Governor of Hong Kong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Hong Kong
Flag of the Governor of Hong Kong (1959–1997)
Coat of arms of Hong Kong (1959–1997)
Last in office Chris Patten 9 July 1992 – 30 June 1997
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Government House, Hong Kong
Appointer	Monarch of the United Kingdom
Formation	26 June 1843; 181 years ago (1843-06-26)
First holder	Sir Henry Pottinger
Final holder	Chris Patten
Abolished	30 June 1997; 27 years ago (1997-06-30)
Salary	HK$3,036,000 annually (1997)

The Governor of Hong Kong was like the boss of Hong Kong when it was a British colony. This person represented the British Crown (the King or Queen) from 1843 until 1997.

The governor was in charge of the Executive Council, which was like a cabinet of advisors. They were also the commander-in-chief of the British military forces in Hong Kong. The rules for the governor's job were written in important documents called the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions.

When British rule ended and Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, the governor's job changed. Most of their government duties went to the new chief executive of Hong Kong. The military duties went to the commander of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison.

The Governor's Role

The governor's powers and duties were set out in official papers from 1843. The British King or Queen chose the governor, usually with advice from the Foreign Secretary. The governor led the government of Hong Kong during all the years it was a British colony.

For a long time, there wasn't much public voting for government leaders. This only started to change in the last few years of British rule.

This is the special uniform worn by Governor Edward Youde when he started his job. You can see it at the Hong Kong Museum of History.

The Governor of Hong Kong led the colony's main government group, the Executive Council (ExCo). Until 1993, the governor also led the Legislative Council (LegCo), which made laws.

The governor picked most of the people who served in LegCo. For many years, British people held most of these positions. But over time, more local Hong Kong Chinese people were chosen. Most governors were experienced diplomats or colonial officials. However, the last governor, Chris Patten, was a politician before he came to Hong Kong.

In 1996, the governor's yearly salary was about HK$3,036,000. This money was not taxed.

If the governor was away, the chief secretary would temporarily take over as acting governor. These chief secretaries were usually from the Colonial Office or the British military. During World War II, when Japan occupied Hong Kong, Japanese military officers served as administrators.

Governor's Transportation

The Governor of Hong Kong had special cars for getting around. They used a Daimler DS420 for everyday travel. For important ceremonies, they had a fancy Rolls-Royce Phantom V landaulet. Both cars were taken away by the Royal Navy right after Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.

Governor's Homes

The Government House was the official home of the Governor from 1855 to 1997.

• The very first governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, lived in a building that is now the Former French Mission Building. He lived there from 1843 to 1846. Today, this building is home to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
• From the fourth governor, Sir John Bowring, onwards, governors lived at Government House. This was their official home, except for a period during World War II.
• During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945, the Japanese military governor lived at Flagstaff House. After the war, this house was given back to the Commander of British Forces.

List of Governors

This table shows some of the main British governors who led Hong Kong.

British Governors (1843–1941)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office			From	Job Before
			Started	Left	How Long
1		Sir Henry Pottinger 砵甸乍 (1789–1856)	26 June 1843	8 May 1844	317 days	Ballymacarrett, Ireland	Lieutenant-General
2		Sir John Francis Davis 戴維斯 (1795–1890)	8 May 1844	21 March 1848	3 years, 315 days	London, England	Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China
3		Sir George Bonham 文咸 (1803–1863)	21 March 1848	13 April 1854	6 years, 23 days	London, England	East India Company
4		Sir John Bowring 寶靈 (1792–1872)	13 April 1854	2 May 1859	5 years, 19 days	Exeter, England	Member of Parliament (MP)
5		Sir Hercules Robinson 羅士敏 (1824–1897)	9 September 1859	15 March 1865	5 years, 187 days	Westmeath, Ireland	Colonial administrator
6		Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell 麥當奴 (1814–1881)	12 March 1866	11 April 1872	6 years, 30 days	Dublin, Ireland	Colonial administrator
7		Sir Arthur Kennedy 堅尼地 (1809–1883)	16 April 1872	1 March 1877	4 years, 319 days	County Down, Ireland	Colonial administrator
8		Sir John Pope Hennessy 軒尼詩 (1834–1891)	23 April 1877	7 March 1882	4 years, 318 days	County Cork, Ireland	Colonial administrator
9		Sir George Bowen 寶雲 (1821–1899)	30 March 1883	21 December 1885	2 years, 266 days	County Donegal, Ireland	Colonial administrator
10		Sir William Des Vœux 德輔 (1834–1909)	6 October 1887	7 May 1891	3 years, 213 days	Baden-Baden, German Confederation	Colonial administrator
11		Sir William Robinson 羅便臣 (1836–1912)	10 December 1891	1 February 1898	6 years, 53 days	Wetherden, England	Colonial administrator
12		Sir Henry Arthur Blake 卜力 (1840–1918)	25 November 1898	21 November 1903	4 years, 361 days	Limerick, Ireland	Colonial administrator
13		Sir Matthew Nathan 彌敦 (1862–1939)	29 July 1904	20 April 1907	2 years, 265 days	London, England	Colonial administrator
14		Sir Frederick Lugard 盧吉 (1858–1945)	29 July 1907	16 March 1912	4 years, 231 days	Madras, India	Colonial administrator
15		Sir Francis Henry May 梅含理 (1860–1922)	4 July 1912	12 September 1918	6 years, 70 days	Dublin, Ireland	Colonial Secretary
16		Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs 司徒拔 (1876–1947)	30 September 1919	31 October 1925	6 years, 31 days	Oxford, England	Colonial administrator
17		Sir Cecil Clementi 金文泰 (1875–1947)	1 November 1925	1 February 1930	4 years, 92 days	Cawnpore, India	Colonial administrator
18		Sir William Peel 貝璐 (1875–1945)	9 May 1930	17 May 1935	5 years, 8 days	Hexham, England	Colonial administrator
19		Sir Andrew Caldecott 郝德傑 (1884–1951)	12 December 1935	16 April 1937	1 year, 125 days	Kent, England	Colonial administrator
20		Sir Geoffry Northcote 羅富國 (1881–1948)	28 October 1937	6 September 1941	3 years, 313 days	London, England	Colonial administrator
21		Sir Mark Aitchison Young 楊慕琦 (1886–1974)	10 September 1941	25 December 1941	106 days	India	Colonial administrator

