List of governors-general of New Zealand

File:Cindy Kiro DNZM investiture.jpg

Cindy Kiro (left), the incumbent governor-general, with her immediate predecessor, Patsy Reddy, in May 2021

The following is a list of the governors and governors-general of New Zealand. 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.

Since the office was established in 1841, 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. 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. The list does not include lieutenant-governors of the provinces of New Ulster and New Munster that existed between 1848 and 1853. The table also does not include administrators of the government, who fulfil vice-regal 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.

List

Governors and Governors-General of New Zealand

No.	Name	Portrait	Term of office		Length of term	Monarch	Premier/Prime Minister
As lieutenant-governor
1	William Hobson		30 January 1840	3 May 1841		Victoria	None
As governor
1	William Hobson		3 May 1841	10 September 1842		Victoria	None
2	Robert FitzRoy		26 December 1843	17 November 1845
3	Sir George Grey		18 November 1845	31 December 1853
4	Thomas Gore Browne		6 September 1855	2 October 1861			​
							Henry Sewell
							William Fox
							Edward Stafford
							William Fox
(3)	Sir George Grey		4 December 1861	5 February 1868			​
							Alfred Domett
							Frederick Whitaker
							Frederick Weld
							Edward Stafford
5	Sir George Ferguson Bowen		5 February 1868	19 March 1873			​
							William Fox
							Edward Stafford
							George Waterhouse
							William Fox
6	Sir James Fergusson	80px	14 June 1873	3 December 1874			Julius Vogel
7	George Phipps, Marquess of Normanby		9 January 1875	21 February 1879			​
							Daniel Pollen
							Julius Vogel
							Harry Atkinson
							George Grey
8	Sir Hercules Robinson		17 April 1879	8 September 1880			​
							John Hall
9	Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon		29 November 1880	23 June 1882			​
							Frederick Whitaker
10	Sir William Jervois		20 January 1883	22 March 1889			​
							Harry Atkinson
							Robert Stout
							Harry Atkinson
							Robert Stout
							Harry Atkinson
11	William Onslow, Earl of Onslow		2 May 1889	24 February 1892			​
							John Ballance
12	David Boyle, Earl of Glasgow	80px	7 June 1892	6 February 1897			​
							​
13	Uchter Knox, Earl of Ranfurly	80px	10 August 1897	19 June 1904		​	Richard Seddon
						Edward VII
14	William Plunket, Lord Plunket	80px	20 June 1904	8 June 1910		​	​
							William Hall-Jones
							​
						​	Joseph Ward
15	John Dickson-Poynder, Lord Islington		22 June 1910	2 December 1912		George V	​
							Thomas Mackenzie
							​
16	Arthur Foljambe, Earl of Liverpool	80px	19 December 1912	27 June 1917		​	William Massey
As governor-general
1	Arthur Foljambe, Earl of Liverpool	80px	28 June 1917	7 July 1920		George V	William Massey
2	John Jellicoe, Viscount Jellicoe		27 September 1920	26 November 1924
3	Sir Charles Fergusson		13 December 1924	8 February 1930			​
							Francis Bell
							Gordon Coates
							Joseph Ward
4	Charles Bathurst, Lord Bledisloe	80px	19 March 1930	15 March 1935			​
							George Forbes
5	George Monckton-Arundell, Viscount Galway	80px	12 April 1935	3 February 1941		​	​
						​	Michael Joseph Savage
						Edward VIII
						​	​
							​
6	Sir Cyril Newall		22 February 1941	19 April 1946		George VI	Peter Fraser
7	Bernard Freyberg, Lord Freyberg		17 June 1946	15 August 1952		​	​
						​	​
						​	​
8	Sir Willoughby Norrie	80px	2 December 1952	25 July 1957		Elizabeth II	Sidney Holland
9	Charles Lyttelton, Viscount Cobham	80px	5 September 1957	13 September 1962			​
							Keith Holyoake
							Walter Nash
							​
10	Sir Bernard Fergusson	80px	9 November 1962	20 October 1967			Keith Holyoake
11	Sir Arthur Porritt	80px	1 December 1967	6 September 1972			​
							Jack Marshall
12	Sir Denis Blundell	80px	27 September 1972	5 October 1977			​
							Norman Kirk
							Bill Rowling
							​
13	Sir Keith Holyoake	80px	26 October 1977	23 October 1980			Robert Muldoon
14	Sir David Beattie	80px	6 November 1980	10 November 1985			​
							David Lange
15	Sir Paul Reeves	80px	20 November 1985	29 November 1990			​
							Geoffrey Palmer
							Mike Moore
							​
16	Dame Catherine Tizard	80px	12 December 1990	3 March 1996			Jim Bolger
17	Sir Michael Hardie Boys	80px	21 March 1996	21 March 2001			​
							Jenny Shipley
							​
18	Dame Silvia Cartwright	80px	4 April 2001	4 August 2006			Helen Clark
19	Sir Anand Satyanand	80px	23 August 2006	23 August 2011			​
							​
20	Sir Jerry Mateparae	80px	31 August 2011	31 August 2016			John Key
21	Dame Patsy Reddy	80px	28 September 2016	28 September 2021			​
							Bill English
							​
22	Dame Cindy Kiro	80px	21 October 2021	Incumbent			Jacinda Ardern
						Charles III	​

External links

• Official Website of the Governor-General of New Zealand
• A history of the Governor-General in New Zealand
• Rulers.org: Extensive list of Governors-General of New Zealand