Governors of Tasmania
The Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the reigning monarch (Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia). The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as the Governor-General of Australia does at the national level.
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 Tasmania. Nevertheless, the Governor retains the reserve powers of the Crown, and has the right to dismiss the Premier.
The official residence of the Governor is Government House located at the Queens Domain.
The first Australian-born Governor of Tasmania was Sir Stanley Burbury (appointed 1973). The first Tasmanian-born governor was Sir Guy Green (appointed 1995). Since Burbury, all Tasmanian governors have been Australian-born, except for Peter Underwood, who was born in Britain but emigrated to Australia when a teenager. The position was vacant for over five months in 2014, due to the unexpected death of the incumbent Peter Underwood on 7 July, with Chief Justice and Lieutenant-Governor Alan Blow acting as Administrator. The state's first female governor, Professor Kate Warner AC, was sworn in on 10 December 2014.
As from the appointment of Professor Kate Warner as governor, The Queen, upon the recommendation of the Premier, accorded Professor Warner, and all future Governors, the title 'The Honourable' for life.
Between 1804 and 1813, Van Diemen's Land was divided along the 42nd parallel, and the two sections governed as separate "Lieutenant-Governorships" under the Governor of New South Wales.
Lieutenant-Governors in the south
Before the arrival of Colonel David Collins as Van Diemen's Land's first Lieutenant-Governor, the Colony was under the control of Lieutenant John Bowen, RN, as its Commandant.
Colonel David Collins, 1804 - 1810
Edward Lord, March 1810 - July 1810
Captain John Murray, 1810 - 1812
Colonel William Paterson, 1804 - 1808
John Brabyn, 1808 - 1810
Major George Alexander Gordon, 1810 - 1812
Captain John Ritchie, 1812
Colonel Thomas Davey, 4 Februry 1813 - 9 March 1817
Colonel William Sorell, 9 March 1817 - 14 May 1824
Colonel Sir George Arthur KCH, 14 May 1824 - 29 October 1836
Captain Sir John Franklin FRGS, 5 January 1837 - 21 August 1843
Sir John Eardley-Wilmot, Bt, 21 August 1843 - 12 October 1848
Sir William Denison KCB, 25 January 1847 - 8 January 1855
Commandants of Port Dalrymple/Launceston (north) under Lieutenant-Governors listed above
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Geils, June 1813 (appointed but did not take office)
Captain John MacKenzie, March 1814 - October 1815
Major James Stewart, October 1815 - March 1818
Major Gilbert Cimitiere, March 1818 - December 1822
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Cameron, December 1822 - April 1825
Lieutenant-Colonel William Balfour, April 1825 - March 1826
Major Edward Abbott, March 1826 - July 1832
Major James W. Fairtlough, September 1832 December 1833
Major Thomas Fairweather, January 1834 - April 1835
Major George Deare, April - December 1835
Major Thomas Ryan, December 1835 - May 1839
Major Frederick Mainwaring, May 1839 - June 1840
Major Edward St Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset, July 1840 - February 1843
Major C. B. Cumberland, March 1843 - September 1845
Captain Philip Gidley King RN, 1800 - 1806
Captain William Bligh RN, 1806 - 1808
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CD, 1810 - 1821
Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane Bt GCH GCB, 1821 - 1825
Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Darling GCH, 1825 - 1831
Major-General Sir Richard Bourke KCB, 1831 - 1837
Major Sir George Gipps, 1838 - 1846
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy KCH KCB, 1846 - 1855
Sir Henry Young KCMG, 8 January 1855 - 10 December 1861
Colonel Sir Thomas Browne KCMG CB, 11 December 1862 - 30 December 1868
Sir Charles Du Cane KCMG, 15 January 1869 - 30 November 1874
Sir Frederick Weld GCMG, 13 January 1875 - 5 April 1880
Major Sir George Strahan KCMG, 7 December 1881 - 28 October 1886
Sir Robert Hamilton KCB, 11 March 1887 - 30 November 1892
Viscount Gormanston GCMG, 8 August 1893 - 14 August 1900
Captain Sir Arthur Havelock GCMG GCSI GCIE, 8 November 1901 - 16 April 1904
Lord (Sir Gerald) Strickland GCMG, 28 October 1904 - 20 May 1909
Major-General Sir Harry Barron KCMG CVO, 16 September 1909 - 3 March 1913
Sir William Ellison-Macartney KCMG, 4 June 1913 - 31 March 1917
Sir Francis Newdegate GCMG KStJ, 30 March 1917 - 22 February 1920
Sir William Allardyce KCMG, 16 April 1920 - 27 January 1922
Sir James O'Grady KCMG, 23 December 1924 - 23 December 1930
Sir Ernest Clark GCMG KCB CBE, 4 August 1933 - 4 August 1945
Admiral Sir Hugh Binney KCB KCMG DSO, 24 December 1945 - 8 May 1951
Sir Ronald Cross Bt KCMG KCVO PC , 22 August 1951 - 4 June 1958
2nd Baron Rowallan KT KBE MC TD, 21 October 1959 - 25 March 1963
General Sir Charles Gairdner GBE KCMG KCVO CB, 24 September 1963 - 11 July 1968
Lieutenant-General Sir Edric Bastyan KCMG KCVO KBE CB, 2 December 1968 - 30 November 1973
Sir Stanley Burbury KCMG KCVO KBE, 5 December 1973 - 16 March 1982
Sir James Plimsoll AC CBE KStJ, 1 October 1982 - 8 May 1987
General Sir Phillip Bennett AC KBE DSO KStJ, 19 October 1987 - 2 October 1995
Sir Guy Green AC KBE CVO, 2 October 1995 - 3 October 2003
Richard Butler AC, 3 October 2003 - 9 August 2004
William Cox AC RFD ED QC, 15 December 2004 - 2 April 2008
Peter Underwood AC, 2 April 2008 - 7 July 2014
The Hon. Professor Kate Warner AC AC, 10 December 2014 - incumbent
Lieutenant-Governors in the north
Lieutenant-Governors
On 1st July 1812, the north of Van Diemen's Land was united with the south and administered from Hobart. The colony was called Van Diemen's Land until 1856.
Governors of New South Wales (during the time when Van Diemen's Land was part of the colony of New South Wales)
Pre Federation Governors (During Self Government, prior to Federation)
Post Federation Governors