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The Governor of New South Wales is the representative in the Australian state of New South Wales of Australia's head of state, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.
The office of Governor of New South Wales is the oldest constitutional office in Australia. Captain Arthur Phillip assumed office as Governor of New South Wales on 26 January 1788, the day on which he founded what is now the city of Sydney, the first British settlement in Australia. The early colonial governors held an almost autocratic power due to the distance from and poor communications with Great Britain, until 1824 when the New South Wales Legislative Council, Australia's first legislative body, was appointed to advise the governor.*
In accordance with the conventions of the Westminster system of parliamentary government, the Governor nearly always acts solely on the advice of the head of the elected government, the Premier of New South Wales. Nevertheless, the Governor retains the reserve powers of the Crown, and has the right to dismiss the Premier. This power was last exercised in 1932, when Sir Philip Game dismissed Jack Lang.
See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor.
List of Governors of New South Wales
- Captain Arthur Phillip, RN, 1788-1792
- Captain John Hunter, RN, 1795-1800
- Captain Philip King, RN, 1800-1806
- Captain William Bligh, RN, 1806-1808
- Colonel William Paterson (acting), 1809
- Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, 1810-1821
- Major-General Sir Thomas Brisbane, 1821-1825
- Lieutenant-General Ralph Darling, 1825-1831
- Major-General Sir Richard Bourke, 1831-1837
- Sir George Gipps, 1838-1846
- Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy, 1846-1855
- Sir William Denison, 1855-1861
- John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, 1861-1867
- Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore, 1868-1872
- Sir Hercules Robinson, 1872-1879
- Lord Augustus Loftus, 1879-1885
- Charles Wynn-Carington, 3rd Baron Carrington, 1885-1890
- Victor Albert George Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, 1891-1893
- Sir Robert Duff, 1893-1895
- Henry Robert Brand, 2nd Viscount Hampden, 1895-1899
- William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, 1899-1901
- Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, 1902-1909
- Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 3rd Baron Chelmsford, 1909-1913
- Sir Gerald Strickland, 1913-1917
- Sir Walter Davidson, 1918-1923
- Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair, 1924-1930
- Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip Game, 1930-1935
- Brigadier-General Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1935-1936
- Admiral Sir David Anderson, 1936
- John de Vere Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst, 1937-1946
- General Sir John Northcott, 1946-1957
- Lieutenant-General Sir Eric Woodward, 1957-1965
- Sir Roden Cutler, 1966-1981
- Air Marshal Sir James Rowland, 1981-1989
- Rear Admiral Sir David Martin, 1989-1990
- Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair, 1990-1996
- Gordon Samuels, 1996-2001
- Professor Marie Bashir, 2001-present
"Governors of New South Wales"