Governor of Hong Kong

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.

Powers and functions

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.

Entitlements and benefits

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

thumb|right|[[Government House, Hong Kong|Government House was the official residence of the governor from 1855 to 1997.]]

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 housed the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal from the transfer of sovereignty to 6 September 2015. 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)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2| Portrait

! rowspan=2| Name

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| Origin

! rowspan=2| Background

! rowspan=2| Ref

! style="width:120px;"| Took office

! style="width:120px;"| Left office

! style="width:80px;"| Duration

| 100px

| Sir Charles Elliot Administrator

| 26 January 1841

| 12 August 1841

| Dresden, Saxony

| Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| 100px

| rowspan=2| Alexander Robert Johnston Acting Administrator

| 22 June 1841

| 1 February 1842

| rowspan=2| Colombo, Ceylon

| rowspan=2| Deputy Superintendent of British Trade in China

| rowspan=2|

| 13 June 1842

| 2 December 1842

| rowspan="2" | 100px

| Sir Henry Pottinger Administrator

| 12 August 1841

| 26 June 1843

| rowspan="2" | Ballymacarrett, Ireland

| Lieutenant-General, East India Company

| 1

| Sir Henry Pottinger

| 26 June 1843

| 8 May 1844

| Lieutenant-General

| 2

| 100px

| Sir John Francis Davis

| 8 May 1844

| 21 March 1848

| London, England

| Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China

| 3

| 100px

| Sir George Bonham

| 21 March 1848

| 13 April 1854

| London, England

| East India Company

| 4

| 100px

| Sir John Bowring

| 13 April 1854

| 2 May 1859

| Exeter, England

| Member of Parliament (MP)

| 100px

| William Caine Acting Governor

| 2 May 1859

| 9 September 1859

| Maynooth, Ireland

| Colonial Secretary

| 5

| 100px

| Sir Hercules Robinson

| 9 September 1859

| 15 March 1865

| Westmeath, Ireland

| Colonial administrator

| 100px

| William Thomas Mercer Acting Governor

| 15 March 1865

| 12 March 1866

| London, England

| Colonial Secretary

| Henry Wase Whitfield Lieutenant-Governor

| 11 April 1872

| 16 April 1872

| England

| Commander and lieutenant governor

| 100px

| John Gardiner Austin Administrator

| 1 March 1877

| 23 April 1877

| Lowlands Plantation, Demerara

| Malcolm Struan Tonnochy Administrator

| 7 March 1882

| 28 March 1882

| Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, India

| 9

| 100px

| Sir George Bowen

| 30 March 1883

| 21 December 1885

| County Donegal, Ireland

| Sir William Henry Marsh Officer Administrating the Government

| 21 December 1885

| 25 April 1887

| England

| 100px

| William Gordon Cameron Officer Administering the Government

| 25 April 1887

| 6 October 1887

| France

| Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army

| 10

| 100px

| Sir William Des Vœux

| 6 October 1887

| 7 May 1891

| Baden-Baden, German Confederation

| Colonial administrator

| 100px

| Sir George Digby Barker Officer Administering the Government

| 7 May 1891

| 10 December 1891

| Clare, England

| Commander and lieutenant governor, British Army

| 11

| 100px

| Sir William Robinson

| 10 December 1891

| 1 February 1898

| Wetherden, England

| Colonial administrator

| Sir Wilsone Black Officer Administering the Government

| 1 February 1898

| 25 November 1898

| Glasgow, Scotland

| Commander and lieutenant governor

| 100px

| Sir Francis Henry May Officer Administering the Government

| 21 November 1903

| 29 July 1904

| Dublin, Ireland

| Colonial Secretary

| 100px

| Sir Francis Henry May Officer Administering the Government

| 20 April 1907

| 29 July 1907

| Dublin, Ireland

| Colonial Secretary

| 100px

| Claud Severn Officer Administering the Government

| 16 March 1912

| 4 July 1912

| Adelaide, South Australia

| 100px

| Claud Severn Officer Administering the Government

| 12 September 1918

| 30 September 1919

| Adelaide, South Australia

| rowspan="3" | Colonial administrator

| 17

| 100px

| Sir Cecil Clementi

| 1 November 1925

| 1 February 1930

| Cawnpore, India

| 100px

| Thomas Southorn Officer Administering the Government

| 1 February 1930

| 9 May 1930

| Durham, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 100px

| Thomas Southorn Officer Administering the Government

| 17 May 1935

| 13 September 1935

| Leamington Spa, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 100px

| Norman Lockhart Smith Officer Administering the Government

| 13 September 1935

| 1 November 1935

| Durham, England

| Colonial administrator

| 100px

| Thomas Southorn Officer Administering the Government

| 1 November 1935

| 12 December 1935

| Leamington Spa, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 100px

| Norman Lockhart Smith Officer Administering the Government

| 16 April 1937

| 28 October 1937

| Durham, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 100px

| Norman Lockhart Smith Officer Administering the Government

| 6 September 1941

| 10 September 1941

| Durham, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 21

| 100px

| Sir Mark Aitchison Young

| 10 September 1941

| 25 December 1941

| India

| Colonial administrator

Japanese occupation (1941–1945)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2| Portrait

