Governor of Hong Kong explained

Post:	Governor
Body:	Hong Kong
Insignia:	Coat of arms of Hong Kong (1959–1997).svg
Insigniasize:	100px
Insigniacaption:	Coat of arms of Hong Kong (1959–1997)
Flag:	Flag of the Governor of Hong Kong (1959–1997).svg
Flagsize:	125px
Flagcaption:	Flag of the governor of Hong Kong (1959–1997)
Style:	His Excellency
Residence:	Government House, Hong Kong
Appointer:	Monarch of the United Kingdom
First:	Sir Henry Pottinger
Last:	Chris Patten
Salary:	HK$3,036,000 annually

Showflag:	y
T:	香港總督
S:	香港总督
J:	Hoeng1gong2 Zung2duk1
Y:	Hēunggóng Júngdūk
P:	Xiānggǎng Zǒngdū
W:	Hsiang1-kang3 Tsung3-tu1
Also Known As:	Abbreviation
C2:	港督
Y2:	Góngdūk
J2:	Gong2duk1
P2:	Gǎngdū
W2:	Kang3-tu1

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

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.^[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 landaulet 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, 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)

	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Origin	Background	Ref
			Took office	Left office	Duration
		Sir Charles Elliot 義律 Administrator	26 January 1841	12 August 1841		Dresden, Saxony	Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China	^[2] ^[3]
		Alexander Robert Johnston 莊士敦 Acting Administrator	22 June 1841	1 February 1842		Colombo, Ceylon	Deputy Superintendent of British Trade in China	^[4] ^[5]
			13 June 1842	2 December 1842
		Sir Henry Pottinger 砵甸乍 Administrator	12 August 1841	26 June 1843		Ballymacarrett, Ireland	Lieutenant-General, East India Company	^[6]
1		Sir Henry Pottinger 砵甸乍	26 June 1843	8 May 1844		Ballymacarrett, Ireland	Lieutenant-General	^[7]
2		Sir John Francis Davis 戴維斯	8 May 1844	21 March 1848		London, England	Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China	^[8]
3		Sir George Bonham 文咸	21 March 1848	13 April 1854		London, England	East India Company	^[9]
4		Sir John Bowring 寶靈	13 April 1854	2 May 1859		Exeter, England	Member of Parliament (MP)	^[10]
		William Caine 堅 Acting Governor	2 May 1859	9 September 1859		Maynooth, Ireland	Colonial Secretary	^[11]
5		Sir Hercules Robinson 羅士敏	9 September 1859	15 March 1865		Westmeath, Ireland	Colonial administrator	^[12] ^[13]
		William Thomas Mercer 孖沙 Acting Governor	15 March 1865	12 March 1866		London, England	Colonial Secretary
6		Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell 麥當奴	12 March 1866	11 April 1872		Dublin, Ireland	Colonial administrator	^[14] ^[15] ^[16]
		Henry Wase Whitfield 威非路 Lieutenant-Governor	11 April 1872	16 April 1872		England	Commander and lieutenant governor
7		Sir Arthur Kennedy 堅尼地	16 April 1872	1 March 1877		County Down, Ireland	Colonial administrator	^[17] ^[18]
		John Gardiner Austin 柯士甸 Administrator	1 March 1877	23 April 1877		Lowlands Plantation, Demerara	Colonial administrator
8		Sir John Pope Hennessy 軒尼詩	23 April 1877	7 March 1882		County Cork, Ireland	Colonial administrator	^[19] ^[20]
		Malcolm Struan Tonnochy 杜老誌 Administrator	7 March 1882	28 March 1882		Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, India	Colonial administrator
		Sir William Henry Marsh 馬師 Administrator	28 March 1882	30 March 1883		England	Colonial administrator	^[21]
9		Sir George Bowen 寶雲	30 March 1883	21 December 1885		County Donegal, Ireland	Colonial administrator	^[22]
