NZ Governors and Governors-General - Notes for my Successor
Lord Liverpool, New Zealand's first Governor-General
Sir Charles Fergusson opening Parliament in 1925
From Lieutenant-Governor to Governor-General
Captain William Hobson (served 1840-42) reached New Zealand early in 1840. He served as lieutenant-governor under Sir George Gipps, who as Governor of New South Wales was also governor-in-chief of New Zealand. In 1841 New Zealand became a separate Crown colony with Hobson as governor.
In 1917, partway through the term of Lord Liverpool (1912-20), the title of governor was further upgraded to governor-general. In those days he also represented the British government in New Zealand, a function that since 1939 has been carried out by the British High Commissioner. The governor-general represents the monarch, who is New Zealand's Head of State.
The Modern Governor-General: Dame Silvia Cartwright
An outgoing Governor-General's 'Notes For My Successor' have had their day. New Zealanders already know the country and have no need to pack their household goods for a journey around the world.
After Cabinet has made its decision, the governor-general designate meets the outgoing governor-general and the staff of Government House. He or she receives a series of briefings from officials and visits London to receive the commission from the Queen.
See also: a biography of Dame Silvia Cartwright on the governor-general's site
Biographies of governors and governors-general
These biographies are available from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography website:
- Bledisloe, Charles Bathurst (1867 -1958)
- Bowen, George Ferguson (1821–1899)
- Browne, Thomas Robert Gore (1807–1887)
- Cobham, Charles John Lyttelton (1909–1977)
- FitzRoy, Robert (1805–1865)
- Freyberg, Bernard Cyril (1889–1963)
- Gordon, Arthur Hamilton (1829–1912)
- Grey, George (1812–1898)
- Hobson, William (1792–1842)
- Holyoake, Keith Jacka (1904–1983)
- Jellicoe, John Henry Rushworth (1859–1935)
- Jervois, William Francis Drummond (1821–1897)
- Onslow, William Hillier (1853–1911)
- Porritt, Arthur Espie (1900–1994)
A full list of New Zealand governors and governors-general, including the years in which they held office, is available from the governor general's website.