! rowspan=2| Name

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| Origin

! rowspan=2| Background

! rowspan=2| Ref

! style="width:120px;"| Took office

! style="width:120px;"| Left office

! style="width:80px;"| Duration

| 100px

| Takashi Sakai Administrator

| rowspan=2| 25 December 1941

| rowspan=2| 20 February 1942

| rowspan=2|

| Kamo, Hiroshima

| Lieutenant general

| 100px

| Masaichi Niimi Administrator

| Hiroshima, Hiroshima

| Vice admiral

| 1

| 100px

| Rensuke Isogai

| 20 February 1942

| 24 December 1944

| Tanba, Hyōgo

| rowspan="2" | Lieutenant general

| 2

| 100px

| Hisakazu Tanaka

| 1 February 1945

| 16 August 1945

| Himeji, Hyōgo

British administrators and governors (1945–1997)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2| Portrait

! rowspan=2| Name

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| Origin

! rowspan=2| Background

! rowspan=2| Ref

! style="width:120px;"| Took office

! style="width:120px;"| Left office

! style="width:80px;"| Duration

| 100px

| Sir Franklin Charles Gimson Provisional Governor

| 28 August 1945

| 30 August 1945

| Leicestershire, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 100px

| Sir Cecil Harcourt Military administration

| 1 September 1945

| 1 May 1946

| London, England

| Admiral (Royal Navy)

| 21

| 100px

| Sir Mark Aitchison Young

| 1 May 1946

| 17 May 1947

| India

| Colonial administrator

| 100px

| David Mercer MacDougall Administrator

| 17 May 1947

| 25 July 1947

| Perth, Scotland

| Colonial Secretary

| 22

| Sir Alexander Grantham

| 25 July 1947

| 31 December 1957

| London, England

| Colonial administrator

| Edgeworth Beresford David Administrator

| 31 December 1957

| 23 January 1958

| Dulwich, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 23

| Sir Robert Brown Black

| 23 January 1958

| 31 March 1964

| Edinburgh, Scotland

| Colonial administrator

| Edmund Brinsley Teesdale Administrator

| 31 March 1964

| 14 April 1964

| Shanghai, China

| Colonial Secretary

| 24

| 100px

| Sir David C. C. Trench

| 14 April 1964

| 19 October 1971

| Quetta, India

| Colonial administrator

| Sir Hugh Norman-Walker Administrator

| 19 October 1971

| 19 November 1971

| London, England

| Colonial Secretary

| 25

| Sir Murray MacLehose

| 19 November 1971

| 8 May 1982

| Glasgow, Scotland

| UK Ambassador to Denmark

| Sir Philip Haddon-Cave Acting governor

| 8 May 1982

| 20 May 1982

| Hobart, Australia

| Chief Secretary

| 26

| Sir Edward Youde

| 20 May 1982

| 4 December 1986

| Penarth, Wales

| UK Ambassador to China

| Sir David Akers-Jones Acting governor

| 4 December 1986

| 9 April 1987

| Sussex, England

| Chief Secretary

| 27

| 100px

| Sir David Wilson

| 9 April 1987

| 3 July 1992

| Clackmannanshire, Scotland

| Diplomat

| Sir David Ford Acting governor

| 3 July 1992

| 9 July 1992

| England

| Chief Secretary

| 28

| 133x133px

| Chris Patten

| 9 July 1992

| 30 June 1997

| Lancashire, England

| Chairman of Conservative Party

Timeline

</div>

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

Standards

File:Flag of the Governor of Hong Kong 1910.svg |Standard of the governor of Hong Kong, 1910–1955

File:Flag of the Governor of Hong Kong 1955.svg|Standard of the governor of Hong Kong, 1955–1959

File:Flag of the Governor of Hong Kong (1959-1997).svg|Standard of the governor of Hong Kong, 1959–1997

</gallery>

References

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

Powers and functions

Entitlements and benefits

Transport

Residences

List of governors

British administrators and governors (1841–1941)

Japanese occupation (1941–1945)

British administrators and governors (1945–1997)

Timeline

Firsts

Standards

See also

References

External links