		Sir William Henry Marsh 馬殊 Officer Administrating the Government	21 December 1885	25 April 1887		England	Colonial administrator	^[23]
		William Gordon Cameron 金馬倫 Officer Administering the Government	25 April 1887	6 October 1887		France	Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army	^[24]
10		Sir William Des Vœux 德輔	6 October 1887	7 May 1891		Baden-Baden, German Confederation	Colonial administrator	^[25]
		Sir George Digby Barker 白加 Officer Administering the Government	7 May 1891	10 December 1891		Clare, England	Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army	^[26]
11		Sir William Robinson 羅便臣	10 December 1891	1 February 1898		Wetherden, England	Colonial administrator	^[27] ^[28]
		Sir Wilsone Black 布力 Officer Administering the Government	1 February 1898	25 November 1898		Glasgow, Scotland	Commander and lieutenant governor
12		Sir Henry Arthur Blake 卜力	25 November 1898	21 November 1903		Limerick, Ireland	Colonial administrator	^[29] ^[30]
		Sir Francis Henry May 梅含理 Officer Administering the Government	21 November 1903	29 July 1904		Dublin, Ireland	Colonial Secretary
13		Sir Matthew Nathan 彌敦	29 July 1904	20 April 1907		London, England	Colonial administrator	^[31] ^[32]
		Sir Francis Henry May 梅含理 Officer Administering the Government	20 April 1907	29 July 1907		Dublin, Ireland	Colonial Secretary
14		Sir Frederick Lugard 盧吉	29 July 1907	16 March 1912		Madras, India	Colonial administrator	^[33]
		Claud Severn 施勳 Officer Administering the Government	16 March 1912	4 July 1912		Adelaide, South Australia	Colonial administrator
15		Sir Francis Henry May 梅含理	4 July 1912	12 September 1918		Dublin, Ireland	Colonial Secretary	^[34] ^[35] ^[36]
		Claud Severn 施勳 Officer Administering the Government	12 September 1918	30 September 1919		Adelaide, South Australia	Colonial administrator
16		Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs 司徒拔	30 September 1919	31 October 1925		Oxford, England	Colonial administrator	^[37] ^[38] ^[39]
17		Sir Cecil Clementi 金文泰	1 November 1925	1 February 1930		Cawnpore, India	Colonial administrator	^[40] ^[41]
		Thomas Southorn 修頓 Officer Administering the Government	1 February 1930	9 May 1930		Durham, England	Colonial Secretary
18		Sir William Peel 貝璐	9 May 1930	17 May 1935		Hexham, England	Colonial administrator	^[42] ^[43]
		Thomas Southorn 修頓 Officer Administering the Government	17 May 1935	13 September 1935		Leamington Spa, England	Colonial Secretary	^[44]
		Norman Lockhart Smith 史美 Officer Administering the Government	13 September 1935	1 November 1935		Durham, England	Colonial administrator	^[45]
		Thomas Southorn 修頓 Officer Administering the Government	1 November 1935	12 December 1935		Leamington Spa, England	Colonial Secretary
19		Sir Andrew Caldecott 郝德傑	12 December 1935	16 April 1937		Kent, England	Colonial administrator	^[46] ^[47]
		Norman Lockhart Smith 史美 Officer Administering the Government	16 April 1937	28 October 1937		Durham, England	Colonial Secretary
20		Sir Geoffry Northcote 羅富國	28 October 1937	6 September 1941		London, England	Colonial administrator	^[48]
		Norman Lockhart Smith 史美 Officer Administering the Government	6 September 1941	10 September 1941		Durham, England	Colonial Secretary	^[49]
21		Sir Mark Aitchison Young 楊慕琦	10 September 1941	25 December 1941		India	Colonial administrator	^[50]

