List of governors-general of New Zealand

Last updated August 03, 2025

The following is a list of the governors and governors-general of New Zealand.^[1] As the personal representative of the New Zealand monarch, the governor-general performs many of the functions vested in the Crown, such as summoning and dissolving Parliament, granting or withholding the Royal Assent, making state visits, and receiving ambassadors. These functions are performed on the advice of the head of government, the prime minister.

From William Hobson's appointment in 1841, a total of 37 individuals have served as governor, governor-in-chief (1848–1853), or governor-general (since 1917). Sir Arthur Porritt was the first New Zealand-born governor-general, although he had been living in Britain for 31 years at the time of his appointment.^[2] All governors-general since Sir Denis Blundell in 1972 have been New Zealand residents and, with the exception of Sir David Beattie, New Zealand-born.^[3] The list does not include lieutenant-governors of the provinces of New Ulster and New Munster that existed between 1848 and 1853.^[a] The table also does not include administrators of the government, who fulfil viceregal duties between the terms of governors-general, or at other times when the governor-general is overseas or otherwise unable to carry out the role. The role of administrator is normally undertaken by the chief justice.

Overview

Governors-general have been appointed under letters patent issued in 1917 and the current letters patent issued in 1983.^[4]

Historically, governors and governors-general were generally British aristocrats, a reflection of colonial-era affiliations. From the 1970s onward, however, a significant shift occurred, aligning with a more inclusive approach that mirrored New Zealand's diverse population. All governors-general since 1972 have been New Zealand residents. Sir Paul Reeves, in office from 1985 to 1990, was the first Māori governor-general. Dame Catherine Tizard, who served from 1990 to 1996, was the first female governor-general. Sir Anand Satyanand, who held the position from 2006 to 2011, was the first governor-general of Indian and of Pasifika ancestry. Governors-general have had a range of backgrounds, encompassing judges, a mayor, archbishop, surgeon, diplomat, general, farmer, and prime minister.^[5]

List of officeholders

Governors and Governors-General of New Zealand
No.	Name	Term of office		Length of term	Monarch	Premier/Prime Minister
As lieutenant-governor
1	William Hobson (1792–1842)	30 January 1840	3 May 1841	1 year, 93 days	Victoria	None^[b]
As governor
(1)	William Hobson (1792–1842)	3 May 1841	10 September 1842	1 year, 130 days	Victoria	None^[b]
2	Robert FitzRoy (1805–1865)	26 December 1843	17 November 1845	1 year, 326 days
3	Sir George Grey (1812–1898)	18 November 1845	31 December 1853^[c]	8 years, 43 days
4	Thomas Gore Browne (1807–1887)	6 September 1855	2 October 1861	6 years, 26 days
						Henry Sewell
						William Fox
						Edward Stafford
						William Fox
(3)	Sir George Grey (1812–1898)	4 December 1861	5 February 1868	6 years, 63 days
						Alfred Domett
						Frederick Whitaker
						Frederick Weld
						Edward Stafford
5	Sir George Bowen (1821–1899)	5 February 1868	19 March 1873	5 years, 42 days
						William Fox
						Edward Stafford
						George Waterhouse
						William Fox
6	Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet (1832–1907)	14 June 1873	3 December 1874	1 year, 172 days		Julius Vogel
7	George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby (1819–1890)	9 January 1875	21 February 1879	4 years, 43 days
						Daniel Pollen
						Julius Vogel
						Harry Atkinson
						George Grey
8	Sir Hercules Robinson (1824–1897)	17 April 1879	8 September 1880	1 year, 144 days
8	Sir Hercules Robinson (1824–1897)	17 April 1879	8 September 1880	1 year, 144 days		John Hall
9	Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon (1829–1912)	29 November 1880	23 June 1882	1 year, 206 days
9	Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon (1829–1912)	29 November 1880	23 June 1882	1 year, 206 days		Frederick Whitaker
10	Sir William Jervois (1821–1897)	20 January 1883	22 March 1889	6 years, 61 days
						Harry Atkinson
						Robert Stout
						Harry Atkinson
						Robert Stout
						Harry Atkinson
11	William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow (1853–1911)	2 May 1889	24 February 1892	2 years, 298 days
11	William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow (1853–1911)	2 May 1889	24 February 1892	2 years, 298 days		John Ballance
12	David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow (1833–1915)	7 June 1892	6 February 1897	4 years, 244 days
12	David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow (1833–1915)	7 June 1892	6 February 1897	4 years, 244 days
13	Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly (1856–1933)	10 August 1897	19 June 1904	6 years, 314 days		Richard Seddon
13	Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly (1856–1933)	10 August 1897	19 June 1904	6 years, 314 days	Edward VII	Richard Seddon
14	William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket (1864–1920)	20 June 1904	8 June 1910	5 years, 353 days
						William Hall-Jones

						Joseph Ward
15	John Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington (1866–1936)	22 June 1910	2 December 1912	2 years, 163 days	George V
						Thomas Mackenzie