Japanese Occupation (1941–1945)

During World War II, Japan took control of Hong Kong. These were the Japanese administrators.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office			From	Job Before
			Started	Left	How Long
1		Rensuke Isogai 磯谷廉介 (1886–1967)	20 February 1942	24 December 1944	2 years, 308 days	Tanba, Hyōgo	Lieutenant general
2		Hisakazu Tanaka 田中久一 (1889–1947)	1 February 1945	16 August 1945	196 days	Himeji, Hyōgo	Lieutenant general

British Governors (1945–1997)

After World War II, British rule returned to Hong Kong. Here are the governors from that time until the handover.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office			From	Job Before
			Started	Left	How Long
21		Sir Mark Aitchison Young 楊慕琦 (1886–1974)	1 May 1946	17 May 1947	1 year, 16 days	India	Colonial administrator
22		Sir Alexander Grantham 葛量洪 (1899–1978)	25 July 1947	31 December 1957	10 years, 159 days	London, England	Colonial administrator
23		Sir Robert Brown Black 柏立基 (1906–1999)	23 January 1958	31 March 1964	6 years, 68 days	Edinburgh, Scotland	Colonial administrator
24		Sir David C. C. Trench 戴麟趾 (1915–1988)	14 April 1964	19 October 1971	7 years, 188 days	Quetta, India	Colonial administrator
25		Sir Murray MacLehose 麥理浩 (1917–2000)	19 November 1971	8 May 1982	10 years, 170 days	Glasgow, Scotland	UK Ambassador to Denmark
26		Sir Edward Youde 尤德 (1924–1986)	20 May 1982	4 December 1986	4 years, 198 days	Penarth, Wales	UK Ambassador to China
27		Sir David Wilson 衛奕信 (born 1935)	9 April 1987	3 July 1992	5 years, 85 days	Clackmannanshire, Scotland	Diplomat
28		Chris Patten 彭定康 (born 1944)	9 July 1992	30 June 1997	4 years, 356 days	Lancashire, England	Chairman of Conservative Party

Timeline of Governors

This timeline shows how long each governor lived and when they were in office.

Interesting Facts About Governors

Here are some "firsts" among the Governors of Hong Kong:

• Charles Elliot: He was the first administrator of Hong Kong.
• Sir Henry Pottinger: He was the first official governor and the first Irishman to hold the job.
• Sir John Francis Davis: He was the first Sinologist (someone who studies Chinese language and culture) to be governor.
• Sir John Bowring: He was the first Puritan (a type of Protestant Christian) to be governor.
• Sir John Pope Hennessy: He was the first Irish Catholic to serve as governor.
• Sir Matthew Nathan: He was the first Jew to serve as governor.
• Sir Francis H. May: He was the first police chief to become governor. He also survived the first attempt to assassinate a governor.
• Sir Cecil Clementi: He was the first governor born in India and the first to speak Cantonese.
• Sir Mark Young: He was the first governor who had been a prisoner of war.
• Takashi Sakai: He was the first Japanese administrator during the occupation.
• Cecil Harcourt: He was the first British military officer to serve as administrator. Other governors with military backgrounds had retired before taking the job.
• Sir Murray MacLehose: He was the first governor who wasn't a colonial officer. He was a diplomat.
• Sir Edward Youde: He was the first governor who could speak Mandarin fluently. He was also the only governor to die while in office.
• Chris Patten: He was the first politician to become governor. He was also the only governor who didn't wear the traditional formal uniform. He was the last Governor of Hong Kong before it was returned to China in 1997.

Governor's Flags

These flags were used by the Governor of Hong Kong over the years.

• 

  Standard of the Governor of Hong Kong 1910–1955.

• 

  Standard of the Governor of Hong Kong 1955–1959.

• 

  Standard of the Governor of Hong Kong 1959–1997.

See also

• History of Hong Kong
• Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong – This person was second in command and acted as governor when the main governor was away. This role was taken over by the Colonial Secretary after the 1870s.
• Commander British Forces in Hong Kong