Japanese occupation (1941–1945)

	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Origin	Background	Ref
			Took office	Left office	Duration
		Takashi Sakai Japanese: 酒井隆 Administrator	25 December 1941	20 February 1942		Kamo, Hiroshima	Lieutenant general
		Masaichi Niimi Japanese: 新見政一 Administrator				Hiroshima, Hiroshima	Vice admiral
1		Rensuke Isogai Japanese: 磯谷廉介	20 February 1942	24 December 1944		Tanba, Hyōgo	Lieutenant general
2		Hisakazu Tanaka Japanese: 田中久一	1 February 1945	16 August 1945		Himeji, Hyōgo	Lieutenant general

British administrators and governors (1945–1997)

	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Origin	Background	Ref
			Took office	Left office	Duration
		Sir Franklin Charles Gimson 詹遜 Provisional Governor	28 August 1945	30 August 1945		Leicestershire, England	Colonial Secretary
		Sir Cecil Harcourt 夏愨 Military administration	1 September 1945	1 May 1946		London, England	Admiral (Royal Navy)
21		Sir Mark Aitchison Young 楊慕琦	1 May 1946	17 May 1947		India	Colonial administrator
		David Mercer MacDougall 麥道高 Administrator	17 May 1947	25 July 1947		Perth, Scotland	Colonial Secretary
22		Sir Alexander Grantham 葛量洪	25 July 1947	31 December 1957		London, England	Colonial administrator
		Edgeworth Beresford David 戴維德 Administrator	31 December 1957	23 January 1958		Dulwich, England	Colonial Secretary
23		Sir Robert Brown Black 柏立基	23 January 1958	31 March 1964		Edinburgh, Scotland	Colonial administrator
		Edmund Brinsley Teesdale 戴斯德 Administrator	31 March 1964	14 April 1964		Shanghai, China	Colonial Secretary
24		Sir David C. C. Trench 戴麟趾	14 April 1964	19 October 1971		Quetta, India	Colonial administrator
		Sir Hugh Norman-Walker 羅樂民 Administrator	19 October 1971	19 November 1971		London, England	Colonial Secretary
25		Sir Murray MacLehose 麥理浩	19 November 1971	8 May 1982		Glasgow, Scotland	UK Ambassador to Denmark
		Sir Philip Haddon-Cave 夏鼎基 Acting governor	8 May 1982	20 May 1982		Hobart, Australia	Chief Secretary
26		Sir Edward Youde 尤德	20 May 1982	4 December 1986		Penarth, Wales	UK Ambassador to China
		Sir David Akers-Jones 鍾逸傑 Acting governor	4 December 1986	9 April 1987		Sussex, England	Chief Secretary
27		Sir David Wilson 衛奕信	9 April 1987	3 July 1992		Clackmannanshire, Scotland	Diplomat
		Sir David Ford 霍德 Acting governor	3 July 1992	9 July 1992		England	Chief Secretary
28		Chris Patten 彭定康	9 July 1992	30 June 1997		Lancashire, England	Chairman of Conservative Party

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

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
• 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

Notes and References

1. http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/cm199697/cmhansrd/vo961217/text/61217w03.htm House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Dec 1996 (pt 3)
2. Civil and Miscellaneous Lists: Hong Kong Government. Hong Kong: Government Printer. 1973. p. 101.
3. [George Beer Endacott|Endacott, G. B.]
4. The Chinese Repository. Volume 10. Canton. 1841. pp. 351–352.
5. The Chinese Repository. Volume 11. Canton. 1842. pp. 674–676, 685.
6. [James William Norton-Kyshe|Norton-Kyshe, James William]
7. Proclamation. The Friends of China Hong Kong Gazette Government Extraordinary. 30 June 1853.
8. Notice. The Friends of China Hong Kong Gazette Government. 11 May 1844.
9. Government Notifications. The Friends of China Hong Kong Gazette. 25 March 1854.
10. Government Notification. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 13 April 1854.
11. Government Notification No. 46. The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 2 May 1859.
12. Government Notification No. 77 of 1859 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 9 September 1859.
13. Government Notification No. 38 of 1865 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 15 March 1865.
14. News: Swearing in the Governor . 25 June 2018 . Hong Kong Daily Press . 13 March 1866 . 2.
15. Government Notification No. 40 of 1866 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 12 March 1866.
16. Government Notification No. 73 of 1877 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 11 April 1872.
17. Government Notification No. 80 of 1877 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 16 April 1872.
18. Government Notification No. 47 of 1877 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 2 March 1877.
19. Government Notification No. 103 of 1877 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 23 April 1877.
20. Government Notification No. 95 of 1882 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 7 March 1882.
21. Government Notification No. 147 of 1882 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 28 March 1882.
22. Government Notification No. 118 of 1883 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 31 March 1883.
23. Government Notification No. 198 of 1885 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 21 December 1885.
24. Government Notification No. 165 of 1887 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 25 April 1887.
25. Government Notification No. 403 of 1887 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 6 October 1887.
26. Government Notification No. 215 of 1891 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 7 May 1891.
27. Government Notification No. 515 of 1891 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 10 December 1891.
28. Government Notification No. 44 of 1898 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 25 February 1898.
29. Government Notification No. 528 of 1898 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 25 November 1898.
30. No.788 of 1903 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 21 November 1903.
31. No.518 of 1904 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary . 29 July 1904.
32. No.288 of 1907 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 20 April 1907.
33. No.81 of 1912 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 16 March 1912 .
34. No.218 of 1912 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary . 4 July 1912 .
35. No.219 of 1912 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 4 July 1912.
36. No.346 of 1918 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 12 September 1918.
37. No. 454 of 1919 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary . 30 September 1919.
38. Hong Kong Hansard . 23 November 1925.
39. No. 627 of 1925 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette . 23 November 1925.
40. No. 624 of 1925 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary . 1 November 1925.
41. No. 70 of 19305 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 1 February 1930.
42. No. 275 of 1930 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette. 9 May 1930.
43. No. 381 of 1935 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 17 May 1935.
44. No. 681 of 1935 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 13 September 1935.
45. No. 836 of 1935 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 1 November 1935.
46. No. 966 of 1935 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 12 December 1935.
47. No. 260 of 1937 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 16 April 1937.
48. No. 755 of 1937 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 28 October 1937.
49. No. 1079 of 1941 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 6 September 1941.
50. No. 1085 of 1941 . The Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 10 September 1941.