16	Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (1870–1941)	19 December 1912	27 June 1917	4 years, 190 days		William Massey
As governor-general
1	Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (1870–1941)	28 June 1917	7 July 1920	3 years, 9 days	George V	William Massey
2	John Jellicoe, 1st Viscount Jellicoe (1859–1935)	27 September 1920	26 November 1924	4 years, 60 days		William Massey
3	Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet (1865–1951)	13 December 1924	8 February 1930	5 years, 57 days
						Francis Bell
						Gordon Coates
						Joseph Ward
4	Charles Bathurst, 1st Baron Bledisloe (1867–1958)	19 March 1930	15 March 1935	4 years, 361 days
4	Charles Bathurst, 1st Baron Bledisloe (1867–1958)	19 March 1930	15 March 1935	4 years, 361 days		George Forbes
5	George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway (1882–1943)	12 April 1935	3 February 1941	5 years, 297 days
						Michael Joseph Savage
					Edward VIII	Michael Joseph Savage


6	Sir Cyril Newall (1886–1963)	22 February 1941	19 April 1946	5 years, 56 days	George VI	Peter Fraser
7	Sir Bernard Freyberg ^[d] (1889–1963)	17 June 1946	15 August 1952	6 years, 59 days


8	Sir Willoughby Norrie (1893–1977)	2 December 1952	25 July 1957	4 years, 235 days	Elizabeth II	Sidney Holland
9	Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham (1909–1977)	5 September 1957	13 September 1962	5 years, 8 days
						Keith Holyoake
						Walter Nash

10	Sir Bernard Fergusson (1911–1980)	9 November 1962	20 October 1967	4 years, 345 days		Keith Holyoake
11	Sir Arthur Porritt, 1st Baronet (1900–1994)	1 December 1967	6 September 1972	4 years, 280 days
11	Sir Arthur Porritt, 1st Baronet (1900–1994)	1 December 1967	6 September 1972	4 years, 280 days		Jack Marshall
12	Sir Denis Blundell (1907–1984)	27 September 1972	5 October 1977	5 years, 8 days
						Norman Kirk
						Bill Rowling

13	Sir Keith Holyoake (1904–1983)	26 October 1977	23 October 1980	2 years, 363 days		Robert Muldoon
14	Sir David Beattie (1924–2001)	6 November 1980	10 November 1985	5 years, 4 days
14	Sir David Beattie (1924–2001)	6 November 1980	10 November 1985	5 years, 4 days		David Lange
15	Sir Paul Reeves (1932–2011)	20 November 1985	29 November 1990	5 years, 9 days
						Geoffrey Palmer
						Mike Moore

16	Dame Catherine Tizard (1931–2021)	12 December 1990	3 March 1996	5 years, 104 days		Jim Bolger
17	Sir Michael Hardie Boys (1931–2023)	21 March 1996	21 March 2001	5 years
						Jenny Shipley

18	Dame Silvia Cartwright (born 1943)	4 April 2001	4 August 2006	5 years, 122 days		Helen Clark
19	Sir Anand Satyanand (born 1944)	23 August 2006	23 August 2011	5 years
19	Sir Anand Satyanand (born 1944)	23 August 2006	23 August 2011	5 years
20	Sir Jerry Mateparae (born 1954)	31 August 2011	31 August 2016	5 years		John Key
21	Dame Patsy Reddy (born 1954)	28 September 2016	28 September 2021	5 years
						Bill English

22	Dame Cindy Kiro (born 1958)	21 October 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 285 days		Jacinda Ardern
					Charles III
						Chris Hipkins
						Christopher Luxon

Notes

↑ For their respective lieutenant-governors, see New Ulster Province and New Munster Province.
1 2 New Zealand attained responsible government following the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
↑ Between 1 January 1848 and 7 March 1853, the viceregal representative held the office of governor-in-chief
↑ Raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Freyberg during his term in office, in 1951.

References

↑ Former Governors-General.
↑ Beaglehole 2012.
↑ Patriated – the Governor-General.
↑ "Appendix B: Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand 1983 | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". Cabinet Manual . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 19 April 2023.
↑ "New Zealand's Governor-General – an historical perspective". gg.govt.nz. Government House . Retrieved 10 August 2023.

Sources

Beaglehole, Diana (30 October 2012). "Porritt, Arthur Espie". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
"Governor-General of New Zealand: Former Governors-General". gov-gen.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
James, Colin (22 August 2006). "The huge challenge ahead of the Maori Queen's successor". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
McLean, Gavin (October 2006). The Governors, New Zealand Governors and Governors-General. Otago University Press. ISBN 978-1-877372-25-4.
"Republic 'inevitable'–Clark". The Evening Post. 4 March 2002.
"Patriated – the Governor-General". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.

External links

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[4] For their respective lieutenant-governors, see New Ulster Province and New Munster Province.

[None-7] 1 2 New Zealand attained responsible government following the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852

[8] Between 1 January 1848 and 7 March 1853, the viceregal representative held the office of governor-in-chief

[9] Raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Freyberg during his term in office, in 1951.

[FOOTNOTEFormer_Governors-General-1] Former Governors-General.

[FOOTNOTEBeaglehole2012-2] Beaglehole 2012.

[FOOTNOTEPatriated_–_the_Governor-General-3] Patriated – the Governor-General.

[5] "Appendix B: Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand 1983 | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". Cabinet Manual . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 19 April 2023.

[6] "New Zealand's Governor-General – an historical perspective". gg.govt.nz. Government House . Retrieved 10 August 2023.

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