobus N. "Koot" Blaauw, Mayor | |||
| 9 November 1993 to 22 August 1994 | Bryce Gerard Edwards, Mayor | |||
| Joint Administrative Authority | ||||
| 15 January 1993 to 28 February 1994 | Under joint Namibian-South African administration | |||
| 15 January 1993 to 28 February 1994 | Nangolo Mbumba, Chief Executive Officer | Representing Namibia | ||
| Carl von Hirschberg, Chief Executive Officer | Representing South Africa | |||
| 1 March 1994 | Walvis Bay exclave ceded to Republic of Namibia by South Africa | |||